Ukraine U-18 kicked off their campaign at the international friendly tournament Lafarge Foot Avenir held in Limoges, France, with their opening match against Japan.
Ukraine took the lead in the 31st minute when Oleksandr Hoch headed in a precise goal. However, the Japanese side responded strongly in the second half, equalizing immediately after the break through Takeuchi. The decisive moment came in the final minute of the game, as Inouchi scored a header from a corner kick, securing a 2-1 victory for Japan.
The tournament in Limoges features four national teams: Ukraine, Japan, France, and Austria. Following their match against Japan, Ukraine will face France on September 25 and Austria on September 27.
Japan 2–1 Ukraine (0–1)
Goals: Takeuchi (47), Inouchi (90+7) — Hoch (31).
Ukraine: Stolyarenko; Onyshchuk (captain) (Udovychenko, 70), Levytskyi, Shukalovych (Hlyots, 83), Serdyuk (Pylypchuk, 83), Voloshko (Yeryomenko, 83), Buravtsov (Hololobov, 20), Prykhodko, Smotrytskyi (Hratsian, 83), Demchuk (Plaminskyi, 83), Hoch (Safonov, 70).
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