Shevchenko thanks coach with brace
Source: Agencies |
June 13, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
AS soon as Andriy Shevchenko had scored his second goal of the evening, he knew who he had to thank.
While fans shouted "Sheva, Sheva," the Ukraine veteran striker sprinted to the sideline and embraced his coach Oleg Blokhin, who decided against the odds to play Shevchenko from the start in the co-host's European Championship match against Sweden on Monday.
Shevchenko and Blokhin hugged each other intensely again half an hour later when it was clear that his double strike had earned Ukraine a 2-1 win - an unexpected upbeat start to its home event, which is the 35-year-old Shevchenko's last in the national yellow-blue jersey.
"I can't dream of a better night," Shevchenko said after being named man of the match. "Where is the beer?"
Since 2010, Shevchenko had scored only once for the national team - in a friendly against Bulgaria last year.
"I feel that I am 10 years younger today," Shevchenko said. "I really couldn't imagine I could play in the European Championship. I had a lot of problems with my knee and my back."
In Ukraine's three recent Euro 2012 warm-up games, he was only brought on as a substitute after 45 minutes. He said he would not be able to play three full matches in one week.
It created the impression that Blokhin would rather use him in the pinch rather than as a leader of the attack.
On the contrary, Shevchenko played 81 minutes against Sweden and received a standing ovation when he was substituted.
"There were a lot of critics who asked why he was on the team," Ukraine goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov said. "Now he has shut them up."
While fans shouted "Sheva, Sheva," the Ukraine veteran striker sprinted to the sideline and embraced his coach Oleg Blokhin, who decided against the odds to play Shevchenko from the start in the co-host's European Championship match against Sweden on Monday.
Shevchenko and Blokhin hugged each other intensely again half an hour later when it was clear that his double strike had earned Ukraine a 2-1 win - an unexpected upbeat start to its home event, which is the 35-year-old Shevchenko's last in the national yellow-blue jersey.
"I can't dream of a better night," Shevchenko said after being named man of the match. "Where is the beer?"
Since 2010, Shevchenko had scored only once for the national team - in a friendly against Bulgaria last year.
"I feel that I am 10 years younger today," Shevchenko said. "I really couldn't imagine I could play in the European Championship. I had a lot of problems with my knee and my back."
In Ukraine's three recent Euro 2012 warm-up games, he was only brought on as a substitute after 45 minutes. He said he would not be able to play three full matches in one week.
It created the impression that Blokhin would rather use him in the pinch rather than as a leader of the attack.
On the contrary, Shevchenko played 81 minutes against Sweden and received a standing ovation when he was substituted.
"There were a lot of critics who asked why he was on the team," Ukraine goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov said. "Now he has shut them up."
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