Exciting Ukraine beat Scotland in Glasgow to move closer to World Cup

Andriy Yarmolenko used

to say go crazy.

His family was in kyiv when the Russian invasion began, and the striker, in London with West Ham, could only wait for his wife and children to cross the border.

"He couldn't even speak," the striker later admitted.

Yarmolenko, captain of Ukraine, did not know how to react either after scoring one of the most emotional goals in the history of his team at Hampden on Wednesday.

He looked ahead and waited for his companions to hug him.

He didn't even hint of a smile.

Sports liberation has nothing to do with emotional liberation.

Nor with happiness.

Ukraine beat Scotland in Glasgow to move closer to the World Cup in Qatar.

There is still one last frontier ahead, next Sunday's match in Cardiff against

's Wales that will define the last European place in the World Cup.

The sunny afternoon in Hampden will go down in the collective imagination of football.

Before a general applause and with the stands loaded with banners calling for the end of the war, the Ukrainian soccer players came out onto the pitch each carrying a flag of their country tied around their neck.

They sang the anthem with emotion, and convinced themselves that they could not fail.

Ukraine, who had not played an official match since last November 16 (0-2 against Bosnia), who had barely been able to play three friendlies since the war broke out, and who had to prepare for the

semifinal of this playoff in exile of Slovenia, did not accuse the inactivity.

In fact, Scotland, which has not participated in a World Cup since 1998, was overwhelmed by

's group from the very dawn.

Ukraine footballers pose with their flag.S.

HEPPELLAP

Goalkeeper

did his best for Scotland.

He saved a point-blank shot from

with his fingers .

He also managed to delay the glory for a while to Yarmolenko, who would return to complete the job.

launched a very long pass that the three Scottish centre-backs failed to interpret.

Only Yarmolenko did, who showed his excellent class to control and lift the ball over the goalkeeper's exit.

The Ukrainian fans in Hampden responded to the beautiful goal by waving their flags.

Far from slowing down, Ukraine started the second half with the same conviction.

, the Benfica striker who burst into tears last February in the middle of the game, made it 0-2 with his head without the defenders having any chance of reaching him on the fly.

Yaremchuk ran as fast as he could across the pitch, jumped over the fence and sought the gratitude of fans who were proud of their players' efforts.

Some footballers who never denied a career, a defensive help, a last effort to take a victory that the Scots tried to question in a last stretch full of anguish.

A serious error by goalkeeper

after an innocent hit by McGregor put

's players in the game with eleven minutes remaining.

Not only did they not arrive on time, but they conceded a third goal in added time, the work of

.

Petrakov closed his eyes and raised his clenched fists to the sky.

Wales is the one waiting now in Cardiff.

And you know that Ukraine plans to give everything to get a place in the next World Cup.

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