The new season of the Ukrainian Premier League kicked off with a striking event in Kryvyi Rih. The local Krivbas hosted Lviv's Karpaty at the Hurnyk stadium. The match, which was supposed to be a sporting celebration, turned into a mix of high drama, a determined victory for the guests, and deep sorrow.
The tragedy preceding the match
The story of the football match on this day cannot begin with tactics and goals. The events of July 30 cast a long shadow over the stadium. As a result of a ballistic missile strike on the settlement of Radushne near Kryvyi Rih, five members of the large Voloshyn family were killed. The deaths of two adults and three children were confirmed, while the fate of six other children remains unknown.
Before the start of the match at the Hurnyk stadium, a minute of silence was observed to honor the victims. This pause became a symbol of mourning for everyone present, reminding us that sport cannot be separated from the reality in which people live.
Match progression: from an even struggle to a rout
The game started dynamically. Both teams actively looked for chances, and in the early minutes, opportunities arose for both Nazariy Rusyn (Karpaty) and Satchwell (Krivbas). However, as early as the 20th minute, the hosts managed to open the score. A quick surge by the Kryvyi Rih players ended with Satchwell dribbling on the left flank, leading to a foul by Myroshnychenko. Yurchets confidently converted the penalty, putting Krivbas ahead.
Karpaty did not give up and continued to press, but there were few real chances in front of Kemkin's goal. The balance was restored only in stoppage time of the first half. Jones fouled Kostenko in his own penalty area, and Chachuia equalized from the penalty spot before halftime (1:1).
Second half: dominance of the Lvivians
In the second half of the game, the guests' advantage became obvious. Karpaty regularly created dangerous moments. The turning point came in the 57th minute: after a corner kick, Baboglo powerfully struck past the opponent's defense and goalkeeper Kemkin.
Less than 10 minutes later, the Lvivians pulled away. Rusyn won the ball in the center of the field and launched the young striker Kostenko into a run, who confidently capitalized on the moment. The score became 1:3.
The most spectacular episode occurred in the 72nd minute. Yan Kostenko broke through the opponent's defense to a shooting position and struck hard. Goalkeeper Kemkin parried the ball, but Vantukh scored on the rebound, netting his first goal in the green and white jersey. The final score was 1:4 in favor of Karpaty.
Game interruption and conclusion
Almost immediately after Vantukh's goal, the match had to be suspended due to an air raid siren in Kryvyi Rih. The forced break lasted about an hour. After the game resumed, Krivbas attempted to turn the tide by making a triple substitution, but it was to no avail. The final whistle confirmed the guests' confident, determined victory.
For the winners, the scorers were Chachuia (45+3), Baboglo (57), Kostenko (65), and Vantukh (72). For the hosts, the only goal was scored by Yurchets (22, penalty).
