Belarus vs. New Zealand: 10 Bold Predictions

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Belarus and New Zealand are not exactly favorites to medal at the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games in football, but they will be opening up Group C play against each other on July 26 at the City of Coventry Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. BST.

New Zealand qualified for the Olympics by winning the 2012 Oceania Football Confederation Men's Olympic Qualifying Football Tournament. Belarus finished in third place at the 2011 UEFA Under 21 Championship in Denmark.

Here are 10 bold predictions for Thursday's tilt between Belarus and New Zealand.

1. Under Five Goals Will Be Scored

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This will be a low-scoring game. It's essentially a pillow fight between two teams who won't factor much into the medal race at these Games.

There will be goals, but there won't be a lot of them. No more than four goals will be scored in this contest.

2. Belarus Dominates the Stat Sheet

Belarus manager Georgy Kondratyev.
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Belarus isn't exactly an European footballing powerhouse, but when you compare them to the Oly-Whites, they might as well be. So look for the White Russians to dominate attempts on goal, corners, crosses, passing accuracy and, most importantly, the possession percentage.

3. The Belorussians Strike First

Within the first 25 minutes, Belarus will strike first to open up the game. Dynamo Kyiv's Andrey Varankow will do the honors, after scoring two goals at the UEFA Under-21s last year.

4. BATE Borisov Leaves Its Impression

Renan Bressan
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Seven players on the Belarus Under-23s are from BATE Borisov: goalkeepers Alyaksandr Hutar and Andrey Shcharbakow; defender Dzyanis Palyakow; midfielders Dzmitry Baha, Mikhail Gordeichuk and Renan Bressan; and forward Maksim Skavysh.

As BATE Borisov has been the face of Belorussian club football of late, look for these players to make an impact at this tournament, starting with this game.

5. Mikhail Gordeichuk with Two Assists

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Among the midfielders on this Belorussian team, Mikhail Gordeichuk has made six appearances for his country. A member of powerhouse club BATE Borisov, Gordeichuk will record two assists for Belarus.

6. Shane Smeltz Keeps New Zealand in the Game

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A journeyman striker with years of experience playing in three different continents, Shane Smeltz will get on the scoresheet on a sequence orchestrated by defender Ryan Nelsen.

It will be the only goal New Zealand gets all game, though.

7. Jake Gleeson with More Than Five Saves

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The New Zealand back line isn't the best set of defenders at this tournament. That's going to put a lot of pressure on Portland Timbers backup goalkeeper Jake Gleeson to make a series of saves.

I am calling for at least five saves from Gleeson against Belarus.

8. Alyaksandr Hutar with Less Than Five Saves

Based on caps, Alyaksandr Hutar is going to be the starting goalkeeper for Belarus in Coventry. Hutar has made 32 league appearances for BATE Borisov and will be earning just his seventh national team cap.

Buoyed by a strong back line and a mediocre attacking unit from the Oly-Whites, Hutar will not have to make a lot of stops. No more than four saves will be required.

9. Under 25 Fouls and Three Yellows

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This will be a free-flowing game, and I don't expect the whistle to be blown every one or two minutes. So look for under 25 fouls called and under three yellows issued at the City of Coventry Stadium.

10. Belarus off to a Flying Start

Maksim Skavysh
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This should be an easy victory for Belarus, in comparison to their group matches with Egypt and Brazil. With BATE Borisov's top young talent leading the way, it will be a straightforward affair over New Zealand.

Belarus 3, New Zealand 1