Back-to-back surprises: Amateur village team knocks out Ukrainian Cup contender
This season, Ukrainian football continues to deliver inspiring and unexpected moments, and one of the latest examples is the remarkable victory of the amateur club Agrotek from Tishkivka village, Kirovohrad region, which surprisingly advanced to the round of 16 in the Ukrainian Cup.
This achievement marks a significant milestone for the small, often overlooked team that managed to topple one of the top favorites and create a true sensation, fueling greater interest and excitement in the country’s football scene.In a dramatic 1/16 final match, Agrotek faced the well-known Premier League participant — Chornomorets from Odesa.
Despite being considered a potential contender for the trophy, the Odesa side could not demonstrate their dominance and eventually fell in a penalty shootout with a score of 5:3.
The game saw a stunning long-range shot by Pastukhov in the 18th minute, and Odesa pulled ahead at the 74th minute thanks to a penalty converted by Luifer.
However, in the final, the village team showed resilience and determination, overcoming adversity to claim victory beyond regular time.This success was their second major upset of the season — previously, Agrotek outperformed the UPL team Epicenter.
It’s worth noting that this year’s Ukrainian Cup features a modernized format, with a record-breaking number of teams participating — 68 in total.
For the first time, a blind draw was introduced, and extra time was abolished in favor of immediate penalties.
The current holder of the trophy is Shakhtar Donetsk, who successfully defeated Dynamo Kyiv in a penalty shootout (6:5) after a 1:1 draw in regular time.
Dynamo, on the other hand, has lost points in two consecutive matches in the UPL, further complicating their pursuit of the coveted trophy.As for Dynamo, this is their second consecutive season of falling short in the league, while Shakhtar continues to advance in the national cup, having secured a narrow victory over amateur Polissya, reaffirming their tactical strength.
Today, it is evident that this season of Ukrainian football is full of surprises and record-breaking events, which only increases the anticipation for upcoming matches and promises even more breathtaking victories and dramatic moments on the largest sports stage in the country — the football fields.