Andriy Shevchenko: North Macedonia has got several victories over top teams in recent years. We must be careful

16.06.2021 17:15

Photo by Pavlo Kubanov

The head coach of the national team of Ukraine Andriy Shevchenko held a press conference dedicated to tomorrow's match of Euro-2020 second round of the group tournament with the team of North Macedonia.

- The national team of Ukraine showed a good game with the Netherlands, but lost. What is the atmosphere in the team now? Are you confident on the eve of the next match?

- The atmosphere is very good. We had a good match, we didn't have enough for a positive result. The team's response was excellent. We look positively at the future game.

— This is the third Euro in a row, where a heavy rain is expected during the match Ukraine - North Macedonia. This was the case in Donetsk in 2012 and in Lyon in 2016. Why is the weather so unlucky? Is it difficult to play after a break in a game with such bad conditions?

- I did not look at the weather forecast for tomorrow. We can't influence it in any way. As nature disposes, under such conditions we will play.

— Did you give your wards advice on playing during the rain?

- The weather is always taken into account. If there is a downpour, I hope it will not be such that we will have to stop the match. Let's hope the weather changes. You should at least be able to play the game without stopping.

— How important is your instruction to the players before the match?

- We understand perfectly what tasks we face. The team is preparing, adjusting. For us, this is a very prestigious and important tournament, because not every year Ukraine gets to the finals of the European Championship. Every player understands the importance and is aware of the responsibility for their own and team play. No need for extra words and settings here.

— What did the national team of Ukraine manage in the match with the Netherlands, and what did not work out?

- We did very well from defense to attack, there were many interesting sequels. The only thing - we lacked goal conversion, namely - the last pass and shot. It was not possible to create the pressure in the center of the field that we expected. With quality players, the Netherlands pushed us somewhere, especially until the end of the first half. It was difficult for us to get out of the defense. In the second half, especially after conceding the ball, there was a good reaction, the team rose to the second zone. We started to press better and create moments. There was both a positive and a negative.

We understand that in matches with top-level teams it is impossible to cover everything, as well as to predict all possible situations. We need to understand when to close the flanks or the middle of the field, without weakening our positions. Here we had to decide how to balance the game. I think the team did everything right. The game turned out interesting, open. The most important thing is that the audience stayed pleasant. The team showed itself well. The only thing we would like is to achieve a better result.

But this game is in the past, I would like to talk a little less about it. We have a serious match against North Macedonia. This team deserves respect, it has character. She plays in her own style according to the 5-3-2 scheme. The team counterattacks well. In recent years, they have had several good games and victories over top teams. We must be careful, especially during the opponent's counterattacks.