Alexander Kosenko: "In December in Zaporozhye we will play with the Portuguese, in January we will play a match with the Czech Republic"

05.11.2018 13:07

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

Head Coach Oleksandr Kosenko of Ukraine futsal summed up the results of two friendly matches of his team with the French team.

From October 29 to November 1, the Ukrainian futsal team held a training camp in Lille, France. As part of this training camp, the blue and yellows played two control matches with the French team. The Ukrainians reduced the first match to a draw - 1:1, and the second gave way to the bill 1:3.

The head coach of the national team of Ukraine Oleksandr Kosenko shared his impressions of these meetings for the FFU website.

- Are you satisfied with the results of the fights and the game of your wards?

- Probably, you can never be satisfied one hundred percent. There are always some mistakes that need to be corrected. In general, in terms of information, in terms of what we wanted to get from these games, everything is fine. We reviewed the performers who have recently, and some for the first time, been involved in the national team. The guys gained invaluable experience, saw the level of the national team with their own eyes, took part in matches with strong rivals. The fact that the result is not the best - there is nothing deadly. These are friendly matches. Of course, I would like to win for more confidence, but it didn't work out.  

— Were you able to get all the main team performers involved?

— The players we wanted to look at gathered everyone. Maybe not everyone was the strongest, but there was no such task. The goal was to review the nearest reserve, and we did.  

- In the first match, Ukraine had a significant game advantage, but still could not press the opponent. What is the reason?

- If you do not score, it is very difficult to win. It is obvious. Yes, we had the initiative, we controlled the ball. It was not enough to have some zest, but a simple ending, a dot in a successful combination. But I don't think it's a disaster. We will work.  

- What are your impressions of the game for beginners?

- For the first time it is quite normal. Of course, it is impossible to judge a player in one or even two matches. Some spoke more confidently, some did not. Oleg Eremin was summoned for the first time. We met, looked - we will move on. The coaching staff did not have such a task to immediately determine who is suitable for us and who is not. All these international matches are, first of all, an experience that I myself once went through. I know what it's like to get into the national team for the first time. Some adapt faster, some longer. Our task is to review the players and correctly assess who will be able to strengthen the team's game.

- What are the future plans of the Ukrainian national futsal team?

- This year we will play another friendly match - in December in Zaporozhye we will meet with the Portuguese. Then in January we will play a match with the Czech Republic. I will not disclose all further plans, but there are already some arrangements for the spring. However, so far everything is at the stage of coordination. The more we play, the faster we can decide who to count on in the future.