Estonia to test theory of practice

If they come here with a reputation for anything, it's playing football. "Not surprising", you're thinking "they are, after all an international football team". But what's distinctive about the Estonian footballers has nothing to do with the way they play their games and everything to do with just how many they squeeze into any given year.

Over the past couple of seasons the Estonians, until recently under the guidance of Icelandic coach Teitur Thordarson, have comfortably marked themselves out as the most active bunch of international footballers in Europe.

The packed fixture list explains how a player like their 29-year-old midfielder Martin Reim has managed to amass 93 caps with a team that only came into existence after the collapse of the old Soviet Union.

During the 1998-99 season, Thordarson's men played 15 times, combining Euro 2000 qualifiers with friendly games and tournaments in just about every corner of the globe. Last season they put their feet up a bit, and laced up their boots on just 13 occasions.

Their results during that time were a bit of a mixed bag, but there's certainly nothing to suggest that they are the next Slovenia. Draws with Scotland, Greece and Norway stand out, although only the one against Craig Brown's side was in a competitive game, while defeats of Georgia and Belarus would certainly suggest that they are capable of causing some problems for half-decent opponents.

Under present coach Tarmo Ruutli, they now find themselves in the rather strange position of heading up the group. The early running they've made, however, is explained by the fact that they have already played and beaten Andorra home and away.

Neither victory was particularly impressive. In Talinn, they managed a 1-0 victory thanks to a second-half goal from Reim. In the return match at the weekend, it was the central midfielder who again set up the win with the opening goal. Twenty-two-year-old Andreas Oper then scored for the 15th time in 56 games which should have been enough to make the game safe, but they finished poorly, conceding a late penalty which the home side converted.

With the bulk of the squad playing their football at home and most of their exiles based in Scandinavia, Derby County goalkeeper Mart Poom will be the best known member of the visiting team this evening. The 28-year-old's current form is less than awe inspiring though, with 19 goals conceded in eight outings for County so far this season.

While they will defend in numbers tonight, just as they did against Portugal last month, Oper and his striking partner Indrek Zelinski (14 goals in 63 games) are still expected to prove a bit of a handful. The pair are both big and quick and have impressed both Mick McCarthy and Ian Evans in recent games. Nevertheless a goal in Dublin would certainly rank amongst their most memorable achievements.