Former midfielder of Kyiv’s «Dynamo» Vasyl Kardan evaluated the performance of Oleksandr Shovkovskyi’s team in the current Europa League and shared what he expects from the Kyivans in the second part of the season on the domestic arena.
— Yesterday in Hamburg, the result was the priority. In such cases, players are unable to please with spectacular play. In the match against RFS, the pace was low, with few goal-scoring chances, but it is important that Dynamo managed to secure their first victory. I believe that the Kyivans played better overall, as they more often controlled the ball and created more threats near the opponents’ goal.
— Were there any concerns about the result when it became known that Dynamo would not be able to rely on a whole group of leading players?
— In recent years, the level of participants in European competitions has noticeably leveled out. Previously, it could be said with confidence that Dynamo would easily prevail over representatives from the Baltic States or the Balkans. Now, thanks to a well-thought-out selection process, the progress of local coaches who have the opportunity to learn through UEFA programs, teams from these regions have improved. Ukrainian clubs, on the other hand, have lost some of their “advantages” due to Russian aggression, primarily the invitation of quality foreign players.
Still, I was optimistic and considered Dynamo to be the favorites. Yes, yesterday they struggled a lot, their actions were often uncoordinated, and there was a lack of unconventional solutions, but still, they managed to tip the scales in their favor.
— How would you assess the performance of Oleksandr Shovkovskyi’s team in the current Europa League?
— I would not be original if I said that Dynamo's performance in this tournament was disastrous. However, to be frank, some stereotypes needed to be discarded, and the reality is that the level of Ukrainian teams has sharply declined.
Of course, there were objective reasons for this, and logistics had a negative impact since they constantly had to play away games, but facts are stubborn things: Dynamo performed worse than expected. The only positive aspect was that the youth of Kyiv gained international experience that will undoubtedly be useful in future battles.
— How do you assess the chances of Oleksandr Shovkovskyi’s team to maintain the lead over their pursuers in the championship race in the UPL?
— Since the Kyivans were passive on the transfer market for various reasons, they will have to rely on the players they already have in their squad. This should serve as an additional incentive for unity. In my opinion, if there are no personnel losses, Dynamo will not allow their pursuers to catch up as they did last autumn. As you can see, everything will depend, first and foremost, on the Kyivans themselves.
Andriy Pysarenko