At the tip of 90 minutes, some celebrated a 3-1 victory after Ukraine survived a late surge from Scotland, advancing to a Sunday playoff in opposition to host Wales in Cardiff. The winner will be a part of England, the United States and Iran in Group B within the World Cup in November.
Wednesday’s match got here six months since Ukraine’s earlier aggressive match, and after its preliminary contest in opposition to Scotland was postponed by FIFA in March as a result of Ukraine couldn’t area a staff after Russia’s invasion.
“Ukraine is still alive,” defender Oleksandr Zinchenko informed the BBC’s “World Football” podcast earlier than the sport. “… I can promise all the Ukrainian people that every one of us is going to give everything to win the game and to make them proud of us, and just maybe for a few seconds we would like to give them this smile.”
Several Ukrainian gamers reportedly thought of becoming a member of the nation’s military following the Russian invasion in February. Oleksandr Petrakov, the staff’s 64-year-old coach, was turned away when he tried to enlist. Instead, the staff was granted permission to journey past Ukrainian borders to put together for Wednesday’s recreation and take a look at to safe the nation’s first World Cup berth since 2006.
The invasion triggered the postponement of the Scotland match in March and formally shuttered the Ukrainian Premier League in April.
National staff gamers from UPL powers Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv continued to compete via a government-backed tour meant to increase cash for Ukraine’s army and assist refugees displaced by the battle. Those gamers later convened with the remainder of the nationwide staff for a month-long coaching camp in Slovenia.
Last month, Ukraine performed exhibitions in opposition to golf equipment in Germany, Italy and Croatia for its first video games since beating Bosnia in November. During a highway win in opposition to German membership Borussia Mönchengladbach, Gladbach followers erupted in cheers, chanted Ukrainian songs, painted yellow-and-blue flags on their cheeks and sported Ukrainian scarves.
“It distracts the [Ukrainian] people from the war, and it distracts the players from the war,” Petrakov informed The Washington Post after the match.
In Wednesday’s recreation, Ukraine supplied loads of distraction early, creating alternatives all through the primary third of the match earlier than Andriy Yarmolenko’s Thirty third-minute aim, a chip shot that floated effectively over Scottish goalkeeper Craig Gordon. Roman Yaremchuk’s Forty ninth-minute aim eased the stress and impressed the Benfica striker to hurdle a barrier and run towards the group, however Scotland mustered a late cost that produced Callum McGregor’s 79th-minute rating.
Ukraine continued to repel Scotland’s advances, and as stoppage time ticked previous the allotted 4 minutes, its gamers beckoned for the ultimate whistle. Their frets proved unwarranted moments later, when Zinchenko angled a via ball and Artem Dovbyk transformed it into one other aim.
Petrakov, the coach, unfold his arms and shouted. When the whistle blew, his gamers gravitated towards the Ukrainian flags within the stands and clapped in unison with their supporters.