Phoenix's opening match at the debut for the team Ukrainian Futsal Championship was not exactly easy. By the will of the organizers, in the first round, the 'violets' had to play with, perhaps, one of the tournament overdogs - Olympia-Dnipro from Dnipro.
The game could not be, a priori, simple. The history of meetings between the rivals is not long, but what a history! Both previous matches the teams played as part of kick-offs for reaching the final of Ukrainian U13 Championship last year. In Dnieper, the hosts took the lead - 4:3, and in Kharkiv Phoenix was stronger - 3:2. The score being equal, Phoenix went further due to a higher number of goals scored in away matches. That final tournament will take our team to the top four, and the return match with Olympia-Dnipro will be remembered for three fantastic goals - the one scored by Artyom Garzhi, who sent the ball along an amazing trajectory to the far nine, and the ones scored by two Daniils - Dudin and Boldyzhev.
The latter has not come as part of Phoenix to Ukrainian Championship in Slobozhanskе. The 'violets' are also lacking Gleb Ivanyuzhenko - the author of the third, decisive ball of the Kharkiv kick-off. These are about all changes in the roster of Sergey Gritsenko and Yuri Vashchenko's team. Olympia, however, hardly managed to maintain its roster from a year ago. Out of the participants in that confrontation, today we saw only four - Artem Garzha, Mikhail Zherebyatiev, Yegor Sidorenko and Gleb Pugach.
Both teams started the match as carefully as possible. Moreover, Phoenix's coaches decided to play this match hardcore defense first, which seems to have surprised their counterpart Alexander Yuzik. To play up to coache's instuctions, all the boys had to play in as disciplined and accurate manner as possible, not letting the opponent have a numerical superiority in the offence. This to a certain extent determined the fours for this match.
The team spent a significant part of the pre-match warm-up on the tablets and it showed on the pitch. The minimum amount of howlers, the most accurate and careful passes. The minimum of risks and the minimum of dangerous chances. Phoenix put 12 shots on goal, whereas Olympia-Dnipro put 16 on ours. The advantage in accuracy, however, was clearly on our side – Phoenix’s 10 shots on target vs 7 from the 'white-blues'.
It probably was the accuracy, coupled with the brilliant game of Vova Lazeba at the net that tipped the scales to our side. There was a persistent feeling that one exact shot could become decisive. Honestly, that shot could have happened earlier, when Artyom Shevchenko, Danya Khodatsky, Nikita Bodnar and Vanya Konkov would not score from advantageous positions. Still, everything that happens happens in its right time. After administering an out in the middle of the second half, Vanya Konkov struck in the direction of the opponent’s goal. Artyom, with his back to Konkov, managed to react and correct the ball, sending it exactly into the net. Daniel Kupa, with his errorless play throughout the entire match, had no chance of saving his team. Thus, to some extent, it is symbolic that it was Artem Shevchenko who scored the only goal in this match that day – the birthday of his famous namesake Taras Shevchenko.
The rest of the game the boys were cool-headed and played great, not allowing any chances at our goal. After Maxim Karagoda's dangerous free kick from an advantageous position, it was Vova Laseba who saved the team. In combat with the same Karagoda, at the very end of the second half, Daniil Dudin picked up an injury, defending the net from a goal.
Demid Yevsyukov, Sasha Bezruk and Nikita Bodnar were selfless in tackling the balls . It was dedication and the will to win that helped Phoenix to pull off such an important win to the delight of their fans, among whom was Alexander Borisov, the team President, who had rushed up from Kharkiv to see the game.
Tomorrow the boys will play two matches - against Tavria and against Crystal. In many ways, the results of this gaming day will determine Phoenix’s tournament prospects.