Translated material
On the British flag
Belarus beat a contender for the World Cup awards
The World Cup participants continue to prepare for the main tournament of the four-year anniversary. Some try to do it effectively, like the German national team, which beat Luxembourg - 7:0, others effectively, like France, which defeated another participant in the World Cup, Mexico - 1:0. The British did not succeed either way: the contenders for the title of world champions lost to the Belarusian team - 1:2.Test matches are also fraught with injuries. In the same game between Germany and Luxembourg, the defender of the World Cup hosts, Robert Huth, was injured. So even after the score was 7:0, the coach of the German team, Jurgen Klinsmann, was not too happy. And if we take into account that the day before Germany also lost Michael Ballack, who still needs time to recover from an ankle injury, the championship hosts’ preparation for the opening match of the tournament turns out to be crumpled.
The Portuguese team also scored a major victory. The European vice-champions defeated their former colony Cape Verde - 4:1. The main character in this game was Pedro Pauleta, who scored three goals and thus marked the extension of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain for another year. But Scolari also has a lot of problems. Nuno Gomes and Luis Boa Morte have not yet recovered from their injuries, and third goalkeeper Bruno Vale had to be replaced in the tournament lineup due to serious injury. His place will be taken by Paulo Santos. Thus, Scolari again ignored Porto goalkeeper Vitor Baia and Chelsea newcomer Hilario Sampaia.
The French team decided to get by with a victory with a more modest score. However, the opponents of the “tricolors” were much stronger - the Mexican team. The only goal in this meeting was scored by Malouda. But the greatest emotions among the spectators were caused by the departure of Zinedine Zidane from the field. The leader of the French national team played his 100th match in the national team's jersey and his last in front of his spectators at the Stade de France. So it’s not surprising that Zizu was greeted with a standing ovation.
The French national team has no problems with its squad yet. Although there was a scandal. On the eve of the game, the team's second goalkeeper Gregory Coupe, offended that the place in the starting lineup at the World Cup would be given not to him, but to Fabien Barthez, packed his things and left the base. However, he soon returned and, after talking with almost all the coaches and doctors, decided to remain even on the bench.
At the World Cup, France will face Switzerland. The coach of the Swiss national team, Kobi Kuhn, chose a serious opponent for his sparring - the Ivory Coast team. The Africans are predicted to play the role of a sensational team at the World Cup, but so far the players from the Ivory Coast have not wasted their reserve of victories and in the game with the Swiss they were content with a draw - 1:1. After the match, one of the Ivorian leaders, Didier Drogba, said that he was unhappy at Chelsea and was ready to change the team. But, naturally, after the World Cup.
Well, the loudest sensation was caused by the Belarusian national team, which beat one of the championship favorites, England, 2:1. However, it is worth noting that the British played with a second team, where there was a place even for those players who were on the so-called “waiting list”. But if this continues, then nothing good will happen to these players. After all, the British missed the second - and decisive - goal when the Belarusian team played in the minority after Omelyanchuk was sent off.
Results of friendly matches: Spain - Russia - 0:0, Denmark - Paraguay - 1:1 (Thomasson 51 - Cardoso 21), Germany - Luxembourg - 7:0 (Klose 5, 59, Frings 19 s pens., Podolski 35, 65 with pens., Neuville 90, 90), Serbia and Montenegro - Uruguay - 1:1 (D. Stankovic 18 - Godin 81), Switzerland - Ivory Coast - 1 :1 (Barnett 32 - Fay 47), Holland - Cameroon - 1:0 (van Nistelrooy 24), France - Mexico - 1:0 (Malouda 45), Trinidad and Tobago - Wales - 1: 2 (John 37 - Earnshaw 38, 87), Portugal - Cape Verde - 4:1 (Pauleta 1, 38, 83, Petit 60 - Meira 21 own goal).