November 19, 1999
***Ukraine was eliminated from EURO 2000 contention by underdogs Slovenia who won
on a 3-2 aggregate.

***Slovenia 1-1 Ukraine (3-2 on aggregate): Miran Pavlin's 74th-minute strike shot surprise side Slovenia into the European Champiompionship final round at the expense of fancied Ukraine. The home side looked to be on track for a play-off victory after Serhii Rebrov crashed home a 65th-minute penalty, but Pavlin's effort gave the Slovenes a deserved 3-2 aggregate victory.

 Ukraine fail to create chances
 Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, but armed with a potentially crucial away goal, Ukraine knew that a 1-0 victory would be sufficient to see them advance to the finals. However, they were frustrated in the first half which they dominated territorally, but the skilful Slovenians looked dangerous on the break. Just 10 minutes into the game, Zlatko Zahovic
appealed for a penalty after he was tripped by Ukraine defender Serhii Fedorov, but was cautioned by German referee Bernd Heynemann instead.  However, Ukraine's efforts to take the team to the visitors was severely handicapped by the weather conditions with snowfall rendering the pitch an ice rink. Despite holding possession for long periods, the closest Ukraine came to creating an opening in the first half came when Andrii Shevchenko played Serguei Skachenko in after 38 minutes, but he fell seeking a penalty when he would have been better advised to fire in a shot himself. Slovenia, though, had came close just previously with Zlatko Zahovic artfully orchestrating their counter-attacks. Pavlin got on the end of Zahovic's cross after 34 minutes, but his goal-bound header was cleared off the line.

 Rebrov strikes - Pavlin responds
 Ukraine upped the tempo significantly in the second half. Serhii Rebrov's headed just wide after 48 minutes.
The goal came after that sustained spell with a penalty awarded after Milan AC
striker Shevchenko was hauled down in the box, and the Dynamo Kyiv striker
Rebrov finished coolly fromthe spot. However, that goal served only to spur on Ukraine, and Pavlin hit back nine minutes later when his long range effort deflected off a defender and wrong-footed Ukraine keeper Olexander Shovkovskyi. Ukraine then threw caution to the wind as they sought the goal they needed to salvage their qualification hopes. Dabanovic did well to save from Skachenko after 81 minutes, while Olexander Holovko had a shot deflected wide a minute later. However, the closest the home side came to sending the match into extra-time was four minutes from time when Vladyslav Vashchuk's lobbed effort came back off the crossbar.

 Tragedy - Buryak
 "It's a tragedy for us," said Ukrainian assistant coach Leanid Buryak. "It's a real drama in the locker room right now  for our entire team."  Slovenia coach Srecko Katanec beamed with pride. "It's a great victory for our small nation," he said. "And I have never doubted that we could pull it off. Even when we were down 0-1, I  was sure we would come back."

***While some 3,000 Slovenian fans stood in the snow at two in the morning on
 Thursday to greet their soccer heroes at the airport after the national side
 qualified for their first ever big event, the defeat has sparked some deep
 soul-searching in the Ukraine.

 Slovenia celebrates
 Slovenia stunned Ukraine by holding their play-off rivals to a 1-1 draw in Kiev for a 3-2 aggregate victory and a place in next year's European championship finals in the Netherlands and Belgium.  Thousands of fans blocked Ljubljana's streets on Thursday to welcome home Slovenia's triumphant soccer squad. Supporters gathered in the old part of Slovenia's capital to toast the team. "I could never ever dream that so many people in Slovenia would gather to welcome soccer players in our country," said captain Darko Milanic.

 Phenomenal
 "This is phenomenal. We never even dared to dream about such a success. But we deserved it," said coach Srecko Katanec, a former player who was capped 31 times for the former Yugoslavia. "I remember how difficult it was to achieve something like this even in the days of the former Yugoslavia," he added. "This success means a big obligation for the future."  Slovenia, a former Yugoslav republic until 1991 with a population of only two million, reached the play-off by completing their qualifying campaign behind Norway.  Slovenian soccer federation president Rudi Zavrl praised Katanec, who has been coaching the side only since April. "Once again we experienced a winning spirit which has been in our team since Katanec took over," Zavrl said.  Karlsruher SC's Miran Pavlin scored the 79th minute equaliser after Ukraine had taken a 1-0 lead 10 minutes earlier with a penalty.
 "It was a tough match...the Ukrainians played well and shrewdly but we overshadowed them with our spirit," he said.

 Hopes dashed for Ukraine
 In contrast, the defeat has turned into a national tragedy for the Ukraine.
"Tonight we all feel the bitter taste of lost hopes," a presenter on a television talk show said after the match.  Soccer officials were just as disheartened.  "This is a drama for all of us, but we have to recognise that the Ukrainian team played really weakly," Valery Nikonenko, aspokesman for the Ukrainian Football Federation (UFF), told Reuters. "The erroneous tactics of our coaches are to blame."  A senior UFF representative told Reuters that the match might be the last in the career of national team coach JoZsef Szabo, blamed for the humiliating draw. But he and others said that not only Szabo would be under fire.  "It remains to be seen if any of us will stay in the job," said disheartened assistant coach Leonid Buryak after the game. Valeri Lobanovskyi, the coachof Dynamo Kiev, whose players make up the core of the domestic squad andwho is officially the senior coach of all Ukrainian national teams, might be forced to give explanations.  Television showed grim, silent crowds of tens of thousands fans leaving thehuge Olimpiyskyi Stadium after the game.  "Today I feel like a child who lost his favourite toy," one policeman at the match told television.  The game has also shattered deep-rooted illusions that Ukraine is a great soccer nation.  "We must understand that this was the end of all our dreams of Ukraine as a leading European soccer nation," said Nikonenko.  "We lost a real chance to play in the championship and we will have no opportunity to repeat it in the near future."

***The draw for the Qualifying stages of the World Cup 2002 will take place on December
7, 1999.  Ukraine will find out who its opponents are going to be and will make a decision
as to the coach of the national team.  It is very likely that Sabo will be fired; his replacement, however, has not been decided.  Among the favorites are Fomenko, Buriak,
and even Blohin.  Sabo was blamed by many for Ukraine's failure.  Our nation and
people from Ukraine all over the world mourn Ukraine's elimination.

EURO 2000 Qualifying Playoffs:  As a consequence of earning second place in Group Four, Ukraine will have a chance to go to the European Championship in Holland and Belgium by virtue of a playoff.  Ukraine will face Slovenia in the home and away format on Nov. 13 and 17; the winner will go through to the EURO 2000 competition.  For more news about our national team, go my main page.
                                            GROUP FOUR RESULTS
 

	Team	Games	Wins	Draws	Losses	Goals	Points
1	France	10	6	3	1	17-10	21
2	Ukraine	10	5	5	0	14-4	20
3	Russia	10	6	1	3	22-12	19
4	Iceland	10	4	3	3	12-7	15
5	Armenia	10	2	2	6	8-15	8
6	Andorra	10	0	0	10	3-27	0

 
EURO 2000 Playoff              For the latest info about team Ukraine, go to my main
Nov 13 (1st leg)                    page.
Slovenia - UKRAINE
Nov 17 (2nd leg)
UKRAINE - Slovenia

October 10, 1999
Ukraine will play two playoff games for a ticket to EURO 2000.  The games will take
place on Nov 13/14 and Nov 17.  The opponent is not yet known.

October 9, 1999
                                               RUSSIA 1-1 UKRAINE
Russia 1-1 Ukraine
France 3-2 Iceland
Andorra 0-3 Armenia

September 8, 1999

Iceland 0-1 Ukraine
Armenia 2-3 France
Andorra 1-2 Russia

September 4, 1999

Ukraine 0-0 France
Russia 2-0 Armenia
Iceland 3-0 Andorra

                                                        Iceland 0-1 Ukraine
***The four-way battle at the top of European Championship Qualification Group
 Four was whittled down to three teams on Wednesday when Ukraine beat
 Iceland 1-0 at Reykjavík's Laugardalsvöllur stadium.

 Rebrov profits from Shevchenko trip
 Iceland defended well for most of the first half but never recovered after Ukraine's striker Serhii Rebrov scored from a penalty in the 43rd minute. Iceland's midfielder Petur Marteinsson gave away the penalty when he fouled Andrii Shevchenko with a clumsy tackle in the box.  Both teams struggled to find any momentum in the windy conditions, and it took 15 minutes to register the first clear opportunity on goal when Shevchenko was
narrowly wide with a free-kick which was awarded when Vitalii Kossovskyi was upended by Sigurdur Jonsson. Iceland responded shortly after the half-hour but Brynjar Gunnarsson's attempted scissors kick was saved by Shovkovskyi.

 Attacking verve
The Icelandics, who surprised many with their performances in this qualifying competition, managed to regain some initiative in the second half but failed to capitalise on a great scoring chance only minutes from time despite being encouraged  by a vociferous Icelandic crowd, which filled the stadium to its 7,004 capacity. Substitute Heidar Helgusson's shot from a corner ran agonisingly across the face of goal with no Iceland striker able to connect with the ball.  Iceland had other opportunities, in particular in the 56th minute, when Herman Hreidarsson knocked the ball on from a throw-in, but Lárus Orri Sigurdsson's header was narrowly wide of the target. But as Iceland piled forward, there
were more gaps in their defence for the Ukrainians to exploit.  Rebrov had a shot on goal parried by Birkir Kristinsson in Iceland's goal, before his defence scrambled the ball clear, but moments later Yurii Maxymov couldn't jump high enough to meet a corner in front of an empty net midway through the second half. Five minutes later, a neat one-two involving Eduard Tsykhmeistruk and Dmytrullin ended with the former attempting a shot on goal
which Kristinsson managed to turn around the post as the home side lived dangerously. And ten minutes from the end, Ukraine threatened once more when Dmytrullin's shot hit off an Icelandic defender and Kristinsson had to get down smartly to turn the ball behind the goal.

 Outside chance
The group will finally be resolved on 9 October when France play Iceland, and Russia host Ukraine. Iceland could still finish second if they were to defeat the French and Russia are beaten by the Ukrainians.

                                                        Ukraine 0-0 France
***This was an unfortunate result for the Ukrainians as they now have to make the most out of their two remaining road games.  France controlled the game in the early stages, but the Ukrainian defense did not falter, and by the middle of the first half, our team regained control and established complete domination.  Ukraine had a few chances at the end of the first half but were unable to take advantage.  The second half started out much in the same way the first ended, with Ukraine trying to score and France defending desperately.  As the end of the match approached, the Ukrainians created a string of opportunities - Shevchenko and Rebrov came close on a couple of occasions - but were unable to put the ball in the net of Bartez.  As a result, Ukraine remains in first place, while France, Iceland, and Russia are now tied for second, trailing Ukraine by one point.  The situation in the group will not be decided until the last game.  It is very difficult to say which team has the best chance - we certainly hope that our coutrymen will be first.   Here are the results of the other two matches:  Russia 2-0 Armenia      Iceland 3-0 Andorra

***Ukraine held world champions France to a 0-0 draw in an uneventful qualifier to maintain their narrow lead in European championship group four on Saturday.
The draw leaves Ukraine top of the group with 16 points.  France, Iceland - 3-0 winners over Andorra - and Russia, after their 2-0 defeat of Armenia, are joint second with 15. Ukraine are away to Iceland on Wednesday.  The French side, aided by the return of playmaker Zinedine Zidane, pressed for some of the 90 minutes but could not find a
way through a tight Ukraine defence.  The World Footballer of the Year, who played in the French side for the first time in nearly six months, was the most active player on the pitch, coming close on a couple of occasions.  Zidane's low shot just missed the right post on the stroke of halftime. Ten minutes into the second half he fired a long range effort which deflected off Arsenal defender Oleh Luzhny and sailed over the bar.  Ukraine had a few chances of its own, but could not break the shutout.  The home side was not content to stay back, but striker Andriy Shevchenko was kept well in check by the French.

***Ukraine 0 France 0 - result: European championsip group four qualifier
Attendance: 70,000
Ukraine: 1-Olexander Shovkovsky; 2-Oleh Luzhny, 3-Serhiy Popov, 4-Olexander Golovko, 5-Vladislav Vashchyuk, 6-Yuri Dmitrulin (13-Volodimir Mykitin 45), 7-AndriyGusin (18-Eduard Tsykhmeistruk 84), 8-Yuri Maximov (14-Serhiy Konovalov 70),
9-Vitaly Kosovsky, 10-Andriy Shevchenko, 11-Serhiy Rebrov
France: 1-Fabien Barthez; 2-Lilian Thuram, 3-Bixente Lizarazu, 4-Patrick Vieira, 5-Laurent Blanc, 6-Youri Djorkaeff (14-Robert Pires 73), 7-Didier Deschamps, 8-Marcel Desailly, 9-Nicolas Anelka (17-Lilian Laslandes 55), 10-Zinedine Zidane, 11-Christian Karembeu
Referee: Hugh Dallas (Scotland).

AUGUST 18, 1999
***                                 Ukraine 1-1 Bulgaria - Friendly International

***This was another terrible showing by the Ukrainian National Team.  Bulgaria is a team
of a mediocre level and not being able to beat them in Kiev puts a big question mark as to Ukraine's ability to defeat France (with Zidane), Iceland, and Russia in the upcoming EURO
2000 Qualifying matches.  Ukraine seems unable to finish off attacks, and cannot hold the
lead in the closing moments.  These are not signs of a great team; we will need a vastly
improved performance against France in 2.5 weeks if Ukraine is seriously thinking of advancing.  We have made these mistakes before - the draws with Iceland and Armenia
weren't an accident after all.  These mistakes are unforgivable and unnacceptable for a
team like Ukraine.  If this match was not meant to throw our Group Four opponents off,
Sabo must go!  On the other hand, we didn't have Shevchenko, Luzhniy, and Skachenko.

***Ivailo Petkov salvaged a 1-1 draw for Bulgaria with a last minute goal in a friendly against
Ukraine on Wednesday but the visitors were angry that namesake Milen Petkov was sent off
for celebrating the goal. Ivailo Petkov scored when his free kick deflected off a Ukrainian defender and sailed past substitute keeper Valery Vorobyev into the bottom right corner.
But the joy turned sour when the referee decided Milen Petkov celebrations were an attempt at time-wasting. Dynamo Kiev's Sergei Rebrov had given the hosts a 1-0 lead
from a penalty in the 83rd minute after Sergei Konovalov was fouled in the box.  Ukraine, top of group four, play their next European championship qualifier against world champions France on September 4.
***Scorers:
Ukraine - Serhiy Rebrov 83pen
Bulgaria - Ivailo Petkov 90
Red card: Milen Petkov 90
Halftime: 0-0; Attendance: 15,000
Teams:
Ukraine: 1-Olexander Shovkovsky (12-Valery Vorobyev 63);
2-Andriy Gusin (18-Serhiy Konovalov 66), 3-Volodimir Mykitin
(19-Olexander Kiryukhin 62), 4-Olexander Holovko, 5-Vladislav
Vashchyuk, 6-Yuri Dmitrulin, 7-Yuri Maximov, 8-Serhiy Kovalev
(17-Eduard Tsykhmeistruk 45), 9-Vitaly Kosovsky (14-Roman
Maximyuk 45), 10-Olexander Palyanitsa (16-Serhiy Popov 45),
11-Serhiy Rebrov
Bulgaria: 1-Yordan Gospodinov; 2-Georgi Peyev (15-Ilia Gruev
70), 3-Zlatomir Zagorcic (14-Rosen Kirilov 45), 4-Ivailo Petkov,
5-Ivailo Yordanov (16-Georgi Markov 76), 6-Zlatko Yankov,
7-Daniel Borimirov, 8-Stilyan Petrov, 9-Marian Hristov
(19-Svetoslav Todorov 45), 10-Milen Petkov, 11-Hristo Yovov
(17-Georgi Bachev 67)
Referee: Roman Lauks (Latvia).

1998 Sep 5
Ukraine 3-2 Russia
Iceland 1-1 France
Armenia 3-1 Andorra
Oct 10
Andorra 0-2 Ukraine
Russia 2-3 France
Armenia 0-0 Iceland
Oct 14
Iceland 1-0 Russia
France 2-0 Andorra
Ukraine 2-0 Armenia
1999 Mar 27
Andorra 0-2 Iceland
Armenia 0-3 Russia
France 0-0 Ukraine
Mar 31
France 2-0 Armenia
Russia 6-1 Andorra
Ukraine 1-1 Iceland
Jun 5
Ukraine 4-0 Andorra
France 2-3 Russia
Iceland 2-0 Armenia
Jun 9
Andorra 0-1 France
Armenia 0-0 Ukraine
Russia 1-0 Iceland
Sep 4
Ukraine 0-0 France
Iceland 2-0 Andorra
Russia 2-0 Armenia
Sep 8
Andorra v Russia
Iceland v Ukraine
Armenia v France
Oct 9
France v Iceland
Russia v Ukraine
Andorra v Armenia