Volodymyr Yezerskyi: "The national team of Ukraine will try to perform with dignity in the Netherlands"
Volodymyr Yezerskyi, the head coach of the U-19 youth national team of Ukraine, spoke about the preparation of his team for the elite round of the Euro-2022 selection.
On June 1, the youth national team of Ukraine (players not older than 2003) will start in the elite qualifying round of Euro-2022 (U-19). In preparation for this competition, the head coach of the blue and yellows Volodymyr Yezerskyi answered questions from the official UAF website.
- Vladimir Ivanovich, how is your mood on the eve of the start in the elite round?
- It could be better. We proceed from the circumstances. However, the coaching staff is doing everything possible to bring the team to a common denominator before the tournament.
- Are there any problems with personnel?
- For various reasons, there are several players we would like to see in the team. Oleg Ocheretko is injured. Daniel Kivinda, who is currently at Benfica, was expected, but he is only recovering from injury. Anton Bol and Dmytro Kapinus have been called up to the youth national team of Ukraine. But nothing, I believe that other footballers will honorably represent our country at such prestigious competitions.
- How well do you know the capabilities of your future rivals?
- We have a very strong group. I have enough information about the opponents, who gathered for the fourth time after the qualifying round in October last year. And in the national team of Ukraine, again, for all known reasons, the break was, in fact, seven months. I consider the Norwegian team to be the favorite of the quartet. It has nine players who have a permanent playing experience in the teams of the top divisions of Norway and Denmark, and six other players play in England in the U-23 teams. The Serbs have 12 players playing in their championship. And everyone knows the Dutch football school very well. Especially since this team is the host of the competition.
We are getting acquainted with the performers, because, as I said, we haven't seen each other for more than six months. In a short period of time we need to understand who is in what condition, and convey to the wards their ideas, remember what happened before to balance the composition.
- How difficult will it be for football players to adjust to the games given what is happening in Ukraine?
- Of course, the most important factor is psychological, but I am sure that the guys will play with great desire. Another question is how much the team will be ready to face such rivals, and only the matches themselves will show it. However, the national team of Ukraine will try to perform with dignity and please their compatriots.
The roster of the youth national team of Ukraine U-19
Goalkeepers: Timur Puzankov (Shakhtar Donetsk), Dmytro Ledviy (Rukh Lviv).
Defenders: Eduard Kozik, Andriy Buleza, Marian Farina (all Shakhtar Donetsk), Maksym Dyachuk, Navin Malysh (both Dynamo Kyiv), Vitaliy Roman, Marko Sapuga, Denys Pidhurskyi (all Rukh Lviv), Danilo Udod (Mariupol).
Midfielders: Nazar Voloshin, Oleksandr Jacyk, Anton Tsarenko (all - Dynamo Kyiv), Ivan Losenko (Shakhtar Donetsk), Artur Mykytyshyn, Denis Shostak, Mykhailo Khromei (all - Mariupol), Daniil Khrypchuk (Vorskla Poltava) , Ilya Kvasnytsia (Rukh Lviv).
Forwards: Yegor Yarmolyuk (Dnipro-1 Dnipro), Kyrylo Popov (Dynamo Kyiv), Anatoliy Semenets (Recreativo, Spain).
Calendar of the elite round of Euro-2022 qualifiers (U-19) in group 6
01.06.2022
17.00 Norway - Ukraine (Rotterdam)
20.00 Netherlands - Serbia (Almere)
04.06.2022
13.00. Ukraine - Serbia (Alfen-en-Rhein)
17.00 Netherlands - Norway (Rotterdam)
07.06.2022
20.00. Ukraine - Netherlands (Rotterdam)
20.00 Serbia - Norway (Alfen-en-Rhein)
The kick off is Kyiv time.
In case of reaching the final tournament, the national team of Ukraine will play in Group B together with England, Israel and Austria.
Euro-2022 (U-19). The final tournament
Group A: Slovakia, Romania, Italy, France.
Group B: England, Israel, Group 6 winner, Austria.
The final tournament will run from June 18 to July 1 in Slovakia. The two best teams from each group will reach the semifinals. A match for the fifth place is also planned, as the five strongest teams of Euro-2022 (U-19) will receive tickets to the 2023 World Cup (U-20) in Indonesia.
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