On The Ball!

By Walter Kish

Last Friday, Italy defeated the Ukrainian national team 3 0 in the quarter-finals of the World Cup of soccer, though few Ukrainians either in Ukraine or in the numerous Ukrainian communities across the globe were disappointed. Ukraine making it to the final eight in the tournament was beyond the expectations of almost everybody and, in particular, the sporting-world experts. 

 Ukraine ranked 45th in the world according to FIFA rankings prior to this tournament, and virtually every media story I read prior to Ukraine’s matches predicted that the team would be outclassed by whatever opponent it faced. One snide sports reporter labeled the team as “Shevchenko, plus 20 two others.” Though the sports media recognize Andriy Shevchenko as one of the premiere soccer players in the world, the rest were dismissed as marginal.

The prevailing view was reinforced after the first match when the Ukrainian side was trounced by a well-prepared Spanish side, 4–0. But, Ukraine’s team regrouped, regained its composure and, in the next game against Saudi Arabia, put together an impressive 4–0 victory. This was followed up by a hard-fought 1–0 win against a tenacious Tunisian team, putting Ukraine unexpectedly into the next round, the quarter-finals.

Their next opponents in the elimination round were the Swiss. Though perhaps lacking the offensive zip of some of their European neighbours, their disciplined defence made them the favourites against the Ukrainians. The match ground through regulation time and then a half-hour of overtime without any scoring, setting up an exciting penalty-shot finish. Fate smiled on Ukraine as the first three Swiss players all missed their shots, while three Ukrainian shots all found their mark.

Ukraine was in the quarter-finals, to the surprise of all the sports experts and, undoubtedly, most Ukrainians. There, up against a truly world-class team in the Italians, the Ukrainian dream finally came to an end, though the disappointment was soon replaced by the satisfaction of having gone much further than anyone had hoped. 

Making it to the top eight in the world was a magnificent achievement, and President Yushchenko, who attended that final game in Germany, made a point of visiting the team’s dressing room after the game and voicing the country’s pride and gratitude.

The games were the most widely watched and closely followed events in Ukraine for the past several weeks, greatly overshadowing the sorry spectacle that continues to envelop the formation of a new cabinet and government in Ukraine. Huge crowds caught every game on large screens set up in central squares of most of the cities. 

For part of the tournament I was in Canada and caught the game against the Swiss at the Ukrainian National Federation Community Centre in Toronto. A huge crowd packed the large hall, watching the game on the many large screens throughout the building.

After the game, the celebrations spread to Bloor Street West, the heart of the Ukrainian community in Toronto. The street soon became jammed with swarms of cars dressed up with Ukrainian flags honking away and the sidewalks packed with fans adorned in Ukrainian soccer jerseys and draped in a sea of blue and yellow. The police were forced to shut the street down to through traffic, as the party continued on into the evening.

The success of the Ukrainian team gave a much needed boost to Ukrainians everywhere who had lately been feeling the disenchantment and disillusionment of a political revolution that had gone badly off-track. For at least a little while, we have something to be proud off, an example of what Ukrainians can achieve when they set their minds to it.  In the grand scheme of things, sports may be but a recreational or entertainment pursuit, but the symbolic value to a nation’s morale is incalculable.