Myron Markevych criticized national team coach Serhiy Rebrov's decision to call up only one striker for Ukraine's recent international friendly. The experienced Ukrainian manager voiced his concerns following Ukraine's 2:4 defeat to Canada at "WMO Field" in Toronto on Saturday, June 7.
"Everyone was surprised before this training camp about why Serhiy Rebrov called up only one nominal striker," Markevych said after the match.
The former coach pointed out that while Vladyslav Vanat was released to join Ukraine's U-21 squad and Artem Dovbyk was likely injured, Rebrov should have considered other attacking options.
"Nevertheless, of course, someone else should have been called up, at least to give them a chance. But that's the head coach's business, why he decided this way. It's better to ask him this question," Markevych added.
The international friendly was part of the Canadian Shield 2025 tournament, where Ukraine's lack of striking options was evident throughout the game. Roman Yaremchuk was the lone forward in the squad, giving Rebrov limited tactical flexibility in attack.
Interestingly, this isn't the first time Rebrov's squad selection has raised eyebrows among Ukrainian football specialists. With the national team looking to bounce back from this defeat, will the coaching staff reconsider their approach to striker selection for upcoming matches?
