Today, December 17 in Portugal, the Ukrainian U-15 youth team (footballers born in 2011 or later) played their first match at the UEFA Development Tournament, which will run until December 22.

The first opponent for the blue-yellow team on the tournament was Greece. The Greeks started more actively, but gradually initiative was taken by the Ukrainians. In the middle of the half, a selection on the other side of the field ended with Drozda's shot from approximately 25 meters - the ball hit under the crossbar. Having scored in the lead, the blue-yellow team continued to act as the first number and create goal-scoring opportunities. Before halftime, high pressing worked again: Zamarzky intercepted a pass by the opponent from outside the box, the goalkeeper reacted to his shot, but Ivan Nagayets was the first to get to the rebound and doubled Ukraine's advantage.

At the start of the second half, the Ukrainian team consolidated its lead. The goal again preceded interception of the ball on the other side of the field: after acceleration and a cross from the right flank to the goalkeeper's box, Semenchenko completed the pass - 3:0.

However, the Greeks managed to narrow the gap quite quickly. After a corner kick play, the opponent won the battle in the air, the ball rebounded to Izkos, and he scored from close range. And just eight minutes later, the Greeks earned a penalty, but Privolos' shot from 11 meters was saved by Varivoda. This episode became key in the match: despite further attempts by the Greek team to change the game's course, the score did not change. 3:1 - the Ukrainian U-15 youth team successfully started at the UEFA Development Tournament.

The next match for the pupils of Volodymyr Samborsky will be on December 19 against the Irish U-15 team.

UEFA Development Tournament

Greece (U-15) - Ukraine (U-15) - 1:3 (0:2)

Goals: Izkos (63) - Drozda (22), Nagayets (38), Semenchenko (53).

Greece (U-15): Kofopoulos, Izkos, Kakalis, Kotramadis, Zitos (Kolios, 64), Flegas (Solomidi, 64), Kasiemos (Sachuridis, 64), Andrikoplos, Dimopoulos, Privolos (c), Pappargiogopulos.

Coach: Panos Karagiannis. 

Ukraine (U-15): Varivoda (c), Chmelov (Babenko, 76), Maluta, Tsybenya, Lapunov (Artuhovich, 56), Kuchura (Kozachuk, 46), Vologdin (Dzhonik, 71), Nagayets (Ivashyn, 71), Drozd (Ratsky, 56), Bonyk (Semenchenko, 46), Zamarzky (Cholak, 56).

Coach: Volodymyr Samborsky.

On the 71st minute, Privolos failed to convert the penalty (goalkeeper).

Ukraine U-15 Youth Team Roster

GK: Oleksandr Varivoda («Shakhtar» Donetsk), Karim Bahriev («Dynamo» Kyiv), Aleksander Semoskov («Barcelona», Spain).

 Oleksandr Chmelov, Oleksandr Maluta, Oleksandr Ivashyn (all - «Ruh» Lviv), Dmytro Tsybenya («Bayern Munich», Germany), Velyzar Artuhovich, Daniil Lapunov (both - «Shakhtar» Donetsk), Oleksandr Dzhonik («Livoberezhie» Kyiv), Artem Babenko («Borussia Mönchengladbach», Germany).