BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech women's soccer player Nicole Kozlova recently joined the Ukraine U19 Women's National Team as the squad looks to qualify for the U20 finals. The team will be playing three matches in Norway starting Wednesday and continues through early next week.
The UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship Elite Round, which features 28 countries separated into seven groups, begins April 3 and ends on April 9. The competition is the last qualifying stage for the U-20 Euros. CLICK HERE for the competition schedule.
The Ukraine squad is in Group 5 with Norway, the hosts, along with Denmark and Northern Ireland. The seven group winners will join host Scotland in the finals (July 16-28) and will act as the UEFA's qualifier for the 2020 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
Kozlova recently took part in a Q&A before heading off to Norway.
Q: How are you feeling, in terms of coming back from your injury? What is the plan with you and your playing time with the team?
NK: "I am still getting back in shape and getting my touch back from my injury. It is going to take some time with being out of soccer for a long time because of such a serious injury. Overall, I have felt really good in practice and the spring games I have played so far. I have full trust in my knee and feel 100%. My plan with this team is to make a difference on and off the pitch. Unlike my previous tournaments with this team where I played every minute of every game, I will have to balance my minutes this trip as I am still coming back from my ACL injury. With the minutes I do play I want to be making an impact. I am also now one of the oldest on the team, and want to be a leader on and off the field."
Q: How did you make this current team?
NK "I made the U19 team when I was 17 and playing for the U17 Ukrainian National Team. Since then I have participated in every tournament with the U19 team until recently when I had to miss the fall qualifiers because of my knee."
Q: You are from Canada, so what side of your family is Ukrainian?
NK: "Not only are both of my parents Ukrainian, our family has many ties to the country and are involved in many volunteer initiatives both here and in the Ukraine."
Q: You've played with the national teams before, so is there a language barrier at all? How about fitting in culturally?
NK: "I speak the language fluently and have been lucky to not have a language barrier. When I was 17 and went to my first couple of tournaments and camps I had a hard time adjusting to the team. The culture is very different to what I am used to in Canada. As I spent more time with the team I found myself making lots of friends and connecting with the team. One of my best friends is on the team with me. One thing I did learn was that soccer language is universal. You can play on the field with teammates and not speak the same language and still successfully communicate. My goal after college is to play soccer professionally internationally. This experience with the Ukrainian team has taught me how to adjust to different cultures."
Q: What are your thoughts about getting back out there playing as well as returning to play with the team/representing the country?
NK: "I am very, very excited to finally be back out there and playing and training with the team. I have scored my first two goals for Tech and can't wait to keep making an impact for the Hokies and helping us make the tournament again next fall. It has been over a year since I got to last play for Ukraine. As my ACL recovery progressed one of my main goals was to be ready for this tournament. All the extra hours that I put into rehab and getting my fitness level back has really helped me with being ready to represent Ukraine at this tournament. It is also a huge honor to represent Ukraine and can't wait to put the jersey on again."