On Sunday, August 23, eight matches were played in the Round of 32 of the Ukrainian Cup, and the matchday was marked by several upsets. The biggest was the elimination of Odesa's Chornomorets — a Premier League side — at the hands of amateur Olkhovets from Zakarpattia, which plays in the third division. The Zakarpattia team took the lead in the 33rd minute (a Shestakov goal) and held on to their one-goal advantage until the final whistle, winning 1-0.
Amateurs vs. the Elite: The Day's Two Major Upsets
In addition to Chornomorets, another top-division club was knocked out — Zaporizhzhia's Metallurg, which lost to amateur Olympia from Savyntsi. The match ended 2-1 in the hosts' favor: the winners were scored by Pochernin (41) and Koshman (79), while the visitors' goal came from Sytalo (83). Thus, in the first round of the Ukrainian Cup, two UPL sides in a row lost to teams from the amateur and lower leagues, which became a notable storyline of the matchday.
Details of the Other Matches
In the Palmyra — Kulikov-Belka tie, the winner was only decided in the closing stages: the visitors won 2-1 (Malsky, 69; Galadei, penalty, 80 — Bulganin, 75). Agrotekh beat Olkhovets from Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast at home — 2-1 (Zamurenko, 57; Karanga, 85 — Dytko, 20). Pokuttia lost 0-1 to Karbon at home (an own goal by Haiduchuk, 27); in the 39th minute, Lazarenko of Karbon was sent off, and the team finished with a man down but kept the result. Novyi Razdel had no real trouble beating Kyiv's Atlet — 2-0 (Hulevskyi, 62; Muzyka, 76). Last season's Cup finalist Cherkahiv (Chernihiv) came from behind to beat Lutsksanтехmontazh No. 536 — 2-1 (Shalfiev, 54; Galstyan, 63 — Bandura, 12), even though it was the Chernihiv side that conceded first. In a postponed match, Kharkiv's Metalist narrowly beat Peniel on Kharkiv Day.
Contradictory Data
The source text for the Novyi Razdel — Atlet match contains an internal inconsistency. The descriptive part states that to Hulevskyi's (62nd minute) and Muzyka's (78th minute) goals, "Vitalii Myts responded late in the game," yet the official score table records a 2-0 result for Novyi Razdel with goals by Hulevskyi (62) and Muzyka (76), with no mention of a Myts goal. In other words, one version points to the 78th minute and a response goal, while the other points to the 76th minute and a 2-0 final score. The editorial team presents both versions and recommends checking the match protocol.
Reaction to Chornomorets' Elimination
The Odesa side's exit sparked a stir in the fan community: Chornomorets supporters reacted to the result with irony, declaring that they would "play the early rounds for the team." Head coach Hryhorchuk commented on the defeat with the words "we will look into it," calling what happened a disgrace and promising to review the match episodes. These reactions underscore just how unexpected the elimination at the hands of a third-division team at the Round of 32 stage was for the club's circle.
