Ukraine can qualify - Shevchenko

Ukraine's two-goal hero Andriy Shevchenko believes his side's 2-1 victory over Sweden has given them a good chance of qualifying from Group D.

The 35-year-old took his international goal tally to 48 from 108 caps in Kiev on Monday as the co-hosts won to top a group which also includes England.

Ukraine next play France, who drew 1-1 with England, before facing Roy Hodgson's men on Tuesday, 19 June.

"We showed character and now have good chances to qualify," said Shevchenko.

The 35-year-old former AC Milan and Chelsea striker, who is in his second spell with Dynamo Kiev in his native country, rolled back the years with two headed goals in the space of six second-half minutes to lead his side to victory after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had given Sweden the lead in Kiev's Olympic Stadium.

"I feel great. I feel 20 years old, not 35. it was an historic game for us, and it's a victory," said Shevchenko, who will retire from international football after Euro 2012.

"It's such an important competition. Thank you to everybody who supported me. It was a very long walk because I had a lot of problems before the European Championship."

There was doubts as to whether Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin would select Shevchenko, who was European Footballer of the Year in 2004 but is not the force he once was, as age and a string of injuries have caught up with him.

However, Blokhin's was rewarded for his decision to select the striker, who was given a standing ovation by the vociferous crowd inside the Olympic Stadium when he was substituted 10 minutes from full-time.

Sweden coach Erik Hamren felt his side should have done more to impose their authority on the game. He also believed his side were wasteful in the latter stages as they went in search of an equaliser.

"We knew how they would play and it was our performance which was not up to scratch. You need 11 players right on their game and we only had five or six in the first half," said 54-year-old.

"We knew the crosses would come in - and we were up against a super player. Technically and tactically we didn't cut it. We should have scored with the good chances we had at the end."

Sweden goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who also saw a header hit the post in the first-half, said: "We have three games to play here, it's not just one game.

"There's still two games left and we still have the two games to get a result. We need to play a better game than we did today."

View the original article here

Peliculas Online

Shevchenko double gives Ukraine winning start at Euro 2012

Andriy Shevchenko made his coach look brilliant, scoring two great headers Monday to give Ukraine a 2-1 win over Sweden at the European Championship.

In photos

Day 4 at Euro 2012

After Zlatan Ibrahimovic had given Sweden the lead in the 52nd minute, Shevchenko responded by heading in the equalizer just three minutes later and then added the winner in the 61st.

The victory gives Ukraine a serious chance of advancing from Group D after England and France drew 1-1, while Sweden faces an uphill battle to remain in the tournament.

“We showed today our character, our good football,” Shevchenko said. “We have very good chances to qualify.”

Shevchenko is already a national icon in Ukraine and carried the hopes of the team going into the tournament. In front of sea of yellow and blue in the packed Olympic Stadium, he certainly didn't disappoint. He rewarded the faith coach Oleg Blokhin showed in the veteran who was not a certain starter for the tournament.

Showing flashes of the scorer's instinct that once made him one of the world's top strikers, Shevchenko beat Olof Mellberg to a cross for his first goal and then met a corner to head the ball inside the near post for the second.

That set off shouts of “Sheva” that could reverberate throughout the nation for a long time.

“Every game for us is like a final,” Shevchenko said. “We showed great football tonight.”

These days it's Ibrahimovic who is considered a world-class forward, but AC Milan's current star came up short against its former standout forward.

Ibrahimovic did provide the focal point of the Swedish attack and shaved the post with a header in the first half before putting his team ahead.

Kim Kallstrom collected a long cross at the left side of the penalty area and sent it to Ibrahimovic in front of the net. The Sweden striker calmly slotted the ball past Andriy Pyatov and into the net.

But Sweden seemed to relax after that and Shevchenko took advantage by meeting Oleh Gusev's cross and sending his header past Andreas Isaksson.

That made the home crowd erupt and the noise grew even louder six minutes later as the 35-year-old Shevchenko's header from a corner found its way past defender Mikael Lustig at the near post. That sent Blokhin jumping up and down the sideline and waving his hand frenetically.

Ibrahimovic had one good chance to equalize, but his hard, swerving shot was saved by Pyatov. Substitute Johan Elmander and Mellberg both shot high in the final minutes.

Shevchenko was given a well-deserved standing ovation as was taken off in the 81st, while Ibrahimovic strode off the field immediately after the final whistle with his head down.

“Today it was off the post and out, the next game it will be off the post and in,” Ibrahimovic said. “We have three games to play here, it's not just one game.

“I feel sad. We had more chances to score. There's still two games left and we still have the two games to get a result. We need to play a better game than we did today.

“We can't really lose the lead like we did.”

View the original article here

Peliculas Online

Ukraine can qualify - Shevchenko

Ukraine's two-goal hero Andriy Shevchenko believes his side's 2-1 victory over Sweden has given them a good chance of qualifying from Group D.

The 35-year-old took his international goal tally to 48 from 108 caps in Kiev on Monday as the co-hosts won to top a group which also includes England.

Ukraine next play France, who drew 1-1 with England, before facing Roy Hodgson's men on Tuesday, 19 June.

"We showed character and now have good chances to qualify," said Shevchenko.

The 35-year-old former AC Milan and Chelsea striker, who is in his second spell with Dynamo Kiev in his native country, rolled back the years with two headed goals in the space of six second-half minutes to lead his side to victory after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had given Sweden the lead in Kiev's Olympic Stadium.

"I feel great. I feel 20 years old, not 35. it was an historic game for us, and it's a victory," said Shevchenko, who will retire from international football after Euro 2012.

"It's such an important competition. Thank you to everybody who supported me. It was a very long walk because I had a lot of problems before the European Championship."

There was doubts as to whether Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin would select Shevchenko, who was European Footballer of the Year in 2004 but is not the force he once was, as age and a string of injuries have caught up with him.

However, Blokhin's was rewarded for his decision to select the striker, who was given a standing ovation by the vociferous crowd inside the Olympic Stadium when he was substituted 10 minutes from full-time.

Sweden coach Erik Hamren felt his side should have done more to impose their authority on the game. He also believed his side were wasteful in the latter stages as they went in search of an equaliser.

"We knew how they would play and it was our performance which was not up to scratch. You need 11 players right on their game and we only had five or six in the first half," said 54-year-old.

"We knew the crosses would come in - and we were up against a super player. Technically and tactically we didn't cut it. We should have scored with the good chances we had at the end."

Sweden goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who also saw a header hit the post in the first-half, said: "We have three games to play here, it's not just one game.

"There's still two games left and we still have the two games to get a result. We need to play a better game than we did today."

View the original article here

Ukraine can qualify - Shevchenko

Ukraine's two-goal hero Andriy Shevchenko believes his side's 2-1 victory over Sweden has given them a good chance of qualifying from Group D.

The 35-year-old took his international goal tally to 48 from 108 caps in Kiev on Monday as the co-hosts won to top a group which also includes England.

Ukraine next play France, who drew 1-1 with England, before facing Roy Hodgson's men on Tuesday, 19 June.

"We showed character and now have good chances to qualify," said Shevchenko.

The 35-year-old former AC Milan and Chelsea striker, who is in his second spell with Dynamo Kiev in his native country, rolled back the years with two headed goals in the space of six second-half minutes to lead his side to victory after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had given Sweden the lead in Kiev's Olympic Stadium.

"I feel great. I feel 20 years old, not 35. it was an historic game for us, and it's a victory," said Shevchenko, who will retire from international football after Euro 2012.

"It's such an important competition. Thank you to everybody who supported me. It was a very long walk because I had a lot of problems before the European Championship."

There was doubts as to whether Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin would select Shevchenko, who was European Footballer of the Year in 2004 but is not the force he once was, as age and a string of injuries have caught up with him.

However, Blokhin's was rewarded for his decision to select the striker, who was given a standing ovation by the vociferous crowd inside the Olympic Stadium when he was substituted 10 minutes from full-time.

Sweden coach Erik Hamren felt his side should have done more to impose their authority on the game. He also believed his side were wasteful in the latter stages as they went in search of an equaliser.

"We knew how they would play and it was our performance which was not up to scratch. You need 11 players right on their game and we only had five or six in the first half," said 54-year-old.

"We knew the crosses would come in - and we were up against a super player. Technically and tactically we didn't cut it. We should have scored with the good chances we had at the end."

Sweden goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who also saw a header hit the post in the first-half, said: "We have three games to play here, it's not just one game.

"There's still two games left and we still have the two games to get a result. We need to play a better game than we did today."

View the original article here

Peliculas Online

Transfer Rumor: Ukraine's Andriy Shevchenko, MLS Acknowledge Mutual Interest

Fresh off a two-goal performance to lead Ukraine to a victory over Sweden in the European Championship, Andriy Shevchenko and MLS have acknowledged a mutual interest, according to a report in the New York Times. The 35-year-old is among the most decorated strikers in Ukraine history, having scored at a nearly 50 percent strike rate in more than 100 international appearances.

The report sites an anonymous MLS official as confirming interest and suggests that Shevchenko's desire to play in the United States is fueled by his American wife's desire to move back. Shevchenko married former model Kristen Pazik in 2004 and the couple now have two children together. He told the Times, through a translator, that he's hoping to make a decision about his future after the European Championships.

While the striker's age would certainly cause some teams to be a bit worried, his recent form would suggest he still has plenty left to offer. Since joining Dynamo Kiev in 2009-10, he has scored 23 goals in 55 appearances.

Any number of MLS teams would likely be interested in Shevchenko, but he's also likely to require a hefty Designated Player salary.

View the original article here