Part of the group who has become affectionately known among football fans as the ‘Group of Death’, Ukraine’s football team is preparing for the next World Cup, to be held in 2012 in their home region.  Joining Ukraine in this group includes Italy, France, and Scotland.  Ukraine qualified and played in the 2006 World Cup for the first time as an independent nation.  Unfortunately they – with the other three teams – did not make it to the 2008 World Cup and practice has started for the team in an effort to make it to the next football running.

The team is gearing up for the 2012 World Cup qualifying round, led by coach Alexei Mikhailichenko.  They drew a place in Group Six and are joined by England and Croatia.  The Croatia team almost made it into the 2008 Euro semi-finals.  So far the teams from Belarus, Kazakhstan and Andorra do not seem to be posing much of a threat to the team from Ukraine, but it could still be a tough race to the finals.

 Ukraine’s captain is Andriy Shevchenko with strikers Anatoliy Tymoshchuk and Andriy Voronin joining him on the pitch.  Both are experienced players on the international level and come from top drawer clubs Zenit St. Petersburg and Liverpool.

You can find more information about the world cup at Ukraine.worldcupblog.com

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