With both England and Ukraine still capable of qualifying for the knockout round –- Ukraine needs a win, while England needs only the draw -– we’re expecting a decent clash in Donetsk tonight. The impressive triple-tier stadium is, of course, going to be rocking: This is a home game for co-hosts Ukraine. They’ve even lined up a special welcome for the players tonight. Yes, while Benfica has its soaring eagle mascot, which swoops majestically around the Estadio da Luz before every game, and of course U.S. college football is famous for its dogs, bulls, eagles and more, the Donbass Arena will offer… bugs. Lots, and lots, of tiny insects.  As Jonathan Clegg reported in the Journal today, every player will be sprayed with insecticide before the match to ward off the midges. It’s an irritation my colleague Jonathan describes as "a feature of Donetsk in the summertime." Some feature –- one to file up there alongside the threat of more spectacular electrical storms, and the sweltering heat.  While Jonathan braves the venue itself, I’ll be following the live ITV broadcast from London and keeping you up to date, wherever in the world you are. Let us know how you’re marking the big game in the comments.  Two big-game strikers are at the heart of the team news tonight.One is starting: England’s Wayne Rooney takes up his position alongside Danny Welbeck up front in his first game of the tournament after a two-game suspension. Although England have coped without the Manchester United man, hopes will weigh on his shoulders tonight -– he’s undoubtedly the star of this side. Rooney takes the place of Andy Carroll, while James Milder retains his starting position on the right flank, ahead of Theo Walcott, who played a key role when he came on against Sweden.  For Ukraine, it’s bad news: Andrei Shevchenko is ruled out because of a knee injury, the most significant of four changes by Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin for tonight’s must-win game. Shevchenko, who scored that memorable double against Sweden in his country’s opening match, will be sorely missed. Artem Milevskiy comes into the side, while Marco Devich replaces Andriy Voronin up front.  So what should we be looking forward to? Well, seeing England’s Wayne Rooney finally let out the gate will be exciting for many fans. His powerful running, finishing ability, passing sense... frankly, his all-around game should be a huge boost to England. Given where Rooney is likely to play -- as a deeper striker, looking to run from midfield -- we may see an interesting tussle develop with Ukraine and Bayern Munich defensive midfielder Anatoly Tymoshchuk. England will hope Rooney can help them hold on to the ball better. I’ll also be interested to see what problems Ukraine’s wingers, Yevhen Konoplyanka and Andriy Yarmolenko, cause this England side. It’s perhaps instructive that England manager Roy Hodgson has opted on the right for James Milner, a more defensive wide midfielder, perhaps to help out Glen Johnson at right back and nullify some of that threat.  The teams are out, and the national anthems are being sung. Remember: Tonight is reasonably simple. England need at least a draw, while Ukraine needs a win to get through. More complex alternative scenarios are available, and the Journal's spreadsheets are being warmed up just in case, but we’ll come to them only if required.  And after that absurd countdown from 10, we’re playing! England are in all white, while Ukraine line up in their blue and yellow and take the kickoff to an almighty roar from the stands. Even from this distance, it’s clear there’s quite an atmosphere in the Donbass Arena.  Ukraine have the early pressure, and Lescott is forced to clear to touch early on. Yevhen Konoplyanka steps in from the left flank to take a wild swipe at goal, which goes very high and very wide.  The game’s still settling down, with both teams grabbing then squandering possession. Ukraine have seen most of it so far, with England pressing hard to restrict Ukraine to the middle of the park.  We see the first counter attack of the night from England, and it’s Wayne Rooney leading a charge down the left. He’s robustly challenged. We’re seeing some fairly agricultural defending so far, with big old-fashioned clearances from both center backs. Denys Garmash, meanwhile, takes a potshot at the England goal from some distance, which goes over the bar -- but by a smaller margin than many English fans would be happy with.  A real chance for Ukraine there, but it comes to nothing. The ball is slipped through to Yarmolenko, who is on the edge of the English penalty area with his back to goal. Just for a moment, he’s by himself.. but his touch isn’t good enough, and three English defenders race to crowd him out before he can turn and take a shot.  England tries to get a little more of the ball and settle things down. It’s been a decent opening from Ukraine, who’ve looked the better side in the first 10 minutes. England is methodically building things up, with Rooney at the center of things, even if his first touch isn’t quite up to par just yet.  England loses its shape just for a moment, and Ukraine springs forward down the left flank. It’s crossed in low and bounces out to Marco Devic, who gets a shot away as things look dangerous, but Scott Parker gets a block to stop the ball getting near goal.  First corner of the game goes to England. In front of the English fans, Gerrard whips it in, but Pyatov in the Ukranian goal gets a decent punch away. From that, Ukraine breaks up the field at speed, but a pass goes astray and the opportunity is lost.  Confidence has been high here in England over the last few days, with a newfound belief that the side can qualify despite expectations of… well, nothing. But the opening quarter of an hour tonight should be enough to convince most fans that this job isn’t going to be easy. Ukrainians will be daring to hope for the best: Their team is looking by far the brighter so far, even if there hasn’t been a clear chance carved out by either side yet.  Yevhen Konoplyanka dances in from the left wing and fires a shot that’s blocked, as Joe Hart dives in the England goal for a ball that never comes through. Instead, it breaks to Tymoshchuk on the edge of the England penalty area, and his shot goes high. But Ukraine are starting to turn the screw here. They’re finding space on the flanks and in front of England’s defense. We’ve not really seen England as an attacking force yet.  A booming crossfield pass out of defense should be easily dealt with by Ashley Young, who’s in the left back position. But he misses the ball in the air, and Oleh Gusyev gets a chance to shoot -– he misses, but that’s a self-inflicted flutter of the heart there by England. Ukraine is looking good on the ball now, composed and continuing to find space. We’re seeing some trickery from Yarmolenko coming into the mix, too.  That’s better from England: Ukrainian goalkeeper Pyatov fouls up catching a whipped-in cross, and although Rooney can’t take advantage, the ball goes out for a corner. But the co-hosts successfully defend the set piece.  We’re seeing a little more from England now. Two Gerrard set pieces have come to nothing, but they’ll be relieved to see the ball in their attacking half. England is also pressing very high and starting to force Ukraine to make some mistakes and give the ball away. Right there: a terrific John Terry pass out of defense finds Ashley Young on the left wing. He steps inside and floats over a lovely cross for Rooney, rising unchallenged at the back post. And... he heads wide. That was the best chance of the game so far.  And there’s Ukraine’s best chance, as their neat passing fashions a chance right through the middle of the English back line. Yarmolenko shoots from an angle, but Joe Hart gets down to make a comfortable save.  Ashley Young is starting to enjoy himself on that English left flank, finding some space for his trickery. Just there he cuts inside again but attempts to curl one at goal rather than cross. It’s deflected out for a corner. From that set piece, John Terry can’t quite jump high enough to keep his headed attempt on goal down. But that, too, was a decent chance for the English.  England may have just enjoyed one of the most prolonged periods of possession they’ve had all tournament, with a series of passes ending with Ashley Young bursting into the penalty area down the left channel and pulling a low ball back to the edge of the six-yard box. But it’s well-defended, and despite Rooney rushing in, Ukraine gets the ball away. England will be pleased that, after a slow start, they’re able to find some composure on the ball.  The pace of the game is picking up again after a slower spell when both sides looked keen to take a brief breather. Rooney races down the left, in the style we’ve seen so often with Manchester United, and scoops a cross into the box, but Ukraine are able to clear. Scott Parker picks up the loose ball and shoots from very long range, but his effort goes wide.  Ah, brilliant play from Yarmolenko, who takes the ball on the right and twists and turns his way past Scott Parker and Ashley Cole into the box. England scrambles out for a corner, which comes to nothing. But the Dynamo Kiev man is proving himself a potent, tricky threat down that flank. You understand why he’s been linked with a host of bigger clubs, including Italy’s AC Milan.  Referee Viktor Kassai whistles for halftime. It’s to his credit, and the players’, that we’ve hardly noticed him so far. This was an entertaining 45 minutes of soccer, open and with plenty of action down the flanks. We’ll dig out the possession statistics shortly, but I’d bet Ukraine have had the bulk of the ball. Yet the best chance fell to England –- to Wayne Rooney, of all people -– and he failed to take advantage. I’d suspect both coaches will want to tighten things up in the second half, although with Ukraine needing a win, neither manager will want to sit back.  We haven’t had goal in either of tonight’s games, so as things stand, France and England will qualify for the next round. But just one goal could change things, so nobody will rest easy. Here in England, TV is replaying –- again and again -– that Rooney chance, where Ashley Young put it on his Manchester United teammate’s head. He really should have scored.  Those stats, promised earlier: According to Opta and zeebox.com, Ukraine dominated with 53.5% of possession. They’ve played well tonight, and I wouldn’t bet against them scoring in the second half. The next 45 minutes will be an anxious one, for both nations.  England gets things underway again. As they do, Ukraine will feel they can get a result tonight. Roy Hodgson may have the trickier tactical question to answer: Bring on more attacking verve in the shape of Theo Walcott and risk leaving even more space on the flanks, which this opposition has shown it can exploit? Or keep things as is and hope the industrious two-banks-of-four can sustain England for another 45 minutes? We shall see…  Goal! Milner makes progress down the right and wins a corner. Gerrard takes, but Tymoshchuk clears powerfully. England quickly gets the ball back wide to Gerrard, who whips in a low ball that takes a deflection and bobbles past Andriy Pyatov. As he flaps, Wayne Rooney pops up at the back post to score. It’s no classic, but it puts England top of the table for now.  Replays show two things from the goal. First, that Steven Gerrard did immensely well to wriggle free on the right flank and whip in a dangerous ball that took a couple of deflections on its way across the face of goal. Second, that despite those deflections Pyatov should really have done better in the Ukranian goal. It’s a scene he’ll be replaying in his mind for some time to come, you suspect. Rooney had a simple task to head in from around, oh, two inches out. He’ll not score an easier header –- and after his earlier miss, that was the kind of chance he needed.  Ukraine has a good spell of pressure in response to the goal, but suddenly England clears and Rooney, on the halfway line, has a clear run on goal. But he lacks the pace to get away from Yarmolenko, who does incredibly well to catch up with the England man and slow him up. There are suggestions he maybe had a tug of Rooney’s strip to slow his man down, but the referee saw nothing. It was a good piece of defending, if you like your dark arts, but Rooney will be disappointed not to at least get a shot away.  Good play from England, with Rooney at the heart of the move. Ashley Young whips in another tempting cross, but it’s just over the head of Rooney as he rushes in, looking to finish a move he started.  Ukraine wins a corner, which they take short. The ball’s whipped into the near post, where Artem Milevsky nips in front of Scott Parker and heads the ball over the top. That was a gilt-edged, gift-wrapped gem of a chance –- even more straightforward than Rooney’s miss in the first half -– and Milevsky will be bitterly disappointed to miss.  It’s all kicking off now –- Ukraine attack at pace again and John Terry has to perform a spectacular, overhead goal-line clearance to stop Devic's shot. But replays show the ball was, in fact, clearly over the line, and Ukraine should have tied this match. Instead, England counter-attack, and Anatoly Tymoshchuk has to perform a pretty rudimentary, cynical challenge on Scott Parker to stop the England man. England can make nothing of the free kick.  That was yet another episode where goal-line technology would have made a huge, vital difference in a major game. Despite Terry’s impressively acrobatic attempt to clear, replays show he was clearly too late. With an official on the goal line, as we have at this tournament, the referee really should have been able to make the correct decision. As things stand, Ukraine continues to search for an equalizer. It would be a shame if the co-host were to go out on a disputed decision that went, unjustly, against them.  Pyatov makes some amends for the earlier mistake that led to England’s goal. He flaps at a cross, and the ball falls to the feet of Ashley Cole. He fires in a decent shot between near post and goalkeeper, but the Ukrainian keeper gets a firm hand to push the ball away.  Two interesting plays by the coaches. First, England’s Walcott is coming on for James Milner. It doesn’t look like Roy Hodgson is settling for 1-0. Walcott will add new pace to England’s attack -- remember the significant impact he had against Sweden. Right after, Shevchenko comes on for Devic, for Ukraine. His knee is obviously not so bad that he can’t play at all. Let’s see if those moves add a new dimension to this match.  Ukraine continues to press this England defense, and Ashley Cole makes a good tackle to put the ball out for a corner. Rakitsky takes it, but it floats harmlessly over everyone’s head.  Gerrard is given a yellow card for sticking an elbow in the back of a Ukrainian head.  Superb defending from Joleon Lescott, who follows in a powerful shot from Yevhen Konoplyanka that Hart can only parry out in front of him. With Artem Milevsky giving him a good shove, Lescott is able to make the ball first and clear. Play moves to the other end, where Pyatov saves a Rooney header after another English corner.  Milevsky comes off for Butko, while Garmash is replaced by Nazarenko, as Ukraine reshuffle to give themselves some more options up front.  ITV commentary notes that Theo Walcott has hardly had a touch yet. I’d forgotten he was on. Ukraine is making most of the running. Still, when England attacks, a tiring Wayne Rooney still always seems to be at the center of things. Right there: sub Nazarenko has a pop at goal, but it goes high from a distance.  Substitution: Andy Carroll comes on for Danny Welbeck. At least Welbeck is walking off slowly -– it gives me time to catch up with the game and tell you what’s happening. It’s a helter-skelter match, this, with action at both ends, and at a great pace. It’s very entertaining stuff.  A clearly tiring Wayne Rooney gives the ball away –- he’s done that a few times tonight, although his importance to England has been underscored both by the goal and his general ability to orchestrate attacking moves. Ukraine stays on the attack, and Terry has to look lively to tackle Shevchenko after a Nazarenko corner. Then the talismanic Ukranian forward has another half-chance snuffed out by Rooney after Nazarenko has a go at the set piece.  Shevchenko gets a yellow card for a scything challenge on Ashley Young. Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney comes off for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.  As things stand, with France also down to Sweden, Ukraine is heading out of their own tournament, while England will top the Group D table and will play Italy in the quarterfinals. Can Ukraine get a goal and shake things up in the dying minutes?  England’s utter inability to keep the ball is highlighted there: England moves forward with the option to hang on to the ball and relieve some pressure with only minutes left on the clock. Ashley Young receives the ball on the left flank, with support up the park, but moves forward as to attack. His teammates look on, but nobody offers the safe, conservative pass. So Young just shoves a ball up the line to nobody in particular, and as he waves his arms in frustration, Ukraine gets the ball back.  The Donbass Arena is a quieter place now, with only a pocket of England fans making the noise. "We’re not going home, We’re not going home, we’re not going, we’re not going, we’re not going home!" they sing. And with the referee blowing for full time, it’s true: England progresses to the next round, while Ukraine have to face the heartbreak of going out at the group stage of a tournament they’re hosting.  What an entertaining clash that was. Ukraine will feel sore: They had the majority of possession and looked more comfortable on the ball. Indeed, they managed to score a goal that wasn’t given. But that’s exactly how France and Sweden felt after playing this resilient England side: How could we enjoy so much of the ball, so much of the play, and still end up not winning? Even losing? That will only heighten the disappointment at having to bow out this tournament at the group stage, especially after the euphoria of its bright start, and the glorious last hurrah of Shevchenko.  For England, this is another vindication of the appointment of Roy Hodgson and his decisions since. This is a deeply pragmatic England side, fashioned by a pragmatic manager practiced at getting the most out of his teams. England has a system it sticks to and enough flair to get by. John Terry and Steven Gerrard had effective games in white, again, while Rooney had a game of limited success by his standards but still scored and showed enough to suggest he’ll be an asset in the quarterfinals.  England will be delighted to win the group and avoid Spain, thus thoroughly exceeding expectations when they left for the tournament. They now face Italy –- and on this form, they will like their chances.
Wayne Rooney returned from a suspension to score the game-winning goal for England, which beat Ukraine 1-0 and advanced to the knockout round of Euro 2012.