That, however, sounds easier than it is.
Andriy Pyatov made some impressive saves in the European Championship co-host's Group D matches against Sweden and France, and was blameless for the three goals conceded.
"If it weren't for Pyatov, whose play was the only bright spot in our team, Ukraine could have been routed,'' Kiev newspaper Expres said after Friday's 2-0 defeat to France.
That result left Ukraine with a must-win game against England, which rallied to beat Sweden 3-2. England's morale will be further boosted by the prospect of Rooney's first appearance after sitting out a two-match suspension.
Pyatov wasn't even No. 1 at his club Shakhtar Donetsk just months ago. But Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin still favored him after three 'keepers were ruled out of Euro 2012 because of injury and suspension.
The 27-year-old Pyatov is used to having to fight for his place.
In 2007, he became the regular reserve with the national team for veteran goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkovskiy, who has 92 caps.
Pyatov was part of the squad that reached the quarterfinals at the 2006 World Cup, but didn't play.
At club level, Pyatov joined Shakhtar that same year but faced - and won - a long battle for the No. 1 spot with Rustam Khudzhamov.
Pyatov helped Shakhtar win the UEFA Cup in 2009 but spent much of last season in the shadow of newcomer Oleksandr Rybka, who also overtook Pyatov in the national team's hierarchy.
But in January, Rybka was banned for two years from world football following a doping offense, putting Pyatov back in the limelight. He helped Shakhtar win the national championship for a third straight year in April.
When Shovkovskiy was ruled out from Euro 2012 because of shoulder surgery, and his expected replacement Andriy Dykan from Spartak Moscow did not recover in time from a facial injury, Pyatov suddenly became Ukraine's No. 1 'keeper.
The absence of the top three keepers seemed to further weaken Ukraine's already-shaky defense. In the past 12 months, Ukraine conceded 23 goals in 12 friendly games.
However, Blokhin hasn't had to regret his choice so far.
"It's hard to single out a player who did well on the pitch because we lost 2-0,'' the coach said after the France game. "But he played well. He did what he could and I am fully satisfied with his work.''
Pyatov wasn't really tested in the first half of his team's 2-1 win over Sweden, though he was saved by the far post after being wrongfooted by a header from Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
In the second half, he was left with no chance when Ibrahimovic scored the opening goal, but denied the Swedes an equalizer with several convincing saves in the last 20 minutes.
In the 2-0 defeat by France, Pyatov's performance gave Ukraine's much-criticized defense stability - but only for the first half.
He stopped a curling 20-meter effort by Gael Clichy, dived to save a shot from close range by the unmarked Jeremy Menez, and reacted quickly to push Philippe Mexes' header out of the top corner.
Though he conceded goals to Menez and Cabaye early in the second half, and later was placed well to prevent both Karim Benzema and Samir Nasri from scoring with two low shots.
After the France game, Blokhin said he hoped "that the players understand that the Euros aren't the same level as the domestic league. You need to play every game at a high level, not just one game.''
So far, Pyatov has shown he's got the message.
KRAKOW, Poland.- Wayne Rooney is ready to play at the European Championship after being sidelined with a two-match suspension.
The striker returns Tuesday against Ukraine, hoping to steer England into the quarterfinals.
The Manchester United player missed the draw against France and victory over Sweden in Group D. Rooney was banned for kicking Montenegro defender Miodrag Dzudovic in England's last qualifier in October.
Coach Roy Hodgson will make a change to the team that beat Sweden 3-2 on Friday, dropping either goal scorer Danny Welbeck or Andy Carroll.
"Rooney is a special player and it would be very difficult for me quite frankly to leave him out of the team," Hodgson said. "I'm afraid that if you're a member of a team that has someone like Wayne Rooney sitting out with suspension, you probably expect him to get back in the team when the suspension is served."
And the coach quipped: "If I did leave him out, all hell might break loose in the dressing room."
Even Welbeck seemed to accept sitting in favor of his more experienced Manchester United teammate.
"Make no mistake, the whole team is happy that Wazza will be available to play again," he said. "We all want to play, but it's only going to benefit us to have a player of his proven quality as part of the plans going forward in this tournament."
England could be relying on Rooney's freshness and firepower in front of goal to compensate for any repeat of the defensive lapses that nearly handed Sweden the win Friday in Kiev.
"Hopefully, the addition of a player of Rooney's class will take some pressure of the defenders because he can change a game off his own bat," Hodgson said.
But is Rooney's return being built up too much in the England camp?
The 26-year-old forward hasn't scored at a major tournament since Euro 2004 - when he hit four goals as an 18-year-old. He failed to find the net at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.
Rooney has only scored three goals for his country since a poor tournament in South Africa.
Hodgson remains adamant that Rooney can be England's "real ace in the hole" having played less than 40 minutes of soccer since United's last match of the season a month ago - in a Euro 2012 warmup against Belgium.
"He is very fit and he's raring to go," Hodgson said.
The danger is if Rooney is too desperate to make an impact. Then the hot-headed side of his character may emerge in the steaming temperatures of Donetsk.
"He'll want to make up for time he's missed and make it up to all the lads," said winger Theo Walcott, who scored one and set up another against Sweden. "He is such a world-class player."
ITALY FATE REST ON CROATIA AND SPAIN
POZNAN, Poland (AP) -Eight years ago, Antonio Cassano wept inconsolably as Italy exited the European Championship without losing a match.
The striker knows the same nightmare situation could arise at Euro 2012.
By surrendering the lead in a 1-1 draw with Croatia on Thursday, Italy is third on two points in Group C with one match remaining and no longer has its destiny in its own hands.
If Spain and Croatia - who both have four points - draw with a score of 2-2 or higher on Monday, Italy will be eliminated even if the team beats Ireland in the final round of group matches.
The scenario is similar to 2004 - the Azzurri beat Bulgaria in their third group match but was eliminated after Sweden and Denmark drew 2-2.
"There are going to be two teams of different levels facing each other and Spain, which is the favorite, has players with a pedigree that won't allow them to be unsportsmanlike,'' said Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who had the job of consoling Cassano that night in Guimaraes after his teammate's injury-time winner.
Italy was coached by Giovanni Trapattoni in 2004 and, as fate would have it, he is now in charge of an already-eliminated Ireland team that is looking to salvage some pride in its last game after two straight losses.
The Italians are not without hope.
If they win and the other match doesn't end in a draw, they will advance as the second-place team in the group. Or if Italy wins and Spain-Croatia finishes 0-0, the Azzurri will win the group.
Alternatively, if Italy wins and Spain-Croatia finishes 1-1, the Azzurri will advance if they beat Ireland by at least three goals or by scores of 3-1 or 4-2 - based on a better UEFA ranking.
Italy could have avoided these last-match calculations, however, if it hadn't sat back after going in front against Croatia thanks to Andrea Pirlo's free kick at the end of the first half.
After having six shots on goal in the first half, they had only one in the second.
"The first half was how we should always play, and the second was how we should never play,'' midfielder Claudio Marchisio said. "We've got to figure out what happened. Our strikers weren't able to press forward anymore.''
That wasn't the fault of Mario Balotelli or Cassano, Marchisio said.
"We're all at fault, and the same goes for the match against Spain,'' he added, in reference to the 1-1 draw in Italy's opening game. "This isn't a tournament where you can draw, you've got to close out matches here and win them.''
Marchisio disagreed with the analysis of coach Cesare Prandelli, who cited a drop in energy and fitness after an hour.
"I don't think so. I think we let up mentally,'' Marchisio said.
The striker knows the same nightmare situation could arise at Euro 2012.
By surrendering the lead in a 1-1 draw with Croatia on Thursday, Italy is third on two points in Group C with one match remaining and no longer has its destiny in its own hands.
If Spain and Croatia - who both have four points - draw with a score of 2-2 or higher on Monday, Italy will be eliminated even if the team beats Ireland in the final round of group matches.
The scenario is similar to 2004 - the Azzurri beat Bulgaria in their third group match but was eliminated after Sweden and Denmark drew 2-2.
"There are going to be two teams of different levels facing each other and Spain, which is the favorite, has players with a pedigree that won't allow them to be unsportsmanlike,'' said Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who had the job of consoling Cassano that night in Guimaraes after his teammate's injury-time winner.
Italy was coached by Giovanni Trapattoni in 2004 and, as fate would have it, he is now in charge of an already-eliminated Ireland team that is looking to salvage some pride in its last game after two straight losses.
The Italians are not without hope.
If they win and the other match doesn't end in a draw, they will advance as the second-place team in the group. Or if Italy wins and Spain-Croatia finishes 0-0, the Azzurri will win the group.
Alternatively, if Italy wins and Spain-Croatia finishes 1-1, the Azzurri will advance if they beat Ireland by at least three goals or by scores of 3-1 or 4-2 - based on a better UEFA ranking.
Italy could have avoided these last-match calculations, however, if it hadn't sat back after going in front against Croatia thanks to Andrea Pirlo's free kick at the end of the first half.
After having six shots on goal in the first half, they had only one in the second.
"The first half was how we should always play, and the second was how we should never play,'' midfielder Claudio Marchisio said. "We've got to figure out what happened. Our strikers weren't able to press forward anymore.''
That wasn't the fault of Mario Balotelli or Cassano, Marchisio said.
"We're all at fault, and the same goes for the match against Spain,'' he added, in reference to the 1-1 draw in Italy's opening game. "This isn't a tournament where you can draw, you've got to close out matches here and win them.''
Marchisio disagreed with the analysis of coach Cesare Prandelli, who cited a drop in energy and fitness after an hour.
"I don't think so. I think we let up mentally,'' Marchisio said.
Tie-breaking procedures
• If two or more nations are level on points in the group the country with the highest number points in games involving those teams finishes highest.
• If nations are still level they are separated by goal difference, and then goals scored, in games involving the teams.
• If teams still cannot be split, then overall goal group difference is used
KNOCKOUT STAGE
Quarterfinals• June 21 -- Czech Republic (Group A winner) vs. Group B runner-up
• June 22 -- Group B winner vs. Greece (Group A runner-up)
• June 23 -- Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up
• June 24 -- Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up
Semifinals• June 27 -- Winners from quarterfinals 1 and 2
• June 28 -- Winners from quarterfinals 3 and 4
Finals• July 1 -- Semifinal winners
• If two or more nations are level on points in the group the country with the highest number points in games involving those teams finishes highest.
• If nations are still level they are separated by goal difference, and then goals scored, in games involving the teams.
• If teams still cannot be split, then overall goal group difference is used
KNOCKOUT STAGE
Quarterfinals• June 21 -- Czech Republic (Group A winner) vs. Group B runner-up
• June 22 -- Group B winner vs. Greece (Group A runner-up)
• June 23 -- Group C winner vs. Group D runner-up
• June 24 -- Group D winner vs. Group C runner-up
Semifinals• June 27 -- Winners from quarterfinals 1 and 2
• June 28 -- Winners from quarterfinals 3 and 4
Finals• July 1 -- Semifinal winners
Three thoughts after Greece's 1-0 win over Russia ...
1. Karma defeats luck -- Greece has been desperately unlucky in this Euro. Against Poland, Sokratis Papasthatopoulos was sent off after two highly dubious yellow cards. Avraam Papadopoulos suffered a serious first-half injury. Against Russia, Giorgos Tzavellas was denied by the woodwork, while Giorgos Karagounis was denied what looked like a cast-iron penalty by the referee. Yet, despite all this, Greece is in the quarterfinals. It's not scientific proof that mistakes even themselves out, because they don't. But for a country that's suffering so much right now off the pitch and has endured rotten luck on it, unless you happen to be Polish or Russian, you can't help but be pleased.
2. Chickens come home to roost for Russia -- Russia could and should have wrapped up all three points against Poland, but flagged badly toward the end of the match and seemingly settled for the draw. And, against Greece, they knew a draw would be enough, which may explain why it took a while to get going. When you're the most talented team in the group, that simply can't happen. Or, rather, if you're going to play for the draw, you need to know how to do it and be prepared to do it tactically. And Russia wasn't.
3. Tempting as it may be, this isn't 2004 -- This is not to say that Greece can't go on to win the Euros, just as it did eight years ago. Yes, it's camel-through-the-eye-of-a-needle stuff, but then it happened once before, so you can't rule it out. Rather, the point is that there are only two things Fernando Santos' team has in common with his predecessor, Otto Rehhagel. One is the veteran Karagouins. The other is the gritty never-say-die, seat-of-the-pants intensity which seemingly keeps the team in every game. But there are many more things which are different, starting with the fact that, rather than shutting up shop and waiting for a set piece or a counterattack, this Greek team goes out to play.
1. Karma defeats luck -- Greece has been desperately unlucky in this Euro. Against Poland, Sokratis Papasthatopoulos was sent off after two highly dubious yellow cards. Avraam Papadopoulos suffered a serious first-half injury. Against Russia, Giorgos Tzavellas was denied by the woodwork, while Giorgos Karagounis was denied what looked like a cast-iron penalty by the referee. Yet, despite all this, Greece is in the quarterfinals. It's not scientific proof that mistakes even themselves out, because they don't. But for a country that's suffering so much right now off the pitch and has endured rotten luck on it, unless you happen to be Polish or Russian, you can't help but be pleased.
2. Chickens come home to roost for Russia -- Russia could and should have wrapped up all three points against Poland, but flagged badly toward the end of the match and seemingly settled for the draw. And, against Greece, they knew a draw would be enough, which may explain why it took a while to get going. When you're the most talented team in the group, that simply can't happen. Or, rather, if you're going to play for the draw, you need to know how to do it and be prepared to do it tactically. And Russia wasn't.
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