Phoenix interrupts its most distressing series of defeats. The last victory of the violets over Viktor Detyuk’s team dates back as late as the beginning of July last year. Since that time only Valki players invariably won. Among the games that we could not win were two games of League U15 Cup. Notably, one of them was the final game. Two more games were lost at Chornomorsk Cup U16, one of them – for bronze medals. Let us add up to this the lost semi-final of Kharkiv Futsal Championship last season, and this will make it clear how distressing this series was for our team. It was even more distressing as in a number of games the trainees of Serhii Hrytsenko and Yurii Vashchenko looked at least as good.
Still the team was setting up their minds for the Cup of Ukraine, which, on top of all, is held in their native city, for a long time and seriously. And where, if not at this tournament, they had to break up this unpleasant tradition?
Starting from the very first seconds the referees showed that they will thoroughly observe if the rules are followed by giving a free kick to Phoenix goal for a push in the back, but Vladyslav Rakhmail could not strike on target. Right away in the counter-attack Maksym Dolhulia showed the proper way to convert your chances by sending the ball precisely from eight meters into the upper V of Anatolyi Naku’s goal and making Viktor Deyuk, who grew furious, substitute Kyrylo Bratenko who had made a mistake in the preceding episode.
It was absolutely impossible for Viktor Detyuk team to lose this game. Yesterday’s defeat, even if it was in the penalty shootout from Chorne More, made the very next failure critical in the aspect of struggling to get into the final.
Kharkiv team pulled back to defense in a disciplined manner, dealing with Valki players assaults with Roman Koverya often being at the forefront of them. One more long-range shot from Rakhmail was deflected in semi leg-split by Volodymyr Lazeba, but more often the attacks faded at far approaches to the penalty area due to efforts from Khodatskyi and Yevsiukov. In the heat of struggle a yellow card was shown to Maksym Dolhulia who rolled down into unnecessary sliding tackle in the center of the field.
Closer to the middle of the period Phoenix pushed the game to the opponents’ half. Demyd Yevsiukov shot past the goal from a prime scoring position after a corner kick. Finally, Bezruk, Shevchenko and Bodnar went three-to-three against defenders of Valki team and played out a build-up attack that was completed by a strike into the already empty goal.
Valki team received a marvelous opportunity to close the gap when three players at once went face-to-face against Lazeba, but Vladyslav Rakhmail could not beat Phoenix goalkeeper. And one minute later it was the goalkeeper of Kharkiv team again who won a duel against Artem Novosel. Kyrylo Bratenko made a shot from ten meters, but again Lazeba was in position. One more minute passed and he came out timely from the goal to intercept a targeted pass from Koveri to Rakhmail.
The situation in the field became really passionate in the sports style, but the ball kept on missing the goal of Kharkiv team. In order to relieve the pressure, Phoenix coaching staff took one minute pause. The repose was to the benefit of the trainees of Serhii Hrytsenko and Yurii Vashchenko. At first Olexandr Bezruk dealt smartly with a through ball from Maksym Dolhulia, having stayed alone on the point near Anatolyi Naku’s goal and beat the opponents’ goalkeeper. And one minute and a half left to the end of game Demyd Yevsiukov made the score 4:0, intercepting inaccurate pass from Naku and playing it off with Artem Shevchenko. During the remaining time the team had a number of opportunities to score, but shots from Konkov (twice) and Dolhulia were deflected by the goalkeeper. Roman Koverya slipped the ball through past Lazeba and the post, and just a few seconds before the end of the period Lazeba made an incredible save, deflecting a shot from Novosel.
After the break Valki players, as expected, rushed to settle the score, but the first moment emerged in front of their goal: a shot from Mykhailo Soldatenko was deflected by Anatolyi Naku. Valki goalkeeper entered the game as the fifth player and immediately arranged a goal: after his pass Olexandr Nikolenko remained without any marking and made an accurate long shot.
Phoenix coaches made a decision to reshuffle on the last line of defense, and Eldar Bratchuk took the place in the goal. His vis-à-vis Anatolyi Naku was the most noticeable player in the field during these minutes, managing to be in time both in the attack and in defense. Valki team strived to realize its numerical superiority with long-range shots or throw-ins that were most often intercepted by the defenders of the violets. Bratenko had a good chance when he remained one-on-one with the goalkeeper at the line of the penalty box, but he sent the ball into the area of a corner arc. Roman Koverya also had his chance, he played elegantly with his heel on the six-meter line, but the shot went half a meter past the post.
Time was running out and the score remained unchanged. Phoenix tried to control the ball, killing time skillfully and waiting for its chance. And the team got one when Artem Shevchenko caught Naku when he made a fault by playing the fifth field player, ran away one-on-one with the defender who turned out to be in the goal, and cold-bloodedly made the score 5:1.
Kharkiv players calmed down completely, and the situation near Naku goal started heating up. The next episode was ended by unexpected long-range shot from Dolhulia and precise finishing by Khodatskyi. Having achieved a comfortable advantage, Phoenix coaches made a traditional reshuffling in the compositions of four-players squads, letting Danylo Zamula and Vladyslav Khrypchuk into the field. During one of the few dangerous episodes from Valki team it was Bratchuk who showed a reliable play and won a one-on-one struggle against Roman Koveria. Guzenkio also had an excellent chance, but he did not use the ball well.
Phoenix used its moments at the end of the game in full. Zamula and Shevchenko took the score to 8:1, bringing our team the largest victory in the history of confrontations against Valki players. But it was even more important that leading position of our team at the group stage of the Cup of Ukraine was strengthened.