Viktor Mykita: "Football during war has become a form of rehabilitation for defenders and a foundation for community development."
Yuriy Moroz: "Recent training camp has played a vital role in U-17 Euro 2025 qualifiers preparation"
Ukraine U-16 team, composed of players born in or after 2008, wrapped up their inaugural training camp with a win at the UEFA Development Tournament held in Estonia.
Ukraine U-16 team, composed of players born in or after 2008, wrapped up their inaugural training camp with a win at the UEFA Development Tournament held in Estonia.
Upon their return, head coach Yuriy Moroz reflected on the team's performance in a statement on the official website of the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF).
"The training camp proved to be informative for the coaching staff," said Yuriy Moroz. "Our opponents in the UEFA Development Tournament were formidable. We garnered many positive emotions, as this marked the first outing for the Ukraine U-16 team."
The first match against Northern Ireland was a debut for many of the boys, resulting in heightened nerves. Moreover, the coaching staff had little time to convey all our demands to the players. Consequently, there was a lack of cohesion and understanding of the entire process, given the diversity of clubs represented in the team and the presence of several foreign-based players. Although I have no complaints about the players' efforts, the match against Northern Ireland ended in a draw. Despite trailing, the team rallied back, forcing penalties, which are always a lottery.
In the second and third matches, our players felt the level of the tournament, found their rhythm, and felt comfortable alongside their teammates. Confidence followed, along with victories. However, I must admit that I wasn't entirely satisfied with every aspect of my players' performance throughout the games. Nevertheless, this was our first collective endeavor. I'm grateful to the UAF leadership for organizing this training camp, which has played a vital role in preparing this squad for the Euro 2025 (U-17) qualifying round.
UEFA Development Tournament for U-16 teams
April 23, 2024
Ukraine - Northern Ireland - 2:2 (6:7 on penalties)
Estonia - Luxembourg - 1:3
April 25, 2024
Luxembourg - Northern Ireland - 2:2 (4:2 on penalties)
Estonia - Ukraine - 1:3
April 28, 2024
Ukraine - Luxembourg - 3:1
Northern Ireland - Estonia - 2:0
Standings
|
|
M |
W |
WP |
LP |
L |
GD |
P |
|
1. Ukraine |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
8—4 |
7 |
|
2. Northern Ireland |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
6—4 |
6 |
|
3. Luxembourg |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
6—6 |
5 |
|
4. Estonia |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
2—8 |
0 |
Reminder: In June, the U-16 team of Ukraine will participate in a tournament in Japan.
