Euro-2022. Today, the Ukraine women's team will play a key qualifying match against Greece

27.10.2020 12:03

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

Today, Natalia Zinchenko's wards will hold another Euro 2022 qualifying match away will play against the Greek team (start of the match - at 17.30).

Victory over Ireland increased the chances of the blue and yellows to enter the European Championship. The second place in the group of Ukrainian women is now separated by four points, and two more matches are ahead.

In the next match, in Greece, our team desperately needs a victory, but a draw will leave chances for the playoffs. In this case, in the last round, Natalia Zinchenko's charges will have to beat Montenegro and hope for the defeat of Ireland from Germany. In case of an equal number of points, the Ukrainians will have an advantage over the Irish in personal meetings.

Unfortunately, on the eve of departure for Athens, our team lost two more players - COVID-19 was found in the possession of captain Darina Apanashchenko and main striker Olga Boychenko. In addition, it was not possible to fill the vacancies because the Greek medical services have very strict quarantine requirements. As a result, 18 Ukrainian women went to the away game.

Natia Pantsulaya and Iya Andrushchak were injured the day before, but according to Natalia Zinchenko, the injuries were not serious. Also, the head coach of the national team of Ukraine predicted the course of the match with Greece:

"Unlike us, Greek women have no staffing problems. At least all the leading players took part in the match with Montenegro. The national team of Ukraine in Athens will face a difficult test, especially if we take into account that we will play in a weakened team. Housewives are physically strong, act harshly, use the 4–2–3–1 scheme, but, if necessary, adopt 4–3–3. A lot will depend on whether my wards will be able to control the ball, how quickly they will move from defense to attack.

Still, I hope that the staffing problems will only unite the girls, and they will demonstrate their best qualities. This is very important, because only a victory leaves the national team of Ukraine a chance to make it to the finals of the European Championship. "

Squad national female national team of Ukraine

Goalkeepers: Iryna Sanina (Zhytlobud-1 Kharkiv), Daryna Bondarchuk (Zhytlobud-2 Kharkiv), Alla Herasymchuk (Voskhod Stara Mayachka).

Defenders: Daria Kravets (Reims, France), Anastasia Voronina (Zhytlobud-1 Kharkiv), Iryna Podolska, Anastasia Filenko, Natia Pantsulaya (all Zhytlobud-2 Kharkiv), Lyubov Shmatko (Minsk), Belarus ).

Midfielders: Anna Petryk (Zhytlobud-1 Kharkiv), Tamila Khimich (Minsk, Belarus), Iya Andrushchak, Yana Malakhova, Yana Kalinina (all - Zhytlobud-2 Kharkiv), Yulia Khrystyuk (EMS-Podillya Vinnytsia) .

Forwards: Nadiya Kunina, Anna Voronina (both Zhytlobud-1 Kharkiv), Nicole Kozlova (Virginia Tech, USA).

Group I standings

Matches remaining in the Euro-2022 qualification in Group I.

Of the 47 teams participating in the Euro qualifiers, 15 will reach the decisive stage. Nine winners of the selected groups and the top three second teams will join England as the host of the European Championship. Six more second-placed teams in their groups will play in the last three matches in playoffs. These matches will take place on April 5-13, 2021.

It will be recalled that on April 23, the UEFA Executive Committee decided on postponement of the final part of the European Championship among the national women's national teams. Thus, the Euro in England will be held from 6 to 31 July 2022.