Former Ukraine striker Andriy Vorobey shared his impressions of the match of the 4th round of the Nations League Ukraine - Czech Republic (1:1).
Andrei Vorobey- The result is logical. Let's just say that we did not expect to win. Thank God we didn't lose this match. It was very hard with the Czechs. The Czech team is a very difficult opponent in fact. Many people think that they have weak players. No, Czech players are not weak. This team has very tall and physically fit players. Yes, the Czech team lacks some thoughts and technical maneuvers, but they take the other. They have the will to win and physically strong players. That's why it was a bit hard to play with them. I won`t say that we played badly. I won`t say that. But I expected that we probably should have taken three points in this match. But we didn`t win, so everything is logical.
- If we take two games in general, namely the victory over Georgia (1:0) and a draw with the Czech Republic (1:1), is it more or less a normal result for the "yellow-blue"?
- In principle, 4 points in two matches is not a bad result. But let's take into account the fact that we took zero points in the first two meetings. In some matches we had to take points. Of course, we wanted to take maximum points, but it didn`t work out. We just had a bad start and now we have to settle for 4 points. In principle, it's not bad, but I wanted to take 3 points with the Czechs. It would be an interesting situation when four teams would have 6 points each.
- Artem Dovbik was entrusted with a penalty kick for the national team at a crucial moment. He was not confused and sent the ball into an empty corner. Did he shoot in cold blood?
- Dovbik, playing for Dnipro-1, took a penalty kick. In "Girona" he was also trusted with penalty kicks. Therefore, it is normal that he was trusted to kick penalties. If a man is confident and scores goals, he must be trusted. We should give credit to the fact that Artem has goal sense. Why not use it? Dovbik did well that he came up and cold-bloodedly outplayed the Czech goalkeeper. So Artem did well and thank God he scored.
- Mikhail Mudryk scored, but it didn`t work out with the Czech Republic. In principle, he tried, gave good passes and shot on goal. What do you think of his game?
- We expect a brighter game from such a talented, very promising player, for whom they paid so much money. Yes, he tried. Well done for scoring against the Georgians. And with the Czechs he tried. But it's not enough. We need a little more.
- And about the game of the middle line, what do you think?
- I was not impressed with the play of the central midfielders. In the match with the Czechs Shaparenko, Sudakov and Stepanenko did not show themselves. Our midfield line played quite mediocre. If the midfield does not create anything, then what can we demand from the striker, from the same Mudryk and so on? We need to make ourselves known in the international arena! After all, there are statements that that one is worth 50 million, that one is worth 100 million, and that one is worth 200 million! The game shows that in reality, somewhere far from this amount. We know that they are good players and they are really strong. Just somewhere for some reason now they do not show the game that is expected of them. In the match against the Czech Republic, I did not see something interesting in the actions of Sudakov and Shaparenko.
- What do you think about Ivan Kalyuzhny's game?
- Kalyuzhny was praised after those two games. I don't want to flatter, but if there were three or four more players like Kalyuzhny, who just started their way in the national team and were given a chance, they would be added to the team, and maybe to the core! I think that in the match with the Czechs they would have plowed that field. Yes, he doesn't have as much skill as Mudryk or Shaparenko. But Kalyuzhny does his job. He does what he knows how to do. And in the match with the Czechs, coming on as a substitute in the 64th minute, he didn't ruin anything, but, on the contrary, he helped the national team to improve. He was where he needed to be. Somewhere he put his foot right, somewhere he won the fight.
His sports anger was even visible on TV. Let's say, a vivid example, how he clawed the ball away in a scramble. Everyone, like Kalyuzhny for these two games, should be energized for the national team matches. If we had players like that on the field, we would have clearly beaten the Czechs in this game, as well as in the first two rounds. Kalyuzhny took his chance. He did well! He showed himself well in these two games.
- Even his fans compared him to Gennaro Gattuso on posters at the stadium! So, Kalyuzhny is the Ukrainian Gattuso?
- It's too early to compare him with Gattuso. (Laughs). But the team needs such players. Such players who go on the field and scare the opponents. Otherwise we somehow played without emotions. Even the same Mudryk and Dovbik scored a goal each! We need to be happy about scoring goals, we need to somehow show these emotions. Dovbik scored a goal, but at least he ran somewhere. At least he could be happy about the goal! But he just stood there. You must energize yourself, your teammates and spectators. Look how happy the Czechs were. Czech player Cherv, when he scored, I thought he would run to the stands. The Czech was so happy. That's how we need to show emotions. This is the right emotion! This is the national team of Ukraine, this is the face of the nation! We need to be aggressive and driven for games.
- Remember, was your generation very emotionally happy with the goals of the Ukrainian national team?
- Turn on the retro-matches and see how in their time, when Shevchenko, Rebrov and so on scored, everyone rejoiced. Of course they were happy! I mean that you need to show emotions. In the match with the Czechs, when Zabarny went into that bright undercut, it was very pleasant to watch. We should have a game like that on every patch of the field! We need 3-4 more players like Kalyuzhny and Zabarny on the field and we'll get results. And in the middle of the field with the Czechs we didn't finish the game, so to speak.
- Anatoly Trubin and Ivan Kalyuzhny received the "Lion of the Match" award. What do you think about it?
- Of course, Trubin and Kalyuzhny deserved it, but I would give this award to Zabarny. He has some composure in his actions and you realize that he won't make a mistake. For example, for Taloverov, you're afraid that he'll lose the ball somewhere. But Zabarny has some confidence. He is a confident footballer beyond his years.
- In general, the best mark in the match was given to the captain of the Czech team Tomas Soucek. Was he the best in the match?
- The Czech Republic has a good, very good team. But if we had shown our strengths, I think Soucek and others would not have shown themselves. But we have what we have.
- The national team will approach the November matches with 4 points in 4th place in the Nations League group. Rebrov said that Ukraine will still fight for first place. Do you think there are chances?
- Of course, there are chances. We still need to play two matches. We need to take six points in two games. Everything is in our hands. Yes, the conditions will be a little different. It will be two away games. Although we play all our games away. It will be a bit tough, but, as usual, we are not looking for easy ways. Unfortunately, we lose in the beginning, and then we try to catch up. There is such a tendency lately. But I think that everything is still ahead of us. We can not say that the national team has failed. No, nothing has failed yet. There is still time and good prospects to move up in class.
Dmitry Kotkov
