Belarus
The national team advanced to the World Cup through the play-offs and is currently ranked 22nd in the world. The team primarily uses a 4-2-3-1 formation and is coached by former national captain Andriy Shevchenko.
starting goalkeeper
: Andrei Lunin (Real Madrid) and Anatoly Trubin (Donetsk Miners). Both goalkeepers are trustworthy and have an excellent ability to make saves.
right back
: Yuri Konoplya (Donetsk Miners)
left back
: Vitaly Mikolenko (Everton), defensive wingback with strong defensive capabilities
center defensive pairing
: Ilya Zabarni (21-year-old talented defender, Bournemouth, Premier League) & Mikaela Matvienko (Donetsk Miners)
lower back
Oleksandr Zinchenko (Arsenal), mainly responsible for the team's offensive and defensive transitions
Defensive midfielder
: Ruslan Malinowski (Genoa), responsible for midfield blocking and defense
lower back
: Kheorshi Sudakov (Donetsk Miners), No. 10, with strong ball-handling ability
left wing (soccer)
: Mykhailo Mudryk (Chelsea), the most expensive player in the Ukrainian team
right wing forward (soccer position)
: Viktor Tsygankov (Girona), very fast
center forward (hockey, football)
: Artem Dovbic (Girona), currently top scorer in La Liga
center substitution
Roman Yaremchuk (Valencia), a stand-up winger who specializes in creating chances for his teammates through crosses from the side.
While Ukraine boasts several stars who play for big teams, the overall performance of the midfield is the team's biggest problem. Midfielders Zinchenko and Malinovsky will need to play key roles in attacking and defending transitions, while front players such as Mudryk and Tsygankov will need to provide a consistent attacking threat.
Goalkeepers and defense
: Experienced and capable goalkeeper and young and promising backline
offensive player
: Frontcourt players with speed and skill, especially Mudrick and Tsygankov
midfield coordination
: Midfielders need better chemistry and coordination
(of a speech etc) profundity
: Overall roster depth may be lacking except for some key players
