Second League. The Alliance is seriously preparing to give Mariupol a fight in the Ukrainian Cup

05.03.2020 12:02

The result was a sparring between «Nikolaev-2» and «Crystal», in which the Khersonians were stronger. Photo by www.mfc.mk.ua

The first among the representatives of the second league will start the spring part of the season with the players of the "Alliance", who on March 11 will clarify relations with the elite "Mariupol" in quarterfinal cup confrontation.

Currently, the team from Lypova Dolina is completing preparations for new tests at the training camp in Turkey, where they defeated Aris and Academy Ontustik from Kazakhstan (2: 1 and 4: 1, respectively) and Kaganat from Kyrgyzstan (4: 0). It seems that the manager Yuriy Yaroshenko has already decided on the main lineup, and now all attention is focused on home-made products, which could surprise the people of Mariupol.

One of the leaders of Group A, Veres, is also currently in Turkey. After the victory over the Belarusian "Minsk" (2: 0), Yuri Wirth's wards defeated the second-league Danish "FA 2000" (3: 0). Dinaz players also went to Turkey, losing to 19-year-old Dynamo Kyiv players before leaving (2: 5).

In the next control match, Uzhhorod players defeated Munkach MFA - 1: 0. Photo by ffz.org.ua

For the second year in a row, Kalush is holding the final stage of training in Turkey. In their first control match, Stepan Matviyiv's wards lost to Karslund from Denmark - 0: 2. Ahead of them are four more sparring matches. And at the end of last week, contracts with Kalush were signed by Taras Puchkivsky from Kyiv's Obolon-Brovar, Roman Zhmurko from Ternopil's Niva, Andriy Ponedelnik from Chernivtsi's Bukovyna and Oleksandr Medved from Cherkasy.

Other domestic clubs of the second division are stationed in Ukraine, combining participation in traditional tournaments, where their rivals are amateurs, with control matches with teams of masters of neighboring regions. The Chaika footballers (Petropavlivska Borshchahivka) disappointed their fans, as they lost to Rubicon from Vyshneve in the semifinals of the Oleksandr Shchanov Memorial - 0: 1.

But the leader of group "A", Ternopil "Niva", after the defeat in sparring from "Prykarpattia" will focus on the performance at the Ernest Just Memorial. There is no lack of playing practice and players of "Crystal" who at first prevailed on a visit over "Nikolaev-2" (4: 2), and then from a victory started in Kherson in Open Cup of the Association of football of the Crimea.

According to experts, a very sharp struggle is expected not only for promotion in the class, but also among outsiders who want to keep a residence permit in the second league. Of course, they make every effort to fill their ranks with qualified performers. In particular, in "Uzhhorod" in sparring with MFA "Munkach" the winning goal was written down by the newcomer Dmitry Sartina who last fall defended colors of first-league "Nikolaev".