It is for the second time in tournament history that the standings bring together Phoenix-1 with Kolos of Derhachi and it is for the second time that the confrontation takes our team to the semi-finals of a tournament. The quarter-finals of the Lanevskyy Memorial Cup stopped Kolos on their way to the main trophy back two years ago; the policy of the Summer Futsal Tournament, though, gives the Derhachi guys all the chances to continue the battle.
Those chances, as a matter of fact, are quite high, given the changed manner of play the team is demonstrating. Over the two years that passed since our last meeting in June 2018 Kolos managed to keep all its players and solidify its play considerably. Moreover, the coach of our today’s competitors – Oleksandr Besporochnyi - is one of most outstanding futsal trainers not only in Kharkiv but, probably, in the whole of Ukraine. Oleksandr is known by working with Univer-ECHO, Aleksandr and LTK (Luhansk) futsal clubs and as an author of Amateur Futsal Professionally. Now Phoenix has a copy of the book, signed by Oleksandr, in the team library.
Such changes coupled with staff stability could not but yield good results. Kolos physical mighty is now aided by improved technical skills, making the Derhachi players very inconvenient competitors for any of the teams, which they proved having beaten Valky sports school - one of the overdogs of the Summer Cup.
The quarantine has mingled Phoenix plans: July has always been a vacation month for the team and it is the first ‘working’ July in Phoenix history. The players who have stayed in Kharkiv are practicing in the light mode, replacing a usual seaside vacation with short rests in the countryside. This, on the one hand, leads to constant rotations in the four-player squads and, on the other, gives a chance of better involvement for the guys with less playing experience.
As for Phoenix coaching staff, the season of vacations left only Yurii Vashchenko to steer today’s game.
Just like in the match of two years ago Phoenix showed a great start. It was still the first minute of the game when the team managed to complete a great combination with a corner kick: Mykhailo Soldatenko passed an accurate assist to Danylo Khodatskyi and the powerful shot of the latter went right into the net of Dmytro Hasan.
The second four-player squad would not lag behind, taking the team’s lead to a comfortable 3:0 with Maxym Dolhulia – a great pivot of today - scoring twice, assisted by Nikita Bodnar, the skipper, on both of the occasions. The parallels to the quarter finals of the Memorial Lanevskyy Cup were evident – back then Phoenix started off just as vigorously: 3:0 by minute 9, the first goal scored in minute 1.
In June 2018 Phoenix thought all was done and dusted when its lead was 5:0, this time, though, the team dropped guard in the middle of the first half. Both the territorial and the game advantage seemed to be on our side, Kolos, however, managed to turn the course of the game. The first bite of the reality sandwich came in minute 7, when Yaroslav Ostroverkh outplayed Maksym Dolhulia. Maksym was fouling when Ostroverkh, falling down, managed to pass an accurate assist to Yaroslav Tokarenko, who sailed the ball over the stepping up Eldar Bratchuk in a gorgeous chip shot.
Phoenix took a kick-off and carried out quite a decent attack, Artem Shevchenko’s kick, though was saved by the skipper. Dmytro Hasan turned the ball away, the defender found Danylo Prykhodko with an accurate pass and the latter, kicking the ball past Danylo Khodatskyy, sent it directly into our net.
The second half went toe-to-toe. Phoenix was showing combination play, Kolos was defending and counterattacking dangerously, completing the attacks with the shots of such accuracy that one could envy. There were 8 shots on our goal in the first half and only one failed to hit the crossbar. The Derhachi players showed even better accuracy in the second half – all seven shots of theirs were on target.
The dynamics of the game improved in the second half. Oleksandr Besporochnyi’s players would give an equal response to our attacks with theirs, shifting the scramble centerfield. The sound atmosphere got tense only once, when Danylo Prykhodko fobbed off Daniil Dudin in minute 23. Oleksandr Sahaian showed a yellow card.
Three minutes later Phoenix scored. Khodatskyy passed to Boldyzhev, who rushed to the flank and with an accurate shot assisted to Artem Shevchenko, who scored without delay.
A minute from then Oleksandr Sahaian issued another warning – to Phoenix this time. Mykhailo Soldatenko was outplayed by all and the same Danylo Prykhodko and had nothing to do but foul. Two minutes on Prykhodko scored. Daniil Dudin shot directly into the hands of Kolos skipper, who quickly threw the ball into our half of the field creating a scoring chance for two of his teammates. Our skipper, Volodymyr Lazeba, was caught slightly unawares: he did manage to tackle the ball, but after Danylo Prykhodko’s shot, it rolled into the corner of our net.
It took violets no less than a minute to restore the status quo. The scored goal resembled the previous one quite a bit. Again Khodatskyy passed to Boldyzhev, the latter sliding along the side and shooting along the net. This time Dmytro Hasan failed to reach the ball. The skipper somehow kicked it straight to Artem Shevchenko, who scored a brace as a result.
The game quietened down for a while. Phoenix was just playing regular football, making quick rotations of the four-player squads, shuffling the players. Kyrylo Horbatenko and Vladyslav Khrypchuk looked great out in the field. The groundmoves of the former were quite something, the latter played solid defense. Maksym Dolhulia’s play was pertinent both in the fort and in the rear.
The ball hit our goal again at the very end of the match. Bohdan Mishchuk’s free kick was accurate – the ball flicked past Lazeba, concealed from skipper’s sight by a number of players in his penalty area. The remaining two minutes Phoenix played pragmatically, saving the ball and calming down the game.
The victory - 5:4 - took our team straight to the semi-finals, aiding Valky sports school-2005 on their way there to a great extent. Only a miracle can prevent them from becoming a second semi-finalist.