Oleksandr Golovko: “If we had the first match with Holland, the result would have been different”

22.10.2018 15:25

Photo of FFU press service

Head coach of the youth team of Ukraine Oleksandr Golovko praised the performance of his team in the selection for Euro-2019 (U-21).

U-21 team of Ukraine before the last round of qualification for Euro-2019 kept chances of getting into the playoffs. However, a devastating defeat against the Netherlands (0:3) crossed all hopes of the blue-yellows. After returning home, the coach of the "youth" Alexander Golovko praised the performance of his team.

— Oleksandr Borysovych, did your wards concede without chances?

- There were chances for the match, but, as the game showed, the national team of Ukraine needed to create a miracle to get a positive result in the Netherlands. After a difficult match with Scotland, we did not have enough resources.

— Did two missed goals in a row affect the actions of the national team so seriously?

- The first goal was scored in the 21st minute. After that, we opened up, and it all depended on how long our team could keep up with the pace offered by the Dutch.

— What did you want to change when Tretyakov and Boryachuk released after the break?

- In the first half we missed, so we needed to add efficiency in the attack - not so much speed as thought. Unfortunately, Luchkevich's lack of practice affected the game. Tretyakov, who replaced him, was more active in the front, creating moments. Boryachuk imposed the fight well, clung to the ball.

— You didn't take Bondar, Timchik and Lednev to the match with Holland. Weren't they ready?

- These guys were ready, but we have a choice for all positions, and it was important for us to take the best performers at the moment to the away match. We decided that other players are stronger now. Time will tell how right this was. The players you mentioned were mostly born in 1997, so their further work is in clubs. I hope we argued enough about our choice, and the guys understood us.

— You couldn't have played in Andrey Lunin's decisive match for Ukraine's youth team ...

- His absence did not affect the result. We had two qualified goalkeepers - Kanevtsev and Bezruk. Andrew, of course, is an effective player, but he has had little practice lately. In addition, he is a football player of the first national team, and Andriy Shevchenko said that he needs Lunin.

— What did the sparring with Obolon-Brovar give you before the match with Holland?

- It was important that all the players of the national team stay in shape so that they do enough playing work. In addition, we simulated the tactics for the match with the Dutch, made a video of the game and then carefully analyzed it.

— What caused you any particular anxiety or optimism after your match with Scotland?

- The fact that the current level of our team does not allow to hold two matches in a row at the highest level. Ukrainian footballers need to play at least two matches a week with qualified opponents - then everything will be fine. And we did not manage to spend 90% of energy with the Scots and save a little for the game with the Dutch. If we had the first match with Holland, the result would have been different.

— Lack of resources, as you said ...

- Exactly. What was important was who we could replace the players who played against the Scots. Here our coaching staff was limited ...

During the qualifying round, we tried to solve the problem in the center of defense - we started working with guys born in 1999, in the run-up to the World Cup. But when forming the line of attack, we had to return to the same performers. This is bad ... The same Swede proved himself in the matches with Latvia and Andorra - and that's it. He still has room to grow. It is good that Boryachuk and Zubkov pushed almost the maximum ahead.

— After the match with the Scots, you noticed that the Ukrainian "youth" joins the game only from the 20th minute. Couldn't solve this problem?

- The thing is how the guys prepare for the match. We asked them to go to the warm-up before the game earlier. You see, this is an internal motivation ... Unfortunately, many do not have it. The same Dutch before the match with our team began to actively warm up 30 minutes before the starting whistle.

Of course, we have to work in terms of selection, make sure that the players of the "youth" have playing practice, but most importantly - psychology. It is important to teach our players to keep hitting.

— Third place in the group — is this a natural outcome for Ukraine's youth team?

- This is a real result. Yes, we hoped for the best ... I still want to thank the wards. With the players we had on hand, we could hardly count on more. We vaguely started in this qualifying round, so we spent the first half of the match with Latvia, but then corrected the situation. Until the last game with Holland there was an evolution of the team, but there we could count on a maximum of a draw.

— What was the main thing for the "youth" — access to Euro 2019 or training for the first team?

- If we talk about the institution of national teams, then, of course, the preparation of the reserve for the national team. But without victories this is not the preparation. We had to achieve the result from game to game, we could compete for a ticket to the Euro, and we had enough for almost the entire selection cycle.

— Which of your wards has shown a readiness to strengthen the first team in the near future?

- These are boys born in 1996-1997, who are already at Shevchenko's disposal. Unfortunately, I can't fully judge Vasyl Kravets, who played only one match in England and proved himself well. Pihalyonok performed well in the match against Scotland and in general gradually became the main in the "youth". I would like to mention Tretyakov - he has the resources and desire. There is room for growth for Kiryukhantsev, who plays stably on the flank in Mariupol. I would also like to mention the defenders Shepelev and Kovalenko, who found motivation after returning from the first team and became the leader in the youth team.

— What are your plans for the future?

- In November, the "youth" is scheduled to collect, we have a lot of work ahead. However, the FFU management will first evaluate the performance of our team. As they decide, so be it.