Natalia Zinchenko: "Now we no longer have the right to make a mistake"

12.10.2019 16:20

Photo of UAF press service

The trip of the women's national team of Ukraine to Germany and Ireland turned out to be unsuccessful, where it lost in the next qualifying matches of the European Championship with a score of 0: 8 and 2: 3, respectively.

- On the installation before the second duel with the Germans, in Aachen, I asked the wards to pay attention to the game in defense, - said the head coach of the blue-yellows Natalia Zinchenko in a comment to the official website of the UAF. - After all, it was because of gross mistakes in defense that the national team of Ukraine was crushed in September by German players at the Lviv Arena - 0: 8.

- But in the second confrontation our team again missed eight meters'and did not kill any…

- In my opinion, the girls played better than in the capital of Galicia, but the class is a class. The hosts realized almost all their scoring moments, but in this component, unfortunately, we were not impressed.

- And yet - in which aspects of the game did the Ukrainians lose the most?

- In team speed and in individual skill. I will not hide, after such two devastating defeats, the psychological state of my wards, as they say, left much to be desired.

- And it could not help but worry, because it was the turn of the duel with the Irish, whose horse is, above all, fighting spirit.

- We did not lack information about the Irish. They are really betting on power football, trying to use their ability to play on the second floor. The only thing that bothered me was the change on the coaching staff of rivals a week before the game. But in matches in Dublin the hosts were not surprised by anything, when they lost the ball, they immediately pressed, acted harshly, using the advantage in physical condition.

- So, there was no chance to avoid defeat in Dublin?

- I do not think so. Of course, first of all it was important to get out of the psychological pit in which the girls found themselves after the defeats of the Germans. In my opinion, the coaching staff managed to reach the wards, they were not derailed even by the fact that in the course of the match they lost - 0: 2. Adding momentum, we were able to equalize the score, and even when the Irish came forward again, it seemed that we would be able to escape. However, unfortunately, we squandered our scoring moments.

- In your opinion, after three defeats in a row, the national team of Ukraine still has a chance to make it to the next round?

- So far nothing terrible has happened. After all, the Germans are now clearly stronger than other participants in the group tournament. Of course, it is a pity that we lost in Dublin, but we will still host the Irish at home and if in the rest of the matches we manage to avoid losing points, then there is every chance to take second place and fight for a pass to the decisive stage of the championship. This is what I will set up my wards for.