Championship of Ukraine U-19: last year's leaders will compete for medals again

25.08.2022 18:01

Photo by shakhtar.com

Three out of ten held championships of Ukraine in the age category U-19 could not be completed. Two - because of the war with the Moscow occupiers, one - because of the pandemic. But the crisis experienced by Ukrainian football in 2022 is the biggest of all experienced during this time.

The system of children's and youth football in Ukraine received a very painful blow. Football bases, training fields, secondary schools and academies disappeared under the boot of the occupiers. Many children ended up abroad, where they are gradually assimilating in new conditions. The bill is already in the hundreds. And it will only grow, taking into account the fact that the youth championship held by DUFL in three leagues (elite, higher, first) for boys aged 14-17 will not be played in the 2022/2023 season.

Photo by shakhtar.com

The only all-Ukrainian tournament in the youth football sector that remains relevant is the U-19 championship under the auspices of the UPL. It started on August 22, and the second round starts tomorrow. We have already seen 12 teams out of 16 (the match "Dnipro-1" - "Alexandria" has been postponed to November 15, and the match "Minai" - "Lviv" - for an unspecified date). And they witnessed three victories with a crushing score. All three are from last season's winners: "Rukh" crushed the newcomer - "Metalist" (8:0), "Shakhtar" defeated "Metalist 1925" (5:0), and "Dynamo" confidently placed on the shoulders of "Ingulets" (4 :1).

Most likely, these three teams will lead the main fight for the distribution of prize places in the 2022/2023 season as well. At least, even a superficial analysis of the personnel potential of the participants of the new U-19 championship says just that.

Current champion "Rukh" did not lose a single key player born in 2003-2004 from its team. And in the summer, Vitaly Ponomarev added the best graduates of his own powerful academy born in 2005-2006, plus one player each from Dynamo and Volyn.

In Dynamo, Ihor Kostyuk also received a very decent reinforcement - graduates of the club's academy born in 2005, who played almost in full for the youth national team of Ukraine. And the son of the famous scorer of the 1980s and 1990s, Roman Salenko, made his debut in the team. He came from Vyshhorod "Dinaz", where he had time to play with adults in the second league. By the way, Salenko is not the only son of a famous father in this U-19 championship. Along with him, Oleksiy Gusev is in the Kyiv application, and you can also look for well-known names in other teams. For example, in "Zora", "Metallist" or "Chronmorets".

"Dynamo" also suffered some losses. The leaders - Nazar Voloshyn, Maksym Dyachuk, Kiril Popov followed the game practice at the UPL level, and the technical legionnaire Samba Diallo (13 goals in the last championship) is not in the team.

Some strong football players are currently missing from Shakhtar's application - Anton Glushchenko, Maksym Derkach (this does not include players born in 2002 who have already outgrown the U-19 championship). But the miners also have a strong replenishment. Some returned from Mariupol, some came from the academy. Oscar Ratulutra and his team are guaranteed to fight for the championship.

Photo by fckryvbas.com

Will anyone be able to intervene in the struggle of this trio? Last season, Metalist 1925, Zorya, Vorskla, Dnipro-1 and Oleksandria tried to create competition for the leaders. Plus, before the start of the season, few people know the capabilities of newcomers - "Metalista" and "Kryvbasa".

But already the first round, in which the two Kharkiv teams suffered two defeats with a total score of 0:13, does not add optimism to the fans of both "Metalists". Although, if you look a little deeper, you don't need to expect much from the newcomer of the U-19 championship - the team is filled with players born in 2006. It was a very strong team at the level of DUFLOU, but they are still only 16 years old (and two of them were born in 2007), so it is difficult to ask them to fight on an equal footing with those who are a few years older.

By the way, the situation in "Zora" is almost the same. Seven players born in 2003-2004 remained from the old team, and the main summer addition was made by Dynamo players born in 2006, led by their coach Oleksiy Drotsenko, one of the most productive players in our youth football. In Kyiv, the U-16 team was also very strong, but it will not be easy for these guys at the U-19 level.

Photo by nkveres.com

Seven football players born in 2006-2007 entered the application of "Dnipro-1" - all from their own academy, and only four players born in 2003-2004 remained from the previous team. The main sniper of the team, Daniel Kivinda (14 goals in the last championship), is not in the application, and several other very talented guys are also missing.

"Metalist 1925" also suffered huge losses (only five players born in 2003-2004 remained from the previous team). Roman Melnyk is building a completely new team.

However, "Vorskla" and "Olexandria" lost much fewer players with experience of previous performances at the U-19 level and may well be considered as potential competitors for last year's winners. Much will depend on the quality of the summer equipment and the work of the coaches.

It is hardly worth expecting great ambitions from the rest of the participants (the applications of "Lviva" and "Minaya" have not yet been published). Although "Colossus" and "Chornomorets" still have a structure developed over the years that can give results. From this point of view, the situation of "Veres" and "Ingulets" is more complicated. And "Kryvbas", which is just returning to big football, is still in the process of reconstruction.

All winners of the U-19 Championship of Ukraine

* — The 2013/2014 season was not completed due to the war.

** - The 2019/2020 season was not completed due to quarantine.

*** — The 2021/2022 season was not completed due to the war.

We will remind you that Shakhtar will play in the UEFA Youth League in the 2022/2023 season (as the U-19 team of the Champions League - also in the group tournament) and "Rukh" (as the champion of Ukraine will go through the Path of Champions - according to the cup system).

Shakhtar players will get to know their opponents today, the first match is scheduled for September 6-7, and the last match of the group tournament is scheduled for November 1-2.

The draw for "Rukh" will take place on August 31. The first round will be held on September 14 and October 5, and in the case of a positive result, Lviv will play in the second round on October 26 and November 2.

The playoff matches are already scheduled for 2023.