Legendary forward of Kyiv Dynamo Igor Belanov shared his impressions of the match of the 3rd round of the Nations League between the national teams of Ukraine and Georgia (1:0).
- The guys did well, they won - and immediately everything changed for the better. Our players not only gave pleasant feelings to all Ukrainians who watched the game with Georgia from the stadium stands and TV screens, but also improved their chances in the fight for first place in the group.
- What are your impressions of our national team's game with the Georgians?
- It is clear that when the final result is a victory, the impressions are positive. However, if we talk only about the quality of the game, we can not help noting the players' efforts to get maximum points. It was noticeable that the guys realize the importance of the match with Georgia in terms of the tournament, because in case of a draw or defeat the hopes of achieving the goal would be significantly reduced. That's why in the game in Poznan Sergey Rebrov's wards tried to oppose the opponent persistence, desire and dedication. This allowed the Ukraine national team to tip the scales on their side. Well done Mudryk, who showed his ability to take over the game and decide the fate of the match.
- In this match, the Ukrainian team was missing nine players for various reasons. Before such an important game it is too serious headache for the coaching staff, isn't it?
- Nine men is a really large number of personnel losses. Especially if we take into account that we are talking about such experienced players as Stepanenko, Yarmolenko, Malinovskiy, Zinchenko, Tsygankov, Mikolenko, the problem before the game with Georgia was quite serious. And three other players who were in the infirmary - Lunin, Brazhko and Pihalenok - would not hurt either. However, as yesterday's match showed, Sergei Rebrov has players in his arsenal who can replace the absent ones. And this cannot but please. Especially taking into account any personnel surprises in the future.
- Yesterday, the Ukraine national team made three debuts at once. Ivan Kalyuzhny from Oleksandriya, Oleksandr Nazarenko from Polesya and Dmytro Kryskiv from Shakhtar played for the first time for the main team of the country. What impression did they make on you?
- Nazarenko and Krys'kiv spent too little time on the pitch, so they simply did not have time to show their full potential. But I couldn't help but like the play of Kalyuzhny, who came into the starting lineup. He was the performer the national team was missing. He played skillfully in the rebounding department, was judicious and balanced in his transition from defense to offense. He is a courageous player, who is characterized by his fighting qualities and intransigence. He played in the debut match as if he had been playing in the national team for a long time.
- How do you see the prospect of our national team in the current draw of the Nations League?
- Yesterday's victory was necessary for the Ukraine national team as a breath of fresh air. After all, there was nowhere to retreat further in the standings. I would say that the match with Georgia was a determining factor in the future of our team. And it is good that we managed to win. I hope that the victory over a difficult opponent, which are Georgians, will give confidence to our guys and they will play the next game with the Czech Republic with even more desire to achieve the maximum. Everything is in their hands. It should only be remembered that in case of victory the fight in the group will be even more aggravated, and the chances of the Ukrainian national team will increase significantly. I would like to support the coaching staff headed by Serhiy Rebrov and wish them patience and firm progress towards the set goal.
Dmytro Oliynyk