Days after defeating Sweden for the first time in a competitive match, things don't get any easier for England heading into a crucial fixture with host Ukraine on the last day of group play at Euro 2012.
England is tied with France atop Group D with four points, and can secure a place in the quarterfinal round with a draw against Ukraine. Ukraine, however, needs a win to advance, and will undoubtedly be playing with urgency in front of a passionate home crowd at Donbass Arena in Donetsk. In addition, given that the winner of Group D will face Italy in the quarterfinals, while the runner-up will have a date with Group C winner and defending champion Spain, there should be a sense of urgency for England as well, as running up the score could be the difference between facing Spain and Italy...assuming a win, of course.
In any event, any win, big or small, will likely require a much stronger performance than England turned in against Sweden. What had been a promising start nearly evaporated into disaster, as a 1-0 halftime lead on the strength of Andrew Carroll's goal quickly became a 2-1 deficit after an own goal on Glen Johnson and a strike by Olof Mellberg before Theo Walcott and Danny Wellbeck saved the day for the Three Lions. The tournament debut of Wayne Rooney should boost England, but will it be enough to get the desired result?
Ukraine, meanwhile, needs the win to advance, and should come out hot in front of the home crowd. The 35-year-old Shevchenko, who has spent the last two seasons with Dynamo Kiev after stints with Chelsea and AC Milan, has both of Ukraine's goals in this tournament, scored in the opener against Sweden. He'll look to lift Ukraine into the quarterfinals with a win Tuesday.
