USCAK soccer squad competes in British tournament (12/21/03)

USCAK soccer squad competes in British tournament

by Andrij Panas

STOCKPORT, England - A soccer team representing the Ukrainian Sports Federation of the U.S.A. and Canada (USCAK), traveled to Stockport, England, to compete in the 2003 Peter Madytsch Memorial Five-a Side Tournament. The tournament has traditionally comprised Ukrainian clubs from the United Kingdom, however, this year an invitation was extended to the United States through the president of the Krylati Sports Club (Yonkers, N.Y.), Mark Howansky, who became the key coordinator of the trip.

"USCAK Select" joined 14 other teams in the competition and was represented by players from three clubs: Levko Holubec (Lviv Ukrainian American Sports Club, Ohio), Mark Howansky and Lena Howansky (Krylati) and Roman Holowinsky, Hryts Serheev and Andrij Panas (Chornomorska Sitch, New Jersey).

The team performed well in the first round of competition play, finishing third in its group and advancing to the elimination stage of the tournament. The team came up short in the quarterfinals and had to watch as Manchester "B" led by player/coach Slavko Mikosowski took first place with a convincing 6-1 victory over Manchester "A," in the championship match. Stockport "C" took third place to round out the top three teams.

In addition to participating in the tournament the members of USCAK Select were able to take in sightseeing afforded to them in London, Manchester and Nottingham, where they were welcomed with open arms by the local Ukrainian community. The team's stay in Nottingham was especially memorable as the team members were taken in by families of Ukrainian descent and treated with the hospitality that only a Ukrainian family in any country can give.

The highlight of the trip, however, was the Champions League Match between Arsenal and Kyiv Dynamo featured at Highbury Stadium in London. USCAK Select joined thousands of other Dynamo fans, most of whom wore embroidered shirts Dynamo jerseys and scarves, who emphatically waved blue-and-yellow flags, cheered and sang throughout the entire match. Even with Arsenal's 1-0 victory, the Ukrainian spirit ran high as echoes of the "Dy-na-mo" chant could be heard through the streets and subways of London long into the night.

Throughout the trip, new Ukrainian friends were gained, existing relationships strengthened, and club and association alliances made, in the hopes of uniting the Ukrainian community here and abroad. Plans are already under way for Dynamo, a U.K.- based soccer team made up of players of Ukrainian descent to revisit the United States, as well as for USCAK Select to make a bid for the Peter Madytsch Memorial Cup again next year.

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