Marvel at the scoreboard

Russia nostalgically remembers how good it was a year ago, while Ukraine wins the World Cup at that time

The Vidzev Stadium in Lodz witnessed a real miracle - the Ukrainian team won the World Youth Championship. It happened at the very moment when the Russian media were celebrating the first round date since the 2018 World Cup, so that the incredible success of the former fraternal country went not even to the third, but to the tenth plan. Whether it's our historical victories with reaching the top eight, for which the players were awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports, or our legacy in the form of popular love for the national team and football in general, or the legacy of the World Cup as such ...

Now they prefer not to talk about the fact that far from everything is so joyful and cheerful with the heritage, and with “popular love” too. In order not to spoil the nostalgic mood for yourself and others. And then bam - Ukraine with its historic victory. The first in post-Soviet times for the post-Soviet space.

However, in the Soviet era, the USSR team won the youth world champion only once - in 1977, when the tournament was still considered experimental.

But the title is legal, I will name four football players of Sergey Mosyagin's draft: Sergey Baltacha, Andrey Bal, Vladimir Bessonov, Vagiz Khidiyatullin. Our common stars, and to list all the celebrities who contested the Youth World Cup, one page is not enough. So three awards of three virtues - the result, if not outstanding, but worthy.

After the collapse of the country - as cut off. Ukraine stumbled three times at the level of the first round of the playoffs, and for Russia, simply reaching the final stage for almost a quarter of a century is a pipe dream. And from whom was a breakthrough expected? Here we waited. From a country about which a good word has not been heard on federal channels over the past five years, where, according to our propagandists, there is a complete collapse at all levels, where nothing good can happen in principle.

The fact that there are 12 teams left in the Ukrainian Premier League, that there are no more Metallist and Dnipro, that Shakhtar Donetsk is based in Kharkiv, Zorya Lugansk is based in Zaporozhye, and Olimpik Donetsk is in Kiev is a consequence of a big disaster. , to which Russia is directly related. But football is alive there, no matter what. And the current national team of Ukraine, even if it does not include honored masters of sports, is no less competitive than the vaunted Russian team. I suspect that Andriy Shevchenko's team with Zinchenko, Yarmolenko and Konoplyanka is even more competitive.

And now her closest reserve under the leadership of Alexander Petrakov wiped everyone's nose. Not only rivals in the tournament in Poland - there the Ukrainian "youth team" in the cup round consistently defeated Panama, Colombia, Italy and already in the final - South Korea. In the final, she was the first to concede from Lee Kang In, who was recognized as the best player of the tournament, but even without the disqualified captain Denis Popov, she answered with three goals scored. Andriy Lunin from Real Madrid was named the best goalkeeper, Andriy Bulitsa and Daniil Sikan were awarded with prizes, Vladislav Supryaga scored two goals in the final - I am sure that we will definitely hear about one of these young Ukrainians. Even if someone doesn't want to hear.

Because it is incomprehensible and insulting that we - seemingly successful - are in a deep hole, and very disadvantaged neighbors are on horseback.

That there is a specific kick to our functionaries and coaches, who are much more likely to chat, and not do business. Of course, one can be ironic about the record of the Norwegian Erlin Haland, who scored nine (!) goals against Honduras, as well as about the tournament in general, where Ecuador got into the prize-winners, and France and Argentina were eliminated in the first cup round. But I assure you - if the Russian youth team became the world champion, then the enthusiasm would be enough for ten years.

The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky began his congratulations to the young footballers as follows: “To do the impossible by uniting. This is our national idea." Yes, not without pathos. But the score is on the scoreboard.