Thousands of miles from Ukraine,
on the East Coast of the United States,
two distinctly Ukrainian soccer clubs
are flying the flag for the Eastern
European nation, showing solidarity
and raising awareness through football.
Like many lower league clubs in the
area, the Ukrainian Nationals and the
New York Ukrainians were formed
by immigrant communities in their
respective cities, and retain to this
day the identity evident in their
clubs’ names.
In Philadelphia, the identity of
the Ukrainian Nationals Soccer Club
is one of a wide range of cultures
in the diverse Pennsylvanian city.
The Nationals themselves are part
UNITED STATESUkrainian solidarity
alive and well on
America’s East Coast
James Naltonreports
eye
witness
of a larger Ukrainian sports club
and group of institutions that retain
the language and emblems of their
country of origin. Some of this has
rubbed off on others, and has in turn
helped raise awareness of the current
plight of people in Ukraine.
“Our cooperation is part of a
broader community,” says Eugene
Luciw, an executive on the board of
directors at the Ukrainian American
Sport Center – Tryzub, of which the
Nationals are part. “We ourselves
are not by any means exclusively
Ukrainian players. I would say that
maybe15 to 20 per cent of our
players are of Ukrainian heritage.
“Our effort to open up to theCulture clubs...players of New York Ukrainians and FCJapan pose ahead of a match