Thanks to famous striker Andreï Shevchenko, who scored two goals for his team, Ukraine won against Sweden (2-1), on June 11, 2012 in Kiev. The atmosphere was explosive in the stadium as the public cheered the team for its great performance. The country welcoming the Euro 2012 is now on top of group D since France and England ended in a tie some hours before.
And yet, many doubted the capacity of Ukraine to reach this stage of the competition as the team missed its two preparation games against Austria and Turkey.
This victory rewards the coach Oleg Blokhin for trusting his players. Even if it does not stop critics against the Ukraine’s politic - that triggered off boycott from many States - it may be positive for the country’s image. Besides, president who attended the match also expressed his happiness. Now expectations towards Ukrainians are higher. The French will face a strong team on June 15, 2012.
These photographs show the Ukrainians’ joy celebrating the victory in the city of Lviv, just after the match.