Euro Cup 2012: Team Profile Ukraine (Know the participating team Ukraine

The world most exciting Tournament has already begun and we have seen some exceptional games till date. All 16 qualified European giants are fighting for the cup and every team will play to win the tournament.

www.anantasports.com is bringing the profiles of all the participating team to its readers and here it is Ukraine. Ukraine is taking part in the tournaments under the guidance of Coach Oleh Blokhin. 
Oleh Blokhin’s side qualify for the tournament as co host along with Ukraine as the host don’t have to play qualifying matches.Ukraine’s  preparations for Euro 2012 was  disrupted last autumn with the resignation of coach Myron Markevych, who left the national team on “moral grounds” after claiming the club side he was also managing, Metalist Kharkiv, were being unfairly targeted by the Ukrainian Football Federation (FFU). Yuriy Kalitvintsev took temporary charge of the side for eight matches until the legendary figure of Oleg Blokhin was installed as coach for the forthcoming tournament back in April.

Ukraine has an undistinguished history in the European Championships having never qualified for the tournament before. This can, of course, be partly contributed to their short footballing history, having first competed in a qualifying campaign for the 1996 edition of the competition. On that occasion they finished fourth in a group that included Italy and Croatia.

Four years later Euro 2000 brought play-off heartbreak as Slovenia beat them 3-2 over two legs in a clash that is best remembered for Milenko Acimovic’s incredible long-range for the hosts in Ljubljana. More frustration was to follow in 2004 as the Ukrainian side finished third behind Spain and eventual tournament winners Greece. The 2008 campaign then saw Ukraine disappointingly placed fourth behind Italy, France and Scotland in qualifying group B. The Ukrainians finishing nine points off the qualification places.

Coach: Oleh Blokhin

This is Oleg Blokhin’s second stint in charge of the Ukrainian national side having previously led his country to their first ever World Cup appearance back in 2006. They performed well too, progressing through to the quarter-final stage before being knocked out by eventual winners Italy. His club CV is far from impressive, but the experience of 2006 meant that few opposed his reinstatement as coach. As a player, Blokhin was a wonderfully athletic forward and a key figure in the outstanding Dynamo Kiev sides of the 1970s and 80s

Captain Andriy Shevchenko

The captaincy has been passed between Andriy Shevchenko and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk during the preparations for the tournament, with Blokhin experimenting with different variations of 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1. If he can secure a starting berth, the former Milan forward is likely to be handed the armband.

The 35-year-old Dynamo Kiev striker needs little introduction. Named European Footballer of the Year in 2004, Shevchenko helped lead Dynamo to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 1999, before a highly productive seven-year spell in Italy with AC Milan. His influence is now on the wane, but he remains a big personality in the side. Four more goals will see him hit the half century mark for his country.

 Player to watch :OleksandrAliyev

An irrepressible presence in the middle of the field, Aliyev runs and passes and probes. Whilst his inclusion is probably dependant on Blokhin plumping for a three-man central midfield, the energy and invention of the 26-year-old Dynamo Kiev midfielder can't be replicated within the squad.

A troublemaker during his first spell at Dynamo, he enhanced his reputation with an impressive 13-month spell at Lokomotiv Moscow before returning to the Ukrainian capital in March. His inclusion in the side also provides a goal threat from set plays, with the diminutive midfielder packing a punch that belies his modest size. 

How they Qualify:Ukraine Qualify for Euro 2012 as a co host of the Tournament

Jersy

Brand: Adidas

Home Jersey: Yellow with light-blue and yellow horizontal lines
Away Jersey: Yellow with light-blue and yellow horizontal lines

Ukraine Squad foe Euro 2012:

Coach: Oleh Blokhin

Goalkeepers: Oleksandr Goryainov (Metalist Kharkiv), Maxym Koval (Dynamo Kyiv), Andriy Pyatov (Shakhtar Donetsk)

Defenders: Bohdan Butko (Illychivets Mariupil), Olexandr Kucher (Shakhtar Donetsk), Taras Mikhalik (Dynamo Kyiv), Yaroslav Rakitskiy (Shakhtar Donetsk), Yevhen Selin (Vorskla Poltava), Yevhen Khacheridi (Dynamo Kyiv), Vyacheslav Shevchuk (Shakhtar Donetsk)

Midfielders: Olexandr Aliyev (Dynamo Kyiv), Denys Garmash (Dynamo Kyiv), Oleh Gusev (Dynamo Kyiv), Yevhen Konoplyanka (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Serhiy Nazarenko (Tavriya Simferopol), Ruslan Rotan (Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (Bayern Munich), Andriy Yarmolenko (Dynamo Kyiv)

Forwards: Andriy Voronin (Dinamo Moscow), Marko Devic (Metalist Kharkiv), Artem Milevskiy (Dynamo Kyiv), Yevhen Seleznyov (Shakhtar Donetsk), Andriy Shevchenko (Dynamo Kyiv)

Style of play: Manager Oleh Blokhin fluctuates between a 4-5-1 and a traditional 4-4-2 formation. Anatoliy Tymoshchuk serves as the defensive anchor in midfield, dropping back deep to support the back line, while partner Ruslan Rotan focuses on building the attack. Ukraine tries to beat teams by using its great speed down the flanks, so look for them to work the ball to Andriy Yarmolenko and Oleg Gusev as much as possible. Up front, Artem Milevskiy serves as the target man, with Andriy Shevchenko operating in the hole behind him in a free role. Tymoshchuk is the key player, as he is called upon to break up opponent's offensive play, and serve as the steady link between defence and attack.