In the final of the exciting international tournament Number One Cup, the young players of the Ruh Academy U-13 defeated Portuguese Sporting in a penalty shootout to determine the real champion. The competition took place in picturesque Wroclaw, Poland.
On the first day of the tournament, the Yellow and Blacks showed their skills, winning convincing victories. They defeated Czech side Mlady Boleslav and Polish side Lechia 2-0, thanks to goals by Kochura and Kushnir. The next day, the Lviv team continued their winning ways, defeating the Polish team Dobre Miasto with a score of 5-0. Hrytsiuk, Ksyondzhyk and Gul scored goals, and Gorin made a double.
On the second day of the game, Ruh U-13 tested their strength in the final matches of the group stage. Lviv lost to Lithuanian side Baltika 0-1, but then regained their advantage by defeating English side Luton 2-1 thanks to goals by Kochura and Gorin.
Under the guidance of coach Oleg Legan, Ruh U-13 confidently emerged from the group, winning 4 matches in 5 matches with a total score of 11-2 goals. The team’s top scorers in the group stage were Shain Kochura and Gorin, who scored 3 goals each.
In the quarterfinals, Ruhivtsi faced Porto, and the match ended in a 0-0 draw. However, in the penalty shootout, Lviv won 3-2, advancing their team to the next stage of the tournament.
In the semifinals, Ruh U-13 faced Italian side Parma, where Kochura opened the scoring. The Italians managed to save a draw in regular time, but Lviv proved stronger in the penalty shootout, securing a 3-2 victory.
In the final, Ruh U-13 met Sporting, and again the game ended in a 0-0 draw. But in the penalty shootout, the Ruh players were the most accurate, defeating the Portuguese 3-2. Thus, the Academy’s students became the absolute winners of the Number One Cup.
The club’s founder, Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy, responded to the victory and congratulated the players on their great victory.
“Those who know about the level of this tournament, I’m sure, will give a standing ovation! And for those who don’t know, I will briefly describe the teams of the leading European academies that were represented at these competitions: “Juventus, Parma, Spezia, Porto, Sparta Prague, Sporting, Bayer Leverkusen! And these are just the participants of the 1/8 finals! In addition, such teams as: “Liverpool, Luton Town, MTK Budapest, Cardiff and many others!
Our U-13 team Ruh demonstrated a top-level performance and won the tournament! “Ruhiv took first place in the group stage, in the 1/4 finals the Yellow and Blacks became the offenders of Porto, in the semifinals they defeated Parma, and in the final they defeated Sporting!
Our students are our future! And it is at moments like this that you realize that we are moving in the right direction! I sincerely congratulate and thank the coaching staff and players of Ruh U-13! You have adequately represented our Academy at the international level! There is no translation for the Cossack family! Bravo! Glory to Ukraine!” Hryhoriy Kozlovskyy congratulated the Ruh pupils.
