On Wednesday, April 23, Ukraine WU-19 team start for Portugal to participate in elite round of Euro-2008 (WU-19) qualifying. Besides the hosts of qualifying tournament the footballers of Oleksandr Masalskiy are to meet with Italians and Norwegians.

Without a captain
Unfortunately, a leading defender and a captain of Ukrainian team Snizhana Volovenko won’t be able to help her partners in qualify round, because her Russian mini-football club Laguna didn’t let her. Our coach says it is a very big loss for our team. Olga Boychenko is to carry out the functions of captain of Ukraine WU-19 team.

Seven lucky men
We remind that at the beginning of qualifying round Ukrainian team beat Azerbaijan (3:0), Armenia (2:0) and made a draw with Scotland (2:2). In elite round 24 teams were divided into six quartets. Group winners and the best runner-up will stroll to the final. The final Euro-2008 (WU-19) tournament will be held in France on July 7-9.

Ukraine WU-19 team:

Goalkeepers: Iryna Pidkuyko (Kyiv-Gas Kyiv), Nila Rohachova (Ateks Kyiv);

defenders: Halina Hudymova (Rodyna Kostopil), Elizabeth Kostyuchenko (Zhytlobud Kharkiv), Darina Lebedeva, Kathrine Leontyeva, Anastasia Sverdlova (all from Ateks Kyiv), Hanna Ryabikova (Sudnobudivnyk Sevastopol), Maya Khodunay (Yuzhanka Kherson);

halfbacks: Yulia Hnydyuk (Naftohimik Kalush), Yulia Vasylets (Rodyna Kostopil), Taisiya  Nesterenko (Zhytlobud Kharkiv), Tetyana Romanenko (Yuzhanka Kherson), Alina Sverhun (Yatran Uman), Karina Sorokina (Kyiv);

forwards: Valeria Alyoshevycha (Donechanka Donetsk), Olha Boychenko (Legenda Chernihiv), Yulia Stets (Yatran Uman).

EURO 2008 Elite round (WU-19). 5th round (Portugal)

April 24

Norway − Ukraine

Italy − Portugal

April 26

Ukraine − Italy

Norway − Portugal

April 29

Portugal − Ukraine