The head coach of "Lviv River" Vitaliy Pervak summed up the performance of the team in the first half of their debut season in the Premier League of the Ukrainian championship.
Lviv River news— What helped "Lviv River" win the "Four Nations Tournament" — freedom or luck?
— Most likely, it was the desire of the coaching staff, players, and the president of our club to prove that "Lviv River" deserves to play in the Premier League. The playing squad, as well as the coaching staff, remained the same, so if fate gifted us such an opportunity, we had to use it without fail.
— You entered the new season as a participant of the UPL. It seems that the club was not prepared for this…
— It was a surprise for everyone. After all, we planned to play in the first league, and our U-19 team was set to play in the second. However, while each team was preparing for their tournament affairs, what happened happened — we had to play in matches that determined who would gain additional rights to play in the elite. In the first two days after our final match with "Minai," we needed to adapt.
— Was it difficult?
— We have experienced people in the club structure who already know the specifics of the UPL well from their time working in "Oleksandriya." This includes the club president Mykola Lavrenko and vice president Ihor Matakov. Our coaching staff also consists of people who are not new to football and the Premier League in particular. So "Lviv River" adapted and embarked on a new path. It turned out like in the famous proverb: "Everything new is just forgotten old."
— What was the most challenging aspect for you as the head coach over the four-month stretch?
— The ability to convey to the players the thought and convince them that they are also capable of playing at the level of the strongest. It is quite understandable that there were many failures, which can be explained by the lack of experience among our charges. And we understand this well. Throughout the long distance of the autumn part of the championship, it was very difficult for us. There were very challenging matches, and we went through a tough period. But I believe that the guys held on and performed decently.
— Did you immediately feel the difference in class of opponents compared to last season in the First League?
— Immediately. Both I and the management of our club felt it after the match against "Minai." A day or two later, our club asked LNZ to postpone the opening match of the Premier League championship, as we had little time even for the smallest preparation for our debut in the elite. The Cherkasy club agreed to the postponement for only one day. That was when we felt that no one would worry for you, no one would think, and no one would compromise. Everyone to their own. Unfortunately, this is a harsh world of the Premier League, and there's no escaping it.
— The start for "Lviv River" was indeed tough — three consecutive losses. However, one thing is the result, and a completely different thing is the game…
— Our team played decently in the first match in the elite against LNZ, and we all remember how we conceded the goal. Then there was the game against "Vorskla," where we played very decently until the first goal was scored against us. And although the experience of the starting games was generally negative, the team still progressed.
— After three starting losses, your players managed to secure two victories — against "Chornomorets" and "Veres." How much did these wins help the team believe in their own strength?
— The key match at the beginning of our performances in the Premier League was the one against "Chornomorets." We won it, although the game was very nerve-racking. After all, "Chornomorets" is a very good team, plus they have an experienced coaching staff. In that match, we scored a goal, after which there was a strong desire to maintain the score. Sometimes we just had to defend, but we still managed to achieve our goal — we won. The next game, against "Veres," can be said to have gone on a roll. The first half was terrible for us; we could have conceded many goals. But it turned out as it did — our team showed character and managed to win. After that, we took our first break, which occurred due to the national team's September matches.
— During the first round, there was a long stretch when "Lviv River" did not know the joy of victory for ten consecutive rounds, settling for only four draws in that time. What is the reason for this?
— Here, it’s a combination of factors. One of them is that we could not score for a long time. I don’t remember exactly, but it is possible that our team set a record for the longest time without scoring (903 minutes, the second longest goalless streak in the history of the Ukrainian championship — ed.). Despite this negative statistic, the team continued to work and push through. The most important thing is that we did not sway from side to side, but simply went our own way. The guys did well; they endured all the challenges with dignity.
— The start of the second round proved to be quite promising for your team: two "revenge" victories in two matches — against LNZ and "Vorskla." What contributed to these successes?
— Long before these two victories, "Lviv River" had games that allowed us to see that we were moving in the right direction. Let's recall the match against "Inhulets," which ended in a 0:0 draw; for some reason, everyone considered it a negative result for us. However, I would like to note that the team from Petrove knows how to play football and could beat anyone in this championship. There was also a match against "Obolon," where for almost the entire second half we were losing 0:1, and only in stoppage time, thanks to our character and desire, did we manage to equalize and achieve a draw. As for the aforementioned victorious matches against LNZ and "Vorskla," the guys also showed character. If we talk about LNZ, it is a very good team. Trailing by a goal during the game, we managed not only to equalize but also to snatch a win. As for the match in Poltava against "Vorskla"... I won’t embellish our achievements or say anything about the opponent, but honestly, on such a field that day, any team could beat any other. In that match, perhaps we were a bit lucky, and "Vorskla," on the contrary, was not. In my opinion, the field diminished all the skill of the Poltava team’s footballers. And again, the decisive role in the match against "Vorskla" was played by the character of our boys.
— Leaving the danger zone, "Lviv River" significantly improved its chances in the ongoing fight in the elite. I suppose I won’t be mistaken if I assume that to achieve high results, the club's management is ready to acquire quality players.
— The competition has increased, and the main events are still ahead. It is clear that it will be very fierce, and everyone will be nervous — both us and our competitors. If we talk in terms of acquiring top-notch players, I’ll say this: "Lviv River" has its own path, which all Premier League clubs and all footballers in Ukraine know. We are building infrastructure, building an academy — this lays the foundation for the future. So we will always be glad to have good footballers. We do not intend to go to extremes, although even such extremes do not guarantee that things will improve. Therefore, we are moving forward with confident steps, and we do not intend to deviate from this path.
— In the summer and at the beginning of September, the team was joined by a large group of newcomers. However, it seems that the coaching staff's expectations have only been met by half of them. Is that correct?
— If we single out certain players individually by analyzing the path we have taken in the UPL, I believe that the footballers who joined us have brought a lot of benefits and helped during the autumn stretch of the season. Of course, it would be nice for it to be even better, but it is what it is. I can say that the solid players in the "starting lineup" are experienced Yevhen Banada, Vladyslav Shapoval, Klym Prykhodko, Dmytro Semenov, and Taras Halas. Bohdan Kobzar has not said his last word yet. So there is room for improvement. It is clear that when new footballers come into an inexperienced team, it is very difficult for them — and that is understandable. But everyone is working; no one intends to hang their heads, and no one is whining or complaining about being included or not included in the starting lineup. Our principle is simple: those who are stronger go onto the pitch. In this matter, everything depends on various factors — both tactical and the physical readiness of the footballers. We have mutual understanding between the players and the coaching staff, and everyone understands each other and continues to work.
— As is known, Andriy Spivakov, Oleksandr Dudarenko, and Dmytro Fastov have left the team. Could any of the players rejoin them as more qualified players arrive in "Lviv River"?
— Anything is possible. Seizing this opportunity, I would like to thank those footballers who have already left "Lviv River." Going onto the pitch in the jersey of our team and fighting alongside partners for the result, each of them contributed greatly to the club's development. The most important thing is that they are all decent guys. Will we have qualified footballers? Perhaps we will. We shall see. I hope they will come. We already have agreements about transfers with some, and some are already preparing to start training for the spring part of the championship with us. There is still a lot of work to be done in this direction.
— Have you already defined priorities for how the work will be organized during the winter break?
— Yes, of course. The priority is the physical condition of the footballers. At the beginning of the winter work, this is the most important, and I will not reveal anything new. Considering that already in the last days of February we are expecting the resumption of the championship, physical readiness will take center stage in the first three to four games. Our team has to play the starting match of the spring part of the season against "Shakhtar," so if we are not well-prepared physically, it will be very, very difficult for us.
— How is the winter work planned for your team?
— The team will gather after the break on January 14. We will work at home for two weeks. During this time, we plan to hold three friendlies, in the first of which we will traditionally play against the team of the club's Academy graduates, and in the second against a first league representative — "Metalist 1925." On January 29, we will head for a training camp in Turkey, from where we will return to Ukraine two days before our first official match against "Shakhtar."
Vyacheslav Kulchytsky
", 'Vitaliy Pervak UA-Football.
