In a match of the Ukrainian Youth Championship, Matvey Ponomarenko brought Dynamo a2-0 victory over Rukh in a crucial match. In the last 10 minutes of the match, the native of Myronivka scored a goal and an assist. Matvey opened the scoring after a solo run from his own half of the field.
Matvey Ponomarenko. Photo - fcdynamo.comOn 11 January, Ponomarenko will be 18 years old. He scored 15 goals in 15 U-19 matches. The statistics are very good for his age and role. He is already outgrowing youth football and needs new challenges.
This is Ponomarenko's second season at the U-19 level. Last year he played on loan for Zorya. There, he did not have such a good performance. In the six months he has been working with Ihor Kostiuk, he has learnt a lot and made serious progress. Ponomarenko is no longer just a striker who runs at opponents like a tank using his physical qualities, but has become a much more cunning attacker. He is able not only to push, cling to the ball, but also to outwit the opponent.
He has been playing at the national team level since 2005, although he was captain in 2006. In Korea, he was one of the best players in Oleg Kuznetsov's team. A month later, during the start of the qualifiers for the Euro (U-19), he also proved himself well. Now he is the main striker for the U-19s. Despite the fact that he is younger than his competitors.
His presence in the U-19 in the second part of the season is a very important factor in the championship of the Dynamo youth team. Kyiv has not won gold medals at this level for a long time. The first place is not only prestige, but also a guaranteed UEFA Youth League, which Dynamo has missed for the second season.
Among the strikers, Kostiuk has Vladyslav Gevrych. He scored a lot at the start of the season. Then he disappeared. He got injured. At his core, he is a lightweight striker who loves space. Vitalii Lobko is more suited to the role of a power forward. He was also on loan from Zorya last season. But so far, I have no confidence in him. Without Ponomarenko, it will be very difficult for Dynamo to expect to win the U-19s.
All youth and youth football exists to prepare players for adult football. Someone does it earlier, someone needs more time. The result is definitely not in the first place. In the match between the adult teams and Rukh, Benito played well in attack. In the power combats, he created very big problems for one of Rukh's main talents, Bohdan Slyubyk. Oleksandr Shovkovskyi has a similar style of striker to Ponomarenko in the first team.
Matviy's prospects in the Dynamo first team are still vague. The team's main striker is Vladyslav Vanat. This is his first season in this role. There is still a lack of stability, but the potential is obvious. Benito can play at the forefront of the attack. Let's not forget about Vladyslav Supryaha, who seems to have recovered and even played in an official match.
All three are likely to stay for the second round of the championship. No one will sell Vanat for now. His time and peak price have not yet come. Benito - does not require large financial costs, can play in several positions. It is unlikely that we will be able to sell Supryaga, given the long downtime. I think that Shovkovskyi will work with him.
Should we now think about a loan to the UPL for Ponomarenko, where he would gain experience in adult football? In six months, he will finally mature physically. He will understand the requirements of adult football. It is unlikely that this period will bring many goals and be productive, but in the summer Matvey will no longer be just a player with experience, but will really try to compete with Vanat for a place in the starting line-up.
There is no answer to this question. It definitely needs to be studied and analysed. In my opinion, Matvey is very close to taking the next step in his career and moving to another level. It is very important not to miss this time. I don't want the player to think that everything is easy for him. You need to raise the level in time, which will lead to new opportunities for the player. Especially if there is no time in the Dynamo first team.
Serhii Tyshchenko
