Ukraine v Czech Rep
Ukraine (4) v Czech Rep (2)
The first match in the quarter finals of the Copenhagen Trophy saw the teams of Ukraine and The Czech Republic facing each other. Ukraine had the best of the early exchanges and they were the first to score, with a shot from their number 20. However, the Czechs were straight back up at the other end to score an immediate equaliser. Both teams were entertaining the crowd with some fast and skillful football. It was end to end stuff, but there were no more goals as both keepers denied the opposing teams strikers. The Czech keeper was the busier of the two as he kept his team in the game with some goal mouth heroics. But an intercepted pass put the Ukrainian player number 20 in on goal, and he quickly restored the Ukrainian advantage. The Ukrainians were soon down to three men as their number 14 upended a Czech player and was soon sin binned by the referee. The Czech had plenty of possession, but were unable to beat the keeper, so we go in at half time with the score at Ukraine 2 Czech Republic 1.
It was all a bit scrappy at the start of the second half and the game was lacking somewhat in rhythm. As at the end of the first half, we saw lots of Czech possession, but no goals. Ukraine's number 9 broke away, but again the Czech keeper kept his team in the game. It was soon 3-1 to the Ukrainians but after a foul in the corner, the Czechs got one goal back to make in 3-2. The Ukrainians were soon back with a two goal cushion, which allowed them to end the match with some patient and precise passing, which almost earned them a fifth goal, but number 8 was unlucky to see his shot go just wide.
Paul Macklesworth