Defender of Kyiv’s Dynamo Valeriy Luchkevych, for whom yesterday’s match against “Livy Bereh” (2:0) in the 23rd round of the Ukrainian Championship was his debut for the “white-blues”, shared his impressions of this match.
Valeriy Luchkevych. Photo — Yu. Yuriev— It’s very nice to debut in a winning match, I’m glad that it happened, and I’m doubly pleased that we earned three points today.
— The fight for the championship continues, does this put pressure on the team?
— We prepare for each match as if it were our last, our task for every game is to win. I wouldn’t say there is pressure; it all depends only on us, on our game.
— In the first half, Dynamo didn’t have very many shots on target, but managed to score a goal just before halftime. Was this a turning point?
— That was a very important goal, because “Livy Bereh” was sitting very deep in defense, and that ball forced the opponent to open up. As the second half showed, we had many more chances to score, and the second goal right after the break gave us more options for future attacks. Of course, when you win 2:0, you feel more confident and play more calmly.
— Symbolically, you played your last match in December as part of “Koloss” against “Dynamo”, coming on as a substitute at the end of the match. Now the situation has repeated itself in “Dynamo”.
— This is pure coincidence. The guys in “Dynamo” welcomed me very warmly, everyone is nice, they help, and there are people to learn from. Additionally, the coaching staff and club management do everything to ensure the team can compete for the championship.
— How did your teammates and coaches congratulate you on your debut?
— They simply congratulated me verbally, and after the match told me to go train to improve further. (Smiling).
— The next match is in Kryvyi Rih against “Kryvbas”; what thoughts will you take there considering recent events and the security situation?
— Of course, everyone is worried, there was a tragedy there recently that is just unimaginable. My condolences to all the deceased. It’s very scary. As for the game, we will prepare; I hope everything goes safely.
