I've been looking forward to the fixture with Neman Grodno in Molodechno for a while. The fact that it has coincided with the most important weekend in Belarus for a decade, and takes place the day before the presidential election, makes this- and the rest of the footballing calendar- appear as something of an afterthought. Last night, as leaders Shahktyor Soligorsk battled to a 1-0 over a stubborn Dinamo Brest, opposition chanting (Long Live Belarus! is apparently an opposition chant) was clearly audible on live television. The jittery authorities have cancelled both league matches in Minsk in response, treating any large gathering as a potential opposition rally. Large crowds haven't really been a feature of Energetik's tenure at Molodechno this season so for now the game goes ahead, and therefore so does our preview.
Neman visit us in remarkable form. They are unbeaten now in eleven games, a run stretching back to early May. On the 9th of that month, they lost 2-4 at home to Rukh Brest, having gifted the visitors two shambolic early goals. Even a contender for goal of the season from Gegham Kadimyan was unable to pull that iron from the fire of defeat, a result which left the club fourteenth in the table. Talk then of a title challenge and a long unbeaten run would have appeared ludicrous to most observers of the league.
Nonetheless, that's what has happened. Further, Neman appeared to have taken that woeful defensive display as a low water mark and resolved to shut up shop. The last goal they conceded was in a dominant 3-1 victory at the Yunost over Slavia Mozyr, on the fifth of June. Two months and eight games have passed, therefore, since the Grodno side conceded a goal. And these are no flat track bullies like BATE, beating up the likes of Smolevichi and Gorodeya in one sided snooze fests. These games have included an incredibly passionate West Belarus derby against Dinamo Brest (1-0 win), and a scoreless draw in a Grodno rainstorm that they had the better of, with leaders Shahktyor, There were slight recent wobbles in a scoreless draw with Vitebsk and a performance about as unimpressive as it's possible to be, whilst winning, against Belshina Bobruisk. The result of all this relentless and ruthless progress is third position in the table, behind BATE on goal difference alone with a game in hand, and six points and two games in hand on Shahktyor. Neman also have one of the bigger followings in the UK and (critically) easily available merchandise!
The task facing an Energetik team still trying to re-formulate itself following a tricky transfer window is, formidable. No one gives us much of a chance. But, as we've seen before, this is often when our team is at it's most dangerous. It really would be peak Energetik to lose to FC Minsk, and fail to beat gubbins village outfit Gorodeya, yet again, only to rock up and turn over the league challengers in the next game, with a stylish performance coming out of nowhere. I suspect Neman will approach this game in a cautious manner, like a postman approaching a hissing cat.
The sides have already crossed swords, back at the end of April in Grodno. Obviously, the Rukh game has happened since, but for me this was one of the worst displays of the season. Before anyone really realised Neman's potential, they cantered to one of their easiest victories of the season, three up after an hour. We were extremely poor that day. Midfielder Pavel Zabelin, with a brace, and Armenian talisman Kadymyan popped up with their goals.
Kovalevich's progression from metal roadie to rainswept middle management
Neman are managed by plain speaking maverick Igor Kovalevich. Kovalevich is apparently a big fan of heavy metal, which can be seen in his previous incarnations; previously appearing variously as an unshaven roadie (whilst in charge of Belarus' under-21 side), then Meat Loaf in his early Neman days, before finally succumbing to the sober-suited-short-back-and-sides of this season. An enduring image of this campaign will be Kovalevich standing in his suit in stair-rods of rain at Vitebsk, totally absorbed in the work of his players and oblivious to the weather. There's no wallies-with-brollies in Grodno.
Kovalevich had a fifteen year playing career which featured spells in Russia and Azerbaijan, as well as a fair few clubs in Belarus. His longest spells in Belarus were at Belshina and Neman, three years apiece, after he began his career at FK Molodechno in the 1990/91 season, so our stadium will be familiar to him.
As a manager Kovalevich's career began as an assistant at Naftan Novopolotsk, before in 2009 he signed up for the same role with the Belarusian under-21 team. He rose to manage the 21s for nearly forty fixtures between 213 and 2016, prior to taking the job in Grodno. This is therefore his fifth season in charge of the boiled sweets. During his tenure he has established them as a solid mid-table side, finishing thirteenth, sixth, seventh and tenth in the previous seasons.
The head coach favours a 4-4-2 line up, occasionally switching to a 4-2-3-1 when more defensive minded. This is rare from a team laden with attacking potential however. The basis of all successful teams is a settled back line and Neman are no different. At nearly two metres tall, Dmitry Dudar is the first choice goalkeeper, having played sixteen times this season. A graduate of Dinamo Minsk's seconds, he has played around Belarus with spells in both the first and second tiers; amongst his previous clubs have been Slutsk, Granit Mikasheivchi, and his home town club Gomel. This is his second season with Neman, and he is a calming presence in goal, with reliably handling both on the ground and in the air, as well as distributing the ball well.
The back four is also very settled. Andrei Vasiliev is perhaps the most recognisable with his bald head and furious red beard. The St. Petersburg native is a former Russian under-21 international, is fierce in the tackle and gets forward down the right touchline very effectively, too- as four assists from eighteen starts shows. The defender had brief spells at defunct Torpedo Minsk and Gomel before signing on in Grodno at the beginning of this season. The centre back pairing of the Serbian Danijel Stojković and Aleksey Legchilin, a one-cap Belarusian international, is very well established, with 37 appearances between them this season. Stojković in particualr has stood out as a steady and reliable foundation for a very miserly back line, whilst Legchilin has good previous expereince with FC Minsk and Dinamo Brest, and is now into his third season in Grodno. Completing the back four, normally, is left back Artur Slabashevich who began his career a dozen years ago with Energetik. Now 31, Artur has worn the colours of eight Belarusian clubs in a long career punctuated by a brief spell in Czech football.
In the defensive part of midfield Neman can call on great experience both from Pavel Zabelin and Andrei Yakimov, both of whom Kovalevich relies heavily upon; they have been at the club for four seasons each now. There are more goals in Zabelin but Yakimov's work breaking up attacks and releasing the ball out wide or forward s just as important.
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| Armenian international Gegham Kadimyan in the colours of FK Vorskli |
The undoubted jewel in Neman's crown is ten-times capped Armenian international Gegham Kadimyan, who has eight goals from nineteen starts and is his side's top scorer. I have to tell you- when it comes to composing a league team of the season at the end of the year- this name will be the first on my team sheet. We have already spoken about his remarkable goal against Rukh. Kadimyan is deadly from set pieces but what really marks him out- after all, there are plenty of talented midfielders in Belarus with a good engine- is his ability to see a pass, and read the game two or three moves in advance. There are very few players in this league who have that about them. Even when Kadimyan is having a quiet game, you can never relax around him. That ability to read the game and play another into goalscoring positions can;t be bought or taught; the best example of how lethal he can be was the ways n which he set up striker Zoran Marušić for his hat-trick down at Slavia. Kadimyan has spent most of his itinerant career in Ukraine, with spells as Vorskla and Karpaty Lviv being the highlights; he joined Neman from top Armenian side FK Alashkert.
Recently Kovalevich acquired Jean-Morel Poé as Smolevichi's squad from the first half of the season were moved on due to lack of funds. Poé had been on loan there from Torpedo BelAZ and Yuri Puntus, surprisingly, deemed him surplus to requirements in Zhodino. Just 24, Poé is an exciting and unpredictable winger who has spent more time playing professionally in Belarus than he has in his native Ivory Coast. He stood out in a poor Smolevichi team and is abundantly talented, however at this stage perhaps lacking a final ball or end product for his trickery. This move to Grodno, therefore, is an important one for the winger, and you feel he needs to just move his game up a level further. Poé is the kind of winger fans love to watch, however, as you are never quite sure what is coming next with him.
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Zoran Marušić on the charge against Belshina
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Up front we've already mentioned striker Zoran Marušić, a Serbian forward who's bumped around various clubs in the first and second tiers in his native country, and in Bosnia-Herzegovina, before signing for Dnyapro Mogilev (RIP). As hapless Dnyapro blew up like a Bond villain complex at the end of last season, Marušić boarded the escape-pod to Neman and has had a pretty good season thus far with five goals, marred by a suspension for accumulating too many cards. Marušić, wearing 45, is quick and lively although quite inconsistent in the games I've seen. He could be more prolific too- his best spell was at Sloga Kraljevo, in Western Serbia, six seasons ago, with nine goals in that camapign. the regular starter up front alongside Marušić is club captian Valeri Zhukovsky, now in the veteran stage of a successful career at the age of 36. Zhukovsky has two goals this season and has been at Neman for four seasons, having signed in 2017 from Dinamo Minsk.
This is a team that a long-serving coach has been developing for a long time. You'll see that many players have been with the club for a while and understand one another's game and habits very well. I just feel Neman don't have quite enough to take the title at the end of the season, but this is their most serious challenge for it in living memory. Whilst they will likely make light work of Energetik tomorrow, how the fixtures line up (they have still to play BATE) when finally released, will likely go a long way to understanding whether they can keep in contention until the last weeks. Neman and Kovalevich have become hugely popular in Belarus this season, and perhaps unwittingly, have become a symbol of the country's desire for change in all aspects of life. Whether the neutral's support and encouragement alongside that of aloyal fanbase is enough to see Neman over the line, only time will tell.
Jon Blackwood
Twitter: @DreadlocksGleb
