Former Dynamo Kyiv goalkeeper Volodymyr Tsykin shared his impressions of the 2026 World Cup qualifying match between the national teams of France and Ukraine (4:0), which took place last Thursday in Paris.
— The first half in Paris was a complete disappointment in terms of game organization. We retreated to our goal, gave the ball to the hosts, and only hoped not to concede. They achieved their goal, but it wasn’t so much due to the Ukrainians as it was to the French, who decided to take it easy, playing at their leisure without much enthusiasm. The Ukrainians should have taken advantage of this complacency, but instead, they were focused on just kicking the ball away from their goal.
— The French must have received some harsh words at halftime because they turned their game advantage into goals at the start of the second half.
— You know, defeats can vary, but that one in Paris can only be described as disgraceful. After conceding twice, they started to attack, but it was too late since they couldn’t manage to take any shots. It’s sad.
— Perhaps if the visitors had played with their full squad, the situation on the field wouldn’t have been so hopeless?
— Let’s call things by their names. Being called to the national team isn’t that an incentive to showcase your best qualities? You’re trusted to play against a top team — isn’t that a chance to make a loud statement, to exceed expectations? But what we saw in Paris was simple helplessness.
The least criticism is perhaps for goalkeeper Trubin, who saved what he could, and striker Yaremchuk, who did a lot of hard work, managing to help in defense as well. There are a lot of critical remarks for the others, especially Zabarnyi and Hutsulyak.
— Was Rebrov right to trust a large group of rotation players in the starting lineup?
— From my own playing experience, I can say that such serious personnel changes do not lead to good results. You can put 2−3 players lacking proper match practice into play, but not almost the whole team. What about their rhythm? You can’t risk it. Although that’s my point of view.
If on Sunday Ukraine’s national team beats the Icelanders and progresses to the playoffs, everyone will credit Rebrov, saying he was right to rest the leaders. But the saddest part is that there was no game, and there still isn’t. Even if we pass Iceland, what’s next?
— The tournament standings are such that a win is a must on Sunday. What could be Ukraine’s trump card?
— First and foremost, discipline in the game. I’m sure the Icelanders have learned from the mistakes they made in the October match in Reykjavik and won’t play so adventurously. Especially since a draw suits them. They might use a defensive strategy and long passes behind Zabarnyi and Matviyenko, who lack speed, to create threats. That’s why much depends on how Ukraine plays tactically to minimize defensive vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, players in other roles are not without flaws either. That’s why the intrigue remains.
Andriy Pisarenko