Co-Host Nation
Coach Oleg Blokhin
One to Watch Andriy Yarmalenko
As we approach the summer of 2012 all of our minds, well most of them at least, will turn away from the domestic football competitions within our own countries, towards the International arena for the eagerly awaited European Championship Finals, to be held in Poland and the Ukraine. Within a fortnight from now, the world will know the names of the last four teams/countries that will join the 12 nations already guaranteed a place at Euro 2012. Over the next three weeks, we shall be profiling each of the 16 finalists that will bid to become the champions of Europe until 2016.
Following on from our profile of Poland, we come to the co-hosts Ukraine. Ukraine achieved independence as a nation following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. As a result, they only began to compete internationally as a country in late 1994, having failed to achieve recognition in time to take part in qualification for the ’94 World Cup in the U.S.A. . Persuading their best players to play for the new state was a difficult task as many initially chose to play for Russia , the direct successor to the old U.S.S.R. team. For a greater understanding of why this happened, it is worth noting that of the Soviet team that started the final of Euro 88 against Holland in West Germany, seven from eleven were Ukrainian.
From these inauspicious beginnings, the Ukraine have improved steadily as a footballing nation, producing such fine talents as Serhiy Rebrov, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk , not to mention national hero Andriy Shevchenko, who at one time was rated by many within football to be the best striker in Europe. These players, however, could not bring about successful qualification for major tournaments, although they did come close, missing out in the playoffs for Euro 2000, World Cup 98 and World Cup 2002. Success did come at last, and it was current coach Oleg Blokhin (his recall as coach bodes well this time round), in his first stint in charge of the national team, who delivered it. Qualification for World Cup 2006 was followed by a fine run to the quarter finals where Ukraine came up short against an Italy side who would go on to win the tournament, losing 3-0. Since then, failure to qualify for Euro 2008 was followed up by another play-off defeat, this time to Greece, which denied them a place in South Africa last summer.
As co –hosts Ukraine qualified by right for Euro 2012, like Poland they are Championship debutants and, like Poland, their form going into the tournament is difficult to assess given the lack of competitive matches they have played recently. The current squad is interesting, however, as it seems to have a good blend of youth and experience; for example veterans such as Tymoshchuk and Shevchenko are still there with more than two hundred caps between them, but there are several youngsters within the squad who may just add that pace and guile. Andriy Yarmalenko in particular can be singled out as one to keep your eye on in the summer, the 22 year old Dynamo Kiev attacker has been hailed in some parts as “the new Shevchenko”, high praise indeed. As this tag suggests, Yarmalenko possesses a great change of pace and an eye for goal, scoring eight in fourteen appearances so far this season for his club and five goals in fifteen caps for the national side. Home advantage will be important for the Ukrainians and if they can draw inspiration from what is bound to be an electric atmosphere, they may have the tools to progress to the knockout stages. It will not be easy though!
Neil Patterson
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Tags: andriy shevchenko, co host, collapse of the soviet union, domestic football, euro 2000, euro 2012, euro 88, football competitions, fortnight, host nation, inauspicious beginnings, international arena, national hero, oleg, rebrov, soviet team, stint, west germany, world cup 2002, world cup 98
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