Україна National Team III

The three friendly games UNT played over the last few days gave a lot of food for thought. After the first game, against Borussia, I had quite a bit of optimism. The game looked creative and interesting to watch. The following two games make me think that this team still has a mountain to climb.

 

Friendly with Congo cancelled last minute, looking very disheveled all of a sudden with a week to go before the 1st game. This is a horrible situation, can't believe we are being forced to play this game, and right at the moment when the defense of Donbas is being strained and Kherson & Zaparozhia are in the process of being converted into Russian territory. So much pressure on these players now its hard to fathom and if Ukraine

On the bright side the entire squad is assembled and everyone is thankfully healthy. Zinchenko looked incredibly focused walking into the hotel, almost no smile came there for business. and this is just after winning EPL in epic fashion, he's the true captain of the squad. Everyone else seems a bit too happy and in chippy mood, especially given the situation. Guess everyone has gotten used to the new normal, defintely not Zinchenko tho. Hopefully his presence will be the key piece to get everyone in the right frame of mind. Zinchenko was the difference maker last time we played @ Hampden Park...

 

2 more sleeps...

Swedish lad won the Indy500 yesterday, Scottish bagpipes were playing in the winner circle. Funny timing with us set to return to Hampden Park, the place of one of our greatest triumphs under a year after the famous win v. Sweden to advance to Euro quarterfinals. Hopefully a good omen for another famous night in Scotland

Also Lunin became the 3rd Ukrainian to win the Champs League last weekend. Dnipro Academy product. Proud.

 

2 good saves now

 

A beautiful pass by Malyna. Just inches onside for Yarmolenko. Masterful.

 

That is an excellent goal and a great chance for Yarmolenko just a few minutes later. Ukraine in control.

 

And the dream goes on!

I've got to say this game makes me very optimistic about this team.

 

Bump

Swedish lad won the 500 with Scottish bagpipes in victory lane foretold the outcome, Dovbyk with a late goal again @ Hampden Park sealed it for any doubters. It was written...

We've been here before, solid 1st leg result v. Greece away, dream 1st leg result v. France etc etc. Ukraine can play great once per week, but 2 games in 4 days is tough, but this extra day of rest will be massive. I was more worried about Scotland than Wales, Scotland is a tougher environment but Wales has confidence from a few Euro appearances

The triangle and diamond shaped pass & movement was a huge surprise today, Petrakov is 1 victory away from becoming a living legend. 1 win away from Ukraine v. USA (culprits of the war) on the opening day of the World Cup. Was it written?

 

Oh and Zinchenko with the assist on both of the Dovbyk goals in Hampden Park haha so eerie. It was written...Hampden Park is mystical for us now, if we make the World Cup won't go to slave labor built Qatar but debating whether to maybe make a trip to Scotland for our Nations League game there in Sept.

Still buzzing after yesterday. I watched it in a brewery in Cincinnati with USA fans before the Morocco friendly last night. Bunch of people sitting around who said they preferred Scotland since are EPL fan boys but ended up cheering Ukraine for me haha. Was a memorable summer World Cup vibes type of double header, will never forget this day (even more so if we win Sunday). Some people recognized my Euro2012 kit at the stadium too, would say something nice walking by me.

Hopefully the lads cease the moment Sunday and we become like the new Croatia, forged stronger by a crazy brotherly war, and from that become an extremely confident team, finally shed that old bad luck and misfortune culture for this true Cossack spirit. So much riding on this game its absolutely insane. Very similar emotions for me to when Dnipro was playing Napoli & Sevilla. Wales isn't Sevilla tho, we need to seal the deal. So much is at stake, praying for the lads they stay healthy, fresh & sharp. God will hopefully help guide them, he sure was there with Buschan yesterday twice...

 

Same lineup as Wed., here we go. God speed lads.

Fyi my fbook day in the past today shows we beat USA in u20 World Cup in 2015, hopefully a sign for us to meet again in the World Cup (we beat them in 2019 as well on our way to becoming world champions). Exactly 7 years ago today was when we beat them 3-0, 7 is 'Sheva' in Hebrew, God's number. Was it written??

 

So close!

 

Unbelievable...Ukraine can't have nothing nice!!

We had been undefeated in qualifiers since Oct. 2017, not only shades of Greece with Yarmola & Sheva suffering but also N. Ireland in 2016 playing under heavy rain all game long and controlling the game, losing to 1 stupid unlucky set piece goal. Sickening how depressing our history is when we are such a strong team. Perfect age squad to do damage at World Cup. Yarmola & Konoplyanks robbed of shining in 2010 like Mudryk is now in 2022. Sickening.

Also very sketchy no penalty given to Yarmolenko shortly after unjust own goal. They gave a penalty against us @ Euro's last summer in similar circumstance and I've seen plenty of those types of pens given. FIFA didn't want politics @ World Cup or what? Going in I thought for sure they'd do Ukraine a favor, but given the chance they did the opposite.

 

Lol @ Ukriane backup squad winning @ Ireland. We are a strong squad that should be at almost every major tournament yet we've missed a vast majority because we choke epically and/or have some cursed luck

Absolutely sickening to be 1 for 7 in the Playoffs. Just saw team pic of the squad that beat Serbia 5-0 in qualifiers in 2019, 8 of the players featured v. Wales, only Konoplyanka instead of Yarmolenko, Zabarniy instead of Kryvtsov and Buschan instead of Pyatov. Our squad is in a perfect age to thrive at this exact moment, I can't get over the fact at how we could be this cursed. Maybe this Sunday had something to do with Ukraine setting fire to an old wooden church replica from 16th century and incessant bombing of Donetsk civilians for 2 weeks. That's the only thing I have to explain how our legend scored an own goal to blow a golden opportunity to promote Ukraine during its most perilous time

Also the fact they wore blue instead of yellow irks me too. Hopefully they didn't have a choice others whoever chose blue instead of yellow is a retard. We look like Ukraine in yellow, it feels different. Just like Brazil always chooses to wear yellow or Croatia in checkers. If someone chose blue because we already wore yellow 4 days prior they're an absolute muppet lmao! Fml.

 

Lucky goal by Tsygankov v. Ireland, lucky goals by Karavaev & Mykolenko today v. Armenia, nothing but bad luck in the biggest game in Ukraine's history tho. Such a cursed country & team, they mirror each other. Can't stop thinking about that nonsense last Sunday, such a brilliant team entering their prime. Absolute madness they lost in such cruel fashion. Fml.