From June 21 to July 8, the U-21 European Championship will take place. The Ukrainian “youth team” at the group stage will play against peers from Croatia, Spain and Romania.
The European Youth Championship will not overlap with the qualification for Euro 2024 among senior teams (on June 16 and 19 they play with Malta and North Macedonia). Therefore, there is every reason to count on the strongest squad for Ruslan Rotan.
Goalkeepers
Everything is very simple here: Dynamo’s Ruslan Neshcheret and Shakhtar Anatoly Trubin played during the qualification. Ruslan got into good shape playing for the Dynamo first team due to health problems of Georgy Bushchan and Denis Boyko. Trubin’s spring part of the season was not entirely convincing, but his experience is a big plus. Anatoly has already made his debut for the national team, constantly plays in the Champions League and, quite possibly, will be the main goalkeeper of the national team in the June qualifying matches for the Euro. Nevertheless, it makes sense for him to go to the youth Euro. Anatoly’s contract with the club is valid for one more season. In Romania and Georgia, the Shakhtar goalkeeper can prove himself even more in front of European scouts and improve a possible transfer.
FC Dynamo. Ruslan Neshcheret
As for the third goalkeeper – the question is very debatable. Zorya goalkeeper Dmitry Matsapura was injured. The goalkeeper of Kolos Kirill Fesyun and his colleague from Dnipro-1 Yakov Kinareykin were called up for the qualification. Fesyun is a reserve goalkeeper in Kovalevka behind Oleksandr Volynets. Kirill has virtually no practice, because due to his age he can no longer play for the youth team. Kinareykin is only the team’s third goalkeeper after Vladislav Rybak and Max Walef. He also did not play much for the youth team. During a friendly tournament in Georgia, neither Kinareykin nor Fesyun surprised in the youth team.
After the transfer of Dmytro Riznyk to Vorskla, Pavel Isenko receives permanent playing practice at the UPL level. In Dnipro-1, the aforementioned Rybak became a full-fledged first number. Alexander Saputin revealed himself in Zorya after Matsapura’s injury. All three goalkeepers may not be more highly qualified, but they definitely have an advantage over Kinareykin and Fesun in terms of the level of competition and game practice. Already in the next selection, all three can compete for the place of the first number of the youth team. Because the experience of at least being in the team they need.
Forecast: Trubin, Neshcheret, Saputin (Isenko).
Defenders
The right-back position was Rotan’s main problem during the start of qualifying. It was Ruslan Petrovich who began to use the formal defensive midfielder Alexei Sych in this position. The guy got it. In the club, he also began to play in this position. Owl’s progress has not gone unnoticed. Kortrijk drew attention to him, where he now has a constant playing practice.
With his understudy – a little problematic. There isn’t much choice. Dmitry Kapinus was called from Metallist-1925 (the contract belongs to Shakhtar). But now he’s injured. It is not known if he will be able to recover to the Euros and get back in shape. Daniil Skorko started playing in Oleksandria in the spring. Once he was given large advances, but so far he does not justify them. It can help him that he plays for the club, which is coached by the mentor of the youth team. During the spring sparring, they tried the left back from Rukh Rostislav Lyakh on the right.
I admit that one Sych can go to the Euro out of right-backs. And if he has problems, they will transfer a universal player to this position.
On the opposite flank, everything is clear – Konstantin Vivcharenko constantly plays for Dynamo. He was the main defender during the selection. In Belgium, Alexander Drambaev played 22 matches for Zulte Waregem. Perhaps among the candidates will be Andrei Buleza, who plays consistently on loan for Minai, and Zorya’s versatile defender Igor Snurnitsyn.
UAF. Maxim Taloverov (right)
In the center of defense, the choice is huge. The leader of the defense is Maxim Taloverov. In winter, he changed Slovan Liberec to the Austrian LASK (the contract belongs to Slavia Prague). If he is healthy, he should be in the application. Zorya defender Arseniy Batagov has the best chance of becoming his partner in the center of defense. The Luhansk club is having a great season, Batagov is constantly playing. Maxim and Arseniy perfectly complement each other.
But here the question of Ilya Zabarny arises. He didn’t play in qualifying. But age appropriate. Will Bournemouth let him go to the Euro? Why not? In the spring, Ilya did not play much. Matching practice is needed and the prestige of the club will not be superfluous.
Now a young pair of defenders Sirota-Dyachuk is playing in Dynamo. Each one is age appropriate. Oleksandr can also play on the left side of defense and he played during qualifying.
During the selection, another Dynamo player Anton Bol was invited and played. His chances are not very high now due to the lack of match practice.
In Cyprus, a full-fledged season was spent on loan from Dynamo Christian Bilovar. He was called to the March sparring, although he did not play in the selection.
Rukh has enough young defenders – Roman Didyk, Denys Slyusar and Bohdan Slyubik play consistently at the UPL level. Bohdan in the last game against Lvov went to the right flank of the defense. This adds to his chances to go to the Euro.
Dmitry Salyuk looks very cool in Chornomorets. The central defender of Odessa became one of the discoveries of the second part of the season.
Forecast: Taloverov, Batagov, Sirota, Zabarny (Dyachuk), Vivcharenko, Drambaev, Sych, Skorko (Slyubik)
Midfielders
Rotan plays with the familiar triangle in the middle of the field. Two defensive midfielders (one for destruction and one for creative) plus a player closer to the attack. There are no problems here – Nikolai Mikhailenko and Vladimir Brazhko actively played in the selection. Ivan Zhelizko was in the reserve. Brazhko actively plays for Zorya and became one of the discoveries of the championship. Mikhailenko plays with Rotan in Oleksandria. It will not be easy for Ivan Zhelizko, who plays for Valmiera, to compete. Marko Sapugi has big advances, but he missed almost the entire spring due to an injury.
Creative defensive midfielder – Artem Bondarenko. The Shakhtar midfielder is one of the leaders of the youth team. Good competition or depth in this position will be imposed by Valentin Rubchinsky from Dnipro-1, who plays consistently in Oleksandr Kucher’s team. Perhaps a chance will be given to Kirill Sigeev, who plays for Oleksandria. Here you can mention Maxim Kucheryavy. But now there is such competition that a footballer from the third league of Scotland is unlikely to find a place.
UAF. Georgy Sudakov
Dmitry Kryskiv played under the forward. Georgy Sudakov came out more on the flank, given the problematic nature of this position. If Mudrik goes, then Zhora can be used more in the middle of the field.
One could pay attention to Yegor Yarmolyuk, who is given large advances. But in the spring he did not play much due to injury. Oleg Ocheretko also has no match practice at Shakhtar.
Forecast: Brazhko, Mikhailenko, Bondarenko, Rubchinsky, Kryskiv, Sudakov.
Wingers
I see no reason why Mikhail Mudrik should not go to the Euro. He didn’t play much for Chelsea. Here is the opportunity to make a good statement in front of the new coach Mauricio Pochettino.
Aleksey Kashchuk scored 16 goals in the Azerbaijan Championship. He even scored against Italy in the last sparring of the youth team. He deserved his place.
Bohdan Vyunnik is used in this position in the youth team. He changed Switzerland to Austria in the summer. He plays steadily in Grazer. The Ukrainian team is close to entering the elite of Austrian football.
Alexander Nazarenko was an important player at Rotan. He knew how to come on as a substitute and improve the game. Now Oleksandr began to play steadily in Dnipro-1. Rumors send the football player to Oleksandria in the summer.
One of the leaders of “Chernomorets” was the “new Mudrik” Maxim Bragaru. He is also a very fast and technical player with strong individual qualities.
Nazar Voloshin, after returning to Dynamo, does not have a stable practice. But he scored his first goal. This guy has potential.
One of the leaders in Kryvbas is Artur Mykytyshyn. The winger, loaned from Shakhtar, constantly plays in attack in the team of Yuriy Vernydub. However, now he has an injury.
Maxim Khlan quarreled with Zorya about a new contract, so his participation looks unrealistic.
Artem Shulyansky and Vikenty Voloshin are not very convincing with their performance for Oleksandria. Although there is only one coach, if they do not play in the club, it is not worth talking about the national team.
Forecast: Mudrik (Voloshin), Nazarenko, Kashchuk, Vyunnik (Bragar).
Forwards
Vladislav Supryaga does not play due to injury. Nikolay Kukharevich scored five goals in Scotland. But he was not always healthy due to injuries.
Daniil Alefirenko looks good now in Chornomorets. For him, this is the first full season at the level of adult football. In the youth team of Ukraine, Daniil has never been an important player, only a rotation player. The competition in the forward position has always been great. Let’s just say that Grigorchuk’s football is a little different from Rotan’s football. That is why the player did not stay at Zorya. Despite the success of this season, Alefirenko does not have very good chances to go to the Euro.
UAF. Ruslan Rotan and Daniil Sikan
Vlad Vanat became Dynamo’s attack leader and the team’s top scorer. Of the minuses – a sexist scandal with Ekaterina Monzul.
Daniil Sikan, although he is not Shakhtar’s main striker, still scores. In the youth team, he has always been in good standing and an important player. It was his goals that decided the fate of the joints with Slovakia.
Forecast: Sikan, Vanat (Alefirenko).
Sergei TISHCHENKO
#Mudrik #Zabarny #Rotan #Euro
2023-05-27 13:53:00
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