Wednesday Jun 14 2006 17:22
Ukraine coach Oleg Blokhin blamed the heat for his side's woeful display in the 4-0 defeat to Spain in Leipzig.
The heatwave in Germany during the first week of the World Cup Finals has caught several teams out, and Blokhin thought his side failed to adapt to the conditions.
He said: "It is a shame that not only did we lose, we simply did not even put up a fight. We couldn't beat the heat.
"My players did not show what they are capable of today. They did not play at the same level they have been playing in training."
Ukraine had Vladislav Vashchyuk controversially sent off at the start of the second half and Blokhin added: "Of course, once you've seen a red card and you've lost a player it's very difficult to make it up in this heat, especially against such a strong opponent.
"But we have to look to the future now. We still have two matches ahead. The important thing now is to get the team back in shape for the matches against Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.
"All is not lost yet, there's still a long way to go."
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