LiveBlog: Ukraine-Tunisia

June 23rd, 2006 | by: WC Bob | View Comments

In its first World Cup, Ukraine advances to the Round of 16 after defeating Tunisia in a slow game that lacked much in the way of action. You can re-live the memories by reading the play-by-play below and leaving your comments on the game and the teams.

Final: Ukraine 1-0 Tunisia

Full time It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t fun to watch, but Ukraine gets the job down with a one goal win over Tunisia. Ukraine played a man up for the second half and needed a penalty kick from Andriy Shevchenko to come out on top. Tunisia never got its game together and offered little in the way of attack. As a result, they will go home as they watch Ukraine and Spain advance from Group H. Thanks for joining me. Be safe and enjoy the rest of the World Cup.

88:47 Voronin springs free but he is denied in the box by the Tunisia keeper. We waited all this time for this. Shouldn’t be much added time.

87:45 Artem Milevskyy on for Sheva as the game’s lone goal scorer goes out to a round of applause. Voronin with a shot that is saved.

87:34 If there is a medal for sitting through 90 minutes of dull football you all deserve one. At least most of the 45 other games have been better and we still have a pair of matches tonight.

85:23 Tunisia’s exit means that four out of five African teams exit in the first round. Ghana the lone flag bearer for the continent. Mexico the lone representative from CONCACAF. South Korea holding out hope to be the lone team from Asia.

83:34 Sepp Blatter looking relaxed in the stands as Shelayev punches one well high of the goal.

82:34 Largely an unmemorable World Cup effort from Tunisia. The last ten minutes of the Saudi Arabia match were fun but other than that we’ll all forget their appearance in a couple of weeks.

81:34 A little bit of dodgy play from Ukraine’s backline which has otherwise been solid today. The Ukraine fans are on their feet clapping. They are happy this one is almost over too.

79:34 Dos Santos also coming on for Tunisia as Roger Lemerre finally throws caution to the wind and brings in some fresh forwads. Will it be too late?

79:17 One of the great names of the tournament about the enter for Tunisia. Chaouki Ben Saada

78:12 Blokhin does have a nice tracksuit and Ukaine has great colors. Other than that, they will need to play much, much better to escape the next round. Free kick from the side. It is headed away by Tunisia.

75:48 Anatoliy Tymoshyuk down on the turf and in need of some magic spray. Tunisia needs a little magic too or they are going to have an early summer vacation.

74:47 That was the second goal of the tournament for Shevchenko who I picked to win the Golden Boot. That could still happen but I am not betting on it. Andriy Gusin on for Ukraine as they prepare to wear out the clock.

73:23 Ukraine will be very content to roll it around and let the time tick away. Tunisia has to go forward, which is something it has largely failed to do today.

71:34 As a neutral fan I find it unfortunate that the referee has once again played a critical role in the match. First with a second yellow card to Tunisia and then a questionable penalty kick for Ukraine.

69:51 GOALLLL!!! Sheva hits the free kick right down the middle and he pretty much assures his team will stay alive for another day.

68:48 Sheva in the box and he falls down. He is awarded a penalty kick. Not too sure he was hit or if he tripped over his own foot.

67:03 The replay showed that it was a handball on the Ukraine wall during the Tunisia free kick but it wasn’t called so I guess it is a moot point.

66:23 Corner kick for Tunisia. There is a scrum in the middle but Tunisia is unable to find the target. At last, a little bit of action. Still scoreless.

64:45 Rusol given a yellow card for taking down Hamed Namouchi outside the area. Free kick for Tunisia. Best opportunity yet in this game. Will they take advantage? Just over the top from Ayari. Closest shot by Tunisia yet. Looked like a hand ball from the wall.

64:12 Running out of ways of saying that there is little action. I’ll take suggestions from you.

63:02 Whistles pouring down from the stands. Ukraine showing signs of attack but every time Tunisia is right there with a couple of men.

61:56 To their credit Tunisia is hanging in there despite being a man down. Ukraine not taking advantage of the moment. A draw would do them just fine.

60:12 Anatoliy Tymoshyuk with a yellow card to match his yellow jersey and yellow hair.

59:21 I’d really love to describe all the shots and action but seriously there is little happening other than a lot of back and forth in the middle third with the occasional interuption from the ref. Neither team showing much in this game.

58:13 Both teams having problems once they reach the final third. It is like they are working really hard to get there and once they reach the box they have nothing left.

56:34 Lemerre throwing his arms up on the sidelines. Blokhin looking constipated. We all feel their pain.

55:34 Ukraine hardly looking like a team playing a man up. Maybe Tunisia snuck on an extra man at halftime. Hey, if a ref can give a player three yellow cards and extra man on the pitch is possible.

54:02 Andriy Vorobey in for Rebrov for Ukraine. Perhaps he is the answer to the question, whatever it might be.

53:32 The cameraman are happy as they don’t have to move their cameras from end to end too much. The majority of the game is being played in the middle third.

52:31 Sheva with a run forward but he is unable to control the ball. You have to think that if Ukraine scores this one is all over. They’ve shown little sign of being capable of scoring to this point.

51:23 Voronin is showing effort for Ukraine but he swarmed by three or four Tunisia players. Tunisia has played very organized in the back.

50:02 The referee seems to be the only one trying out there. Unfortunately his trying has led to to some questionable calls and a player down for Tunisia.

48:12 Neither team able to sting together passes. This has to be a frustrating one for both coaches.

46:43 Oleg Shelayev shown a yellow card for tripping. The yellow card is the story of the first round.

46:03 No changes in either lineup. Tunisia likely to bring on Dos Santos at some point but it will be tough to go offensive a man down.

45:01 We’re back underway from Belin. Ukraine is in an excellent position just needing a tie or a win to advance to the next round. They are playing a man up this half against a Tunisia side that showed little in the way of attack in the first half. Thanks again for stopping by and leaving your comments. Here’s hoping the action picks up the second half and we are treated to some memorable World Cup football.

Halftime Proof that there is a deity. The whistle is blown and we all get 15 minutes to forget the past 45. The good news is that the next half still will mean something so the teams might try a little bit and we all will rejoice. Tunisia will have to play a man down thanks to a marginal call from the referee. I’ll be back soon. Leave your thoughts on the match if you are still awake.

45+ Referee shows Ziad Jaziri his second yellow and Tunisia will play a man down for the second half.

44:34 Sepp Blatter taking in this beauty from the stands. Go ahead and send hom a letter asking for your money back.

43:23 Even a bad World Cup game beats a day with no games. I keep telling myself that as I count the seconds to halftime when I can get some grub. Riadh Bouazizi shown a yellow for having Maradona circa 1988 hair.

41:34 Maybe I am being too harsh here and I haven’t had enough to drink but anyone else think this has been the most boring game of the tournament?

40:12 Radhi Jaidi coming back on with a new back and a new outlook on life.

38:56 Radhi Jaidi with back pains. I can relate. Sitting in this chair for 12 hours a day is tough on the verterbrate. Tunisia can ill afford to lose Radhi Jaidi.

38:23 Tunisia showing no confidence in the attack. It is almost like their game plan is to wait for Ukraine to screw up.

36:34 I expected a bit more from both these teams. Ukraine has been very inconsistent in two games and Tunisia below par. Maybe the next half will bring things to life. A goal by either side might lead to some more inspired play.

35:32 The referee from Paraguay would serve no role in a James Bond movie.

34:15 Chedi with a shot that doesn’t make him a hero in his homeland. Lemerre looking way too overdressed on the sideline. I’m wearing a t-shirt and sweating and he has a jacket on in the sun.

33:12 On a positive note we still have two more games after this one. We’ll be liveblogging both so please join us for some more fun and frivolity.

31:47 Sheva in the box and it is a corner for Ukraine. Tunisia keeping two or three men on Sheva at all times. The corner is wasted and we are back to nothing.

29:56 Tunisia gets a corner kick. There seem to be a lot of other nations flags in the crowd. The corner is pointless as has been the first half hour of this game.

28:34 The fans are doing the wave but even they appear to be moving in slow motion.

27:34 Neither team looking worthy of a spot in the final 16 but one of them will end up there unless Saudi Arabia scored 1,000 goals against Spain.

26:21 Ukraine looking to connect on long balls. Tunisia not looking to do much. We might have seen are share of scoring in Group H but today the well is running dry.

24:56 After living on this planet for 40 years you would think that the Tunisia keeper Boumnijel would have learned not to leave his line so often. He makes bad decisions a lot.

23:12 Sheva with a half volley that he only hits halfway. No danger. Still no score.

23:11 Things starting to open up a bit and none too soon. I was about to take an afternoon siesta and let the trained monkey next to me take over the liveblog. He slobbers on my keyboard a lot but can spell the Ukraine players names better than I can.

21:23 Tunisia with a free kick. My heart almost is beating. It is cleare away by Ukrain and they race down to the other end where Voronin blasts a shot that is saved.

20:12 I would like to have the last 20:12 of my life back.

18:23 Hamed Namouchi gets a shot on goal for Tunisia but the Ukraine keeper gobbles it up.

17:12 Sheva scratches his ear. Vyacheslav Sviderskyy given a card for having a really long and confusing name.

16:10 Ukraine with a free kick and Sheva hits it into the head of a Tunisia player. Kalinichenko trying to take Nedved’s place as the player most likely to look like Goldie Hawn.

15:12 So I was watching paint dry the other day and comparitively it was quite exciting. Don’t knock it till you try it.

14:34 Memo to both teams: This game will decide your World Cup future. Play like it matters!

13:34 In contrast to Blokhin, Tunisia coach Roger Lemerre looks like he could play James Bond.

12:12 Kind of happy to be in a smelly apartment with a computer that isn’t working instead of paying 80 Eurors to see two teams do nothing.

10:43 Ukraine passing the ball around and Tunisia chasing after it. They switch roles and the chase is on. The game is largely being played in the middle of the field.

9:32 Neither team wants to make a mistake and both are playing with caution. This game is a recipe for a borefest. Let’s hope I am wrong. I usually am.

8:16 Zilch happening so far with both teams feeling eac other out. First goal will be huge in this one. Yellow card shown to Ziad Jaziri for Tunisia.

6:12 I’m wondering if my wireless connection is so slow because all of you are downloading porn while you work.

5:32 If you are just tuning in you have missed nothing. Oleg Blokhin looks like a character out of a James Bond movie. He was my favorite Soviet player.

4:32 Special thanks to all of you tuning in while you work. Thanks for ruining the global economy. Free kick for Ukraine and it is almost hit into your office building. That far off the mark.

3:21 Ukraine on the attack with Vornonin and Sheva trying to connect. Tunisia’s defense will have their hands full with that pair. My hand is full typing and enjoying a cold Oettinger beer. Tasty.

1:34 My computer is acting very slowly today so apologies in advance if my dumb comments don’t appear as quickly as normal. Fortunately there has been nothing to type about yet.

Kickoff We’re underway in Berlin in a crtical Group H game between Ukraine and Tunisia. They winner will advance. The loser will go home. Thanks for joining me. Your comments are welcome. Keep them clean, have fun and love one another.

3 minute countdown: Tunisia’s anthem is sung and the players don’t sing it. They look angry and ready to bit the head off of a chicken. I know the feeling.

5 minute countdown: The Ukraine anthem is sung with glee. It is upbeat and bombastic. A good tune for a country full of good people.

6 minute countdown: The players are coming out of the tunnel. Tunisia in red. Ukraine in yellow. The referee is from Paraguay and is bitter about his team’s performance this year. The little kids are great at holding hands and smiling at the camera. FIFA honcho Sepp Blatter on hand to ruin the moment.

8 minute countdown: For those scoring at home I believe this about the 18th game I have liveblogged, while I have seen zero games in person. I can’t complain because I do get to see every match while sitting in a stinky apartment in Berlin filled with empty beer bottles and a constant stream of freeloaders crashing on the floor. Picture Animal House without the toga parties and that is my life. So happy to have you join me.

10 minute countdown: Group H has been one of the highest scoring groups. I would be surprised if that holds true in this game with neither side wanting to make a mistake that leads to an early World Cup exit.

15 minute countdown: According to Sean who is at the match, securing tickets in Berlin for Ukraine-Tunisia was easier than getting tickets to see the Blue Man Show. There have been a fair number of people from Ukraine floating around the past few days but nothing like we saw from Croatia, Sweden and Brazil when their teams were here.

20 minute countdown: So far only one team has lost its opening match and advanced to the Round of 16. Can you think which team that is? Give up? It was Ghana. Ukraine hopes to be the second team to achieve that feat after they were hammered 4-0 by Spain in the opening match.

25 minute countdown: Both these teams have rosters with names that are next to impossible for me to spell. I think I will stick to calling the players “that guy” or “the guy with bad hair” or alternatively “the guy on Ukraine who isn’t Shevchenko”. Liveblogging Brazil’s games are much easier from a name standpoint. Can’t go wrong with a guy named Fred.

30 minute countdown: Here are the starting lineups for both teams. Dos Santos does not get the start for Tunisia but might be able to come off the bench at forward as he continues to try to come back from injury. I have been looking forward to seeing the Brazilian turned Tunisian but he hasn’t played in the competition thus far.

Tunisia
1. Ali Boumnijel, 3. Karim Haggui, 5. Ziad Jaziri, 6. Hatem Trabelsi, 8. Mehdi Nafti, 12. Jawhar Mnari, 13. Riadh Bouazizi, 14. Adel Chedli, 15. Radhi Jaidi, 19. Anis Ayari, 20. Hamed Namouchi

Ukraine
1. Oleksandr Shovkovski, 2. Andriy Nesmachnyi, 4. Anatoliy Tymoshyuk, 6. Andriy Rusol, 7. Andriy Shevchenko, 8. Oleg Shelayev, 9. Oleg Gusiev, 10. Andriy Voronin, 11. Serhiy Rebrov, 19. Maksim Kalinichenko, 22. Vyacheslav Sviderskyy

40 minute countdown: Here is the significance of this game. Basically if either team wins they will almost certainly advance. Ukraine will almost certainly go through with a draw. For me, this is the 45th game I have watched the past two weeks. I’ll also watch Spain-Saudi Arabia at the same time so that might explain any spelling errors or other disasters on this liveblog. That, and too much beer.

Ukraine -Will move onto the next round with a win over Tunisia. They can also earn a draw to advance provided Saudi Arabia do not beat Spain. If Ukraine earns a draw and Saudi Arabia beat Spain, Ukraine need to finish with a higher goal difference (Ukraine 0, Saudi Arabia -4). They can also win the group with a win over Tunisia and a Spain loss to Saudi Arabia, provided they finish with a better goal difference than the Spaniards (Spain currently +6, Ukraine 0).

Tunisia -Can advance to the Round of 16 with a win over Ukraine, provided Saudi Arabia don’t beat Spain and finish with a superior goal difference (Tunisia currently -2, Saudi Arabia -4).

50 minute countdown: It is a nice summer afternoon here in Berlin where Ukraine and Tunisia will square off in a game that will decide which team from Group H will join Spain in the Round of 16. Instead of going to the stadium to watch the game, I have decided to sacrifice my fingers once again for another liveblog. This is the first of two games I will liveblog today and hopefully it will be a well played match that keeps us all awake and happy. Starting lineups and other fun stuff coming up next.

Pregame: Predict the final score.