Journalist Serhiy Tyshchenko shared his expectations for the second part of the current Ukrainian championship.
Serhiy Tyshchenko“The second part of the season starts this weekend. My expectations.
“Dynamo” is the champion. I have no doubts about that. 7 points is a lot. Last season, Kyiv lost 7 points in the spring (draws with LNZ, “Veres,” and a defeat to “Shakhtar”). Back then, Shovkovskyi had much less coaching experience. Plus, the team was not as cohesive. There was no margin for error, which played a cruel joke. Now “Shakhtar” needs not only to win the head-to-head match but also to hope for two missed points from “Dynamo.” That is a lot for 11 rounds.
The problems of “Dynamo” are obvious — the center of defense. No one knows what will happen with Neshcheret. Individual mistakes can lead to point losses. There is a lot of talk about “Dynamo’s” youth. But a lot still depends on Bui and Yarmola. It is important for them to be able to play. This is a guarantee of gold medals for “Dynamo.”
The second place is “Oleksandriya.” The team is cohesive, has depth, rotation, and experience. There are very few young players. There is insane motivation from Ruslan Rotan. Silver can open up great opportunities for him (even allowing him to become the coach of “Shakhtar”). The composition of “Oleksandriya” consists of players who are unnecessary for other teams. Each of them wants to prove that their previous employer was wrong.
The time has come for “Shakhtar” to fall out of the top two places. In recent years, “Shakhtar” has been tossed from side to side. The arrival of Dario Srna led to the loss of structure. Huge purchases under De Zerbi, then the Ukrainian “Shakhtar,” then a bet on secondary legionnaires, and then again expensive young Brazilians. A very mediocre coach. The losses of Sikan and Zubkov will definitely be felt in the second round. The Brazilians in Pushich are not developing. Sudakov is not for sale. In the current “Shakhtar,” there is a lot of instability. There are many questions that have no answers.
Three teams will fight for 4th place — “Kryvbas,” “Polissya,” and “Karpaty.”
The Kryvyi Rih team looks like the favorite. “Kryvbas” is simple football, but with the vast experience of Vernydub. Lupashko and Ashur significantly lag behind here because it’s only their first season at this level. I hope that in the spring, Kamensky will shine for “Kryvbas.” He is a very interesting winger from the class of 2007.
“Polissya” has significantly strengthened. An interesting striker has arrived. Two players from Israel in midfield. Experienced Andriyevskyi. They took another winger along with Hutsulyak and Nazarenko. The team has significantly grown in terms of personnel over the winter.
Karpaty also grew over the winter. They addressed two problem positions (forward and right back), gained depth and rotation. 5 new players. One player from the Ukrainian national team, three from the “youth team.” By their composition and potential, “Karpaty” are unlikely to currently lag behind “Oleksandriya.” Serious tasks can be achieved even in the first season.
“Inhulets” will be relegated. LB, “Obolon,” and “Chornomorets” will figure out who will be relegated directly and who will play in the playoffs,” — wrote Tyshchenko in his Telegram channel.
