Former Ukraine defender Vladyslav Vashchuk commented on the team's entry into Euro 2024 after defeating Iceland (2-1) in the play-off final.
Vladyslav Vashchuk. Photo: FootBoom- What are your impressions of Ukraine's game against Iceland?
- We got the result, I liked it. We reached the Euros. Because this team has to play at the Euros, it can achieve good results there. And maybe even win the Euro.
Overall, the game against Iceland was good, but we conceded the ball again. The actions of the midfielders and defenders are unclear. It seemed that they did not understand each other. The defenders didn't understand what the midfielder was doing, and the midfielder didn't know how to make a tackle in the area where we scored.
If you look at it this way, there are questions about the centre of defence in general. On the interaction between Zabarnyi and Matvienko. I thought we were no longer playing the last defender in the national team, but in many moments I saw when we had a libero. For some reason, the centre-backs were closer to the opposition goal than one of the midfielders. And up front, they did their job, very powerfully. I liked it.
- Do you think there is a certain misunderstanding between the players in the defensive phase?
- Between defenders and midfielders. They do not understand each other, how to behave on the football field.
- Perhaps this is due to the fact that Brazhko has only played his debut matches for the national team.
- Well, yes. But he is moving in the wrong direction. Maybe he got nervous. Maybe that's how he plays at Dynamo. But this is not the game of the future, it's a brake. You can't let a shot go through the centre like that, Lunin pointed that out. They used to say: "If you slip, you let the team down". So you have to choose your shoes.
- From a positive point of view, who would you single out as a result of the match?
- I would mention Mudryk following the results of both games. He was very eager, moved faster than the others. There are many questions to him about the quality of the game, but in general, thanks to him, the team moved faster. If he hadn't been there in the first game, we would have been sleeping there. Yesterday in the second game, the team was much more mobile. The guys gave their all.
- How would you assess Serhii Rebrov's performance in this qualification?
- He did everything to get the most out of all the games. Take even the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina - there, Rebrov outplayed the opponent tactically when he released Yaremchuk to Dovbyk and broke their plans. Against Iceland, there was a lot of struggle, but the guys withstood it. Plus the right substitutions.
The only thing that unpleasantly impressed me was one player, Taloverov. I don't understand how he ended up in the national team. He is not a player of the national team. I did not see that he was in symbiosis with the national team. There are many questions. Coming on for 3-4 minutes in every game... I don't understand.
- What are your expectations from this national team for the Euros?
- To win the Euro. Well, the national team is very powerful, there is a big bench, a lot of great players who complement each other. We can play with one forward or two. The defensive line is not bad. We need to tighten up the midfield a little bit, and in general, we are doing very well.
And we need to look wider, not only at Shakhtar and Dynamo, but also at other teams. There are guys there who are also performing well. To put together a Tetris at the Euros that will make a powerful team.
But most importantly, I want to thank the guys who did everything for Ukraine. We are moving on thanks to such victories.
