Last week, the national media paid a lot of attention to football. And not just because of the first two games of the Ukrainian national team under the new head coach.
Photo: gettyimages.comHowever, the headliner of the last few days has undoubtedly been the national team, which on Monday drew a bright sparring match with the Germans (3-3) and on Friday scored a strong-willed victory in North Macedonia (3-2) - this time as part of the qualifiers for EURO 2024.
Fans were looking forward to the June session with particular anticipation, as Serhii Rebrov, who has not worked in his home country for the past six years, was to make his debut in charge of the Blue and Yellows.
The new manager had little time to prepare, and the match against Bundestim, which was playing its 1000th match in its history, was to become the main source of information on the eve of the official exams.
Reflecting on Rebrov's situation, columnist Artem Zholkovsky suggested that the 49-year-old is not facing a "do or die" dilemma at the moment. This means that he can work in relative peace.
"It's probably good that Rebrov and his staff, as I understand it, do not have an imperative task to reach the Euros. They can work calmly without being overly nervous. Not like, for example, Oleksandr Petrakov was worried that he had no face on him either before, during or after matches. This nervousness, by the way, was clearly transmitted to the players" (Dynamo.kiev.ua, 12.06.23).
But Rebrov, speaking to journalists, of course, stressed that his players not only want to make it to the continental top flight, but also believe that they can do it.
"We all believe that we can qualify for EURO 2024. We have a very tough group. It is very important to concentrate on each match, try to get points in each game, move step by step" (Uaf.ua, 11.06.23), - said Rebrov on the eve of the meeting in Bremen.
GERMANY. THE FIRST PANCAKE IS NOT A BAD ONE...
And after the game, many people remembered another friendly against the Germans - in November 2011 - with good reason. After all, everything turned out the same as then: one of the teams was preparing for the home EURO (12 years ago - we, now - they), the match again ended in a 3-3 draw, and the Bundestim managed to win back, losing 1:3.
Three goals scored and three goals conceded is an excellent basis for analysis, both positive and negative. But still, to some extent, the unexpected peaceful outcome in the confrontation with one of the world's strongest teams set the media on a positive wave. And this is natural.
The main tactical know-how offered by Rebrov to the opposition was the use of three nominal wingers - Mudryk, Yarmolenko and Tsygankov - in the main line-up, in a 4-4-2 formation.
"It must have been extremely difficult for Rebrov to choose between the latter two, because the coach spent a whole year working side by side with Yarmolenko in the UAE, and Tsygankov literally blossomed with new colours after his January transfer from Dynamo to Girona, and leaving him out of the team would have been a crime" (Sport.ua, 12.06.23), Oleksiy Slyvchenko noted.
"Is the position of second forward under the striker familiar to Tsygankov? One hundred per cent. We must pay tribute to Rebrov and his staff. They knew which of the players was the hottest, the most fit and in good shape, and the leader of his team.
Perhaps, if Tsygankov had been closed on the flank, we would not have seen what we saw. Therefore, we must say that the coaching staff made the best use of flexibility and intelligence," the usually rather sceptical blogger Mykhailo Smolovyi does not hide his satisfaction.
Indeed, it was the 25-year-old midfielder who became the hero of the match, scoring a double and taking part in another effective combination. Tsygankov received a high score of 8.1 from the reputable SofaScore resource. In 71 minutes on the pitch, he converted both of his shots into goals and made 10 accurate passes out of 12.
The captain of our team also deserved compliments from journalists:
"Ukraine held off Germany quite confidently. In this work, I would especially like to mention Yarmolenko - at the age of 33, the captain did a tremendous amount of work in defence. Most importantly, he did not forget to go on the attack" (Football24.ua, 12.06.23).
In addition to the two former Dynamo players, the current White and Blues defender Oleksandr Tymchyk also managed to stand out, with two assists.
"Tymchyk coped with his role perfectly. 53 touches to the ball, 83 per cent passing accuracy, in addition to the classic flank shots, there were two more long passes. And just as importantly, he did a great job in defence. Tymchyk took the ball out eight times in critical situations, blocked two shots, and won one aerial combat. Three times, the wing-back fought not for the ball, but for the position before receiving the ball. This also shows his mobility and aggressiveness" (Ua-football.com, 13.06.23).
Almost all of the authors of the match reports admitted that the national team looked much more confident than in the March match against the English at Wembley.
"The national team should be more aggressive compared to the last match against England" - these were Rebrov's words at his debut press conference. And now Rotan has a clear example of what his successor meant. "4-5 players in the press - boldly!" (Ua.tribuna.com, 12.06.23), - Dmytro Vatras shares his observations.
Commentator Ihor Boyko agrees with his colleague:
"The Ukrainian national team was really a team. The contrast with the March match is incredible. The main difference between Rotan's and Rebrov's teams is that the latter chose a plan that was supposed to work. It was simpler, clearer and, obviously, more understandable to the players, although there were plenty of unusual decisions" (Dynamo.kiev.ua, 13.06.23).
For his part, Oleksandr Sazhko admits that what he saw in Bremen was a pleasant surprise.
"It's all about consistency and the positive calm and attitude that has appeared in the national team after two years of disappointment and constant turbulence. This can be traced back to the moment Rebrov joined the national team.
From the choice of the application for the game to the decisions on the starting line-up for a particular match, he was unexpected, but had a specific logic that everyone can understand: to put the strongest on the field, to use Tsygankov's speed and ability to move, to preserve Yarmolenko's leadership qualities (did you see how he started the team before the match?) and at the same time to hope for Mudryk's runs.
We could well have lost to Germany. But we saw the logic in the decisions against an opponent whose capabilities are obviously much higher. Finally, we have a coach who understands what he is doing and can be clear and consistent" (Ua.tribuna.com, 12.06.23).
Artur Valerko reacted to the game in a more restrained manner, reminding that the Blue and Yellows have to solve real problems not in friendly matches, but in official ones.
"What the national team showed was a sketch of a match against an opponent of the 'strong opponent with a superior attacking group over the defence' conventional model. It will be possible to try to play like this against the English at home, but in the upcoming matches with the Maltese and Macedonians, this experience will not be useful to us. Everything will be different - from basic things like ball possession to small nuances like personal confrontations in different parts of the field.
Rebrov has an endless string of individual finals ahead of him - it's trite, but it's true -. To be able to make a certain manoeuvre, you need to take everything yourself and wait for your competitors to misfire. In the next matches, the team will be significantly, tangibly different, and this is normal. We will not need to collect compliments from observers and amateur football analysts, but points. We will have to overcome rather massive redoubts and simplified, and even more complex football, rather than exchange pleasantries with feints, crosses and outplaying" (Ukrfootball.ua, 12.06.23).
MACEDONIA. A SWING WITH A HAPPY ENDING
In four days, Valerko's predictions came true. The game in Skopje was nothing like the Bremen extravaganza. And while our team scored twice in Germany before the break, they completely failed in the first half of the meeting with the Macedonians.
"What the initial plan and tactics for the game were remains a mystery, as the first half was completely lost. The Ukrainians were slow in attack, the passing game did not work at all, and they lost the martial arts. Instead of playing the game, Ukraine spent almost the entire half on the defensive. At the same time, our counterattacks failed..." (Sport.ua, 17.06.23).
Smolovyi tried to put everything on the shelves, explaining the essence of the unsuccessful actions of our team:
"The problem, in my opinion, arose with the balance and distribution of roles due to the lack of compactness, a lot of pick-ups and quick returns to the hosts, too many balls won without resistance. The main problem after the first goal was fear, with 7-8 players sitting in their own half in fear, so the players in front were outnumbered by the defence. The draws disappeared, 7-8 'bodies' were left idle, and the 'longballs' were eaten either immediately or with heels."
The statistics of the first half spoke for themselves: the hosts were significantly ahead in shots (11:2), shots on target (4:0) and corners (5:0). And 2-0 on the scoreboard in favour of the opponents looked like a verdict for us.
According to Valerii Vasylenko, the good result of the sparring match with Bundestim lulled the vigilance of the Blue and Yellows and prevented them from properly preparing for the fight with the Macedonians.
"It seemed to me that after a productive draw with the Germans themselves, some of our players began to feel 'dizzy with success'. They said that even if we had almost chased the Bundestim behind Bremen, we would definitely put the Macedonians under the gun. Yeah, right away. They turned out to be a tough bunch. And they are very well skilled - both tactically and technically" (Sport.ua, 17.06.23).
At the same time, the journalist notes our team's coach, who still managed to rectify the situation.
"It must also be said that Rebrov found not only the right words, not only managed to "press" on the pain points of his wards in time, but also made timely adjustments to the match that was going badly. Yes, he partially admitted that he had made a mistake with the starting line-up, but he quickly corrected himself" (Sport.ua, 17.06.23).
"The new coach has shown his flexibility, ability to quickly analyse events on the field and manage the game. Bravo!" (Footclub.com.ua, 17.06.23), adds columnist Vlad Myrenko.
In the 62nd minute, Ilya Zabarny scored a header after Tsygankov's corner kick and thus reduced the deficit, significantly changing the course of events. What inspired some seemed to scare others. The Macedonians began to get nervous and make mistakes, while the guests increased their momentum.
Rebrov made two substitutions during the break and hit the bull's-eye with both of them. Yukhym Konoplya restored the balance, and another "joker" Vladislav Vanat provoked the Macedonian defender to be sent off, creating good conditions for the third goal.
Konoplya stressed that the goal he scored was no accident:
"The combination that led to my goal was played up - we practice this kind of thing in training" (Dynamo.kiev.ua, 17.06.23).
Ihor Semyon noted Vanat's actions separately in his article:
"Vanat, who is a nimble and unconventional player, fitted in perfectly. Even his work without the ball was useful, as it consisted of "fake" manoeuvres and creating free zones for Tsygankov, where he broke in at least twice and scored once from such a zone" (Ua-football.com, 17.06.23).
The second and third goals were scored after assists from Mykhailo Mudryk, who was finally able to show his potential. Oleksandr Sazhko emphasises the contribution of the Chelsea winger to the victory:
"The second goal from the Ukrainian national team: a combination of courage, speed and Mudryk's individual level. No one else would have gone for three opponents with the ball in such a rather hopeless situation. This is what makes Mykhailo a talent that has attracted the attention of Premier League clubs. The winning goal shows that Mudryk is not just about speed and running with the ball. The decisive pass to Tsygankov was smart, creative and timely" (Ua.tribuna.com, 17.06.23).
At the same time, the author insists that the happy comeback might not have happened.
"It is important to understand that this victory is a coincidence of key factors: a good reaction from the coach to a terrible first half and perfect execution. Just as it is impossible to take away the credit for changing the course of the match from Rebrov, it is also wrong to say that it was total domination that would have guaranteed success" (Ua.tribuna.com, 17.06.23).
Ihor Yurych agrees with Sazhko:
"Logically, we did not deserve this victory. The score of chances in the match was classically tied: four to four. Therefore, we will count only three points. And let's refrain from praising their character and so on. Let them be thankful that they were able to bounce back. And to avoid the barrage of devastating criticism that is so easy to provoke from our "fans". However, today I was already ready to run ahead of this locomotive - I was too shocked by what I saw on the pitch before the break" (Ua-football.com, 17.06.23).
But Ihor Linnik, editor-in-chief of Football Club, believes that games with a similar scenario are in any case beneficial to our team.
"The national team of Ukraine is being recreated anew, so we shouldn't expect stability from it yet. Rebrov has a lot of work to do! But who would doubt it? By the way, all these swings are actually good for him - they quickly reveal the problems that have accumulated" (Dynamo.kiev.ua, 17.06.23), wrote Linnik on his Facebook page.
At the post-match press conference, Rebrov did not radiate euphoria. On the contrary, he was very reserved. He admitted that his team had played a very poor first half and, despite provocative questions from the press, did not blame all the dogs on individual players. In particular, on Tymchyk and Dovbyk, who had to be replaced at half-time, as well as on Matvienko, who made two effective mistakes in Bremen and now, with an awkward handball, brought a penalty to our goal.
"Regarding Tymchyk and Dovbyk: - These are normal things when a player does not enter the game. We need to change him in a timely manner. In the next games, these players will act more intensively.
As for Matvienko: "Everyone makes mistakes. It is very important that the team helps and corrects mistakes. There is no need to talk about individual players. We conceded, but we won the game. It is very important that the team was on the field" (Dynamo.kiev.ua, 17.06.23).
Rebrov demonstrated a very serious attitude to the next meeting with Malta. Yes, the opponent was not one of the strongest, but it was clear that the coach was far from thinking about an easy ride. The fact that he released Trubin, Mudryk, Vanat and Sudakov to the U21s, who are just finishing preparations for the UEFA European Championship 2023, only after Monday's match in Trnava, speaks for itself.
APPROACHING A COMMON VICTORY
Answering questions from journalists in Skopje, Rebrov noted that even given the effort expended in the sparring match with Germany and the players' corresponding fatigue, that match was not superfluous. Moreover, the game against the Bundestim was important - including for the whole of Ukraine.
There's no arguing with that. The meeting in Bremen was a good opportunity to remind the world of the war that is going on in our country and takes hundreds of lives every day.
It was no coincidence that Rebrov thanked the Germans for choosing Ukraine as a sparring partner. We can also mention the anniversary shirts of the hosts, which are to be auctioned off to raise funds for the Ukrainian aid fund, and the referees, who have waived their fees again in favour of our country. All this really deserves respect and gratitude.
It's nice and important that our clubs are also involved in bringing the long-awaited victory over the Russian aggressor closer. Last week, Dynamo Kyiv and the Surkis Brothers Foundation reported on their latest campaigns.
The capital's club purchased hundreds of thousands of litres of drinking water for the victims of the Russian occupiers' explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station. Two out of ten trucks loaded with water immediately left for Kherson region, and the first 40 thousand litres of water were later handed over to the locals.
"This is a very important event for us, the importance of clean water is hard to overestimate" (Fcdynamo.com, 12.06.23), said Natalia Kornienko, head of the Velyko Oleksandrivka village military administration.
In addition, Dynamo supporters help military units, formations and individual defenders with equipment, vehicles, etc.
In early June, the Kyiv club, represented by its president Ihor Surkis, sent seven off-road vehicles to the frontline, and last Thursday four more vehicles were sent to help our defenders.
"I am very grateful to Dynamo for this gift. In fact, it is very cool that in such difficult times there are organisations and individuals who are able to donate vehicles to help us defeat the enemy. Our goal is to liberate the territories of our country, so these vehicles will definitely be used for the offensive" (Tsn.ua, 15.06.23), said Roman Polishchuk, deputy commander of the Luty Joint Assault Brigade.
The Valeriy Lobanovsky Dynamo football school has also joined in to help the Armed Forces, with parents of its students organising a fundraiser to buy a bus. This bus will help our military by facilitating and speeding up the solution of logistical problems.
"I hope our contribution to this cause will be useful. My parents organised a fundraiser and bought this bus. It was slightly repaired and brought into good condition. Now it will serve our defenders. The main thing is that the guys come back alive from this war" (Fcdynamo.com, 17.06.23), - said Yuriy Yastrebinsky, the senior coach of the junior groups of the CYSS.
By the way, recently Dynamo and the Surkis Brothers Foundation announced the interim results of their charitable activities - the scale of the assistance provided is truly impressive. Cars, drones, a boat, medicines, medical equipment, generators, food, water, hygiene products - this is not a complete list of "presents" for those who really needed them. The club also helped with the evacuation and treatment of soldiers and children, restored the destroyed outpatient clinic, kindergarten, gymnasium and hospital wards. The club also organised charity concerts and participated in 15 charity matches under the slogan "Match for Peace! Let's stop the war!".
And Dynamo is not going to stop, realising that every such step is a contribution to our common victory.
THE OUTLINE OF THE NEW SEASON
The summer holiday will pass quickly, and domestic clubs will have to continue their humanitarian activities amidst the daily tournament worries.
The events of the past week have become a kind of bridge to the next season, as, in particular, they have determined the composition of the UPL-2023/24 participants. The last two vacant places in the elite division were booked by Veres Rivne, which defeated Metalurh Zaporizhzhia (0: 1 and 6: 1), and LNZ, which proved stronger than Ingulets (1: 1 and 2: 1). Thus, representatives of Zhytomyr (Polissya) and Cherkasy (LNZ) will play in the Premier League for the first time.
At the same time, according to PFL President Oleksandr Kadenko, 20 teams are expected to participate in the First League in the next campaign, and 14 in the Second.
"The clubs of the First League will be divided into two subgroups on a territorial basis. If there are fewer applicants, the competition will continue as usual. Agribusiness, Podillia, Victoria and Livyi Bereh return to the PFL cohort.
Skala returns to the second division after a long break. In addition, there will be debutants - Lokomotiv from Kyiv and Druzhba from Kyiv region" (Sport.ua, 12.06.23), Kadenko said. According to him, the competition in the First League will start on 28 July, and in the Second on 5 August.
There is also unfortunate news. Football club Skoruk (Tomakivka, Nikopol district, Dnipro region) has officially announced that it will stop playing in the First League. The reason is known - the war.
"The team is funded by the family of the club's president, Maksym Skoruk, and due to the racist bombing of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, the land in the Nikopol region was left without water supply and irrigation, as a result of which the club's owner suffers heavy losses every day. The club's management tried until the last moment to resolve the issue of further funding for the coming season, but unfortunately, in the current situation, all attempts have failed..." (Fcskoruk.com, 15.06.23), the club's statement reads.
Last week was also marked by another coaching resignation at the UPL level. Despite Veres retaining their place in the Premier League, the team's head coach Yuriy Virt left his post. According to him, the reason for the parting of ways is the situation at the club.
"I am leaving the team. I had a conversation with the president. To be honest, a week ago he said that the whole football club is against me. Therefore, I have no right to stay, I am leaving. It's hard to talk now. There are people who just stuck a knife in my back and have been holding it until now. I couldn't understand it because I've come a very long way..." (Football.ua, 14.06.23), admitted Wirth, who had been working at Veres for the last four years.
This coaching resignation was the ninth in the end-of-season championship. Shakhtar may soon announce the tenth, as talk of the Pitmen saying goodbye to Igor Jovicevic continues unabated. The very possibility of such a turnaround is not denied by either the Donetsk club or the Croatian specialist - we wrote about this in our previous review. If Jovicevic does leave, it is likely that he will be replaced at Shakhtar by Patrick van Leeuwen, who won bronze medals with Zorya and who once headed the Orange and Blacks' children's academy.
But the most successful coach in the history of the UPL, Mircea Lucescu, whose interest from foreign clubs and even national media associations is reported during every off-season, seems to have no intention of changing his job and will continue to work with Dynamo Kyiv. This, in particular, is emphasised by the well-known journalist and commentator Igor Tsyganik:
"Lucescu is not going anywhere. Neither to Fenerbahce, nor to Al Ain, nor to Al Ahly, nor to other clubs. He does not want to leave. He wants to stay at Dynamo and play another season. This is his main wish. This was announced at a meeting with Dynamo president Ihor Surkis. They discussed plans for the next season. There is a task for the team - to get to the Champions League. Mircea Lucescu is determined to work and confirmed that he is ready to continue coaching Dynamo. Ihor Surkis agreed with this decision" (Sport.ua, 14.06.23).
One of the most pressing issues for the next season is the issue of broadcasting UPL matches, given that Setanta Sports has decided not to continue its cooperation with the League.
According to SportBusiness, the clubs are determined to finally create a single TV pool and have already begun discussing this issue.
It is known that the possibility of broadcasting UPL matches on the YouTube platform is being considered among the working options.
"It is noted that the UPL will cover the production costs. It will be a paid model through sponsorship on the platform. The price is still being agreed, we are talking about the range of 50-150 hryvnias. Some games (25-50%) will be freely available.
The source also adds that any OTT platform will be able to take the entire package of UPL matches and also show them for a fee, not through a general subscription. In this case, the platform will pay the UPL not a fixed amount, as was the case with Setanta Sports, but a certain percentage of the revenue" (Ua.tribuna.com, 17.06.23).
Orest LELEKA
