Ruslan Rotan: We are setting up the team to win the group. We have a game ahead with France at home, the chances are good

23.12.2021 14:00

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The results of 2021 for the youth national team of Ukraine U-XNUMX were summed up by its coach Ruslan Rotan.

- What assessment would you give to your team this year?

- Apparently, I will leave this right to our managers, specialists and fans. We made our analysis based on two tasks that had to be solved during the year. The first is preparation for the first part of the qualifying tournament. The second is the selection itself.

During the two training camps we watched 36 players. Not all newcomers were able to gain a foothold in the team, but many guys took this chance. We went to Serbia knowing our potential.

- Did a quick goal help you in the first Euro 2023 qualifying match?

- At the end of the match, Serbia pressed us a little, and that goal may not have been enough. In the first half we had to score more - wasted one goal, twice hit the post.

The victory turned out to be very important for us. We were constantly reminded that Ukraine U-12 could not win the starting match for 2009 years - since XNUMX. It was nice to break such a series, but without the victory over Armenia, this success would have been multiplied by zero. Yes, I had to get nervous in Kovalivka, but I explain it by young age. Although I told the boys: "You should close such matches much earlier, win them more confidently."

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- In France, everything broke the red card?

- Of course, it could not but affect the result, but I would still like to take responsibility for this defeat. We planned to play boldly. I asked the players to feel their strength in this match, against such an opponent, to play with them from ф position of strength. The team disappeared somewhere, although before the red card it was obvious that the guys overcame their excitement, they began to work calmly with the ball.

However, this experience, albeit a negative one, will be beneficial. Maybe it has already worked, because in all the remaining matches, we controlled the situation from the first to the last minutes. Even in North Macedonia, despite a draw, the team had a good match. They could double, triple the score, but were satisfied with one point.

This happens to young guys when they feel superior to their opponent (and it was significant), and then allow instant relaxation, which usually comes at the worst moment. Something similar happened in Skopje, where we should have won the game, and the draw was a coincidence.

Of course, the loss of points upset us all, but as a coach I was pleased that the players had a sense of superiority over the opponent. In Lviv, in the second match with Serbia, it helped us. We had a very good match again, but again almost lost points.

The team had an advantage over Serbia throughout the match. I had no doubt in the mood of the guys, in the victory, and here somewhere this French experience has already affected. However, the inability to close the game in time, to increase the gap again led to an unexpected goal in our goal. After that, it turned out that the team has a strong character, and we snatched three important points.

Such matches also happen when the game is going on, but you still need character. The spirit of the team. It made me very happy last fall. I saw how the reserve players are feeling on the bench, and I understood what a close-knit team we have.

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- Admit it, now you look at the first place in the table more often or are you still looking back - towards the pursuers?

- We set up the team only to win the group. We have a game ahead with France at home. Chances are good, we have to work. Of course, the fate of the second place probably depends only on us, but I would not like to talk about the playoffs yet.

It is important that we managed to stabilize the squad. A total of 25 players took part in six matches of the qualifying tournament, but only 16 of them came on the pitch. Nine performers played in all six matches. Only once in the starting eleven there were three changes at once, compared to the previous match. But, as a rule, there was one, maximum two permutations.

- Have you already made plans for the beginning of next year?

- At the end of January, our coaching staff plans a traditional review of players at the meeting of UPL clubs in Turkey. This is a very useful trip for us. We watch the boys play in the face of serious loads, communicate with them and their coaches.

Of course, we are grateful to all our clubs that train players every day - after almost every meeting we try to contact them and talk about it. I would like to thank the UAF for the conditions that were created to prepare for the matches of Ukraine U-36. In total, we held five meetings during the year, which included 12 training days and XNUMX game days. It's great that we have to play in different regions of the country - in Kyiv, Kovalivka, Zaporizhzhya and Lviv we had excellent support.

I hope that the same positive mood will remain in 2022, and we will be able to solve all the challenges we face.

Euro-2023 (U-21). Qualifying tournament 

Group H

6th round

08.06.2021

Faroe Islands - Armenia - 2: 0

1 round 

02.09.2021

France - North Macedonia - 3: 0

Armenia - Faroe Islands - 2: 0

03.09.2021

Serbia - Ukraine - 0: 1

2 round 

06.09.2021

Faroe Islands - France - 1: 1

07.09.2021

North Macedonia - Serbia - 0: 0

Ukraine - Armenia - 2: 1

3 round 

07.10.2021

Armenia - Serbia - 1: 4

Faroe Islands - North Macedonia — 1:1

08.10.2021

France - Ukraine - 5: 0

4 round 

12.10.2021

Ukraine - Faroe Islands - 1: 0

Armenia - Northern Macedonia - 1: 2

Serbia - France - 0: 3

5 round 

11.11.2021

France - Armenia - 7: 0

North Macedonia - Ukraine - 1: 1

12.11.2021

Serbia - Faroe Islands - 0: 0

6 round 

16.11.2021

Northern Macedonia - France - 0: 1

Ukraine - Serbia - 2: 1  

Standings

7 round 

24.03.2022

Armenia - Ukraine

Serbia - North Macedonia

France - Faroe Islands 

8 round 

29.03.2022

Ukraine - France

Serbia - Armenia

North Macedonia - Faroe Islands 

9 round 

02.06.2022

Faroe Islands - Ukraine

North Macedonia - Armenia

03.06.2022

France - Serbia 

10 round 

07.06.2022

Armenia - France

Ukraine - North Macedonia

Faroe Islands - Serbia 

In the final part of Euro-2023 (U-21) there will be 16 teams - Romania and Georgia as hosts of the tournament and 14 more teams that will join them based on the results of the selection (nine group winners, the best team among the second place winners and four play winners -off, which will play eight second place winners).

Ranking of second places

Playoffs: September 2022.

Final tournament: June / July 2023.

The matches of the tournament with the participation of 16 national teams will be hosted by four stadiums in Romania (two in Cluj-Napoca and two in Bucharest) and four in Georgia (in Batumi, Poti and two in Tbilisi). The opening match will take place in Romania, and the final - in Georgia.