The youth national team of Ukraine in the second round of the 2026 European Championship defeated the national team of Serbia and secured their place in the tournament's semifinals, reports UNN.
Details
The Ukrainian national team, as in the match against Croatia, conceded first again: Djordje Rankovic broke into the penalty area on the 16th minute and struck into the far corner of Nazar Domchak's goal.
In the 32nd minute, Vitaliy Hlyut equalized the score on the board on his second attempt, and 6 minutes later - with a powerful long-range shot put our team ahead - 2:1.
Ultimately, the match ended 2:1 in favor of our youth team, and after two rounds they occupy first place in the group. In addition to allowing Ukraine to reach the tournament's semifinals, this victory also secured the National team's participation in the U-20 World Cup in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.
Interestingly, Vitaliy Hlyut, who scored a brace today, might not have played for the Ukrainian national team at all. Hlyut was born in Husiatyn, Ternopil region, but lived in the USA for the last 12 years, and was even called up to the USA U-16 and U-17 national teams.
"It's nice for me to play for Ukraine, I always wanted this. Having lived in America for so long, I perceive each trip to the national team a bit like a return home. It's very pleasant to be here. I was called up to the USA youth teams for friendly matches. For me, it was something big, because it's an international level. But I didn't put my hand on my heart. Because I am Ukrainian and I only put my hand for Ukraine. I knew right away that I wanted to play for the Ukrainian national team. So when I received the first call-up, it was like a weight off my shoulders. I understand that I need to play well enough to earn my place and get a call-up next time as well," Hlyut told the UAF YouTube channel.
Reminder
The Ukraine U-19 national team successfully started their performance at the European Under-19 Championship, securing a confident victory over the Croatian team with a score of 3:1.