Ukraine national team defender Illia Zabarnyi, who was named the "Man of the Match" for the New Zealand vs. Ukraine game, shared his impressions of the match.

The Ukrainian national team in Toronto, Canada at the Canadian Shield tournament secured a victory over New Zealand (2:1) and claimed second place in these competitions. The match was commented on by defender Illia Zabarnyi of the blue-and-yellow team, who wore the captain's armband for the first time in the national team and was chosen as "Man of the Match."

"Honestly — I'm tired. But we won, and that is very important. It feels great to be appreciated, but more than one player receiving 'Man of the Match,' the whole team worked hard for it. This is a credit to everyone.

Being the captain of the team — this is a huge pride for me. My dream came true — to lead the national team onto the field, and it happened at quite a young age. I will work even harder and help the team."

The main takeaway from the last gathering — that teams facing us fight very aggressively until the end. We have an important World Cup qualification ahead of us, so we'll draw conclusions and move forward," — said Illia Zabarnyi.