Dynamo U-19 lost in a penalty shootout to Atalanta U-19 (3:3, penalties 6:7) in the UEFA Youth League. I really feel sorry for Ihor Kostiuk. I believe he is capable of at least leading the team to the UEFA Youth League final. But something always interferes...
Photo — fcdynamo.comDynamo U-19 lost in a penalty shootout. They lost in a penalty shootout to Hoffenheim U-19. When it seemed that the youth team of Dynamo was capable of aiming for victory in the tournament, war began. Competing with Sporting U-19 was unrealistic, as the team was coming back after a long pause. Now Atalanta U-19... They lost a match that was almost won and in the penalty shootout.
A penalty shootout is not a lottery, but psychology. The mentality of the young Dynamo players needs to be better...
In fact, the UEFA Youth League is a tournament not of results, but of development. Here, experience and player development come first, not victory. Today we saw how important psychology, mentality, and the ability to concentrate in the moment are. Did Dynamo U-19 lose a winning match, or did Dynamo U-19 lose to themselves, not the opponent? The main thing now is to draw the right conclusions.
The main reason is the lack of experience in such matches. In the fall, Kostiuk's team played in the champions path. Only 4 matches and the opponents were champions of Slovenia and Kosovo. In contrast, in the group stage, there were 8 matches against established clubs.
No one from the current squad has ever played at this level. The first team of Dynamo hasn't become champions, and the youth team also hasn't won the championship for 3 years. If Kostiuk has experience, the players do not. If they had played in the group against strong opponents in the fall, it was Dynamo U-19 that would have progressed further.
It is also necessary to find a positive in the match against the Bergamasques. Dynamo U-19 disassembled a team in the first half that left no chances for Shakhtar U-19 in the fall and has one of the strongest academies in Italy. Unfortunately, individual mistakes determined everything...
Yevhen Surkis is a master of saving penalties. I think that if it weren't for the mistake in the second half, Surkis would have saved more in the penalty shootout—it's psychology. In the match against Kazakhstan for the national team, Yevhen conceded from a direct shot from a corner. Now there is another mistake on exits. This is already a system, where goalkeepers of Dynamo play poorly with their feet and on exits. There is a question for whoever trains the goalkeepers.
At the start of the season, the youth team of Dynamo won several matches with a crushing score. They particularly dominated LNZ and Rukh. The essence is that the Kyivans play with a significant advantage over the opponent. The defense and goalkeeper have little work. Today, it backfired. To progress and develop, there needs to be load; young players need to play at a higher level. Those who have outgrown the U-19 level, or have been there for 3 years, need to search for loans even if it does not benefit the youth team.
I would not like to blame the players who missed the penalties. Perhaps the hardest part is for Demian Tretyak, who came on as a substitute quite well. Demian has always confidently taken penalties at the youth level. It’s all about psychology, pressure from results. In the summer he had an injury, then a loan to Zorya. Tretyak definitely has character if he came back. The missed penalty will also be survived.
Therefore, the conclusion is very simple—it's vital for the first team to become champions so that Dynamo U-19 has more matches against stronger opponents. This is the key to successful participation in the UEFA Youth League and the chance to fight for a final four spot.
Serhiy TYSHCHENKO
