Former Dynamo Kyiv and Ukraine forward Artem Milevsky shared his impressions of yesterday's 1-1 match between Ukraine and the Czech Republic in the 4th round of the Nations League.
Artem Milevsky. Photo by V. Rasner- Artem, what did you think of the Ukraine vs. Czech Republic match?
- I watched the game against Georgia in a big company, so Ukraine probably won (Laughs). We were cheering wildly, rejoicing at Misha Mudryk's goal. I watched the match against the Czech Republic by myself.
I'm not a fan of talking in hot pursuit, but it was clear that Rebrov and the guys were trying hard, wanting to win every game. We tried, but it was 1:1. As they say, we have what we have.
- Hutsulyak's injury looked very scary.
- Such injuries are very dangerous when you can't see what's going on behind you. It's like when I used to take the ball, and somewhere behind me is Sasha Kucher, who can tear off his legs, and I don't see him and don't know how it can end. You need to watch such game moments very carefully and turn your head. I wish Hutsulyak a speedy recovery, I hope it's nothing serious.
- Who will you give the Lion of the Match award to? Trubin, who made some great saves, Mudryk, who was good at sharpening up, or do you have your own candidate?
- Definitely not Mishani. I listened to our commentators, who praised Misha a lot and said: "Mudryk is a player who makes a difference." Maybe it's good to be praised, but in how many matches did Misha score a goal for Georgia? My opinion is that if a person plays at Chelsea, and not in a conditional Shepetivka, then he should make a difference in every game, and Misha does not do this. Okay, he scored against Georgia, and then what?
"I'll give the Man of the Match award to Sanya Zubkov. He came on as a substitute in a difficult moment, gave a great pass to Konoplya in the penalty shootout, and was active on the right flank. Sanya is a thinking player who understands football. Zubkov always plays steadily, so for me he was the best player of yesterday's match.
- Dovbyk scored a penalty, but his performance for the national team in recent matches raises questions. From the point of view of a striker, why is Artem playing so pale in the national team now, although he has already started scoring at Roma?
- Honestly, I don't know. I don't like to speculate and don't want to get involved in the team's affairs. I just watched the football. Yes, Dovbyk scored a penalty, equalized, but the rest of the time he looked pale. He has a lot of desire, but maybe some factors are affecting him.
- What do you think of Kalyuzhny's performance? The guy has played only two games for the national team, but it seems that he has been in this team for five years, he looks so confident.
- May God give the young man good luck and health. You can see that he is trying hard. Vanya said that he had a dream to play for the Ukrainian national team, and he achieved it through his work. Kalyuzhnyi lives for the game, lives for the moment, so as not to miss a fight, he is constantly charged. He is a man! His face is so masculine. You can see that he has already made it as a football player. I wish him only success.
- Is Kalyuzhnyi a worthy replacement for Stepanenko, given Taras's age?
- Yes, 100%.
- In these two matches, did Ukraine lack injured players?
- I'm used to seeing Yarmola, Malyna, Zina, Tsygankov, Karavaev, Mykolenko in the national team. Without them, it's unusual for me to watch our team play, and it somehow doesn't attract me. With these players, there was a certain charge, they beat Portugal at the Olimpiyskiy.
- What do you expect from the final matches of the Ukrainian national team in the League of Nations: against Georgia and Albania. Do you have a chance to fight for promotion?
- The Czech Republic has seven points, Georgia and Albania have six, and we have four. Anything can happen in the remaining matches. Our guys are quite unpredictable. If we win two games, we will move on. We will cheer and hope for the best. We will live and not die. Be good. (Laughs)! It's obviously not easy for Serhiy Stanislavovych, but I wish him and the team only good luck.
- And with the kind of game Ukraine is showing now, do you believe that we can get six points?
- It's not for me to decide what kind of game it is, I just watch football as a fan. There are many experts who can tell you. These are Oleksandr Golovko, Ihor Tsyganik, and Vitya Vatsko. But I am a modest person. After football, I'll watch Batman and go to bed.
- The latest Batman with Robert Pattison?
- No, I like The Dark Knight, where Anne Hathaway plays Catwoman.
- Well, enjoy the movie, and I'm off to prepare some material.
- Thank you. Good luck with that!
Andriy Piskun
