It has been amazing watching the Ukrainian team. Everyone seems to think they are just out matched. And it is amazing that they have lasted this long.

It's very unlikely that Ukraine will go on to win the competition, but the country shouldn't be completely written off. Its captain is Andriy Shevchenko, one of the world's best footballers and the team coach is Oleg Blokhin, who was one of the Soviet Union's most successful players.

From: Ukraine World Cup excitement

It has only been 12 years since Ukraine started playing international soccer.

After the fall of the Soviet Union (1991), Ukraine did not participate in a major international soccer competition until 1994. In fact, despite having one of the best players in the world, Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine failed to qualify for any major championship before 2005.

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Nikolai Krivoroutchko is a football fanatic, but he's also a World Cup realist...........

"The Ukraine will never win. It's impossible," Krivoroutchko said before the Ukrainians' first match.

From: Rooting for the Home Team: Ukrainians savor Cup stage

First they played Spain and lost badly. Spain scored 4 points to Ukraine's 0. The Ukrainian team had many entertaining excuses for the poor play. I like the excuse about the frogs... Those loud frogs outside of the hotel prevent the Ukrainian team from sleeping.


Then Ukraine got to play Saudi Arabia on Monday and creamed them. 4 points for Ukraine and 0 for Saudi Arabia. I cannot find the article now. But I remember reading that Ukraine seemed to be "surprised" they were winning. It looks like Ukraine got 2 of the goals due to Saudi Arabian errors.

The [Saudi Arabian] keeper made a hash of a goalkick to give Ukraine an early corner.

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Saudi Arabia seemed to struggle in the slippery conditions in Hamburg, while Ukraine found the surface to their liking with their swift, counter-attacking passing game.

From: Saudi Arabia 0-4 Ukraine

I really love the Chinese translation on what happened next. Ukrainian debutante.... Can't you just picture these big manly men in formal ball gowns? (I am assuming the Chinese-to-English translator got the wrong word and misspelled it.)

World Cup debutants Ukraine beat Tunisia 1-0 to join Group H leader Spain in the knockout stage....

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Ukraine.......... will face Switzerland, number one in Group G after a 0-0 tie with France and two 2-0 wins with Togo and South Korea.

From: World Cup:Ukraine through, South Korea out