Sevidov: Ukraine had uncontrollable chaos in match against Ireland

Famous Ukrainian coach Alexander Sevidov shared his opinion on the performance of the national team of Ukraine in the qualifying matches of the playoff round of the World Cup and the qualification games of the League of Nations.

— Hour team did not make it to the finals of the World Cup in Qatar. Why couldn’t we beat Wales?

– Based solely on football moments, our team is stronger than Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Psychological preparation is very important. I really don’t like it when before important matches they say: this is the match of the year, the match of life, and so on. I believe that the Ukrainian team deservedly won against Scotland. And now let’s remember that on this day the Wales team played a Nations League match in Poland. The Wales coach did not even take eight leading players to Poland. All their thoughts were only about entering the World Cup. And we didn’t have much opportunity to rotate.

The guys were very busy in Glasgow. A striking example is the actions of Ruslan Malinovsky. In Glasgow, he played with frenzy, with anger. We remember how he received a yellow card in the ninth minute for playing in the selection. He no longer had that in Cardiff. You can recover physically, but returning emotions is more difficult. Yes, everyone correctly says that with Wales, the Spanish referee Laos was obliged to award a penalty kick. But he still needs to be beaten. And yet – our team could well win in Cardiff. The only thing is that we acted tactically somewhat straightforward, if we talk about the match with Wales.

Let’s move on to the League of Nations. Many people are still confused why it was necessary to overload the international calendar by adding this tournament.

— I think that this tournament is necessary. All coaches put up the nearest reserve, rotate. For the same Alexander Petrakov, it becomes clear who to bet on in the future. However, if we compare the two games in Cardiff and Dublin, then these are two big differences. The intensity is not the same, the excitement is incomparable. Our coaching staff gave the main players a break, only Vitaliy Mykolenko played. Although I look at the game of the Croatian national team, the veteran Luka Modric plays there and nothing, everything is fine. So this tournament is necessary.

– How do you remember the match Ireland – Ukraine?

– There is an expression in football: they played well, but lost. And it happens vice versa. The result is always important and we achieved it in Dublin. About the game of Manchester City, under the coaching of Guardiola, they say – controlled chaos. So on Wednesday, in my opinion, we had uncontrollable chaos.

Many will say that the Ukrainian national team played in such a combination for the first time, and this is true. Our team tested the scheme with three central defenders. There was little tactical harmony. In some moments we were lucky. Everyone knows that football is a game of episodes. And yet, the emptiness in the actions of our guys is visible – the missed ticket to Qatar makes itself felt. The big goal is still unattainable. But the more valuable is the victory gained in Ireland.

– Do you want to talk about any of the players personally?

— Yes, about Misha Mudrik. While in the national team of Ukraine, he does not look very convincing. He has a lot of marriages. He is trying to beat the opponents 3-4, although he may well make a pass to his partners. Everyone knows how selfless the Irish are, but Mudrik rushes ahead of them.

– Did you like the canceled goal of Kacharaba?

– Of course. So the ball landed on his leg. Although some may say that if he had hit it 100 more times, he would not have scored. It’s a pity that the goal was canceled, but the referee was right. But Tsygankov’s goal – it was a serve to the goalkeeper. Victor’s partners were supposed to run there. Yes, the Irish goalkeeper did not help out, but the pitch was brilliant. Almost like Bale, when Yarmolenko cut the ball into his own net.

– Ten substitutions from Alexander Petrakov – you will see this infrequently.

“That’s what the tournament is for. Everything our mentor did was right. He gave a break to the leading performers. Our legionnaires had a busy season.

– Does one of the seven debutants who played for the first time in official matches for the national team have a chance to become the main player?

– Undoubtedly. There are chances in the career of this or that footballer, but there won’t be many of them in the national team. Sirota and Bondar do not often play in their clubs, Popov is often injured. Dovbik needs to calm down. The forced pause in our championship did not do him any good. He lost his aggression. We have Pikhalyonok for the position of Zinchenko and Malinovsky.

– In your opinion, who is the favorite in our group?

– Team of Ukraine. While we are leaders in points with the Scots, but we know their strength. Most recently, we replayed them completely. Although the battle with the Scots will still be the same in the fall. They want to take revenge on us. But our players will be masters.

— Ahead of the Ukrainian national team two home matches in the League of Nations. And she will spend them in the Polish city of Lodz. Is this the right decision for the UAF to play in Poland?

– Yes. A lot of our migrants are now in Poland. The Ukrainian national team is a brand. There will be a great atmosphere at the games in Łódź. Poland has become our second football home.