Head coach of Ukraine U-19, Dmitro Mykhaylenko, commented on the defeat 1:2 against Germany in the semi-finals and their overall performance at the tournament.

"Let's start with the entire tournament. How would you evaluate your performance?"

"We had some time to analyze and sum up. Of course, we evaluate it very positively. If someone told us at the beginning that we would lose to Germany in extra time in the semi-finals — I think we would have agreed to that. Looking at the result, it's a great one. We also want to see players who will be knocking on the national team door in 3-4 years. Here we wanted to have more such players. We want them to be more athletic and creative. We wanted to have a deeper squad with players matching this level. Overall, the tournament was positive. There is a group of players who really came into their own at this tournament. I think they have great potential."

"How much has the team grown if we compare the start of selection and this moment?"

"I think there was a significant leap in quality. First of all, due to the wins. Because victories give confidence. The boys start believing in this idea and themselves. And after the first game, we felt that it was already a new team. A large number of young players in the lineup. Some were doubtful, some were playing at this level for the first time. Tough games against strong teams. Three consecutive wins definitely added a lot. Today the boys came out not afraid of anyone and very confident. This is great and gives us strength."

"Did you have to endure against Germany?"

"We thought it would be like this for various reasons. They rested an extra day, and their players are very athletic and physically strong. It was tough for us, especially in the first half. We warned that we had to endure. The first 30 minutes were supposed to be difficult — and they were. We got lucky a bit. Endured it. In the second half, I think it became more even, with swings back and forth. And we had approaches, shots, as did Germany. But we felt like we controlled the game. It's twice as disappointing that we conceded in extra time. Both in the first and second halves. We thought a bit of attention and concentration would have helped us withstand the first half. Unfortunately, it didn't work out."

"How would you describe your team?"

"I like that this is an atypical team. Many players, especially the attacking group, are not afraid to play with the ball and under pressure. They play short and medium passes. I see that the boys have embraced the idea — they like it and can play it. Of course, we chose players for this style of play that we want to see. But the fact that this game brought such a result was unexpected."

"Is this team worth writing about?"

"I am sure it is, we should write about this team. I don't want to delve into history now, but it seems that 9 points — this is the first time for our national team. And considering the quality of play, the boys deserve to be written about."