World Soccer - UK (2022-06)

UNITED STATES

you can quickly become de-branded
if your success level goes down.
“When we might sag, which happily
hasn’t happened in a while in terms
of success level, we have the heritage
to hang on to and it’s almost as if you
don’t feel that little bump in the road.
Even a non-Ukrainian can say: ‘This is
a Ukrainian club, this is where I belong,’
but others belong here because we’re
part of a heritage. I don’t have to brand
myself and recreate myself in a
commercial way.”
There is a sense that though they
have a distinctly Ukrainian identity, the
Nationals are an international family.
Americans, Irish, German or other
heritage who have passed through
the club will still refer to it as their
Ukrainian family.
There is a similar social aspect to the
New York Ukrainians whose doors are
open to all in the City’s five boroughs
and beyond.
“People come and see the players,
they talk to them, they come to the
club and they say: ‘Wow, this is a
history’,” explains Iurii Vovk. “Here
you can get a beer after the game
and hang out with your colleagues
and talk about soccer. They feel this
is not just a regular team where you
come just to stay fit or just to play
tthheeggaammeess. TThhiissiisswwhheerrreeiittggiivveess
you a little extra, this is like a
family, a team that’s unnited.”

• ,
  New York club also havve an Open
  Cu win to their name, in1965 (a
  yea bef a
  fou th), n
  Lea ue itl s n aan.

NY Ukrainians still compete in

New York’s Cosmopolitan League,

while the Philadelphia Ukrainian

Nationals will participate in the

National Premier Soccer League’s

(NPSL) Keystone Conference for

2022 as they look to return to

winning ways in senior football.

When describing what keeps

the Ukrainian Nationals going

and what compels those involved

in such organisations to run them

so passionately, Eugene Luciw

explains that it is all rooted in

past and current events which have

threatened the very existence of

Ukrainian identity and culture.

“What drives this in our community?

Too many people have tried to get us

to stop,” he says. “If people have tried

to obliterate you and wipe you off the

map, you can at least have a dedication

ttoopprreesseerrvviinnggtthhaattccuullttuurreehheerree.

That’s whatt I think drove

people to have a club like this.

mission. It’s an obligation. You

can’t not do it. Because of thee

f , ’

.

nepas,weweree

ambassadors of Ukraine. When

Ukraine had no embassy, clubs like

ours, cultural centres like ours, we

were the ambassadors of Ukraine,

we kept that concept going.”

These two clubs, formed

independently of each other in

the middle of the last century and

existing thousands of miles from

Ukraine, are helping the country’s

people as best they can.

Theyarewellpositioned todoso

thanks to a heritage that goes back

to the1950s and thanks to the way

football can

raise awareness

through the

meetings of

team-mates,

fans, staff and

the equivalent

on opposing

teams each

week.

They have

had a spotlight shone on them in

undesirable circumstances, but from

their visual identity as soccer teams

to the related work those involved

with the clubs do from day to day,

and because of it, they have been

key responders in football’s

international effort.

“What drives this in our community? Too many

people have tried to get us to stop. If people

have tried to obliterate you and wipe you off

the map, you can at least have a dedication

to preserving that culture”

Eugene Luciw, Ukrainian American Sport Center – Tryzub

US champions...a

poster advertising

Manchester United’s

tour match against

Philadelphia Ukrainian

Nationals inJune1960

Ope Cup Pildel ia U riia r i l