1997 Estonia national football team

The 1997 season was the sixth full year of competitive football in the Baltic country as an independent nation. The Estonia national football team continued in the qualifying tournament for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. The team ended up in fifth place in the final ranking of group 4, with one win, one draw and eight losses.

Lebanon vs Estonia

Friendly
26 January 1997

Lebanon	2 – 0	Estonia
Malikian 75' Nazha 82'

Beirut Municipal Stadium, Beirut

Attendance: 10,000

Referee: Ramadan (LIB)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	47
DF	Urmas Kirs	89'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'
DF	Gert Olesk	88'
DF	Raivo Nõmmik	90'
MF	Mati Pari	79'
MF	Indrek Zelinski	90'
MF	Marko Kristal	90'		49
MF	Martin Reim	90'		44
FW	Argo Arbeiter	51'
FW	Andres Oper	68'
Substitutes
MF	Viktor Alonen	51'
FW	Kristen Viikmäe	68'		1
MF	Meelis Rooba	79'		8
DF	Liivo Leetma	89'
DF	Urmas Rooba	88'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Estonia vs Scotland

WCQ 98 ^[1]
11 February 1997

Estonia	0 – 0 ^[2]	Scotland

Stade Louis II, Monte Carlo

Attendance: 3,766

Referee: Radoman (YUG)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	48
DF	Viktor Alonen	90'	31'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'
DF	Urmas Kirs	90'
DF	Urmas Rooba	90'
MF	Liivo Leetma	75'
MF	Marek Lemsalu	90'
MF	Marko Kristal	90'		50
MF	Martin Reim	90'		45
MF	Meelis Rooba	67'
FW	Indrek Zelinski	90'	55'
Substitutes
MF	Mati Pari	67'
FW	Andres Oper	75'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Azerbaijan vs Estonia

Friendly
1 March 1997

Azerbaijan	0 – 2	Estonia
		Kristal 35' ^[3] Zelinski 76' ^[4]

GSZ Stadium, Larnaca

Attendance: 50

Referee: Panayiotou (CYP)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	49
DF	Urmas Kirs	90'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'
DF	Janek Meet	90'
DF	Raivo Nõmmik	90'
MF	Viktor Alonen	76'
MF	Marko Kristal	82'	35'	51
MF	Martin Reim	90'		46
MF	Meelis Rooba	86'
FW	Andres Oper	80'
FW	Indrek Zelinski	90'	76'	19
Substitutes
MF	Mati Pari	76'
MF	Kristen Viikmäe	82'		2
DF	Teet Allas	80'
FW	Argo Arbeiter	86'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Scotland vs Estonia

WCQ 98
29 March 1997

Scotland	2 – 0	Estonia
Boyd 25' Meet 52' (og)

Rugby Park, Kilmarnock

Attendance: 17,966

Referee: Heynemann (GER)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	50
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'	23'
DF	Urmas Kirs	90'
DF	Janek Meet	90'	52' (og)
MF	Mati Pari	55'
MF	Martin Reim	90'		47
MF	Marko Kristal	90'		52
MF	Indrek Zelinski	81'	34'
FW	Kristen Viikmäe	72'		3
FW	Andres Oper	90'
Substitutes
MF	Meelis Rooba	55'
MF	Liivo Leetma	72'
FW	Argo Arbeiter	81'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Austria vs Estonia

WCQ 98
30 April 1997

Austria	2 – 0	Estonia
Vastic 48' Stöger 87'

Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna

Attendance: 27,500

Referee: Ancion (BEL)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	51
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'	20'
DF	Urmas Kirs	90'
DF	Janek Meet	90'
MF	Mati Pari	63'
MF	Martin Reim	90'		48
MF	Marko Kristal	90'		53
MF	Viktor Alonen	79'
FW	Kristen Viikmäe	82'		4
FW	Andres Oper	90'
Substitutes
MF	Meelis Rooba	63'
FW	Argo Arbeiter	79'
MF	Liivo Leetma	82'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Estonia vs Latvia

WCQ 98
18 May 1997

Estonia	1 – 3	Latvia
Zelinski 5' ^[5]		Babičevs 53' Jelisejevs 80' Lemsalu 87' (og)

Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn

Attendance: 2,500

Referee: Cvitkovic (CRO)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	52
DF	Urmas Kirs	90'
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'	87' (og)
DF	Raivo Nõmmik	90'
DF	Janek Meet	90'
MF	Indrek Zelinski	90'	5'	21
MF	Martin Reim	90'		49
MF	Marko Kristal	90'		54
MF	Viktor Alonen	63'	63'
FW	Kristen Viikmäe	81'		5
FW	Andres Oper	83'
Substitutes
FW	Argo Arbeiter	81'
MF	Meelis Rooba	83'		13
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Estonia vs Azerbaijan

Friendly
5 June 1997

Estonia	1 – 0	Azerbaijan
Kirs 73'

Viljandi linnastaadion, Viljandi

Attendance: 1,500

Referee: Lajuks (LAT)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	53
DF	Urmas Kirs	88'	73'
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'
DF	Janek Meet	79'
MF	Indrek Zelinski	90'		22
MF	Martin Reim	71'		50
MF	Marko Kristal	90'		55
MF	Meelis Rooba	90'		14
FW	Kristen Viikmäe	82'		6
FW	Andres Oper	90'
Substitutes
MF	Liivo Leetma	71'
DF	Teet Allas	79'
FW	Argo Arbeiter	82'
DF	Raivo Nõmmik	88'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Estonia vs Sweden

WCQ 98
8 June 1997

Estonia	2 – 3	Sweden
Oper 74' Kristal 84'		Dahlin 14' Zetterberg 53' Andersson 71'

Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn

Attendance: 2,500

Referee: Wojcik (POL)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Mart Poom	90'	(c)	54
DF	Urmas Kirs	90'
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	90'
DF	Janek Meet	90'
MF	Liivo Leetma	46'		10
MF	Martin Reim	90'		51
MF	Marko Kristal	90'	84'	56
MF	Meelis Rooba	65'		15
FW	Indrek Zelinski	84'		23
FW	Andres Oper	90'	74'
Substitutes
FW	Kristen Viikmäe	46'		7
MF	Mati Pari	65'
FW	Argo Arbeiter	84'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Estonia vs Andorra

Friendly
22 June 1997

Estonia	4 – 1	Andorra
Zelinski 22' Lemsalu 28' Oper 66' Pari 88'		Lima 67'

Linnastaadion, Kuressaare

Attendance: 932

Referee: Karhunen (FIN)

Pos	Name	Min	Rem	Cap
GK	Martin Kaalma	76'		2
DF	Urmas Kirs	90'
DF	Marek Lemsalu	90'	28' 62'
DF	Sergei Hohlov-Simson	85'	32'
DF	Janek Meet	90'
MF	Viktor Alonen	80'		32
MF	Martin Reim	85'		52
MF	Marko Kristal	90'		57
MF	Kristen Viikmäe	71'		8
FW	Indrek Zelinski	80'	22'	24
FW	Andres Oper	90'	66'
Substitutes
MF	Liivo Leetma	71'		11
GK	Mart Poom	76'		55
MF	Meelis Rooba	80'		16
FW	Argo Arbeiter	80'
DF	Raivo Nõmmik	85'		9
MF	Mati Pari	85'	88'
Manager: Teitur Thordarson

Lithuania vs Estonia

Baltic Cup
9 July 1997

Lithuania	2 – 1	Estonia
Morinas 35' Suliauskas 69' (pk)		Reim 77'

Žalgiris Stadium, Vilnius

Attendance: 300

Referee: Lajuks (LAT)

Estonia vs Latvia

Baltic Cup
10 July 1997

Estonia	1 – 2	Latvia
Kristal 15'		Babičevs 30' Pahars 50'

Žalgiris Stadium, Vilnius

Attendance: 150

Referee: Dubinskas (LTU)

Estonia vs Faroe Islands

Friendly
6 August 1997

Estonia	0 – 2	Faroe Islands
		Rasmussen 47' Müller 70'

Tamme Staadion, Tartu

Attendance: 500

Referee: Sundell (SWE)

Estonia vs Austria

WCQ 98
20 August 1997

Estonia	0 – 3	Austria
		Polster 47', 69', 88'

Kadrioru Stadium, Tallinn

Attendance: 1,600

Referee: Fassolis (GRE)

Latvia vs Estonia

WCQ 98
6 September 1997

Latvia	1 – 0	Estonia
Zemļinskis 87' (pk)

Daugava Stadium, Riga

Attendance: 2,500

Referee: Guntadze (GEO)

Sweden vs Estonia

WCQ 98
11 October 1997

Sweden	1 – 0	Estonia
Zetterberg 25'

Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm

Attendance: 18,702

Referee: Ormandjiev (BUL)

Philippines vs Estonia

Friendly
27 November 1997

Philippines	0 – 1	Estonia
		Kristal 46'

PhilSports Football and Athletics Stadium, Manila

Attendance: 3,000

Referee: Andres (PHI)

Notes

^ 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.
^ This match was originally scheduled for 9 October 1996 but was not played because the Estonia team did not arrive at the time appointed by FIFA. The Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup decided the match should be rescheduled.
^ Third goal of Marko Kristal in 51 international matches for Estonia.
^ Fifth goal of Indrek Zelinski in 19 international matches for Estonia.
^ Sixth goal of Indrek Zelinski in 21 international matches for Estonia.

References

[1] 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.

[2] This match was originally scheduled for 9 October 1996 but was not played because the Estonia team did not arrive at the time appointed by FIFA. The Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup decided the match should be rescheduled.

[3] Third goal of Marko Kristal in 51 international matches for Estonia.

[4] Fifth goal of Indrek Zelinski in 19 international matches for Estonia.

[5] Sixth goal of Indrek Zelinski in 21 international matches for Estonia.

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