Former midfielder of Poltava’s «Vorskla» Ivan Kryvoshienko commented on the Europa League match in which «Dynamo» defeated the RFSH from Riga with a score of 1:0.
Ivan Kryvoshienko— Ivan, just before this match, it became known that five key players of Kyiv’s «Dynamo» would not help their team this evening. We are talking about Popov, Dubinchak, Brazhko, Shaparenko, and Buyalsky. What do you say about the starting lineup of the Dynamo players?
— Of course, we probably have never seen such a combination of players who took the field against RFSH. It was difficult without these five players. However, while the absence of Popov and Dubinchak did not have a significant impact, the absence of the three attacking midfielders was clearly felt. After all, we know how creative Brazhko, Shaparenko, and Buyalsky are in attack. These guys make a difference on the football field. I also want to mention the departure of goalkeeper Heorhiy Bushchan. He played for «Dynamo» for many years, but now Mykola Neshcheret has gotten his chance. Ruslan is already 23 years old and has always been part of the team. He has experience both in games for «Dynamo» and with the youth national team of Ukraine. Yes, we remember that sometimes Neshcheret made mistakes when playing in the starting lineup, but that is absolutely normal. Young goalkeepers have to miss their “own” goals; only then can they mature.
— What is your opinion of the Latvian club RFSH?
— A week ago, the RFSH team defeated the Dutch «Ajax» at home. Yes, their pitch was not of the best quality. In that game, Ajax outplayed RFSH but did not convert their chances. What do I think about RFSH? In my opinion, this team preaches defensive football, playing with a low block. The Latvian club relies only on set pieces. They don’t need the ball at all. If I were to compare RFSH to some Ukrainian club, I would call it «Inhulets». And still, I cannot help but note the work of the team’s head coach Viktor Moroz.
— How did you find the first half of the match in Hamburg, where there were 3,698 spectators in the stands of the Volksparkstadion?
— Yes, the atmosphere of this match was like in a training camp. A practically empty enormous stadium, because football is not interesting without spectators. The players need adrenaline, and they get it from the fans. And the pitch at this stadium was terrible. The other day, the president of Kyiv’s «Dynamo» Ihor Surkis said that choosing Hamburg as the venue for home games in the European Cups was a mistake. But we have what we have. It is clear that the chances of Dynamo advancing to the playoff round have long been lost. However, everyone wanted to achieve the first victory in the main round. I know that for four years, «Dynamo» has not won in group tournaments of the European Cups. The last victory was recorded in 2020, when at home, Dynamo defeated «Ferencváros». Therefore, it’s understandable to have worries and concerns about the outcome of the match. The first half was played with our team having the advantage, but there was no aggression in the attacking zone, and there were practically no shots on target against the RFSH goalkeeper. Yes, there was a good goal from Vanat, but the referee called offside.
— Did the Dynamo players play better in the second half?
— Significantly better. It is obvious that Oleksandr Shovkovskyi spoke with his charges in raised tones. In the second half, our players constantly attacked, creating pressure. Here I can highlight the young players — Rubchynskyi and Mykhailenko. The first covered a huge distance and took part in the goal. And the second acted skillfully during interceptions, starting the attacks of «Dynamo».
— Was Pikhaliank’s goal scored amid a bit of chaos?
— Yes, there was a deflection off the opponent, and Oleksandr struck beautifully into the corner of the net. But at the beginning of the attack, there was a trademark combination of Kyiv’s «Dynamo» — a flank attack initiated by Tymchyk. Then the partners continued it, and finally, Pikhaliank finished it off masterfully. I agree that luck was on the side of the Ukrainian team in that moment.
— Did this game lead to the goal being scored?
— You could say that. I want to stress again the poor quality of the pitch, which made it difficult to create scoring opportunities. It was clear from the beginning of the match that we shouldn’t expect many goals here.
— How did Dynamo’s season turn out in the current Europa League?
— Everyone understands that this European Cup season has been a failure for Dynamo players. The players themselves acknowledge this. And that’s a good thing. Victories always help any team. Psychologically, it is always difficult to recover after many defeats. But in January, «Dynamo» collected 4 points, although it is clear that the priority for the leader of this season in the UPL is the championship.
— What do you think about the performances of Ukrainian giants in January?
— It is unusual, as our teams are in training camps at this time, while the opponents are mostly in good game shape, having match practice. I see a big plus in logistics. Both «Shakhtar» and «Dynamo» flew by charter from Antalya, which allowed them to quickly reach the matches. Overall, our clubs played quite well in January.
