We could have easily gained three points
Saturday, April 26, 2025
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Head coach of Shakhtar women’s team Roman Zaiev talked about the draw with Kolos (0-0), the dedication and progress of the players
– Shakhtar tied with Kolos, who are fighting for the gold medals of the championship. Tell us, how did the match go?
– I have repeatedly emphasised that we prepare for every opponent, regardless of what medals they are trying to win. The match against Kolos was no exception, because we understood that this is an ambitious team that will be solely focused on victory, because their goal is to solve tournament tasks. I am grateful to the girls for approaching this game properly and demonstrating the necessary moral qualities. I also want to note that if we had been luckier, we could have easily gained three points, as we had the opportunities to do so.
– Shakhtar not only played defensively throughout the match, but also created dangerous moments. What do you think you lacked to take the lead?
– First of all, skills, because the moments we created require a certain level of execution. The few centimetres that we lacked to score today give reason to say that we need to work on finishing and conversion, which the coaching staff constantly emphasises. However, I believe that this aspect will improve over time.
– Are you satisfied with the girls’ dedication?
– I was satisfied with the dedication in the match against Vorskla, but the skills of the Poltava team turned out to be higher, which affected the result. I am also happy with the dedication in the previous matches, I have no complaints about that. The only thing that we lack is the playing and personal experience, which certainly has an impact on the overall result.
– The confident and spectacular play of Yevheniia Karban and Tetiana Kotovets prevented the opponents from scoring. What can you say about the performance of these players?
– The situation with Yevheniia developed in such a way that Liudmila Ustinova was out for a short period of time, and we had to release Karban in the starting line-up, As for Tetiana Kotovets, the situation is somewhat simpler: she has characteristic features, in particular, uncompromising attitude, and we understood that the game would be difficult, with a fighting character, so we consciously approached the choice of the performer for this position. I am glad that they succeeded in everything and we were not mistaken.
– How do matches in the top six of the championship affect the development of performers?
– Of course, matches of this level of intensity, tension and pace allow players to grow and progress. I also hope that this will help all Ukrainian national teams that play in the European arena, and that over time Ukrainian football will reach a level that will be reckoned with in Europe.
– I have repeatedly emphasised that we prepare for every opponent, regardless of what medals they are trying to win. The match against Kolos was no exception, because we understood that this is an ambitious team that will be solely focused on victory, because their goal is to solve tournament tasks. I am grateful to the girls for approaching this game properly and demonstrating the necessary moral qualities. I also want to note that if we had been luckier, we could have easily gained three points, as we had the opportunities to do so.
– Shakhtar not only played defensively throughout the match, but also created dangerous moments. What do you think you lacked to take the lead?
– First of all, skills, because the moments we created require a certain level of execution. The few centimetres that we lacked to score today give reason to say that we need to work on finishing and conversion, which the coaching staff constantly emphasises. However, I believe that this aspect will improve over time.
– Are you satisfied with the girls’ dedication?
– I was satisfied with the dedication in the match against Vorskla, but the skills of the Poltava team turned out to be higher, which affected the result. I am also happy with the dedication in the previous matches, I have no complaints about that. The only thing that we lack is the playing and personal experience, which certainly has an impact on the overall result.
– The confident and spectacular play of Yevheniia Karban and Tetiana Kotovets prevented the opponents from scoring. What can you say about the performance of these players?
– The situation with Yevheniia developed in such a way that Liudmila Ustinova was out for a short period of time, and we had to release Karban in the starting line-up, As for Tetiana Kotovets, the situation is somewhat simpler: she has characteristic features, in particular, uncompromising attitude, and we understood that the game would be difficult, with a fighting character, so we consciously approached the choice of the performer for this position. I am glad that they succeeded in everything and we were not mistaken.
– How do matches in the top six of the championship affect the development of performers?
– Of course, matches of this level of intensity, tension and pace allow players to grow and progress. I also hope that this will help all Ukrainian national teams that play in the European arena, and that over time Ukrainian football will reach a level that will be reckoned with in Europe.