It is for the third time that the Mykhailo Balakiriev Memorial takes place. Mykhailo Balakiriev was a well-established referee and Phoenix’ friend. All the three times Phoenix co-organised the tournament, feeling privileged to show top play. Among the team’s trophies – national and international awards – two Balakiriev Cups, placed forefront, despite the blitz format of the tournament. All because Uncle Misha, as we used to call him, was too important a person for Phoenix’ boys, coaches and parents. The violets played beautifully today, as though the fatigue from the trip to the Ukrainian Futsal Cup and the Futsal Fair had been long gone. They were playing for one spectator, who, unfortunately, was not there.
This year two teams debuted in the Balakiriev Memorial: Sports School Volna and Sports School School No12. It is not only the dynamics and various concepts of play that both of them brought into the tournament, they also added to the intrigue. The team of Sports School No 12 is one of the leaders in the city and is soccer-oriented. Children and Youth Sports School Volna is one of Kharkiv’s top futsal clubs. With all that, despite the ‘friendlies’ format, the tournament left no one idle.
Before the start of the tournament the coaches drew a lot and our rival turned out to be the team of Sports School No 12, and the players of Oleksandr Kuzmenko and Kostyantyn Tatarenko were to counter Children and Youth Sports School No 7. Both semi-finals turned out to be quite worthy. In both of the games the endings happened to be deciding. In our case it was a victorious goal scored in the last minute of the second half by Maksym Dolhulia. In the other match a series of penalty shoot-outs turned the game. And what a series it was! The teams shot about two dozen times before Volna became the winner.
As it turned out, both in the match for the third prize and in the final, the teams close in their way of playing met in the field. Both Sports School No 12 and Sports School No 7 rather played soccer and Serhii Skorohod’s players happened to be stronger: 6:1.
In the final, which if nothing unexpected comes up, could well be viewed as a rehearsal for the final of the Kharkiv Cup, Phoenix competed with Volna. The match revealed the advantage of our players: both in territory and in game play. By the end of the second half the advantage of the violets materialized into 5 goals, which remained unanswered. At the end of the meeting Volna had its striking three-minute and the ball ended up in Eldar Bratchuk’s net three times. The competition managed nothing more for the lack of both energy and time.
It is for the second time that Phoenix is the winner of the Mykhailo Balakiriev Memorial. Oleksandr Bezruk was awarded the title of the best player of the tournament.
The players of all the teams received medals from the organisers and sweet gifts from Mykhailo Balakiriev’s family.