Andriy Shevchenko scored a penalty to help Ukraine beat Scotland 2-0 in a European Championship qualifying match after Kucher’s first goal (60th minute: Shevchenko’s free-kick into the box ran loose off Vyacheslav Sviderskiy and Kucher turned on the ball and beat Gordon with a low shot).
Shevchenko was pulled down by Scotland defender Robbie Neilson in the 89th minute.

Scotland has now nine points in the group, which also includes World Cup finalists Italy and France.

During the match, Shevchenko set up Oleh Gusev for the first notable opportunity after just four minutes but the No9’s shot deflected wide off Pressley.

That was a rare foray forward for the visitors who suffered several scares as the first period progressed.
Maxym Kalynychenko headed just over, Andriy Voronin failed to make firm contact with Shevchenko’s mishit shot, then Shevchenko himself poked the ball weakly at Craig Gordon following a scramble.

Shevchenko nearly set up another goal in the seventh minute, beating two defenders and passing to Oleh Gusev, but his shot deflected off a defender and missed.

Shevchenko sent a free kick into the wall in the 21st after Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher was given a yellow card.
Early in the second half, Shevchenko hit the left post.

Any hopes of a comeback were snuffed when Pressley saw red for a foul on Shevchenko as he bore down on goal and the Ukraine talisman sealed the win in the 90th minute when he beat Gordon from the spot after being fouled by debutant Robbie Neilson.

Watch the highlights > Ukraine-Scotland Video

From: KyivPost.com / Uefa.com

The Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko has returned to training with Ukraine for Wednesday’s Euro 2008 Group B qualifier against Scotland in Kiev.

Shevchenko missed on Saturday defeat to Italy (2-0) with a virus but he took part in a practice session with the rest of the squad on Monday evening and should play against Scotland on Wednesday.

Another bad new for Ukraine: Oleksiy Byelik, Shevchenko’s fellow forward, has been withdrawn after injuring his leg during the match in Rome.

From: Sportinglife.com

Andriy Shevchenko has a virus and is in doubt for Ukraine’s European Championship qualifier against Italy on Saturday.

Ukraine coach Oleh Blokhin said Shevchenko started to feel ill early Wednesday and was feverish with a temperature of 38.5 Celsius: “I don’t know whether he will recover or not (to play Italy),” Blokhin said.

Ukraine has three points in Group B, two ahead of Italy, but three behind leaders Scotland and France.

“We should beat Italy,” said Blokhin, adding that Ukraine is likely to “outplay Scotland, even if beaten by Italy.”

Meanwhile, the italian strikers Alessandro Del Piero and Luca Toni were recalled to world champion Italy’s squad on Sunday for European Championship qualifiers against Ukraine and Georgia: they haven’t appeared for the Azzurri since their triumph in Berlin.
Also recalled by coach Roberto Donadoni were World Cup winners Vincenzo Iaquinta, Mauro Camoranesi, Alessandro Nesta and Marco Materazzi (who will play after serving a two-game ban for verbally provoking Zinedine Zidane in July’s World Cup final).
Italy hosts Andriy Shevchenko’s Ukraine at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico next Saturday, then visits Georgia the following Wednesday.

From: Fox Sports

Andriy Shevchenko will lead the line for Ukraine against Scotland in next Wednesday’s Euro 2008 qualifying match [http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/euro/index.html] in Kiev: the striker has scored only once in the Premiership this season but he’s ready to put off the shade by the exploits of fellow striker Didier Drogba.

Alan Hansen, the former Scotland defender, criticised Shevchenko on Saturday night on BBC TV’s Match of the Day but Stamford Bridge manager Jose Mourinho, however, is not worried by his goal drought: “He just lacks the goal which will give him more confidence,”
said the Chelsea manager. “He played very well up front against Villa.”

“He is better physically, he already has the beating of his markers in one-on-ones and he shows great speed of movement.
The work he put in for the team when without the ball was very good.”

Form: Scotsman