The Ukrainian national football team lost two points by drawing 1:1 in the World Cup 2006 qualifying match against Greece at the NSC "Olimpiyskyi". After the final whistle, the reigning European champions were hugging each other, and it seemed as though they had once again recalled their success from three months ago. The 55,000-seat stadium in the Ukrainian capital was disappointed, and a victory that was so close turned into a banal draw.
Even taking into account such components of the game as territorial advantage, ball possession, and goal-scoring chances, Ukraine should have won by those measures as well. However, football is an unpredictable thing. True, one thing is pleasing. Perhaps for the first time during Blokhin's tenure as head coach of the national team, we saw approximately the kind of football with which one can hope to achieve the goals proclaimed by the coach of the blue-and-yellows after he took charge of the national team. But there is also another fact, which is more statistical. Under Blokhin, the Ukrainian national team has earned only one victory, beating Asian Kazakhstan, which was geographically assigned to Europe only in this qualifying cycle.
But a victory over Greece was very close for Ukraine. And again about a sore subject. The Ukrainian anthem before the match was performed by Oleksandr Ponomaryov. It is joyful that ten players in blue-and-yellow shirts held their hand on their heart. But there was one who seemingly couldn't care less which country he plays for. Who is he? Please welcome – Dynamo Kyiv defender Andriy Nesmachnyi. Comments are unnecessary...
Now about the game. Already in the tenth minute of the match, Ukraine should have taken the lead. After a pass from the center line, Andriy Vorobey went one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and having shifted slightly to the left, aimed a curled shot at the far corner of Nikopolidis's goal, but the Greek national team goalkeeper saved that shot. In general, in the first 20 minutes of the game, the Ukrainians had a significant territorial advantage, but it never came to a real threat. Vorobey and Voronin, as well as Husyev, were active in attack. The Greeks took their first shot toward Shovkovskyi's goal in the 20th minute, but Karagounis's strike landed a meter from the post. Already in the 28th minute, Shevchenko became noticeable on the field. After his pass to Voronin, the Bayer forward cunningly shot toward the corner of the goal, but the ball went just a few centimeters wide of the post.
The next dangerous moment came only in the 38th minute. Its author was Oleh Husyev, who, after dribbling past the guests' defenders near their penalty area, shot toward the corner of the goal, but Nikopolidis in a stretching dive averted the threat from the goal.
In the next attack, it was the Ukrainians' turn to forgive – the Greeks. After a mistake by Nesmachnyi, Yannakopoulos headed the ball from about six meters, but straight into Shovkovskyi's hands. The first half ended on that moment. Its summary: Ukraine again fails to convert chances when it needs to score, but it is also pleasing that the defense, set up by Blokhin in a line, did not particularly blunder. Let us note Rusol's confident play.
The start of the final part of the game became another cold shower on the heads of the Greek national team players and Otto Rehhagel (it rained constantly during the game). About 5 meters from the corner of the penalty area, Voronin was fouled. Shevchenko confidently stepped up to the spot. It is not excluded that in the head of the Ukrainian national team forward, the match against Russia in 1999 was replaying. Back then, Shevchenko's goal from practically this position crossed out all of Russia's hopes for Euro 2000 and wrote off the Russians' goalkeeper Filimonov to the bench. Taking this free kick against the Greeks, Shevchenko did practically everything the same as 5 years ago, but shot low. Nikopolidis pressed the ball curled by the forward to the turf, but not firmly enough, and it rolled between his legs into the goal – 1:0. A comical goal, but it's a goal!
After conceding, the Greeks did not desperately rush at the Ukrainians' goal, as if they knew they would still have a chance. Meanwhile, Blokhin's charges had opportunities to cement their success. In the 55th minute, Shevchenko burst down the right flank into the penalty area and delivered a precise pass to Voronin, but the ball was taken off his foot at the last moment. Rusol's join into the attack a minute later nearly ended dramatically for the Greeks. After a corner kick, the Dnipro defender's shot was punched out from the corner of the goal by the goalkeeper in a desperate dive.
When about 20 minutes remained until the end of the game, Blokhin seemingly asked the players in advance to hold onto the ball. They held it, but no one expected what happened in the 82nd minute. The match referee spotted a foul by the Ukrainians, as they say, out of nowhere. It was about 27 meters to the goal, but that did not prevent Tsartas from placing the ball into the right corner of Shovkovskyi's goal – 1:1. The goal turned out beautiful, but that doesn't make it any easier for us. In the 89th minute, Shovkovskyi smothered Dellas's header. The lads in the blue-and-yellow shirts no longer had the chances to snatch a victory. In the third added minute, Blokhin finally decided to bring on Bielik, but the Shakhtar forward did not have enough time to score his second goal for the national team.
Ahead is Georgia, and the game against them will probably be even harder than against the Greeks, who, we must admit, even in not their best form do not allow themselves to be beaten.
Ukraine – Greece – 1:1 Goals: Shevchenko 48, Tsartas 82 Ukraine. Shovkovskyi, Rusol, Fedorov, Yezerskyi, Nesmachnyi, Husyev, Tymoshchuk, Shelayev (Zakarlyuka 87), Vorobey (Husin 64), Voronin (Bielik 91), Shevchenko. Greece: Nikopolidis, Seitaridis, Dellas, Basinas (Georgiadis 80), Zagorakis, Yannakopoulos (Charisteas), Fyssas (Tsartas 69), Vryzas, Kapsis, Karagounis, Katsouranis.