Ukraine national team head coach Andera Maldera addressed his side’s 0-3 defeat to Northern Ireland in the UEFA Nations League during a post-match press conference.
“Was the loss due to squad rotation? I don’t believe that’s the main reason for today’s result. Managing the players’ resources and energy properly was crucial. I think we played very well when we had possession. Unfortunately, we conceded after a few key moments. Certainly, we needed to be more alert in some situations, and those moments ultimately decided the outcome.
I intended to bring on Varfolomeyev in the second half, but unfortunately, Sudakov got injured, which forced a different substitution. What we learned is that individual moments are very important and can change the course of the match. The first goal we conceded came right after a corner kick… The game then shifted into a style more familiar to our opponents. I believe we responded well immediately after conceding. Then, sadly, we conceded a second goal on the counterattack. To sum up, specific incidents shaped this match. Almost our first two shots resulted in two goals against us, and after that, it became very difficult to play with such a scoreline.
Two strikers? I wanted more quality players in the final third, which is why I chose to start with technically skilled players. In my opinion, the lads gave their all. Now we have to accept the result that unfolded on the pitch. We must maintain balance, improve where necessary, and not become demoralized. I feel the scoreline is harsher than what we deserved.
Mistakes on set pieces? Sometimes you have to accept that you can lose a duel. If the opponent jumps higher than our player, that’s not a coaching error regarding set-piece preparation. In other set-piece situations and throw-ins, the team defended quite well. The third goal was a mistake. Unfortunately, these things happen. That goal was not related to preparation – Riznyk made an error,” the coach was quoted as saying by the Ukrainian Association of Football.
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