Gomel keep it clean

By Denis Orlov

The new season in Belarus may be only ten rounds old but FC Gomel have already enjoyed a record-breaking campaign.

Historic run
A 0-0 draw with FC Dinamo Brest last Sunday meant Gomel became the first team in the eleven-year history of the league to go ten consecutive matches without conceding a goal. Gomel had already beaten the record of eight straight clean sheets since the start of the season when they claimed their ninth with a 1-0 victory over FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk on 14 June.

Hoping for eleven
Gomel's miserly defending - and they are bidding for an eleventh clean sheet at home against FC Lokomotiv Minsk on Thursday - has lifted them to second place in the league. Their overall record this season is six wins and four draws, and they have a goal difference of 10-0. They have 22 points, two fewer than the leaders FC Torpedo-SKA Minsk.

On the up
Such feats are new for Gomel, who have spent most of their existence away from the limelight. In the days of the Soviet Union, the club never rose higher than the third division. Since independence, Gomel's best achievement has been to finish third in 1999. Since then, they have finished sixth in each of the last three seasons.

Positive influence
Gomel's reversal of fortune started 18 months ago when the Russian Sergei Podpaly was appointed coach just before the 2002 season. He brought fresh ideas and his arrival heralded instant results as Gomel won the Belarus Cup in his first campaign and recorded an impressive 5-0 aggregate victory against HJK Helsinki in the 2002/03 UEFA Cup qualifying round, before elimination by FC Schalke 04.

Far-reaching plans
The signs are good for the future. Gomel's main sponsor Belarusneft has ambitious plans and a new football-only stadium is being built. The 15,000-capacity stadium, which will be without equal in Belarus, will meet all the European standards when it is completed in the second half of next year.

'No concrete aim'
However, Podpaly is keeping his feet on the ground. "We do not have a fixed target right now," he said. "Simply, we are trying to get the maximum from every game. We will count our points in the autumn. I believe the fact that we do not have a concrete aim speaks about the desire of the club's directors to free the players from any unnecessary pressures."

Staying focused
The players have a similar view. Midfield player Andrei Morozov said: "We do not think about the records. We just try to be solid in defence in every game. For the moment we are doing quite well and most of the credit must go to our defenders and goalkeepers. I also benefit from this as I can feel happy going forward."

Reasonable balance
Gomel's form has been attributed to the strong balance in the team. Before the start of the season, they signed goalkeepers Vladimir Gaev and Yuri Afanasenko along with defenders Aleksandr Shagoiko and Aleksei Pankovets. Their arrival has given Gomel one of the strongest squads in Belarus but the club could still strengthen their attack - as indicated by the fact they have the lowest 'goals for' tally in the top seven. "The only line that requires strengthening is the attack," said Podpaly. "We need a skilful striker."

Team spirit
However, it only takes one goal to win a match and what is even more remarkable about Gomel is that Podpaly has been regularly rotating goalkeepers Gaev and Afanasenko. Perhaps a sign of the team spirit there is the way both men have accepted the decision. "Yuri [Afanasenko] and I just do our job successfully and everything is going well," said Gaev.