You're reading: Ukraine secures 1-0 defeat of FYR Macedonia in Euro 2016 qualifier

LVIV – Serhiy Sydorchuk’s tallied the only goal to give the Ukrainian hosts a 1-0 victory over FYR Macedonia on Oct. 12 in their Group C 2016 European soccer championship qualifying fixture. 

The win placed the blue-and-yellows in third after
three rounds of qualifying play, three points behind leader Slovakia, followed
by second-place Spain. Ukraine and Spain each have six points, but the
defending European champions have a superior goal differential of 7-2.

The Dynamo Kyiv midfielder
broke through in the second minute of injury time of the first half. Dynamo
winger Andriy Yarmolenko deflected Yevhen Konoplyanka’s
cross with his knee toward a striding Sydorchuk who struck low from eight
meters into the net.

Yarmolenko could’ve improved the score three minutes after the
break, but his penalty hit the woodwork after goalkeeper Aleksandar Damchevski
took down Roman Zozulya.

Statistically, Ukraine
dominated play enjoying 62 percent of ball possession while completing 231 more
passes than its opponent, according to UEFA, Europe’s soccer governing body.

“Our group is not easy – today we made sure
of that once again. If [Andriy] Yarmolenko had scored [his penalty], the game
would have been easier,” said Ukraine coach Mykhailo Fomenko. “We still had a
lot of chances, but it ended up being a tense situation. However, it’s three
more points on the board and this is what we are all about.”

Ukraine’s national soccer team starting lineup poses for their pre-game picture before on Oct. 12 in Lviv before facing FYR Macedonia in their Euro 2016 qualifying match. (ffu.org.ua)

Ukraine next plays Luxembourg away on Nov. 15 before the
onset of winter break. Euro 2016 qualifiers will then resume on March 27 when Ukraine
visits Spain.

The top two teams of each of the nine groups,
along with the best third-placed side will directly qualify for the 24-team
Euro 2016 tournament, which France will host in June of that year. The eight
remaining third-placed teams will contest play-offs to determine the last four
qualifiers for the finals. 

Group C

Teams

P

W

D

L

F

A

+/-

Pts

 Slovakia

3

3

0

0

6

2

4

9

 Spain

3

2

0

1

10

3

7

6

 Ukraine

3

2

0

1

3

1

2

6

 FYR Macedonia

3

1

0

2

4

8

-4

3

 Belarus

3

0

1

2

2

6

-4

1

 Luxembourg

3

0

1

2

3

8

-5

1

Source: Union of
European Football Associations

Kyiv Post editor Mark
Rachkevych can be reached at [email protected].