 |
|---|
| Milevskyy in action; photo AP |
Ukraine and Croatia battled out a 2-2 draw in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Saturday.
The Croats took an early lead at the Maksimir Stadium after just two minutes through Mladen Petric, who tapped in a rebound off goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov. Ukraine's Andriy Shevchenko restored parity within 11 minutes but was later substituted after picking up an injury. Soon after the interval Shakhtar Donetsk’s Oleksiy Gai put Ukraine ahead, when Sergiy Nazarenko crossed the ball to the near post for Oleksiy to head home under the bar. However, Tottenham's Modric brought his side back on level terms, driving into the penalty box from the left before clipping in a low cross which deflected off Dmitry Chigrinsky and looped into the net. The hosts kept on pressing in the closing stages but were unlucky to see Petric and Modric hit the frame of the goal.
The result leaves Croatia second in Group 6 with 11 points after six games, seven points behind England. Ukraine, meanwhile, is in fourth spot with eight points from five games. The nine European group winners qualify and the top eight second-place teams advance to playoffs.
Croatia – Ukraine – 2:2 (1:1).
Croatia: Runje, Srna, Simunic, Kovac, Corluka, Pranjic, Juric (Leko, 46), Rakitic (Vukojevic, 46), Modric, Petric, Olic (Mandzukic, 61).
Ukraine: Pyatov, Mandzyuk, Kucher, Chygrynskyy, Shevchuk, Tymoschuk (Rusol, 88), Gai, Rotan, Nazarenko (Kalynychenko, 76), Shevchenko (Seleznyov, 23), Milevskyy.
Goals: Petric (2), Modric (68) – Shevchenko (13), Gai (54).
Yellow cards: Srna (72), Leko (82) – Seleznyov (23), Nazarenko (59), Mandzyuk (80), Kucher (90+1).
www.fcdynamo.kiev.ua
