Famous expert and coach Oleg Fedorchuk evaluated the performance of the Ukraine national team in the first playoff match of the Nations League against the Belgium team.
Oleg Fedorchuk— Oleg Viktorovych, congratulations on the victory! Share your overall impressions of the team\'s performance.
— It seems to me that we slightly missed the mark with the tactics and the lineup that were chosen for the first half of the match. As a result, our first half objectively did not come out well. Only during the first 10 minutes did we try to create something.
Why didn’t anything work out? I think it’s because we did not have two wing players. We only played through the right side of the field, where Tsygankov showed activity. Sudakov, in turn, acted too close to the center of the field — there was practically no sharpness from the left flank in the first half.
I should note that the substitutions benefited our team — we became faster and more dynamic. In other words, there were two very different halves. In the second half, a number of our players significantly improved. Zinchenko, Zabarnyi, Tsygankov, and perhaps Matviyenko were the players who performed consistently well in both halves.
— Just before the draw for the Nations League playoffs, you told me that our national team would be lucky if we faced the Belgium team that is going through a crisis. After all, a change of head coach cannot bring positive results so quickly?
— Rudi Garcia is a decent coach, but he had very little time for significant changes. He himself acknowledged this at the pre-match press conference. It seems to me that Garcia was unable to restructure the game. In the second half, he needed to refresh the game by bringing on new players. He missed this period, and we took advantage of it and turned everything to our favor in just a few minutes.
We were lucky that this coach had just taken charge of the team. It is noticeable that Garcia still does not know his players well. In this coaching duel, our staff led by Rebrov won. They responded well to the flow of the game and made accurate substitutions. It can be said that the forced substitutions also benefited our team, however it may sound.
— What other decisions made by the coaching staff of the Ukraine national team caught your attention?
— Zinchenko’s transition to the right flank of defense during the match was an interesting experiment by Rebrov. This speaks to the fact that the coaching staff knows his qualities well. Oleksandr has considerable experience playing as a left-back, which he gained at Manchester City and Arsenal. He pressed forward and acted from deep. Yes, Zinchenko is not very strong in duels, however, in this match, Oleksandr looked very good as a right defender.
— Returning to the topic of Garcia, were you surprised that he did not try to take advantage of Zinchenko's transition to the right flank by bringing on fresh Jeremy Doku? It seems this substitution was obvious.
— Yes, I completely agree. Garcia reacted very slowly to the events on the field, was late with substitutions. This is a coaching mistake and there’s nothing more to add.
Andriy Lunin — 7.3
(Sofascore — 6.9, WhoScored — 6.8, Flashscore — 6.9)
Oleg Fedorchuk: The Belgians created tension, but it cannot be said that Lunin had a lot of work to do in this match. Andriy played reliably, without mistakes, and acted very confidently with the ball.
In general, our goalkeeper position has been well-covered for the last 10 years. Now both Trubin and Riznyk can also confidently claim to play in the national team’s goal. There are still many young promising goalkeepers from the UPL on the rise.
Vitalii Mykolenko — 7.0
(Sofascore — 6.7, WhoScored — 6.5, Flashscore — 6.6)
Oleg Fedorchuk: Mykolenko seems to be in less than optimal physical condition. In the game against the Belgians, he was rarely involved in attacking actions. Overall, Vitalii played decently, but he can do much better. He is one of those players who improved in the second half.
Mykola Matviyenko — 7.4
(Sofascore — 7.2, WhoScored — 7.1, Flashscore — 7.4)
Oleg Fedorchuk: Matviyenko faced Lukaku not for the first time and he probably remembers how Romelu outplayed and overpowered him. Such powerful forwards always seek out the physically weakest defenders to gain an advantage over them.
However, I must note that Matviyenko had a very good match. Right now he is in good form, as evidenced by his recent matches for Shakhtar. Mykola played very confidently, and Lukaku disappeared from the field altogether in the second half.
Illya Zabarnyi — 8.0 (MVP)
(Sofascore — 7.3, WhoScored — 7.3, Flashscore — 7.6)
Oleg Fedorchuk: If we talk about the “Man of the Match”, I would award this title to Zabarnyi. He has been performing at a consistently high level in the last five or six matches for the national team, making progress. Illya looks very solid both with and without the ball. He is not hurried, Zabarnyi plays very coolly and confidently.
Yukhym Konoplya — 6.5
(Sofascore — 6.4, WhoScored — 6.3, Flashscore — 6.4)
Oleg Fedorchuk: Before the substitution, Konoplya could not cope with his defensive duties. All the threat from the Belgian national team came through his flank. Sych also played little, but it cannot be said that it was successful. At the moment he conceded a shot, he could not reach the ball, hence it is his fault. He should have intercepted that ball.
Yaremchuk was behind Lukaku. In general, Sych and Yaremchuk together should have blocked Romelu. Such powerful players are usually blocked from both sides. Today, the right-back position is probably the weakest in the Ukraine national team.
— The right-back position in the national team is currently indeed very troubled. First, Oleksandr Tymchyk was ruled out, and now Konoplya and Sych have dropped out due to injuries. Who do you think Rebrov will use in this position in the return match against Belgium?
— I see no better option than Zinchenko. I repeat that he has considerable experience playing on the defensive flank, albeit with some nuances. I think Rebrov will make such a decision unless he decides to surprise us.
— And if Rebrov had the opportunity to call someone up for this position, who would you highlight among the candidates?
— We have a limited selection for this position. Tymchyk is now out of action, although he was one of our best players at Euro 2024. As for others… Well, there is Oleksandr Karavaev, who could step in in an emergency. Ilya Krupskyi? I think the coaching staff keeps him in mind, but the situation with his transfer in winter does not bode well for the young player.
Ivan Kaliuzhny — 7.0
(Sofascore — 7.1, WhoScored — 6.7, Flashscore — 6.8)
Oleg Fedorchuk: Ivan plays at 110%, even his muscles cannot handle it. Kaliuzhny is a very hardworking and desperate player. In England, they love such footballers who give their all, play with all their hearts and utmost dedication. Yes, he lacks speed and class, but he compensates for this with his virtues — diligence and play in destruction.
There were several mistakes from Ivan in this game, but overall he had a decent match. Let’s not forget that until recently, no one could imagine Kaliuzhny in the national team's lineup. We have plenty of creative players, but someone has to carry this piano.
Oleksandr Zinchenko — 7.8
(Sofascore — 7.5, WhoScored — 7.6, Flashscore — 7.3)
Oleg Fedorchuk: One of our team's best players in this match. Zinchenko was a leader in attack, creating danger. I really liked his game, he was at the center of attention. Right now, the image of Zinchenko’s free-kick hitting the post of Thibaut Courtois' goal is in my mind. During the game, he had to change positions and at each of them, he looked convincing. At this level, there are very few similar players.
I immediately recall the legendary Dynamo player Volodymyr Bessonov. He was the best forward of the U-20 World Cup 1977 (scoring three goals, finishing second in the scoring table — ed.), then played as an attacking midfielder, and finished his career as a central defender.
Mykola Shaparenko — 6.8
(Sofascore — 6.4, WhoScored — 6.2, Flashscore — 7.0)
Oleg Fedorchuk: It was noticeable that Mykola could not keep up with the pace of the game, both in today’s match and in previous matches for Dynamo. He probably hasn’t regained his best form after that illness. He could not find his place on the field, working very little with the ball. This is not the Shaparenko we knew a year or two ago. His substitution was warranted.
Heorhii Sudakov — 7.4
(Sofascore — 7.0, WhoScored — 6.9, Flashscore — 7.1)
Oleg Fedorchuk: The left winger position does not suit him, he plays better in the center of the field, where he has a wider range of actions. There is a lot of running work on the flank, so Sudakov was running more than playing before his transition to the center. In the second half, he was one of the most noticeable players.
Victor Tsygankov — 7.5
(Sofascore — 7.2, WhoScored — 6.8, Flashscore — 7.0)
Oleg Fedorchuk: I thought that Tsygankov would struggle to keep up with the pace of the game, but he was the most active in the first half. Viktor had a very good match, outplaying his opponents and playing freely. It was felt that he had confidence in his abilities. I can say that Tsygankov pleasantly surprised me with his game.
Roman Yaremchuk — 6.8
(Sofascore — 6.7, WhoScored — 6.2, Flashscore — 6.9)
Oleg Fedorchuk: It seems to me that with such a game, Vanat is more effective for the Ukraine national team than Yaremchuk. Against the Belgians, we needed a dynamic forward, and in this aspect, Vlad surpasses Roman.
Overall, Yaremchuk plays very well after coming on as a substitute. He had one opportunity during the game, but he did not manage to capitalize on it. Roman spent a lot of time without the ball, which is not good at all for a striker of his profile.
— How would you evaluate the performance of the substitutes who came on during the match against Belgium?
— Vanat (7.6) is in very good form — he plays excellently for Dynamo. Among domestic forwards, Vlad looks the best. Vanat is a dependent player, but he does a lot of running work, working well under pressure.
Hutsuliak (7.6) had his best game for the national team. Oleksii looked very confident, came on and scored. At a crucial moment, he took the ball from a defender and calmly netted it in Courtois' goal. I don’t remember Gutsuliak playing so boldly at the club level, in such an English style. This goal will give him a lot for his further career. Such goals are highly valued in modern football.
I couldn't previously evaluate Yarmolyuk (7.0) because I had seen little of him in the game. But after the match against Belgium, I can say that he is very skillful with the ball, excellently plays under pressure, and does not get lost. It is very nice to see such players in the national team.
— What do you think will be Rebrov’s starting lineup for the next game? After all, it’s difficult for many players in the second matches of such confrontations.
— Predictions are a thankless task, as we do not fully understand who is in what physical condition after this game. I worry that Kaliuzhny may not recover from the injury he sustained at the end of the game. I don’t know if Tsygankov will be able to recover. I do not remember him performing at a high level of intensity in two consecutive games. I hope that Mykolenko will recover normally, but he has experience playing in the EPL, so there shouldn’t be any problems.
— We approach the return match with a two-goal advantage. What are your expectations from the decisive match in Belgium?
— The main and only advantage for Belgium is playing at home. A two-goal difference is good, but we shouldn’t celebrate moving to League A yet. The psychological advantage is on our side, as is the result. However, there are also problems, particularly in terms of personnel. The Belgians will have a better bench in the next game, with more variability. The tension will last until the end. However, what our team did in the second half is inspiring. I think our coaching staff is moving in the right direction.
Vladyslav Liutostanskyi
