Former Ukraine national team player Ivan Hetzko named the players of the “blue-yellow” team who should start against Belgium from the first minutes.
Ivan Hetzko— Who should play in goal for the Ukraine national team against the Belgians?
— In my opinion, the goalkeeper position is not even up for discussion — it is definitely Trubin. But the coaches see who performs better in training, and this all has an impact before the game. I believe that Trubin, who has a lot of playing experience, should defend our goal.
— Who do you think will be preferred on the right in defense — Syich or Konoplia?
— It’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, Konoplia has a lot of experience in the national team, while on the other hand, Syich has stability in “Karpaty,” which Yukhym lacks in “Shakhtar.” This is also an important question today. Syich is currently in good shape and has excellent physical fitness. I think the coach needs to determine who among them should play in the lineup. Only Rebrov can decide this issue.
— Who will play in the midfield?
— In this position, I see everyone — Sudakov, Shaparenko, Zinchenko, and Yarmolyuk among others. Everything is in the hands of the head coach, who sees the situation closer than we do and knows who is in what shape, who fits the scheme and tactics he plans. And these players definitely need to play. The fact that there is a choice, competition — it’s very pleasant. Today, for each position, there is at least one or two players, and that is important for us.
— If Tsygankov plays on the left, who do you see on the right winger position in the usual 4-3-3 formation — Yarmolenko or Hutsulyak?
— Hutsulyak should already be up to this level. He should have already stepped up; how long can we wait? He needs to take responsibility for himself and start showing his leadership qualities. It’s time to change the team leaders and form a backbone of young players. Yarmola cannot carry everything on his own, you understand? There needs to be a transition, and it is happening now. We have very strong youth, they are promising, have playing experience, and it’s nice to see. Gradually, they need to start “displacing” those who have played in the national team for a long time; we need to give way to the young. This is a normal process that happens in every team.
Andriy Pavlechko
