Budweiser Man of the Match: Maksym KALINICHENKO (UKR)

19 June 2006

Ukraine playmaker Maksym Kalinichenko was the centrepiece of a Ukrainian attack that put the ball in the net four times in their defeat of Saudi Arabia, and he was recognized as the Budweiser Man of the Match.

Kalinichenko’s service was deadly from set pieces, with his fourth-minute corner kick leading to a goal for Andriy Rusol and his 46th-minute cross from a free-kick finding the head of striker Andriy Shevchenko, who headed home. Kalinichenko then put the exclamation mark on his performance by getting on the receiving end of a pass from Shevchenko and slamming it into the net from close range.

“Kalinichenko contributed so much to the team - he scored one goal and created two more and he did everything well today,” said FIFA Technical Study Group member Teofilo Cubillas. “He inspired the players around him with his tireless work. He won the ball, he passed the ball and he was the playmaker. He was definitely the most important player in their team.”