In February of next year, the selection cycle for CS-2027 among women's teams begins. The Ukraine national team has started preparing for the tournament with friendly matches against Slovakia (2:1) and Romania (1:1).

Head coach of the Ukrainian women's national team, Volodymyr Pyatenko, shared his impressions from these matches, which took place at the end of October, on the official website of the UAF:

— Due to various reasons, 11 players from the main squad were absent. On one hand, this gave us an opportunity to look at the closest reserve, while on the other — several key footballers were missing, and this was reflected in the game. However, ultimately, training camps and friendlies are conducted for the purpose of refining team play.

— Did the October stage of preparation and matches against Slovakia and Romania meet expectations?

— If we don't focus on personnel losses, then yes. Everything that was planned was carried out. We gave an opportunity to show themselves practically all the footballers who were at our disposal. Especially since six substitutions were allowed. Since there was an opportunity to experiment, we tried players in different combinations, although this did not affect the playing style. Tactical schemes remained traditional.

— From your experience of leading the Ukrainian national team — which of the friendly matches did our girls perform better in?

— You know, there is one significant nuance here. The interval between selection games is slightly longer, while playing every two days, as in October, creates certain difficulties. One must also consider logistical issues that affect the training process and recovery. Of course, we tried to pay attention to every detail so that the workload was distributed evenly, but the Romanians had only one friendly match planned and were therefore somewhat fresher. Moreover, they played at home. Perhaps this is what helped them avoid defeat in the final moments of the game.

By the way, our opponents had different styles, but they shared a desire to use high pressing, increase intensity in the final phase, and often attack down the flanks. In short, these were beneficial friendlies, as we also strive to demonstrate football that meets today's demands.

Photo: Dan Balashov

— Among your wards, were there any who did not fit into the ensemble or perhaps, on the contrary — pleasantly surprised?

— Since there were many footballers who previously had insufficient playing experience, let alone two debutants in the national team, it was important that they first and foremost diligently followed coaching instructions. Overall, there's no reason to complain, the performance of the national team made a solid impression.

— Were there any injuries?

— Sadly, Kateryna Korsun and Svitlana Kogut, who played against Slovakia, were not spared injuries and had to miss the match against Romania. I hope they will recover quickly and be able to help their teams in the next round of the Ukrainian championship.

— By the way, how are things with those of your wards who for various reasons were not involved in October?

— The majority of them will soon return to action. I count on them at the next training camp in November.

— Do you already know who the Ukrainians will play against in their next friendly matches?

— The matter is still under negotiation. I hope we'll play against interesting opponents at the end of November.