The head coach of "Rukh," Vitaliy Ponomaryov, commented on his team’s defeat to Kyiv’s "Dynamo" in the match of the 22nd round of the Ukrainian championship on UPL.TV.
Vitaliy Ponomaryov (photo: fcruhlviv.com)
— It looks like the team played 2 different halves. Do you agree?
— I will say briefly: the skill level of Dynamo players is currently higher than that of Rukh players, and therefore Dynamo’s victory is justified. We tried to create resistance, we tried not to stray from our principles, but, once again, I say, the skill level is higher at Dynamo.
— How important was the goal conceded from Vanat in this match?
— A quick goal is always psychologically important for the team that scores. But we always tell the guys that we need to play, we need to take the hit and try to rectify the situation. So it was important for the Dynamo players, but I don’t think it plays a decisive role; we need to play all 90 minutes. Therefore, we need to keep playing.
— In the 2nd half, the team created several dangerous moments, but at the same time, the team has only scored 1 goal in the last 5 matches. Does this psychologically affect the players?
— Essentially, we have a new team because we have many new footballers. There aren’t always moments, we can’t always score, but I think everything will be fine. We will fight, we will not give up, and we will build a competitive team that can compete with any opponent.
— The Cup is ahead. What will the preparation be like?
— I think it will be a different match than today. It’s a cup match, a knockout game, so psychologically it will be difficult for both Dynamo players and us. I don’t think these matches will be similar.
