Ukrainian coach Petro Kushlyk shared his impressions of the victory of the Ukrainian Olympic team over Morocco (2:1) in the 2nd round of the group stage of the soccer tournament of the 2024 Games.
- Our guys did well - they fought and tried. Both for the entire soccer community of Ukraine, and for our soldiers defending the Motherland from the enemy on the front line. The players of the Olympic team encouraged them a lot.
We should give credit to the whole team and the coaching staff for the victory. After all, the Moroccans proved to be quite a tough nut to crack. However, there is nothing surprising in this, because several players play for the national team of Morocco. The players of our national team showed themselves with the best side, despite the fact that there was a removal of Saliuk. By the way, he received a red card quite deservedly: you can not play like he did in that unfortunate episode in the second half. The Morocco player had possession of the ball, running into the Ukrainian penalty area, but you can't catch up with him like that and then stop him with an impermissible tackle. Saliuk had the wrong choice of position.
However, even after being left in the minority, the guys fought to the end - they knew that a loss or a draw in the duel with the Moroccans would only speed up the packing of suitcases to return home. So, I repeat: they should be given credit that they fought to the end, without losing heart and without giving up. And most importantly - they showed character. If with such character our players will play in the next match against Argentina, I think that God will be on their side.
- What in the game of the Olympic team of Ukraine caught your eye most of all?
- I would like to draw the attention of our players to the fact that they need to prompt each other more on the field. I counted more than one episode, when for lack of such tips a player lost the ball in a favorable development of events for us. And we can not ignore the fact of unnecessary yellow cards, which Ukrainian players receive every match. After all, a lot depends on the discipline on the field - both game and personal in soccer. I hope that everyone in our national team understands it well.
Vyacheslav Kulchitsky