One of the central matches in the 22nd round of the UPL is undoubtedly the match in Poltava, where Vorskla will host Dynamo Kyiv.
The duels between these rivals have long been hard fought and unyielding. Poltava fans still remember one of the most notorious of them, which took place in the season-1996/97. One of its participants, then Vorskla forward Sergiy Chuichenko, also remembered it. In addition to pleasant memories of the football past, the specialist shared his thoughts and expectations from today's match between the old rivals.
- I will try to give a prediction for this match - 1:1, - starts Chuichenko. - Now Dynamo is in a good condition, on the move. Oleksandr Shovkovskiy's team plays well, efficiently. If there were some problems before, now I don`t see them. Now everything seems to work out in Dynamo's attack, and Vanat played. Something should have been changed in the Kyiv team - and Shovkovskiy went up rapidly.
As for Vorskla, given the home status of today's match, a lot will depend on the fans. Poltava should be helped by the support of the stands. Another important factor should also be taken into account, as the fatigue of Dynamo players, who were under pressure in the national teams. Compared to them, Vorskla players should look fresher in this meeting.
We should not forget that Dynamo, as a grand team, is always a special irritant for any opponent. Games with the leaders of our football, such as Dynamo and Shakhtar, always make the players adjust in the most serious way. After all, for everyone it is prestige and other factors. Any player will strive to prove that he is not worse than a player playing in Dynamo. That is why, as well as at the expense of home walls and freshness, Poltava players can count on a positive result, which will be considered a draw.
- How do you see today's match from the position of Vorskla?
- There will be a very strong fight on every scrap of the pitch. Poltava will tear up the grass to prove that they are not worse than Dynamo (Kyiv). With such teams as the capital, you need to give 200 per cent - only under this condition you can achieve a favourable result. And to have the skill, too, of course.
- It seems that the Poltava team in the season-1996/97 gave two hundred per cent in the home match with Dynamo, winning the dramatic encounter - 4:3.
- Yes. This match is one of the best in my career. Of course, we were very pleased to score four goals to Dynamo, two of which I was lucky to score. And the game was held in Poltava with full stands, which made our team quite excited, drove forward - which was quite stimulating. And the team of "Vorskla" was good then. Everyone knew their business well, played attacking football. Football for efficiency.
If we talk about games with the leaders of our football, most teams with such opponents choose the tactics of playing from defence, trying to look for a good moment in the counterattack. We never looked at the leaders, but played our own attacking football. And not only Dynamo won that championship, but also beat Chornomorets in Odessa 3-0, and in meetings with Shakhtar and Dnipro we did not concede.
Vyacheslav KULCHITSKY.
