GROUP C
Ukraine 3 – 2 Austria
Tsygankov 15’
Lazaro 27’
Konoplyanka 32’
Arnautovic 58’
Kravets 88’
Dónal O’Brien
Arenal National, Bucharest, Romania
Monday 22nd June
The streets of Bucharest were in carnival atmosphere in this the final group C game. The Austrian fans were in an especially fervent mood despite having had to endure an arduous journey to Amsterdam and back since their opening win against Belarus right here in Bucharest 8 days ago. Much of their support decided to stay in the Romanian capital to enjoy the local delicacies, namely the national favourite Ursus pale lager that has cooled them in the searing heat of the city this last week which has also given them an even redder complexion to match their attire.
The positive ambiance that surrounded the match day encapsulated the experience of the tournament until now. What must be noted is the stark contrast to the violent scenes that marred the last edition in France 4 years ago. The beautifully captured images of Ukrainian and Austrian fans seen gathering in Unirii square singing the tournament’s catchy anthem “I Feel Football / Football Feels Life” will leave football cynics finding it tough to argue against the feelgood factor which has been produced thus far. The standout praise coming from Italian legend Francesco Totti which has caused a stir in his home country that has recently announced a vote on independence from the EU.
Putting politics and the jubilant love fest of the fans aside for a moment there was a huge game on the cards here. Both teams understood a defeat would make it difficult for them progress to the next round while a draw would have put Ukraine through thanks to having scored one more goal than Austria in all group games. Having only played each other twice over 7 years ago in two even friendly games there was not much to judge what would separate the two sides.
Results in their Euros campaign to this moment have almost identically mirrored each other’s with emphatic defeats against a rampant Dutch team and both overcame a very weak Byelorussian team with relative ease, albeit losing key men when temperaments boiled over. This meant it was all left to play for on the pitch here in Bucharest and the game did not disappoint. The opening 45 minutes played at breakneck speed delivered a spectacle that fans of both teams will not soon forget.
Ukraine started the strongest and took the lead in the 15th minute once again through the man of the match against Belarus, Viktor Tsygankov. The flame haired attacking midfielder burning a trail past the Austrian defence to drive an unstoppable shot past Lindner’s outstretched hand. Moments later the Austrian team took another huge blow when their man mountain at the back Martin Hinteregger having to come off on the 20th minute with a suspected twisted knee after colliding heavily with Yaremchuck. Foda was looking particularly worried in the dugout area as he called his captain David Alaba over to give instruction when the play had stopped.
Austria started to get a foothold in the game after the resume of play. Valentino Lazaro was looking particularly spritely on the right wing and it was his head at the back that Alaba found with a perfectly weighted cross to even the score on the 27th minute. The hectic to and fro continued with neither team able to hold on to possession. It was clear that each manager did not want to leave anything on the pitch and wanted to finish off their opponents as quick as possible.
The Austrians' leveller was short lived as Ukraine again took the lead on the 32nd minute after Konoplyanka slotted home a loose ball in the penalty area. The makeshift Austrian defence paying the price after struggling to clear a tame delivery into the box. Heinz Lindner was once again left fuming for a defensive mix-up with Hinteregger’s replacement Stefan Posch receiving the brunt of the keeper’s abuse. The first half continued much in the same vein with Baumgartlinger and Ilsanker struggling to deal with the diminutive Tsygankov in midfield while Alaba and Lazaro tried their best to provide Arnautovic with assistance up front, the former West Ham finishing the half having only touched the ball once in the Ukranian final third. 2-1 to Ukraine it ended at half time.
Recognising a change was needed during the interval Foda decided to replace Ilsanker with Schalke’s Alessandro Schoepf. The energetic midfielder justifying his introduction by tirelessly tracking the Ukrainian attacking force Tsygankov and marking him out of the game. This gave Austria some more rule over the midfield which led to their second equalizer just before the hour mark. Alaba again turned provider by driving a low cross from the left for Arnautovic to smash home from 10 yards out. The Austrian fans were now in full voice and their team responded by mounting the pressure on the Ukrainians in the next 10 minutes.
Ukraine decided to introduce cool heads into their line-up with a double substitution bringing on the experienced midfielder Andriy Yarmolenko and Artem Kravets up front. The pace faltered in the last 20 minutes as both sides began to show the fatigue of travelling in the now stormy Bucharest evening. Rain fell down to add to the dramatic atmosphere in the cagey finale as long ball tactics took over and it was Tsygankov on the 88th minute who yet again demonstrated his top class pedigree by escaping the clutches of the Austrian midfield to send a long range pass straight to an on running Kravets. The seasoned attacker holding off Posch to sneak his shot into the bottom right corner.
3-2 it finished in Bucharest in a game that neither team deserved to lose. Austria will find it a tough pill to swallow after coming from behind twice to level the scores. Ukraine will take confidence in their steely determination until the end, building momentum moving into the next round while it is going to be a nerve-wracking couple of days for the Austrian team to see if their side can sneak through as one of the best third placed teams.
Man of the Match: Viktor Tysgankov