Ukraine Returns To Football Field With Friendly Win In Germany

MONCHENGLADBACH: back on football.

The Ukrainian men’s national team returned to action Wednesday for the first time since the invasion by Russia, beating German club Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-1 in a charity fundraiser.

The friendly was a chance for the Ukrainians to get back into form ahead of a World Cup qualifying playoff game against Scotland next month, but also to show their team is still going, despite everything.

The squad for the unusual clubversus-country friendly was assembled from Ukrainian clubs whose league seasons were frozen on Feb. 24 on the morning, Russian troops, invaded.

Ukraine has banned men of the fighting age from leaving the country during the war, so the players needed special permission to travel. Some have been touring Europe for weeks, first with the Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk clubs playing fundraising games, then at a national team training camp in Slovenia.

Coach Oleksandr Petrakov said when the Ukrainian anthem was

Ukraine is sung before the game, “I had tears in my eyes.”

“Thank you to the Ukrainians who came and supported us,” he said, “and thank you to the Germans.”

The crowd of 20,000 at the game contained many Ukrainians — they were given free tickets — who roared their appreciation when winger Mykhailo Mudryk rounded the goalkeeper and scored in the ninth minute to give Ukraine the lead.

Gladbach responded five minutes later with a powerful shot from Ireland youth international Conor Noss to level the score.

Substitute Oleksandr Pikhalonok gave Ukraine the win in the 82nd with a low shot from just outside the box. Both of Ukraine’s scorers were representing the national team for the first time.

Ukraine hadn’t played since beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 on Nov. 16 and had to reschedule games because of the war.

If Ukraine beats Scotland in the playoff in Glasgow on June 1, it will face Wales four days later in Cardiff for a place at this year’s World Cup *in Qatar.