We can do it
Sunday, March 24, 2019
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Shakhtar defender Sergii Kryvtsov reflects on the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying opener
- I reckon that being tied with the current European champions, on their pitch, is a good result. We’re facing a tough away meeting with Luxembourg, which we must win, then we can evaluate the start of the qualifying campaign as a positive one.
- What’s the potential of the current Ukraine team?
- I suppose that we’re fully able to fight for advancing from the group. Even in the last match, we did not sit deep, trying to counterattack. Had we had a little bit of luck in the end, we could’ve won it. The team got the game pattern, all the experts are highlighting this fact.
- Was it part of the game plan to man-mark Cristiano Ronaldo?
- It wasn’t my objective to mark Ronaldo. The national team of Portugal have enough skilled performers. We knew that they would build the game through the wings, using high balls. We tried to leave as many footballers as possible in our penalty area in order to impose our play on Ronaldo, Silva, and others.
- After a positive outcome against the current European title holders, how will you psych yourselves up for taking on Luxembourg?
- There should be no room for underrating the opponents in principle. This team was present in our group in the past qualifying round of the European Championship. I remember that they caused us lots of issues. Now is the time when everyone can play football. We need to seriously tune in to Luxembourg and claim the three points.
- What do you make of Junior Moraes’s debut?
- Junior showed himself very well, he gave it the extra edge at the opponents' goal, clinging to the ball. He might get himself on the scoresheet, but a Portuguese defender rescued his team.
- What’s the potential of the current Ukraine team?
- I suppose that we’re fully able to fight for advancing from the group. Even in the last match, we did not sit deep, trying to counterattack. Had we had a little bit of luck in the end, we could’ve won it. The team got the game pattern, all the experts are highlighting this fact.
- Was it part of the game plan to man-mark Cristiano Ronaldo?
- It wasn’t my objective to mark Ronaldo. The national team of Portugal have enough skilled performers. We knew that they would build the game through the wings, using high balls. We tried to leave as many footballers as possible in our penalty area in order to impose our play on Ronaldo, Silva, and others.
- After a positive outcome against the current European title holders, how will you psych yourselves up for taking on Luxembourg?
- There should be no room for underrating the opponents in principle. This team was present in our group in the past qualifying round of the European Championship. I remember that they caused us lots of issues. Now is the time when everyone can play football. We need to seriously tune in to Luxembourg and claim the three points.
- What do you make of Junior Moraes’s debut?
- Junior showed himself very well, he gave it the extra edge at the opponents' goal, clinging to the ball. He might get himself on the scoresheet, but a Portuguese defender rescued his team.