Georgiy Yermakov: "Really wanted to return to the national team"
On September 20, the Ukrainian national team began full preparation for the start of the Nations League. Let us remind you that their first match in the tournament under the guidance of Andrea Maldera will be away against Hungary on September 25. Then the "blue-yellow" team will face matches against Georgia (September 28), Northern Ireland (October 2), and again against Hungary (October 5).
About the start of the training camp, work under the guidance of the new coach, and the prospects of our national team in these competitions, goalkeeper of "Kharkiv" and the Ukrainian national team Georgiy Yermakov shared.
– Georgiy, first of all, congratulations on your victory in the match against "Bukovyna".
– Thank you.
– Is "Kharkiv" gaining momentum?
– I think so. The team is gaining points, which is very important for us.
– Is it challenging for a goalkeeper when the opponent doesn't shoot on goal even once?
– I would say that such a match, to some extent, can be more challenging. There always has to be a focus. When you go without work for a long time, it's not easy to predict when a dangerous situation will arise near the goal.
– "Kharkiv" is among the best teams in terms of goals conceded. What's the secret?
– I won't say anything new, it's the work of the whole team, full dedication, each player knows their maneuver, and undoubtedly, it helps the goalkeeper too.
– After failures in matches against "Polissya" and "Shakhtar," "Kharkiv" doesn't lose points. Have the mistakes been taken into account?
– If we recall the match against "Shakhtar," in my opinion, our team showed good football. I wouldn't say that we made many mistakes. But after the match with the team from Zhytomyr, we indeed had something to work on. Conclusions were made.
– Things didn't go well in the game against "Shakhtar"?
– That's football. We performed our job well, both with the ball and without it. It just happened that "Kharkiv" couldn't even take a single point.
– Currently, your team is in fifth place. The goal is the podium?
– The goals are the highest.
– So, aiming for the gold medals?
– The highest (smiles).
– Your performance has not gone unnoticed by the coaches of the Ukrainian national team. Were you hoping for a call-up to the national team?
– Yes. After feeling the atmosphere in the national team during the last training camp, I really wanted to return to the national team, to be among the best players in the country.
– What can you say about working under Andrea Maldera's leadership?
– He is a modern specialist who clearly understands his demands on the team in every phase of the game. There comes a moment when each player must be able to quickly switch from club work to national team work, as the process is somewhat different.
To better unleash the potential of the entire team, it is crucial to pay attention to every detail, as there will be many of them, considering that the national team has four matches ahead, and each opponent requires a different approach. Moreover, everything in the national team must happen at peak speeds, with maximum concentration and dedication.
– Are goalkeeper training sessions significantly different between the club and the national team?
– Each coach has their own working style, and that is already one of the differences in the training process.
– The national team has four matches ahead. In your opinion, what are the prospects for the "blue-yellow" team?
– I'm not an expert to make any predictions. My task is to be focused so that I am ready to step onto the field and help the national team at any moment. I am confident in one thing: in every match, we will play only for victory.
– It is well known that Ukraine cannot play on their home field. Moreover, the first two matches will have to be played away. Is this not a problem?
– Undoubtedly, we lack the home atmosphere. I can say this even based on the open training sessions we held in Ukraine during the previous training camp. We can only hope that the national team will have the opportunity to play home matches at their native stadiums as soon as possible.
Regarding your question, I don't see a big problem in this. Every team will play their matches away. Our task remains the same.
– There is serious competition in the goalkeeper line of the Ukrainian national team. However, do you believe you will succeed in making your debut for the national team?
– It's a dream, 100 percent. But even when joining the national team, every player understands that it's a different level, and here you can learn something new from your competitors and continue to improve to become even better. This is the attitude with which I look at the upcoming call-up.
– In the Nations League, our team undoubtedly has the task of moving up in class. How many points in four matches would be acceptable for the "blue-yellow" team?
– As many points as needed to advance to League A will be acceptable for us (smiles).
