Former midfielder of Kyiv’s Dynamo Sergey Kovalev shared his impressions of the match between his former team and Donetsk’s Shakhtar (1:1) in the 11th round of the Ukrainian championship.
— Sergey Ivanovich, you predicted a draw before the match. Can we say that the classic met your expectations?
— I liked the excitement around the match, but the game itself... It was not powerful enough, there were many mistakes. I did not see a cohesive game, I wanted more enthusiasm, attacks on counter courses. I also expected a more rational game, as both teams had many national team players.
The result should, to some extent, satisfy Dynamo more, as the Kyiv team maintained a six-point lead. However, I believe the hosts could have played more aggressively; there was no solidity, they were afraid of losing.
Shakhtar had more chances in the first half, and after the break, they scored from a set piece. Only after that did the Kyiv team realize that they also needed to attack; Voloshin had a great opportunity. The red card for Krysykiv played an important role; Dynamo managed to take advantage of the numerical superiority.
— What can explain Krysykiv's foul in a situation that seemed to not require such risk?
— It seems to me that the head coach does not control the situation. Just before Krysykiv's removal, there was another moment when Pedro Enrique very roughly attacked Tymchyk. The referee let that go, but after some time Krysykiv fouls from behind with the risk of causing injury. This is while the team is winning and controlling the game. So there is no team discipline, no order.
— Did Dynamo's actions suffer from the absence of Shaparenko?
— He is talked about a lot, but unfortunately, Kolya is not showing the game that is expected of him right now. I think he is not satisfied himself, plus he needs to work on ball recovery. In modern football, the one who recovers the ball more in the midfield wins.
— In Shakhtar, Shved and Nazarina have firmly settled on the bench. The latter, by the way, could have helped in the situation when the team was left with fewer players, as Yegor can play in the holding zone and lower...
— These two played under Yovichievich, showcasing quality football. It is the coach who defines the lineup and is responsible for the result. Now Shakhtar has problems not only when they need to defend; it is difficult for the miners to score goals.
— Before the game, there was talk of a possible dismissal of Marino Pushich...
— There is club management that controls this process. But I will note that in European cups, if you do not recover the ball, the chances are low. This is generally a problem of our championship. Kalyuzhny is the only player who recovers the ball. And recovery is a complex technical element. Taras Stepanenko masters it very well, who has faithfully served Shakhtar for so many years. For some reason, other midfielders do not like playing defensively with us.
— In the Europa League match with Roma, Dynamo started with a reserve team; was such a decision by Shovkovsky justified?
— Dynamo had two days less for recovery, but physically the team looked good. For many players — Bilovar, Mikhavko, Bragare — it was their first derby, a great responsibility.
— What would you like to wish our giants in conclusion?
— To play good football, to please our soldiers and fans. To talk less and work more.
Anatoly Yashchenko
