“In the second round of the playoffs of the European Championship, Ukrainian women face a difficult task”, — write: sport.ua
– We have been conducting the final stage of training in Antalya since November 20, but only on Monday evening did we gather in full — the Legionnaires arrived. Unfortunately, in the last round of the Turkish championship, Yana Derkach, who plays for “Fomget”, was injured, and Lesya Olkhova from “Metalista 1925” had to be urgently called as a replacement.
– Do the weather conditions allow for a high-quality training process?
– It’s a sin to complain, after our arrival the strong wind was a bit of a hindrance, but the last few days it’s been warm, sunny and no problems.
– What information do you have about Belgian women?
– Almost all ensembles perform abroad. Near their own possessions, the team operates with a supporting midfielder, in the other half of the field, it uses an attacking scheme of 4—3—3. The Belgians play quite tightly in the transition phase, they also have vertical transmissions. But even though they have a higher place in the ranking report, my wards have their trump cards, and we are going to play only to win.
– Playoff matches have their own specifics…
– Yes, there is no time for stretching, maximum adjustment is required, every little thing should be taken into account. Because you can’t wait for the opportunity to correct the mistakes that will be made in the first match. I am sure that the girls are perfectly aware of this, so the mood is combative.
– Due to Russian aggression, the Ukrainian national team is forced to host opponents abroad. Do you count on your support group in Antalya?
– Yes, I have information that those Ukrainian immigrants who are now in Turkey are going to support us. The rowers of the Ukrainian national team, who are preparing for the new season here these days, will also come. We will try not to disappoint.
In the first round of the playoffs, Volodymyr Pyatenko’s wards defeated Turkey (1:1, 2:0). Now, in the second stage, the blue-yellow team will compete for a ticket to the European Championship with Belgium, which beat Greece (0:0, 5:0) in the sum of two games.
In the matches with the Belgians, the coach of the Ukrainian national team is counting on 24 football players.
The composition of the women’s national team of Ukraine Goalkeepers: Kateryna Samson (“Vorskla” Poltava), Daria Kelyushik (“Colossus” Kovalivka), Daryna Bondarchuk (“Metalist 1925” Kharkiv).
Defenders: Kateryna Korsun, Yana Kotyk, Iryna Podolska, Marina Shaynyuk (all from “Vorskla” Poltava), Darya Apanashchenko, Olga Basanska, Lesya Olkhova (all from “Metalist 1925” Kharkiv), Lyubov Shmatko (“Fomget”, Turkey).
Midfielders: Victoria Girin (“Ladomyr” Volodymyr), Veronika Andruhiv, Dayana Semkiv (both – “Colossus” Kovalivka), Yana Kalinina (“Vorskla” Poltava), Tamila Khimich, Yulia Shevchuk, Natia Pantsulaya, Anna Petryk (all – “Metalist 1925” Kharkiv), Nicole Kozlova (Glasgow City, Scotland), Jana Malakhova (Mura Nona, Slovenia).
Attackers: Roksolana Kravchuk (“Vorskla” Poltava), Olga Ovdiychuk (“Fomget”, Turkey), Inna Glushchenko (“Lille”, France).
The first match of the second round of the Euro 2025 playoff between the women’s national teams of Ukraine and Belgium will take place on November 29 in Antalya, Turkey (start at 19:00), the second on December 3 in Leuven, Belgium (21:15).