Kyiv "Dynamo" midfielder Mykola Mykhailenko shared his impressions of yesterday’s match against Lviv’s "Karpaty" (2:0) in the 18th round of the Ukrainian championship, where he scored the first goal.
Mykola Mykhailenko— This was the first game after the winter break, and, as a rule, there are always a bit more nerves. But we prepared for this match, played as we agreed. I believe we had enough chances. Not all were converted, but it’s good that we scored two goals and achieved victory.
— Did the freezing weather affect the quality of the game?
— We should give credit to those who prepared the field. For this time of year, the pitch is indeed in good condition. It was nice to play football, even now.
— You scored your first goal for "Dynamo". How do you feel?
— I'm very happy because I've been with "Dynamo" since childhood and always dreamed of playing and scoring for my home team. The most important thing is that we achieved victory, and I helped the team win.
— In the episode with your goal, was there a rebound from an opponent or a pass from Vanat?
— To be honest, I didn’t see exactly. I can probably say that Vanat left the ball, and whether it was diverted or not — that's a separate question. I saw the ball in front of me and acted to shoot as quickly as possible.
— What can you say about Vanat's goal?
— I consider it the highlight of the match. The skill was at a very high level: how he took the opponent out and how he shot — that's worth a lot.
— Ruslan Neshcheret, who became the first choice keeper for "Dynamo" after Bushchan’s departure, managed to keep a clean sheet...
— We trust one another, and I can say the same about Ruslan. He is a very good goalkeeper; he has everything to progress and become even better.
— The head coach of "Karpaty" said before the match that the players would play open football against "Dynamo". Was that to your advantage?
— Every team has its own tactics, and everyone plays as they see fit. It’s really nice to play against teams that don’t just focus on defense but also try to play football. It’s more interesting for the fans and provides development for the players.
— Less than a week remains until the next match in the UPL against "Vorskla". Will it be harder away?
— We all know that "Vorskla" is a very good team. The weather is cold now; I don’t know what the field conditions will be in Poltava, but both teams will be in the same conditions, so we will prepare and aim only for victory.
