Ukraine were already ahead 3-0 within the first 10 minutes thanks to a double strike by Ivan Shkvarlo in the first and seventh minutes, followed by a third by Vitaliy Trushev in the 10th minute.

After the initial Ukrainian onslaught, the USA composed themselves and raised their game, buoyed on by the wonderful support of the crowds, only to see their hopes cruelly dashed when Ukraine’s Anatolii Shevchyk broke away in the 16-minute for a fourth goal.

USA were frustratingly and repeatedly denied a goal - first by the woodwork on the Ukraine goalpost after 20 minutes and again in the 26th minute when USA's Rene Renteria, was forced wide by Ukraine’s defence to over-shoot the open goal.

Just as the USA were growing in confidence and getting back into the game, Shevchyk struck again in the 30th minute to make it 5-0, a few seconds before the whistle was blown to signal half-time. Shevchyk’s strike was a historic one as it was the 500th goal to be scored in Paralympic Games 7-a-side Football.

The second half started in very much the same vein, with Ukraine asserting their authority on the game with some fancy footwork and a further goal two minutes after the restart from Taras Dutko and then a goal from Shevchyk after 39 minutes secured his hat-trick to put Ukraine 7-0 ahead.

Another two goals followed in quick succession from Shkvarlo, for another individual Ukrainian hat-trick, and a fourth goal from Shevchyka on 48 minutes put Ukraine ahead 9-0.

In Pool A, the Russians eased past Argentina 8-0 in their opener thanks to two goals each for Aleksander Kuligin, Lasha Murvanadze and Andrei Kuvaev. Russia were beaten by Ukraine in extra-time in the Beijing 2008 final, and are looking to move up the podium at London 2012.

Russian Kuligin said: 'I can't say whether we will win the gold medal, but I can promise that every game we will perform to the best of our ability and we will feel comfortable at every game. Our strong point is attack and that is what we will do.'

Things do not get any easier for Argentina as their next game is against Iran, who saw off the Netherlands 4-1 in their first game.

Iran dominated the match and led 3-0 thanks to goals from Farzad Mehri, Moslem Akbari and Abdolreza Karimizadeh, before Dennis Straatman made up for missing an earlier penalty by smashing home into the top corner to pull one back for the Dutch.

But Iran clinched the points in stoppage time when Bahman Ansari finished off a flowing counter-attack.