It’s hard to surrender your perfect team’s record during a major sporting event, especially when it’s one that will determine whether or not you will have to play the play-off games or simply be automatically in when the final tournaments come around.  Luckily enough, Ukraine won’t be sweating too much about those play-off games as the women’s soccer team is still in the number position to reach the UEFA Women’s Euro 2009 after losing to Portugal, the bottom placed team in Group 5.

The Ukraine team was the favorites in Chernigov and they won all six of their qualifying games prior to the Portugal match.  That included a game against top seeded Denmark.  Portugal had managed to get a measly single point from a draw during their seven games, and that was given up by Scotland.  Everything was looking good for our Ukraine team thanks to Nataliya Soukhorokova scoring the first point six minutes into the match.  Unfortunately, they weren’t expecting Edite Fernandes from the Portugal team to level in at the end of the first half before overcoming the Ukraine team once and for all.

Ukraine’s women soccer team goes up against Denmark on Wednesday October 1, 2008, and they know that a draw or better against the other team will ensure the spot for next summer’s finals in Finland without having to deal with the play-offs in October.

People may find that travelling in and out of the Ukraine will become easier over the next few months.  The country is currently working with the European Union in an effort to easing visa restrictions for Ukrainian citizens who with to travel within the 27 nation bloc that makes up the European Union.  The catalyst for this discussion?  The upcoming soccer championships that are to take place in co-hosting countries Poland and Ukraine.  The country’s Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ogryzko believes that the EU and Ukraine can definitely reach an agreement prior to the first soccer game.

The biggest obstacle on getting the visa-free travel pact put in place will depend on Ukraine.  The government will have to bring their level of secure passport issuing and tighter border security up to European Union standards before the final travel pact can be signed.  EU justice and home affairs commissioner Jacques Barrot, is also encouraging the government of Ukraine to ensure that they have an independent judiciary in place and to start fighting the illegal migration and human trafficking problems that have been plaguing the country for years.

Currently, travelers from most nations in the European Union and in North America are able to travel to and from Ukraine with a current valid passport and nothing else.