Volodymyr Pyatenko: "We missed our chance to reach Switzerland in Antalya"

04.12.2024 16:07

The Ukraine women's national team faced Belgium in the second round of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 qualifiers playoff stage, suffering two defeats (0:2, 1:2) and unfortunately failing to secure a spot in the tournament's final stage, which will take place in Switzerland next year.

In an interview with the UAF official website, Ukraine's head coach Volodymyr Pyatenko shared his thoughts on the team’s performance in the decisive matches:

— Ukraine's chances to qualify for the Euros significantly diminished after the first match against Belgium in Antalya, where we failed to score despite creating goal-scoring opportunities and conceded a second, unnecessary goal in added time. Unfortunately, our squad was not at full strength, which undoubtedly had an impact. Overcoming a two-goal deficit against a higher-ranked opponent in an away match is always a tough task.

— However, in the return leg in Leuven, the Ukrainian team managed to put up a strong fight against their opponents...

— The return of our captain, Darya Apanashchenko, from injury came at the right time. We also adjusted our tactical approach, focusing more on activity in the final third, which made it harder for Belgium to control possession.

In my opinion, we didn’t deserve to lose in Leuven. It’s frustrating that we once again conceded in stoppage time, with the hosts exploiting space on our left flank. Late in the game, we pushed forward in search of a win, taking significant risks, but it didn’t pay off.

Photo by Dan Balashov

— Looking at both matches, in what aspects did Ukraine outperform Belgium, and where did they fall short?

— In terms of work rate on the pitch, we had the upper hand. Regarding intensity and defensive play, the teams were fairly even. However, the hosts had an edge in technical skill, which was evident in their ability to convert chances. Their goals in Leuven came after some well-executed combinations.

This difference can be attributed to Belgium's approach to developing women’s football. For example, girls in Belgium play alongside boys in mixed teams until the age of 14, which provides them with a more diverse skill set.

— How would you evaluate Ukraine’s overall performance in this campaign?

— I believe the girls performed well, even though we didn’t reach the final stage of the Euros. The international experience gained throughout this campaign will undoubtedly benefit us soon, especially in the Nations League.