By Taras Bombak
Led
by the scoring prowess of Team Captain Andriy Shevchenko and the stingy
goaltending of veteran goalkeeper Andriy Shovkovsky, both in action again after
sustaining recent serious injuries, the Ukrainian national soccer team was
scheduled for its first-ever appearance in the prestigious World Cup of Soccer
competition on June 14.
This tournament, held every four years, commands
a world-wide audience of billions, with only 32 countries eligible to compete
after emerging from hotly-contested qualification play. Ukraine qualified from
a particularly difficult group, finishing above such stalwarts as Turkey,
Greece and Denmark, all of which were eliminated from contention.
In past World Cups, players from Ukraine often
formed the majority on rosters representing the Soviet Union, though to the
rest of the world, such teams for all intents and purposes were perceived as
“the Russians.” After the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine was denied the
opportunity to even attempt to qualify for the 1994 World Cup by FIFA (Federation
of International Football Associations), as Russia was deemed the official
successor of the USSR to the exclusion of Ukraine. In the 1998 and 2002 World
Cups, when finally allowed to participate, Ukraine advanced to the last stages
of qualification, suffering a bitter playoff defeat to Croatia for a spot in
the 1998 tournament, and another disappointing playoff loss to Germany for the
right to play in the 2002 version.
This year’s event will be the first in which
Ukraine has reached the final and competes as a distinctly independent nation.
Interestingly, Russia failed to qualify, as did all other ex-Soviet countries.
Ukraine heads into the tournament in fine form,
surrendering no goals in four tune-up exhibition matches known as “friendlies,”
with a 4-0 win over fellow World Cup participants Costa Rica, a 0-0 draw
against perennial powerhouse Italy, and 3-0 victories over lightly regarded
Libya and Luxembourg.
Shevchenko, recently signed to a record-setting
contract by the English Premiership League champion club Chelsea after seven
seasons with AC Milan, played only in the game against Luxembourg, notching a
late goal after entering the contest as a substitute. Shovkovsky split
goaltending duties throughout exhibition play with up-and-coming understudy
Bohdan Shust, though Shovkovsky, supported by a competent defensive corps, will
doubtlessly be the goalie of choice of coach Oleh Blokhin once the shooting
starts for real.
Ukraine has been drawn in a group with Spain,
Saudi Arabia and Tunisia as opponents, with the top two finishers advancing to
the next round. Bookmakers pegged Spain, Ukraine’s first adversary on June 14,
as the group favourite, although Ukraine is widely regarded as a “dark horse”
that could advance into the latter stages of the tournament if taken lightly by
more established opponents. This factor of unpredictability is attributable
largely to the presence of Shevchenko,
who has established himself as one of the best players in the world and is capable
of scoring in bunches and taking advantage of the slightest scoring chance.
Shevchenko will undoubtably command the attention of many opposing defenders,
thus perhaps freeing up some of his less renowned team mates for more scoring
opportunities of their own.
Ukraine’s squad has been hobbled by a spate of
recent injuries. The question of Shevchenko’s game fitness continues to linger,
and his inclusion for the starting roster on any given game day is always
tenuous. To help rectify the injuries situation, coach Blokhin has called up
four players from the Ukraine Under 21 Junior Team – surprise silver medallists
in the recent 2006 Under 21 European Championship held in Portugal – to bolster
the World Cup squad. Included in these reinforcements is the talented Artem
Milevsky, pegged by many as the next Ukrainian soccer superstar. It remains to
be seen how much playing time these youngsters will be granted, as the jump
from junior competition to the highest level of play in the world is no simple
matter.
The bulk of Team Ukraine (the zbirna)
consists of players drawn from the Ukrainian domestic league–relative unknowns
outside of Ukraine. They will doubtlessly be playing to the best of their
abilities in the spirit of national pride, and also perhaps in hopes of landing
future contracts with rich and glamorous clubs in Western Europe (as Shevchenko
has done) with an impressive World Cup performance, after having battled hard
for the right to perform on such a prominent international stage.
Note: All of Ukraine’s games will be televised
live on either The Sports Network (TSN) or Rogers Sportsnet.
Taras Bombak is an Edmonton-based sports
enthusiast.