Despite a pre-match preparation unlike any other for an international football fixture, Ukraine created a landmark performance to defeat Scotland 3-1 in Switzerland’s World Cup playoff semifinal at Hampden Park in Glasgow on Wednesday.
Ukraine’s 2-0 victory over Slovenia in a World Cup playoff on Wednesday brought emotional victory for many Ukrainian fans — sporting yellow and blue colors — who had to travel from the war-torn country to watch their team play. The win puts Ukraine just one step away from qualifying for the World Cup later this year. The match had originally been scheduled to take place in March, but it was postponed due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Now, Ukraine must defeat Wales in Cardiff on Sunday in its final playoff match to qualify for the World Cup. Before the game, many fans spoke about giving those back in their homeland a morale boost during the war, and they did just that courtesy of goals from Andriy Yarmolenko and Roman Yaremchuk.
Ukraine suffered more in the second half after Callum McGregor scored with just 10 minutes to play, but the visitors added a third goal in stoppage time when Artem Dovbyk ran clear to secure a magical victory. Prior to playing Scotland, Ukraine’s last competitive game had been in November. After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014, it became too dangerous for the national team to remain at home. So they’ve been based in a training camp in Slovenia since May 1 preparing for Wednesday’s game.
“I have no emotions,” Ukraine coach Oleksandr Petrakov told reporters after his team’s victory over England. “All my emotions are left on the football pitch. This victory was not for me, not for the players, it was for our country.” He continued: “We played for those who fight in trenches, those who fight for their last drop of blood.” Petrakov added: “Yes, we took a baby step towards our great aim. We still have the Wales game in front of us and we’ll do everything.”
Special backdrop
BAGPIPES sounded throughout the streets of Glasgow hours before kick-off of Wednesday’s Euro qualifier against Ukraine, a familiar sign of support for the Scotland national team. Historically, the instrument is one of war but the country has also adopted it as a symbol of defiance and those rousing skirls took on a new meaning Wednesday — seemingly playing as much for Ukraine as they were for Scotland.
Dressed in Scottish attire—tartan kilt, feather in hat—many fans made sure to show their sartorial support for the opposition, either by wearing a ribbon in Ukrainian colors or blue and yellow socks. As hundreds of Ukrainian fans picked up their tickets from outside the stadium, supporters were sharing cultures, taking turns to sing songs and play music from their country.
In contrast to their usual disdain for half-and-half scarves, many football fans wore them proudly on Saturday as they stood to welcome the Ukraine team onto the field. The away team was clapped out by both sets of supporters as it emerged for the warmup, and fan groups handed out leaflets with lyrics for the Ukraine national anthem, encouraging Scottish supporters to sing along. Although far from perfect, the sound of both national anthems brought an atmosphere inside a sunny Hampden Park to a spine-tingling crescendo. Ukraine’s team had lined up for the anthems with their country’s flag wrapped around each of the players’ shoulders.
A game like no other
In the build-up to the match, Scotland’s players spoke of their respect for Ukraine and said they would put the rivalry aside once they stepped onto the pitch. And when the football started, they delivered on their promise. Hampden Park was as ferocious as people have come to expect with Hampden Park booing Ukraine when it kept possession in an early stage of the game.
Craig Gordon got his fingertips to Viktor Tsygankov’s fierce shot to keep it out, but the visitors continued to waste chances as the away crowd inside Hampden made plenty of noise, realizing their team had a genuine chance of winning.
Then, just after the half-hour mark, Ukraine’s Yarmolenko sprung the offside trap and put the ball into the back of the net with a deft finish. It was a goal that many neutral fans celebrated. “Practically everyone on the planet doesn’t want us [Scotland] to win,” former Scotland player Ally McCoist said during BT Sport’s commentary on the game.
Disbelief
There was a sense of disbelief inside the stadium after Ukraine took the lead. The team’s coach, Mykhaylo Fomenko, gave clear instructions to his players: stay calm. In truth, there was no stopping this Ukrainian side, which perhaps was unsurprising given the emotions motivating them—emotions that had been stirred up by Russia’s invasion of Crimea and its ongoing support for separatists in parts of eastern Ukraine. No sooner had the second half started than Ukraine doubled its lead; with Yaremchuk heading in at the back post.
The Ukrainian team jumped over a barrier of advertising boards and celebrated in front of its fans. Scotland’s chances were also buoyed by the home support, which started creating chances as the game wore on and the magnitude of what they were about to do started to sink in. Nerves started to show for Ukraine as it became clear that Scotland was going to win. Scottish captain Scott Brown finally capitalized on a mistake from Heorhiy Bushchan in goal and momentum swung Scotland’s way.
Ukraine’s football team battled on after conceding two early goals to England, eventually triumphing 3-2 in a dramatic match that saw Dovbyk score the winning goal with the last kick of the game. Ukraine’s players were too tired to celebrate, however, as many fell to the ground, exhausted both mentally and physically at full-time. Now one win away from playing in Qatar, there is a real chance Ukraine will be there — something even more significant given Russia are banned from competing. As the last remaining light began to fade away on a special night in Glasgow, all that was left was the Ukrainian fans singing, crying and dancing in the stands.