Today, March 19, the youth national team of Ukraine U-17 (players not older than 2008) started in the second round of qualifying for Euro 2025.
Photo: UAF press serviceEuro 2025 (U-17). Second round of the qualifiers. Group A1
Ukraine (U−17) — Croatia (U−17) — 1:2 (0:2)
Goals: Lusin (55, penalty) — Kusankanovich (22, 32).
Yellow cards: Radosh (37), Yakirovich (54), Kumar (57).
Ukraine (U−17): Krapivin, Melnik, Milokost, Kostiuk (O. Tkachenko, 89), Kalyuzhny, Djurabaev (Kuty, 59), Petrovsky, Lusin (Sereda, 82), Muradyan (Kucheryavyi, 46), Zudin, Zubriy (Hamzyk, 59).
Croatia (U−17): Grahovac, Paysar (Miyatovich, 90+2), Kumar, Yakirovich, Murika (Costelats, 82), Voyvodich, Smilyanych, Radosh (Burtsar, 75), N. Horvat (Benko, 82), P. Horvat, Kusankanovich (Mishura, 82).
The team coached by Oleksandr Sytnyk is competing in Group A1 alongside Italy, Croatia, and Slovakia. Today our team faced the Balkan team, the hosts of the mini-tournament. The match took place in the city of Karlovac.
The first chance came for our team — Grahovac denied Lusin’s dangerous shot. The Croats replied with their chance when a ball from the left flank hit the far post. Then the teams exchanged chances again: Zudin was denied a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, while Niko Horvat shot wide from a sharp angle.
In the 22nd minute, the hosts took the lead — after a corner, chaos ensued in our penalty area, and Kusankanovich managed to push the ball into the net. Later, Kusankanovich completed a brace, finishing off a partner’s cross. Before the break, Zudin could have reduced the deficit, but he shot from a good position into the goalkeeper's hands.
At the start of the second half, Kusankanovich failed to capitalize on another chance, while Djurabaev tested Grahovac with a shot from the semicircle. In the 55th minute, our boys reduced the deficit — Kucheryavyi earned a penalty, which Lusin converted. The Croats responded with a header from Voyvodich that went wide of the target.
Subsequently, the hosts focused on maintaining the result. The final stretch of the match was played in a tense battle, our boys tried to snatch a draw, with Zudin having the best chance, threatening with a shot close to the post in the 90th minute. But ultimately, the Ukrainians suffered defeat — 1:2.
Our youth will play their next match on March 22 against their peers from Italy.
