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“Without hope I am happy!” With such a leitmotif from Lesya Ukrainka’s famous poem, the Ukrainian team among young people under 21 entered the home match of the eighth qualifying round for the European Championship-2021 against their teammates from Romania. The game on the Obolon-Arena field in the capital of Ukraine between the direct competitors in the ranking of our sextet took place with only two possible outcomes. Any result, short of a victory, did not suit Ruslan Rotan’s side, which was seriously lacking in points during previous matches. Even in the first round game against opponents in a reported duel.
The Romanian U21 team went through this qualifying cycle with great success, as evidenced by the 16 points scored in seven games. At the same time, within the team there was a roster change in the head coach position, and Mirel Redoy has already managed to fly with the country’s main team from qualifying to the ‘adult’ Euro, which was postponed until 2021, after the results of yesterday’s fight with Iceland (1: 2). He was replaced by one of the most famous Romanian players of the new millennium – Adrian Mutu, with whom the team already managed to win twice at the start of the reporting match.
The problems of our team were known to all who were not indifferent. Ruslan Rotan’s team chaotically did not earn the necessary points for the fight. And if the loss at home to group leader Denmark could be offset by the victory lost on the road, then the initial failure with Finland (0: 2) definitely set the tone for the entire subsequent campaign. It was also possible to record the first round match lost in 15 minutes against Romania (0: 3) there.
Two halves, of completely different meaning, issued orders that night. However, it is worth noting that Rotan’s team managed to free itself from the burden of psychological pressure and spent most of the playing time not only in control of the ball, but also in a rather aggressive attack. This could be seriously hampered by an episode late in the first quarter of an hour of the fight, when one of the flank pulls ended with a muscle strain for Roman Vantukh. The defender was immediately replaced by Orest Lebedenko, which was enough to keep pushing in this area.
And it was from the left flank that the Ukrainian team rushed to execute all their approaches to the penalty area, while in the opposite half of the field the defender Opruts did not look with confidence at Dubinchak. However, the players of our national team noticed it too late. What is striking is that the hosts created their most dangerous episode in the first half of the game precisely after a service from the right wing by Lunev, which Nazarenko tried to close with a failed blow in the fall. In the second half, Rotan decided to put pressure on the opponent’s problem area, so Topalov entered the field.
Our coaching staff failed to implement this step due to the injury to the Opruts, instead Bobok entering the field after the break, neutralizing Topalov’s advantage in “freshness” in his legs. But this did not stop the inclination of Ukraine’s attack to the right flank. During the last half hour of the game, when our team was supposed to win, taking into account the time until the final whistle, Georgy Tsitaishvili entered the field, and at the end of the offensive, the meaning began to appear.
In fact, the Dynamo Kiev player became the hero of our team that night. It was his run to the right flank of the penalty area that ended, let’s be very honest, with a penalty worked out for a foul by Costake. The Romanians argued for a long time as Buleta prepared for an accurate shot in the upper left corner, but there was no VAR in the match, so the referee had no basis for his decision.
The home team took the lead 10 minutes before the end of regulation but could have missed immediately with a corner kick from the left wing, which ended with a header from Pashkanu at the near post. You can’t help but notice Riznyk’s failed interception game, although our goalie had been doing his job well before choosing a spot. The guests did not have enough time for more, so they leave the capital of Ukraine with nothing, but still have the opportunity to decide for themselves the fate of the next round.
The next game for the Ukraine U21 team will be an away game against Northern Ireland, and Romania will host the main outside player in our group: Malta.
European Under-21 Championship. Qualification. Group stage. Group 8. Eighth round.
Ukraine U21 – Romania U21 – 1: 0
Bulets, 80 (pen)
Bondarenko, 24, Buleca, 58, Riznyk, 88 – Opruc, 42, Vlad, 72, Kostake, 79
Ukraine U21: Riznyk – Vantukh (Lebedenko, 15), Sirota, Popov, Dubinchak – Batagov, Buletsa, Bondarenko (Czech, 67) – Nazarenko (Tsitaishvili, 60), Sikan (Shevtsov, 67), Lunev (Topalov, 46).
Romania U21: Vlad – Opruts (Bobok, 46), Gitse, Pashkanu, Haruts – Chobanu (Itu, 77), Marin, Olaru – Metsan (Dragush, 65), Kostake, Man (Morutsan, 77).
Referee: Furkat Atazhanov (Shymkent, Kazakhstan).
Stadium: Obolon-Arena (Kiev).
Shots (on target): 11 (4) – 13 (7)
Corners: 8 – 5
Offside: 3-5.
UKRAINE U-21-ROMANIA U-21. ONLINE DIFFUSION OF THE MATCH
Temperature: 16 ° C
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