Yesterday, June 10, the national team of Ukraine played its second match in the Canadian Shield tournament, defeating the New Zealand team with a score of 2:1. Former player of the "blue and yellow" team, Sergiy Nahorniak, shared his impressions of this confrontation.
— Sergiy Mykolayovych, do you think the aggressive play of our team in the match against New Zealand was largely affected by the unsuccessful result in the game against Canada?
— Undoubtedly. After that defeat, the media rightly crushed our team. But in the game against New Zealand, we saw a team that strives only for victory. The motivation of our boys was at the highest level. I think the fans were satisfied with the actions of the blue and yellow.
— Do you believe such a starting lineup has a right to exist, or was it just an experiment?
— It was a friendly match. In it, the coaches wanted to see those players who were not involved in the game against Canada. Now we have information about almost the entire team. I believe Oleksandr Martyniuk made a good debut for the national team, providing an assist. And in general, why should such a lineup not have a right to exist? However, it is again the head coach's task to determine who deserves to go out in the first official match of the World Cup qualifying tournament against France.
— What did you like most about the game of the blue and yellow?
— The players' attitude towards the matter. Also, the motivation I already mentioned. In modern football, if you enter the field without motivation, success will be elusive. Our players could not disappoint their fans for the second consecutive match, especially since there are many of them in Canada.
— Despite the scored goal, what do you think about Oleksiy Hutsulyak's play as a forward?
— To be honest, this is not his position. He looks better on the flank. But the main thing is that Oleksiy found his moment and, in my opinion, handled his chance quite skillfully.
It's clear that our main option in attack right now is Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk. But various force majeure situations can happen, and Hutsulyak handled this mission.
— We hardly had time to score when we conceded. For Ukraine, this was the 12th conceded goal in the last seven matches. Is it too much?
— Yes. Earlier, our team often played to nil. Although now, morally, the main thing was to win, even with a conceded goal.
— Do problems in defense remain?
— This is probably our most vulnerable line at the moment. In defense, only Illia Zabarnyi's place is so far unquestionable. At this moment, he is the only alternative option in the national team of Ukraine.
— Zabarnyi was recognized by the fans as the player of the match for the second match in a row. Who, in your opinion, was the best?
— Illia again showed confident play. But I wouldn't single anyone out right now because the whole team looked confident. Yes, we can highlight the debut of Oleksandr Martyniuk, the substitution of Oleksandr Zinchenko. When there is a proper attitude towards the game and motivation, the team has a different appearance, and the result is usually positive. Interestingly, this is not the first time we have been hit and only then demonstrate our quality actions. But in the national team, we must always have the same mindset as in the match against New Zealand. I believe there is no better motivation than to take the field in the national team's jersey.
— Did the substitutions strengthen our game?
— Absolutely. The main thing is that the players who came on as substitutes made an impact. Serhiy Rebrov completely guessed with the players who came on during the match.
— Will this victory allow the coaching staff to prepare more calmly for the first qualifying match against the French?
— Let's be honest, New Zealand is a decent team with its star Chris Wood, but it is not the French national team. And if we enter this match unprepared, it will be a disaster. Each of our players needs to jump higher than his head to achieve a positive result. As it was, for example, in 2013 in the World Cup 2014 playoffs. There are no invincible teams. Yes, France is a top team, but anything can happen, so we can only believe in our boys and the coaching staff.
Sergiy Dem'yanchuk