Ruslan Rotan: "For the match against North Macedonia, we prepared the team in a special way"
Head coach of the Ukraine youth team, Ruslan Rotan, summed up the match between his side and North Macedonia's team.
Photo by the press service of the UAF
In a Euro 2023 (U-21) qualifying match, the Ukraine U-21 national team defeated North Macedonia with a score of 4:0. Head coach Ruslan Rotan shared his impressions from this encounter with the press service of the Ukrainian Football Association.
"I am satisfied with the actions of the team in the previous game. The boys demonstrated character. I emphasized to them that it would not be easy against North Macedonia, as we knew that the opponent would defend a lot, so there would be very little space ahead. Once again, I praise my wards for starting from the first minute to look for happiness near the opponents' goal without slowing down, which they were rewarded after halftime.
For this match, we prepared the team in a special way. As in the game with the Faroes, we tried to play for our warriors, all Ukrainians who are currently struggling. But there was another moment. We asked the parents of the players to record videos supporting the team. I saw that my wards' eyes were glowing.
For this victory, I am grateful to the entire team, but I cannot help but highlight Vladyslav Vana, who came on as a substitute in the 65th minute and managed to make two assists and score twice. We planned this substitution from the very beginning because we understood that the closer it would be to the end of the match, the deeper the opponent would defend. That's exactly what happened.
Now for us, the most urgent question is the recovery of the players, as in three days we have a very difficult match against the French. For us, this will be a game for six points."
It should be noted that Ruslan Rotan's wards, having secured at least second place in the group table, theoretically still have a chance to take first place. However, even second position under certain scenarios can prove golden.
Let us remind you that 16 teams will participate in the final stage of Euro 2023 (U-21) — Romania and Georgia as hosts of the tournament and another 14 national teams joining them based on qualification results (nine group winners, the best team among second-placed teams, and four playoff winners from eight second-placed teams).
Euro 2023 (U-21). Qualifying Tournament
Group H
Tournament Table
Team |
M |
W |
D |
L |
P |
Points |
1. France |
8 |
7 |
1 |
0 |
24-1 |
22 |
2. Ukraine |
8 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
15-8 |
19 |
3. Serbia |
9 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
9-10 |
11 |
4. Faroe Islands |
9 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5-11 |
9 |
5. North Macedonia |
10 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
8-15 |
9 |
6. Armenia |
8 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
6-22 |
3 |
06.06.2022
Armenia — France
07.06.2022
Faroe Islands — Serbia
09.06.2022
Ukraine — France
12.06.2022
Armenia — Ukraine
Play-offs: 20–27 September 2022.
Final tournament: June/July 2023.
The matches of the tournament involving 16 national teams will be held on 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, while the final will be played in Georgia.
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