When asked to sum up how he wanted his Ukraine side to be remembered, a crestfallen Oleksandr Petrakov struggled to break free from the shackles of an uncomfortable, almost stony silence.
His team had fought against almost all the odds to even get this far. But Wales, at a sodden Cardiff City Stadium, proved just a bridge too far for his team.
The scenes of Welsh jubilation at full-time reflected the collective catharsis for Rob Page's side, who after a 64-year absence are finally back at football's biggest party.
Read more: Wales pause World Cup celebrations for wonderful gesture to Ukraine fans
But there was always going to be another side to the story. A tale that even Welsh fans, amid their own joyous delirium, will find hard to overlook.
A "dead silence" is how Petrakov described the mood in the Ukrainian dressing room, perhaps still adorned with the country's flag, complete with good luck messages from soldiers on the frontline, in what was a timely and stirring reminder of the troubles back home.
Petrakov's team has, in many ways been a beacon of hope to a country which still faces an uncertain and even outright terrifying future, with the ongoing Russian invasion leaving a trail of carnage, death and destruction in its wake.
Finally, after some contemplation, he summed up what he had just seen: "I think we did everything that we could but I really want the people of Ukraine to remember our team, our efforts. I want to say sorry that we didn't score but this is sport. This is how it happens and I just don't... I'm lost for words. I don't know what to say."
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Members of the Ukrainian media were a little more forthcoming.
"I want to say thank you to coach Petrakov," said one. "The boys did exactly what they could have done. Please do not forget what's happening in Ukraine. Just remember that Ukraine is going through an incredibly hard time."
Petrakov went further. When handed the floor and an opportunity to send a message to the world, he added: "You know what's happening in Ukraine now. We have war raging all over the country. We have children and women dying on a daily basis. Our infrastructure has been totally ruined by the Russian barbarians.
"The Russians want to hurt us, but the Ukrainians are resisting. We are defending our land. We just want your support. We just want you to understand everything that's happening back home. God forbid that any of it will touch any of you. You will never know what's going on, and what we're feeling deep inside."
Petrakov then rose to warm applause from the gathered media, before sending one last message. This time to Page and his players ahead of their momentous World Cup qualification.
"I want to express my gratitude to Wales," he added. "I wish your team all possible luck in the World Cup. Ukraine is very grateful to Wales. Thank you."
