Sergey Sapronov: "I liked that the girls showed tactical flexibility"

22.05.2019 13:02

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

Ukrainian WU-16 national team in mid-May took part in the UEFA Development Tournament, where her rivals were players from Finland, Switzerland and Lithuania.

The performance of our team at competitions in Finland for the official site of FFU was commented by its head coach Sergei Sapronov:

- Fortunately, during the preparation period and during the tournament there were no injuries, and I had the opportunity to see who is worth what among the 22 players called up to the national team. The competition helped to determine the backbone of the team, we are talking about 12-13 girls, on whom we will bet. 

- Are you probably disappointed that your wards finished last in Finland?

- If we take into account the final result, then, of course, yes. But, on the other hand, I liked that the girls showed tactical flexibility, tried to follow the guidelines. I am convinced that my wards deserved a better fate, because in matches with the Finns and Lithuanians missed in overtime, although the number of goals scored clearly prevailed.

- What positions were of concern?

- Already during the preparatory period it became clear that not everything is fine with the extreme defenders. Midfielders Victoria Myronenko and Violetta Tyan had to be moved to the flanks. They played well, but in their absence, our actions in the middle zone were less effective. That is why in the near future we will focus on finding players in the line of defense. We also expected more from the attackers.

- When is the next stage of preparation of your wards for October European Championship Qualifying Tournament in Serbia?

- It will take place in Kyiv from September 16 to 27. We will play two sparring matches with Latvian football players. As the selection work continues, I hope to review a few more candidates for the national team of Ukraine in these matches. Finally, we will decide on the team that will take part in the qualification for the European Championship in October.