Ukraine have taken a step forward in their thrilling pursuit of qualifying for the World Cup amid an ongoing war, beating Scotland 3-1 in a vibrant playoff semi-final on Wednesday.
Key points:
- Ukraine beat Scotland 3-1 after World Cup play-off semi-final was postponed due to war
- The loss means the drought at the World Cup in Scotland extends to 24 years
- Ukraine now faces Wales to win a place at the World Cup in Qatar in November
Veteran captain Andriy Yarmolenko raised his header after 33 minutes, making the score 0 – 1. Roman Yaremchuk was the scorer.
Ukraine dominated for much of a well-deserved victory, although they had to resist Scotland’s revival, as risky attacks led to a 79th goal from Callum McGregor, before Ukraine’s substitute Artem Dovbyk clarify to score with the last blow of the match.
Dovbyk drove his teammates to the corner of the stadium to share the celebration with 3,000 Ukrainian fans in the crowd of 51,000, applauding each other with their hands raised above their heads.
Ukraine will now face a place in the World Cup in Wales on Sunday.
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The Cardiff winner will travel to Qatar in November to play as a group against England, the United States and Iran.
Ukraine put on a good display despite using six starters who had not played a competitive game since December.
Most of the Ukrainian national team plays for local clubs whose league was closed after the Russian invasion, and the Glasgow playoffs were postponed to March. FIFA and Scotland have agreed to give the Ukrainian team a fair chance to prepare for matches that have become a focus of national identity and pride.
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Scotland did not have the necessary class. His wait for the football World Cup now extends beyond the 24 years since he went to the 1998 tournament.
Ukraine’s victory could have been sealed earlier if there had been no early stops and often by Scottish goalkeeper Craig Gordon, 39. After a short tussle with the defender, John McGinn finally tucked the ball home. 67 – 1!
Ukraine is mounting a wave of global goodwill, as the victim of Russian aggression and the intense motivation of its players to reward the nation with a place on the biggest stage of football was clear.
All Ukrainian players entered the field with a blue and yellow national flag on their shoulders.
The warm welcome saw Ukraine’s national anthem, Shche ne vmerla Ukrainas, applauded loudly by Scottish supporters. Many in the crowd felt the referee was being too lenient when he only showed FC a goal from the sidelines.
Some of the Ukrainian fans had traveled far and had made plans to stay in Britain for Sunday’s decisive playoff.
George Butromeyev said before the match that he came from Toronto with friends to support the players who “must show the people of Ukraine that we are warriors”.
Ukrainian players celebrate Roman Yaremchuk’s goal to make it 2-0 against Scotland. (Getty Images: Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)
“It’s not just about football,” said Yaroslav Grygorenko, who traveled from Amsterdam.
“It simply came to our notice then [people] forget what is happening in Ukraine “.
Alex Demianczuk, born in Scotland, wore a Ukrainian yellow and blue kilt and wanted his parents’ nation to move forward. Playing for Ukraine at the World Cup, he said, would be “something that will really get on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s nerves.”
Read more about the Russian invasion of Ukraine:
In Kyiv, the fans decided to gather to watch the match had the curfew in wartime, which began at 23.00 local time, before the start of the second half.
The Beer & Meet bar in central Kyiv dodged the movement restriction by offering fans the chance to stay until 5 p.m.
Police passed by the bar in a patrol car a few minutes before the start, asking fans who had gathered outside to go down to the basement rooms to drink due to an air strike warning.
Oleksii Safin, 40, who works as a voice actor, put his right hand on his heart as he sang the national anthem. He and other fans erupted in celebration when Ukraine scored first. But the war that broke out in the east of the country was not forgotten.
“It looks like we’re having a lot of fun, but in reality, we’re not,” he said.
“We are trying to look normal, as much as we can, but we still remember what is happening in the east.
“It’s a good fight, just like the one we have right now with the Russians.
“We can show that we can do it.”
AP