The Ukrainian national side is set to land in Belgrade later this afternoon (Tuesday) as they prepare to face Russia in the second match of the Euro B Championship tomorrow. The game will be played at the FC Heroj Polet Stadium in the Belgrade suburb of Jajinci, kick off at 1pm CET.
The last time the nation’s met was in the same competition six years ago, also in Belgrade, when Russia triumphed 34-20. In the opening game of this year’s tournament last Sunday, the Russians were defeated 66-10 by Serbia, a match watched by the Ukrainian squad at their training camp.
UFRL president, Artur Martyrosian, commenting: “The team is ready to fight for victory despite the big break in our international calendar. All the players are in good physical shape, both veterans and debutants. We hope fortune will be on our side.”
Evgenii Chevankov, Ivan Troitskii, Aram Gazarian and Andrey Perin are in line to come in for the Russians, player/head coach Roman Ovchinnikov saying: “I expect it will an equally tough game as against Serbia but we learned a lot from that encounter. Our players have responded well, they are battle hardened and are really looking forward to the chance to get out there once more and to show what they can do.”
James Jones (Wales) is the match official with Stephane Vincent (France) and Stefan Stamenic (Serbia) touch judges.
The Test will be broadcasted live on the ERL Facebook page.
RUSSIA 19-MAN SQUAD
Ilia Danilov (RC Dinamo), Evgenii Chevankov, Artem Egorov, Roman Ovchinnikov, Sergei Sazonov, Pavel Smirnov, Dmitrii Strukov, Ivan Suracov, Ivan Troitskii, Artem Tiutrin, Ivan Vabishchevich, Andrei Zdobnikov (RLC Locomotive), Egor Petukhov (RC Moscow Dragons), Vadim Buriak, Igor Chuprin, Aram Gazarian (RLC Olimp), Andrey Perin (RC Spartak), Kirill Bozhko, Maxim Martynov (RC Zelenograd)
UKRAINE 19-MAN SQUAD
Liubomyr Beznoshchuk, Vitalii Boichuk (Carpathian Trinity), Anatolii Hrankovskyi, Taras Kolisnyk, Vitalii Puchkov, Dmytro Semerenko, Oleksandr Shcherbyna, Oleksandr Skorbach, Oleksandr Syvokoz, Mykhailo Troian, Evhenii Trusov, Bohdan Vepryk, Ihor Yurkin (Kharkiv Legion XIII), Valentyn Korchak, Orest Adamyk, Valentyn Koval, Danylo Kozak, Igor Vashchuk (Lviv Tigers), Volodymyr Radchyk (Rivne Giants)