On Thursday, March 6, in the match of the 20th round of the Ukrainian championship, Kyiv’s Dynamo defeated Cherkasy LNZ with a score of 2:1. The match took place in Cherkasy at the "Cherkasy-Arena" stadium. We present to you the post-match press conference of the head coach of the capital team, Oleksandr Shovkovskiy.
— We understood perfectly well how difficult the match would be. Against the backdrop of the match with "Vorskla" and the fact that all the teams coached by Hryhorchuk always play very carefully, very closely and with great motivation against Kyiv’s Dynamo, we prepared the guys for a tough match. And that’s what it turned out to be.
However, in the first half, there was only one team on the field — Dynamo. We had control, dominance, and pressure on our side, we scored a goal, and we could have scored more, but unfortunately, we couldn’t do it. In the second half, we conceded an unnecessary goal which led to a nervous finish.
— Why did your team experience a drop in performance after the first half?
— Until the moment of the goal in our net, it was a completely different game. I repeat, we dominated, controlled the ball, and pressured the LNZ team. Then we conceded a goal, and everything went differently thereafter.
Oleksandr Shovkovskiy. Photo — A. Popov— Why was Voloshyn not included in today's match squad?
— Unfortunately, he felt some issues with the back of his thigh. This is one of the main muscles that is very important for a football player, and to avoid complications, we decided not to involve Voloshyn in today’s match. Although he trained yesterday, it was clear that he was a bit "holding back." The examination did not show major problems, but there is some swelling. Therefore, he was not prepared for today’s game.
— What did you feel when Brazhko scored the winning goal?
— It became the winning goal only after the final whistle sounded. I felt that the team wanted it, but somewhere emotions hindered us from acting rationally and boldly, as we planned, as we did in the first half, but we understood that Hryhorchuk’s teams always set themselves up maximally against Kyiv’s Dynamo and play with some enhanced motivation. I hope that with such a game, LNZ will surely win in all upcoming matches.
As for us, we are working towards our goals, solving our tasks, and for us, every goal is important, and every victory matters a lot.
— Why is Brazhko only coming on as a substitute in the second half of the season?
— If you carefully read the recent press conference, you could find my detailed answer to this question.
— But I couldn't attend that press conference.
— You could have read about it. But to close this topic, I will say one thing: no player is guaranteed a place in the starting lineup.
— Your team seemed lost after conceding a goal in both the match against Vorskla and today’s match. That doesn’t feel very championship-like. Ahead, there are matches against Kryvbas and Polissya, which will be much harder to play.
— That’s your opinion. Everyone has their opinion. My opinion is this: we prepare for each specific team, analyzing the game of each team.
— The substitutions didn’t have much impact on your team’s attacking line. Are you considering options for squad reinforcement?
— We always consider options for strengthening, we always have certain options. But options are one thing, and the readiness of a player to join our team is another; there are certain circumstances and moments. Footballers either ask for crazy money, or at the last moment, mom, dad, uncle, aunt, wife, or someone else doesn’t want to come to Ukraine, and that’s just it. Moreover, this often happens at the last moment.
— Perhaps there are options for reinforcement from the ranks of Dynamo’s youth team?
— The youth team is definitely not currently a matter of reinforcement; it is a matter of prospects.
Post-match press conference of LNZ head coach Roman Hryhorchuk.
Oleksandr POPOV from Cherkasy
