Myroslav Markevych has questioned Serhiy Rebrov's decision to call up only one striker for Ukraine's recent international friendly. The Ukrainian national team suffered a 2:4 defeat against Canada in the Canadian Shield 2025 tournament match played on Saturday, June 7.
The game took place at "WMO Field" stadium in Toronto, where the Ukrainian side failed to match their North American opponents.
"Everyone was surprised before this training camp about why Serhiy Rebrov called up only one nominal striker," said Markevych when discussing the squad selection.
The veteran coach noted that Roman Yaremchuk was the only forward in the squad for the Canada fixture. Tactical options were limited. Not ideal for such an important preparation match.
"Yes, Vladyslav Vanat was released to join the U-21 team, and Artem Dovbyk was probably injured. Nevertheless, of course, someone else should have been called up, at least to give them a chance," Markevych explained.
Interestingly, the experienced Ukrainian coach refrained from directly criticizing Rebrov's decision, instead suggesting that the head coach himself should address these questions.
"That's the head coach's business, why he decided this way. This question is better put to him," added Markevych.
The 2:4 scoreline raises obvious questions about Ukraine's attacking capabilities. Could additional striking options have made a difference against Canada? The team's preparation continues as they look to improve before their next competitive fixtures.
