Phoenix approached the match with one of the leaders of the group with a particularly determined attitude. And not only because the team wanted to prove to everyone that the failure in the meeting with FC Adrenaline had been an accident. Kharkiv is not an unfamiliar city to the guys from FC Barbershop. Their Instagram and Facebook pages feature the streets of Saltivka district of Kharkiv and the destroyed Center. Almost every month the employees of FC Barbershop come to Kharkiv (apart from other places) with humanitarian aid for IDPs and necessary equipment for the military.

The company collects money as best it can. For example, the guys are producing unusual and delicious cookies, with a unique pattern each, reflecting real stories from the combat life of the Crazy Pack assault team. One hundred percent of the proceeds will be used to support Crazy Pack. Phoenix could not but take part in the project to support those for whom Kharkiv is of the same special importance as it is for us.

But let's return to the match, which was complicated by a heatwave, the previous one being such a long while ago, that the residents of Khmelnytskyi managed to forget what summer heat could be like.

In the first third of the match, Phoenix had the better of play. The team from Khmelnytskyi played defense, whereas Kharkivites combined confidently. The first dangerous shot was delivered by Danylo Khodatskyi, but Igor Tymoshchuk saved the ball out of the bottom corner of the net confidently. Khodatskyi's persistence bore fruit. In the attack to follow, he intercepted the ball in the other half of the court to slot past the goalkeeper skilfully and double the score a minute later with a cool shot into the corner of the net. A minute later Ivan Konkov took the score to 3:0 making use of a three-in-one after a successful interception. Fortune seemed more than willing to make up for our disastrous luck in the match against FC Adrenaline a week before.

Let's do justice to the opposition that did not lose it, pulling back two goals before the break. First, the Gentlemen managed a breakaway, and then Maksym Dolhulia sent the ball into his own goal during a counterattack in the last minute of the half.

Again, Phoenix was to start the second half. Danylo Boldyzhev's cross was skilfully closed by Maksym Dolhulia, making the score 4:2. Soon Khmelnytskyi managed to equalize the score, though, scoring twice. Of special note is the second of the two goals, impressive in its force and accuracy, that Andrii Shulhan hit into the upper 90. Phoenix ran out of energy. So, 15 minutes before the end of the match, the violet used five outfielders. The play was not positionally successful due to certain disorganization when leaving the zone, the guys, however, were rewarded for their efforts and perseverance when Ivan Kosyak converted Khodatskyi's cross into an own goal.

In the last 9 minutes of the match, the team was fighting the heat and fatigue, yet pulling through two counterattacks successfully. Dolhulia scored in both cases to eventually manage a hat-trick - the first one for our team in the tournament.

Phoenix has regained its place in the top three. Our team will play with FC ZA-ZUL in the match of the 4th round next weekend.