On Sunday, February 23, in the match of the 18th round of the Ukrainian championship, Kyiv "Dynamo" defeated Lviv "Karpaty" with a score of 2:0. The match took place in Kyiv at the "Dynamo" Stadium named after Valeriy Lobanovskyi. We present to you the post-match press conference of the head coach of the capital team, Alexander Shovkovsky.
— First of all, I would like to congratulate all Ukrainian fans on the beginning of the second stage of the Ukrainian championship. I believe everyone has been waiting, missing it. I hope the fans will receive positive emotions from the game – very important in such a difficult time when the fate of our country is at stake. We really lack these emotions right now.
I would also like to thank our Defenders who give us the opportunity to go onto the field, conduct the Ukrainian championship, and provide our fans with positive emotions.
As for the match itself, we understood perfectly that "spring football" is special: all teams are physically ready after the training camps, each of them has some developments and surprises may arise. This current round confirmed it once again: there was the victory of "Veres", and the game of "Chornomorets".
Therefore, we expected a challenging game, but we still had decent opportunities to feel more comfortable early in the first half.
— How quickly do the young players that you involve in the work with the first team adapt to the existing requirements?
— The transition from youth, junior football to adult football can sometimes be painful. A lot depends on personality. For example, Zabarnyi started playing at the adult level right away. But the level of competition is completely different here, the demands are entirely different, speed, decision-making speed. That’s why not everyone manages to immediately join the first team. Moreover, the different level of responsibility can weigh heavily on the shoulders of young guys.
Also, one needs to have the courage to make certain decisions, to do what needs to be done when playing adult football. Courage is needed. One has to take responsibility. Many young guys are not ready to take this responsibility. It turns out to be a burden for them.
In current world football, a player aged 20-21 is not potentially a good player anymore but a player who must perform at the highest level. Every young footballer should strive for that.
— Why was Brazhko not included in the starting lineup today? Is it tactical considerations, or disciplinary measures due to the player's reaction regarding his failed transfer to "Wolverhampton"?
— I will not look at why some player did not transition somewhere: I will use him, because I have tasks ahead of me. Our squad has 26 players. We also involve young guys from the youth team who train with us, adapt to our requirements, and that speeds up their progress; they mature faster.
Brazhko, like Shaparenko, had a difficult period recently. He was recovering from a rather serious ankle injury. We did not involve Brazhko in the January UEFA matches – we kept him, preparing him. He missed a certain preparation period, and now he is regaining his form.
Shaparenko missed the end of the first part due to illness, and during the training camp, he got sick again. Our team had a virus, which was caught by Karavaev, Mikhavko, Tymchyk, Brazhko, Pikhalyonok. Some of the guys had the infection lightly and dealt with it in 3-4 days. Others needed antibiotics. Shaparenko spent several days in the hospital. He is gradually regaining his fitness.
But we have a roster of 26 players, each of whom can step into the starting lineup or strengthen the game by coming on as a substitute at any moment. This is a normal situation within the team. No one is guaranteed a place in the lineup.
— At the beginning of this year, your team had an unusual situation: two European cup matches in January. Dynamo performed well in these matches. And today, it also demonstrated a good level of readiness. How did you manage to achieve this? And how ready is your team to solve the tasks set before them?
— For us, this was a new experience. We faced a situation for the first time where we had to play two official matches in January. The team was ready for them, and the performance in these matches allowed us to conclude that the guys were adequately prepared at that moment. Afterwards, we specially gave the team 4-5 days off for the guys to rest, because two cycles of such preparation in a row are challenging.
And then the virus appeared, and the guys began to drop out. We started to respond to the situation that unfolded, involving young players.
I believe the team is ready now. However, it is premature to jump ahead. We will analyze our preparation after a certain period.
— How did you find Yarmolenko's game? And what do you think of Vanat's second goal?
— Individually, I never evaluate anyone. Of course, after each match we analyze all actions, but I place more emphasis on team interaction. For a goal to happen, a certain volume of work must be done, which consists of many components. Who finishes it, as a coach does not matter to me. I want everyone to score.
Yarmolenko could have scored a hat-trick today, but his mere presence on the field gives us additional leverage in attack. You saw how Yarmolenko came into the game against Galatasaray, what his actions on the field were, how he scored two goals. I believe every coach would want players of such level in their team. Yarmolenko is performing a certain volume of work according to his current capabilities. But we have our tactical developments, and in the second half, we should have scored more goals, utilizing the speed that appeared with the substitution of Yarmolenko for Voloshyn.
As for Vanat's goal, we work a lot on finishing various combinations in training. The situation that led to the goal, including Vivcharenko's pass and Vanat's run, is also part of our developments. I repeat, I want everyone to score goals. Even if Nescheret scores. The main thing is for the team to win and strive for that in every match.
Post-match press conference of the head coach of "Karpaty" Vladislav Lupashko >>>
Alexander POPOV from the "Dynamo" stadium named after Valeriy Lobanovskyi
