Ukraine Plays Friendly Match Against Canada

(Press Release) - On October 8, 2010, the Embassy of Ukraine in Canada presented a live broadcast of the Men’s International Friendly Match between Ukraine’s and Canada’s national soccer teams. The match was held in Kyiv’s Valeriy Lobanovsky Stadium and Ukraine’s team played to a 2-2 draw. This game was held as part of the preparations for the finals of the UEFA EURO 2012 European Football Championship.

For Canada, Simeon Jackson and Atiba Hutchinson scored first-half goals. Ukraine shot goals from Artem Milevskiy and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk in the final 45 minutes of play.

Ihor Ostash, Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada, informed that it was the first game between the national soccer teams of Ukraine and Canada, but it was not the first duel between Ukrainians and Canadians on the soccer field. In 1976 during the Olympic Games in Montreal, the USSR Team comprised of ten Ukrainian players, won the match with Canada 2:1. Next, in 1986 at the World Soccer Championship in Mexico, the USSR Team comprised of 7 Ukrainians, won 2:0 over Canada.

To inform guests about the EURO championship that Ukraine will host in 2012, participants of the Canada-Ukraine Parliamentary Program provided a presentation about the history of the soccer championship and the benefits of hosting these games in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv and Donetsk.