Happiness for England and Ecstasy for the Ukraine.

Andriy Shevchenko, Scoring Against Sweden
In the Olympic Stadium Kiev, Ukraine European Championship June 2012.     

More football games last night, first off were England versus France, at Donetsk, Ukraine, a mining community near the Russian border.

It was a very hot, humid night which made it difficult for the players on both sides, plus they were being attacked by midges.

There was an expectation that England might not do well against France, but this did not prove correct.

Joleon Lescott scored the first goal for England however France’s Sami Nasri got an equaliser after just 9 minutes.

Danny Welbeck gave a mature performance alongside Ashley Young upfront while Steven Gerard and Scott Parker defended the midfield.

Welbeck and Young’s pace and movement exposed Frances central defenders Philippe Mexes and Adhil Rami, but sadly England failed to make the most of their vulnerability.

Then it was half-time when they returned, both sides trying to get another goal neither succeeded, so the game ended in a draw.

England 1-France1, now I will have to wait and see what happens at the next game, England will be playing Sweden this Friday and Sweden will be playing Ukraine are.

Then there was a short pause before the next game started in Kiev, Ukraine between Ukraine and Sweden.

The star striker of Ukraine is Andriy Shevchenko, who used to play for Chelsea as well as AC Milan before returning home to become captain of Dynamo Kiev.

Ukraine dominated the first half; Shevchenko had one chance on goal but dragged it 10 yards wide of the far post.

7 minutes into the second half Sweden's own talismanic forward Zaltan Ibrahimovic scored a header from a neat low cross from Kim Kallstorm.

Just moments later, Shevchenko got ahead of marker Olof Mellberg to head home Andriy Yarmolenko's cross and sends the Olympic Stadium wild. 

These celebrations were nothing, though, compared to what was to come when the Dynamo Kiev striker's superb movement again bought him space, this time at the near post, to glance in a header from a corner. 

Shevchenko went off to a standing ovation by his adoring fans which lasted many minutes and quite rightly as he is a tremendous hero for the Ukraine.

With defeat staring them in the face, Sweden pushed forward for a leveller; Ibrahimovic came close to getting another goal but missed.

Soon after that the final whistle blew, the Olympic Stadium in Kiev went wild with delight they had beaten the Swedish team to win the first important game.