Belarus national football team defeated Finns in the League of Nations

In the 4th round of the Football League of Nations, the Belarusian national team won against the Finnish team - 1: 0, the correspondent of the Minsk-Novosti agency reports.

The rivals met last week on the field of the Suomi national team. Then in the first half, the initiative was on the side of the hosts, and the second half of Viktor Gancharenko’s wards spent an order of magnitude more powerful and had a couple of cool chances to score. Experts and even the players of the Finnish national team admitted that the Belarusians were closer to victory.

Now the meeting at the Rudolf Illowski Stadium in Budapest (used by the team from Sineoka as a neutral venue) began with a fantastic goal. Gancharenko's guys took just 14 seconds to open the scoring in the match. A long throw from goalkeeper Fyodor Lapouh, the reset of German Barkovsky and a powerful blow to the upper corner of the goal from Artem Shumansky (1: 0). The guard of the gates of the Finns Lukasz Gradecki only watched the flying ball.

In the 15th minute, the Belarusians could increase the advantage. Shumansky in someone else's penalty skillfully set up under a foul - a penalty. The victim himself took the ball and set it on the point, showing with all appearances that he would execute the blow. However, captain Zakhar Volkov approached him, said something and the 11-meter performs himself. But it turned out unsuccessfully - Gradecki guessed the direction and neutralized the threat. The Finns quickly recovered and took control of the ball. It really wasn't much use. Before the break, they managed to seriously disturb Lapoukhov only once. But the ball after the strike of Adrian Swanbeck hit the bar.

In the second half, the Belarusians played on the score, allowing the opponent to act as the first number. In 45 minutes, the Finns organized one moment, when from outside the penalty area allowed to break through Oiva Yukkole. However, Lapoukhov successfully chose the position, coping with the blow. Time passed, and the more rated team could not create threats. Moreover, in the end on emotions, the players of the Finnish national team behaved frankly boorish. The German arbiter Sasha Stegemann deserves critical arrows. For some reason, the judge in similar situations showed the Belarusian players a yellow card, and the Finns regretted it. Not surprisingly, closer to the end of the meeting, the coaching staff of the Belarusians loudly indignant, and two assistants Gancharenko received a yellow card. Nevertheless, the players from Sineokoy won an important victory that allowed them to beat the Finns in the table.

Shumansky’s goal became the fastest in the history of the Belarusian national team. Previously, the achievement belonged to Timofey Kalachev, who on September 2, 2006 in the qualification of EURO 2008 scored Albania (2: 2) in the 41st second. In the history of the Nations League, only the Frenchman Bradley Barcol scored faster, notable in 2024 with an accurate shot in the 13th second against Italy.

- Seven points in four matches is what we earned. It was important to keep a good chance of leaving the group. As for a quick goal, in most cases it is good for the team. There are, of course, reverse situations. But if you take a percentage, it's 75 to 25. In our case, when the opponent catches up, it is always better for us, said V. Gancharenko.

Finns captain Hradecki admitted that his team all 90 minutes did stupid things, earned incomprehensible penalty points, played according to the plan of the opponent. The Finns have done too little as a team.

Table of group C1

Teams

AND

IN

N

PP

M

OH

1st

Albania

4

3

0

1st

8-3

9

2

Belarus

4

2

1st

1st

5–2

7

3

Finland

4

2

1st

1st

9-2

7

4

San Marino

4

0

0

4

1-16

0

The teams have two fights left. The schedule is as follows:

1. 1.November 12, 22:45. Albania - Finland;
2. 2.November 12, 22:45. San Marino - Belarus;
3. 3.November 15th. 20:00. Finland - San Marino;
4. 4.November 15th. 20:00. Belarus - Albania.

Photo by abff. by