World Cup
Alexander PETRAKOV: “Before the match I was calm, and then I started to beat”
The head coach of the Ukrainian national team thanked the wards for the victory over Scotland (3:1). However, he noted that the main final of our team will be in four days – in a duel against Wales.
– I was calm the day before the match and when I got to the stadium it started shaking. I want to say that the guys did everything. I would like to thank them, our administrative staff, our trainers, our masseurs and our doctors. This is everyone’s worth, everyone worked for victory, – Petrakov took the floor.
– The match started with attacks from Scotland and tried to take the game into their own hands. Were you ready for this start?
– Yes, we said Scotland is a strong team. The boys knew this, so they controlled the ball and put it down because the Scots play well with their heads. We did all the training like this, we smashed the opponent to the bone. Thanks guys for doing everything we asked for. Working with them is a pleasure.
– At halftime, Scotland reorganized tactically and moved from their five back line-ups to a four-player game. Wasn’t it a surprise?
– At halftime I said: now they will replace Dykes, Christy will come out and they will play 3-4-2-1. So they started playing. We told the guys everything.
– Before Yaremchuk’s goal, Zabarny joined the attack. Is it that situational?
– Yes. But we said to him: “Ilya, there is a gap – go there. don’t be afraid”. He started playing like that, well done.
– Zinchenko said that the Ukrainian team does not have big stars, but in general we have a star team. Do you join?
– We really have a star team. But why don’t we have stars? We have Premier League champions, we have Yarmolenko and Mikolenko – Premier League players. Malinovsky plays in Serie A, there are many good players.
– How will the national team prepare for the Wales match?
“This will be the last for us. I got the masseurs, I told the guys, ‘We need to get better.’ We will train in the evening. Two groups will train. The first group will recover and the second will train.
Source: Sport UA
I have been working as a sports journalist for about 6 years now. I currently work as an author at Sportish, which is a sports news website. I mainly cover sports news and I love writing about all aspects of the sport. I also have experience working as a broadcast journalist, so I have some great insights into how sport is reported and presented.
World Cup
Shevchenko made statements about the Ukraine-Sweden match in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers
UAF President Andrey Shevchenko He talked about the match against the Swedish national team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
“When we were drawn against Sweden we probably faced our toughest opponent. I have great respect for Swedish football, you have always had good national teams and great players.”
“It’s always difficult to face Scandinavian teams, even though you don’t qualify for the World Cup, because you have so much quality, character and identity. This is similar to us to some extent. I don’t think there are favourites. In the end it all depends on the details, the injury situation and the preparations,” said Shevchenko.
In case of victory, Ukraine will play with the winner of the Poland-Albania doubles for a ticket to the World Cup. Ukraine will play the final match at home on March 31, again conditionally.
In addition to the 12 teams that finished second in their groups, the 4 winners of the Nations League quartet will also participate in the play-offs. All 16 participants are divided into 4 paths. Each route will include a semi-final and a final. The semi-finals will be held on March 26, and the finals will be held on March 31, 2026.
Source: Sport UA
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
UAF President Andrey Shevchenko He pointed out the significant financial costs of organizing the Ukrainian national team’s “home” matches outside the country.
“Hosting such meetings costs us an enormous amount of money and we are deprived of the opportunity to assemble a full stadium. In fact, the cost of a so-called home match at a neutral venue costs around five times more than a regular match.”
Our sponsors are located in a country where the struggle continues, so their financial resources are seriously limited.
I cannot approach the government with requests for additional funding.
We are forced to work tightly within the available budget and rely on the support of private donors, especially when it comes to social initiatives,” the UAF president told Dagens Nyheter.
During the current year, the Ukrainian national team played its official home matches in stadiums in Spain and Poland.
Source: Sport UA
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
Head coach of the Portuguese national team Roberto Martinez He explained why Cristiano Ronaldo continues to play an important role in the national team.
– There is always a lot of talk around Cristiano Ronaldo. Why does he remain the undisputed starter for the Portuguese national team, even though he will soon be 41?
“It’s all about his attitude towards the profession.” We constantly evaluate three key factors: talent level, accumulated experience and the contribution a player can make to the national team.
Making the highest demands on himself for the benefit of the team allows the captain to maintain his place in the squad. His desire to be the best is passed on to his partners. “The 25 goals he scored in 30 matches as a striker confirms that his play brings tangible benefits to the national team,” he said.
Source: Sport UA
I am a writer at Sportish, where I mainly cover sports news. I’ve also written for The Guardian and ESPN Brasil, and my work has been featured on NBC Sports, SI.com and more. Before working in journalism, I was an athlete: I played football for Colgate University and competed in the US Open Cross Country Championships.
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