The commentator of the channels Football1 / Football2 Kirill Krutorogov - about our national team U-19, which today starts with the match with the French at the European Championships. The European Championship of this age group is held every year since 2002. It consistently involves eight teams, divided into two groups of four in each. Our boys made their way to the main round of the tournament for the fifth time in history.
In 2004, the team for which Chigrinsky, Aliev, Milevsky and Gladky played, and Pavel Yakovenko led it, withdrew from the group, but lost to the future champions-Spaniards in the semifinals. In 2009, at home Euro in Donetsk and Mariupol, our guys, led by Yuri Kalitvintsev, became champions with Krivtsov, Garmash, Butko, Shakhov and Rybalka in the composition.
Again in five years, in 2014, the Ukrainians did not make it to the playoffs, and from that team of Alexander Petrakov Kovalenko, Sable, Besedin, Burda and Lukyanchuk reached the national team. In 2015, with the same Kovalenko, Besedin, Lukianchuk, and even with Zinchenko, Boriachuk, Luchkevich and Alexander Golovko at the helm, we also did not leave the group.
This year, the guys will play in the 1999 born and younger, that is, it will be the last youth tournament for football players, born in the 90's. Our team is trained by 60-year-old Alexander Petrakov. In playing youth, he competed for Vinnytsia Lokomotiv, Kiev SKA, Cherkassy Dnieper, Rovensky Avangard and Nikopol Kolos (just watching - now all these clubs, if they exist, then under other names). Coaching career began in the second team of CSKA Kiev, then worked briefly in Sumy Spartak and Vinnitsa. I worked at the Dynamo Academy and the RVUFK, and in 2010 I started to work with Ukrainian youth teams. He is not only a football coach in the classical sense, but also an educator and mentor, many of whose wards are confidently following the vertical of the national teams and reach the main team of the country.
In order to be among the eight members of the Euro and play today in Vaasa with the French national team, Petrakov's wards have passed a long and tense journey. In the preliminary round of qualification they won three games out of three from Norwegians, Montenegrins and Albanians with a total score of 7: 1. Elitraund our guys also have overcome without defeats - played a draw with the Swedes (0: 0), beat the Serbs (2: 1) and the Romanians (2: 1). During this period the Ukrainians showed that they are strong, first of all, by the team. We do not have any players who scored more than two goals. Kashchuk, Safronov and Supryaga were noted twice, Bondar, Bulets, Kornienko and Mikolenko - once (plus an own goal of a Norwegian). Perhaps in both groups we were a little lucky with the lot, although, for example, the defeated Norwegian team in the elite left behind Germany and Holland.
In the group stage of the Euro-2018, in addition to meeting with the French, who are three-time winners of this tournament (most of all among the current participants, the last time in 2016), we are waiting for matches with the current champions, the British and the Turks. The first two quartet teams reach the semifinals. Those who took the third place in their groups, as it happens once in two years, will play a play-off match for the ticket to the U-20 World Cup, which will be held next year in Poland.
One of the stages of preparation for the upcoming European Championship for Petrakov's team was the Valery Lobanovsky Memorial Tournament. The Ukrainians took the fourth place, losing to the youth teams of Israel and Greece, for which the players played two or three years older than ours. After him, Alexander Vasilyevich said: "It is better to make mistakes in friendly matches than at the European Championships".
At the final stage of preparation before the flight to Finland, which took place in Pushcha-Vodice, Petrakov called 23 players. After previous fees did not receive an invitation to midfielder Dynamo Denis Yanakov. But Dmitry Riznyk, Maxim Chekh, Alexey Kashchuk and Dmitry Semenov joined the team. The latter has not yet made his debut in this team, Kashchuk and Cech spent more than 30 matches for her, but were not called in June.
Initially, there was information that Andrei Lunin, who last played for her in 2017 under the direction of Vladimir Yezersky, was summoned to this team, and outside the list of favorites was the keeper of Chernomorets Kozhuhar, but Madrid Real did not respond to Alexander Petrakov's request and the situation had to roll back.
The team gathered on July 5. In addition to training, in one day I played two tradesmen with Kolos from Kovalivka (1: 0 and 1: 1) and 8, nine days before the first match, flew to Finland to continue training in the conditions of the tournament. Although the rules of the application of the national team must not exceed 20 players, the head coach took with him all the calls.
The composition of our team on this Euro looks like this:.
Goalkeepers: Andrey Kozhuhar (Chernomorets), Vladislav Kucheruk (Dynamo), Dmitry Reznik (Vorskla).
Defenders: Valery Bondar, Viktor Kornienko, Yefim Konoplya (all - Shakhtar), Vitaliy Mikolenko, Denis Popov (both Dynamo), Igor Snurnitsyn (Olimpic), Oleg Veremeenko (Carpathians), Dmitry Semenov (Alexandria), Alexander Safronov (Dnipro- 1).
Midfielders: Aleksei Khakhlev (Alaves, Spain), Sergey Buletsa (Dynamo), Maxim Chekh (Shakhtar), Kirill Drieshlyuk (Zirka), Nikolai Musolitin (Chernomorets), Alexander Belyaev (Dnepr-1).
Attackers: Georgy Tsitaishvili (Dynamo), Andrey Kulakov, Alexei Kashchuk (both Shakhtar), Andrei Remenyuk (Karpaty), Vladislav Supryaga (Dnipro-1) When it came time to make a decision and unfasten the three "superfluous", the choice fell on Kozhukhar, Semenov and Kashchuk. The first two in fact have not yet made their way to this team, and Kashchuk, who is one of the most productive of her players, did not have time to recover after injury. And his loss is very significant.
Alexander Petrakov has six players with experience in playing in ULL: centerback Igor Snurnitsyn last season played for the Olympics U19, U21 and 5 matches in the first, and is now regarded as a full player of the Sanzhar team. 18-year-old Cyril Drishluk spent a season and a half in the first team Zirki (25 matches), forward Nikolai Musolitin for two seasons in Chernomorets 30 times out on the field in ULL, "Carpathian" Andrei Remenyuk - 7 times, and "Dynamo" Vitaly Mikolenko - 5. Besides the latter, Denis Popov and Georgiy Tsitaishvili are also working steadily under the leadership of Khatskevich.
Three representatives of the Dnipro-1 Alexander Safronov, Alexander Belyaev and Vladislav Supryaga regularly played in the Second League. Last in 21 matches scored 7 goals, according to rumors they are interested (or watching him) the leading Ukrainian clubs and clubs from Europe. The pupil of Dynamo Alexei Khakhlev trains with the second team of Alaves, but in official matches for the whole season did not take part. The rest - play for the youth and youth compositions of Shakhtar and Dynamo.
In general, the composition of our team is played and actually approved. Petrakov's team is playing according to scheme 3-4-3. In all matches of the selection confidently defended the goal of the national team of Ukraine Vladislav Kucheruk, conceding three goals and defending three times to "zero". In the center of defense in all six matches played Vitali Mikolenko and Valery Bondar, who is captain of the national team U19. In the three qualifying starts, defender Zarya Timofey Sukhars acted alongside them, but he broke the crosses and flew for a long time, so Igor Elturunin. A similar situation with the right fulk - in the preliminary round at this position Alexander Avramenko acted, and in the elite circle his namesake from the Dnipro-1 Safronov. True, today he is out of the game because of the disqualification. It is very likely that Yefim Hemp will play in his position.
In the middle of the field, key players: Alexander Belyaev and the only "legionary" Aleksey Khakhlev. They were periodically changed at the start by Cyril Dryslyuk. Also, there you can theoretically see Nikolai Musolitin, Andrei Remenyuk or Maxim Chekh, but the latter did not participate in the qualification. For the left flank in all matches was answered by Victor Kornienko. The trio of forwards until recently were determined - Kashchuk, Bulets and Supryaga. On the spot Kashchuk periodically played Kozyrenko, but this time he was not called.
So, most likely, it will be replaced by either Kulakov or Tsitaishvili. Dynamo midfielder of Georgian origin only makes the first steps in this team, but in his 17 managed to make his debut for the first team of Dynamo.
Finally, it should be added that in this team there are three players of the year 2000 who will be able to stay in the U-19 national team and a new cycle, it's about Snurnitsyn, Tsitaishvili and Suprug.
Forward, guys, Ukraine is with you!.