Yuriy Moroz: The team cleared up all my concerns about the result of the elite round with their game

14.03.2024 19:05

Photo of UAF press service

The youth national team of Ukraine (football players not older than 2007) performed triumphantly in the elite round of Euro-2024 qualifying (U-17). The blue-yellows topped their group with three wins in three matches. After the team's return from Greece, where the competition was held, the head coach Yuriy Moroz answered the questions of the UAF official website.

— Mr. Yuriy, what was the most difficult for you as a coach on the eve of the tournament?

— To convey to the players the requirements that we set for them, so that the team could play a balanced game. I won't hide it, there were concerns because a lot of work was done before the tournament, and I was afraid that the boys might not take it adequately, but they did a great job. They tried to perform all the tasks down to the smallest detail, and in the matches it gave results.

— The coach always has questions for his wards, but the team scored eight goals in three matches and did not concede a single one...

- I'm going to say this: everything was coordinated - both in defense and in attack.

— What did you say to your wards after the game with Slovakia in the locker room?

- I thanked them a lot for the fact that they tried to do everything as we agreed.

— Striker Artem Stepanov became the best scorer of the Ukrainian national team at this tournament...

- Almost all of our attack group scored goals. Some - more, some - less. In this situation, I was pleased that they were aimed at the opponents' goal.

— Does it feel like the same Stepanov is going through a European football school?

- Yes. Moreover, this striker joins the training sessions with the first team of Bayer Leverkusen. Artem does his best, but he is still young, so he still needs to work on himself a lot.

— With the game that your wards showed in the elite round, can we count on something serious in the final part of the Euro?

— Every next tournament is a new challenge. And this challenge is getting bigger, the opponent is getting more aggressive, faster, stronger every time. We still need to improve both as a team and individually.

— There are two months until the final part of the European Championship. The next training camp will be right before the tournament, will it be possible to find another window for preparation?

— Today there is an offer from Cyprus, the host of the European Championship, to play two friendly matches with them in the first or second decade of April. There is such a plan, but I cannot say yet how everything will turn out. Well, then the team will gather in May just before the final tournament. But again, we don't know what date the training camp starts, as a lot will depend on the clubs. There are many questions, but I hope that everything will be resolved only for the better.

Euro-2024 (U-17). Elite round of qualifying. Group 4

06.03.2024

Slovakia — Switzerland — 2:1

Greece - Ukraine - 0: 2

09.03.2024

Switzerland - Ukraine — 0:3

Greece — Slovakia — 0:1

12.03.2024

Ukraine - Slovakia - 3: 0

Switzerland - Greece - 2:0 

Standings

The final tournament with the participation of 16 national teams will be held from May 20 to June 5, 2024 in Cyprus - at six stadiums in Achna, Larnaca, Paralimni and Limassol. The eight winners of the groups of the elite round of selection and the seven winners of the second places with the best results will enter the final stage, where the host country immediately entered, based on the results of the March matches.

The competition in seven groups of the elite round will last from March 20 to 26. That's when it will become clear who will join Cyprus and Ukraine. 

Euro 2024 (U-17). Elite round

Group 1: England, France, Hungary, Northern Ireland.

Group 2: Wales, Bulgaria, Sweden, Romania.

Group 3: Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Italy.

Group 4: Greece, Switzerland, Slovakia, Ukraine.

Group 5: Portugal, Germany, Croatia, Ireland.

Group 6: Turkey, Serbia, Georgia, Denmark.

Group 7: Spain, Austria, Slovenia, Norway.

Group 8: Poland, Czechia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The draw for the final tournament takes place in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, on April 3. 16 teams will be divided into four groups of four participants. Cyprus and the top seven national teams among the winners of the elite round qualification groups will be seeded. The criteria for the correspondence competition are as follows:

— more points scored in the elite round of qualifying;

— better goal difference;

— more goals scored;

— a fewer amount of disciplinary points for yellow and red cards received by players and team officials (red card - three points, yellow card - one point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match - three points);

— a higher position in the coefficients rankings.

So, with a maximum score of nine points and a goal difference of 8-0, Ukraine has a great chance to be among seeded during the draw.

Other details of the drawing procedure will be announced by UEFA later.

In the final tournament, the two best teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals. The semifinals and the final on June 5 in Limassol are next.