The national beach soccer team of Ukraine will start today in the qualification for the 2021 World Cup

21.06.2021 11:36

Today, the national beach soccer team of Ukraine will start fighting in the qualifying tournament for the 2021 World Cup. 

16 teams will take part in the European qualification in Nazar, Portugal, among which four holders of final licenses will be determined. The matches will take place from June 21 to 27.

The head coach of the blue-yellows Mykola Kostenko is counting on the same 16 performers who recently provided the national team of Ukraine reached the Superfinal of the Euroleague-2021.

The composition of the national team of Ukraine in beach soccer for the selection of the 2021 World Cup

Goalkeepers: Andriy Nerush (Griffin), Volodymyr Gladchenko (Servit), Denis Sabatyuk (Alternative).

Outfield players: Igor Borsuk, Roman Pachev (both Arthur Music), Oleg Sirenko (Alternative), Oleg Zborovsky (NC Beachsoccer), Maxim Voytok, Alexander Korniychuk, Yuri Shcheritsa, Andriy Pashko, Yaroslav Zavorotny, Konstantin Makeyev, Dmitry Medvid, Dmytro Voitenko, Ivan Hlutsky (all - "Servit").

The rivals of the national team of Ukraine in the quartet of the A round of the European qualification of the 2021 World Cup will be the teams of Portugal, Turkey and Kazakhstan. The Ukrainians need to take first or second place in the group and continue to win in the quarterfinal match against one of the two best teams in Group D (Switzerland, France, Azerbaijan, Estonia). Four semifinalists of the qualifying tournament will receive passes to the 2021 World Cup.

The coach of the national team of Ukraine Mykola Kostenko praised our rivals in the group: “Together with Vitaliy Sydorenko, we tried to watch the matches of our potential rivals in the World Cup qualifiers in the Euroleague selection. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the entrance to the stadium was severely restricted, and we did not see all the planned matches. But we attended two matches of the Turkish national team. This is a very difficult opponent. A team with great ambitions, plays football closer to Italian. Plus, we've noticed its players can draw fouls, often simulating. If you give Turkish players too much freedom of action, then they play very well with courage. 

Our second opponent is Kazakhstan. This team has a strong style, and although it does not have any great achievements in beach soccer, it is physically well prepared. It is necessary to tune in to it, not to relax in any case. And, finally, we will have a confrontation with Portugal. Here, without further ado, is the first team in the world rankings. This will probably be a decisive match in our group. The minimum task is quite clear - to get to the four semifinalists. And the maximum is to win the qualifying tournament itself. "

The national team of Ukraine will start the selection of the 2021 World Cup today with a match against Turkey. 

Calendar of the national team of Ukraine in the selection of the 2021 World Cup

21.06. Ukraine - Turkey (16.00)

22.06. Ukraine - Kazakhstan (16.00)

23.06. Portugal - Ukraine (18.45)

The further calendar of our team will depend on the results of its performance in the group round.