Andriy Yarmolenko, the midfielder for the Ukraine national team, was named Man of the Match following their 0-3 defeat to Northern Ireland in the UEFA Nations League.
“It’s a painful result. I think we lacked sharpness in attack. We seemed to control possession, but in the crucial moments inside the penalty area, they were far better than us. So, we accept this loss. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you have to learn from it. We have two days to analyze and show our response to this tough defeat,” Yarmolenko told MEGOGO.
“We constantly tried to find open spaces between their lines, but it seemed Northern Ireland was prepared for that…”
“Yes, they defended well. You can see that by the number of chances created: not many in the first half, and not many in the second either. So, again, we need to be much sharper going forward.”
“After conceding the second goal, we adjusted our tactics, but chances still came hard to find. Why do you think that was?”
“We will definitely review this game. I believe the coach will point out the mistakes we made, especially in attack. Of course, conceding three goals is too many given how little they created; they scored from almost everything they had. But that’s football, it happens. We need to analyze the match, draw conclusions, and move on. I don’t think anything catastrophic happened. Yes, losing is tough, especially by this scoreline, but nothing is decided yet in this group, so we have to keep moving forward with a positive mindset.”
“Indeed, the team maintained a positive attitude for a long time. How will you approach the next match after such a loss, and as a leader, what will you emphasize?”
“With the same attitude, because we always say: we win together and lose together. Based on this performance, I don’t think the fans, the coaching staff, or we players can blame each other. When you see every player giving their all on the pitch, it’s hard to point fingers. The result isn’t there, and it’s difficult to talk immediately after the game — we need to calmly analyze the match and keep moving forward.”
