Finalists aim for first triumph
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Article summary
The UEFA European Under-19 Championship trophy will sport a new name on Sunday evening as England and Ukraine seek to put past disappointments behind them in the eighth final in Donetsk.
Article top media content

Article body
There will be a new name on the UEFA European Under-19 Championship trophy on Sunday evening as England and Ukraine meet in the eighth final in Donetsk seeking to put past disappointments behind them.
Finals heartache
Ukraine lost to France in the U18 showpiece nine years ago while England's defeat against the same opponents in 2005 was the first in a run of final losses across the age levels, with six of this squad in the party beaten by Spain in the 2007 U17 final. Brian Eastick was also part of the coaching staff at last month's U21 tournament which ended in a 4-0 defeat by Germany. "I know the feeling of a very disappointed dressing room when you have lost," the England coach said. "It's not a pleasant experience and I sincerely hope that tomorrow we will have a different feeling, but finals are all about who plays well on the day."
Unwelcome tradition
Ukraine's Yuriy Kalitvintsev welcomes back Serhiy Rybalka and Vitaliy Kaverin after both missed the semi-final win against Serbia through suspension, and the coach was keen to downplay the significance of a particularly unwelcome statistic with no hosts having even reached the final of this event since France's U18 triumph in 1996. "I don't mind that tradition," he said. "We've not done anything special in our build-up, we're preparing as we would for any other game. We've not changed anything."
'Football the winner'
The teams played out an exciting 2-2 draw on Matchday 2, Ukraine twice going close to snatching victory late on, and with both winning their two subsequent matches Kalitvintsev admits the opportunity to renew acquaintances with England has given his side an extra incentive. "Before our semi-final we knew that England were already in the final and that was one more motivating factor for us to win," the coach explained. "I hope it will be a great final and that football will be the winner. England have improved their fitness from match to match and they will be difficult to beat."
Sir Bobby honoured
Eastick, who has Andros Townsend available after a one-match ban, nevertheless described the hosts as "firm favourites", adding: "It's going to be very difficult. They could have beaten us in the first game, and although we've improved physically since then, we're under no illusions. It's an advantage to them playing at home with passionate fans on their side." The match will be preceded by a minute's silence for Sir Bobby Robson, who passed away on Friday, and Eastick paid a heartfelt tribute to the former England manager, whom he described as "not only a great coach but a great man. If we're fortunate enough to win, it would be a tribute to him because he was always so passionate about England."
'No losers'
Much of the pre-match press conference was spent discussing the finalists' long-term prospects, Kalitvintsev revealing senior national team coach Oleksiy Mykhaylychenko has paid "close attention" to his players while Eastick explained: "We all want to win but it's looking at the bigger picture. The experience gained here will be absolutely fantastic; every player that participates in the final is going to have had a wonderful experience and that's only going to help their development for the future, both internationally and at club level. One team is going to lift the cup, but there won't be any losers."