On Sunday, April 27, in the match of the 26th round of the Ukrainian championship, Kyiv’s “Dynamo” drew 2:2 with Donetsk “Shakhtar”. The match took place in Lviv at the “Arena Lviv” stadium. Here is the post-match press conference of the head coach of the “miners” Marino Pusic.
Marino Pusic. Photo — Yu. Yuriev— The first half was ours, the second — for our opponent. Don’t take it as an excuse, but we had a very tough cup match against “Polesie”, which lasted 120 minutes, and our players expended a lot of energy.
The first half went completely according to our script. We dominated, created chances, and scored two goals. In the second half, I substituted four players immediately to refresh the game, make adjustments, and replace those guys who had run for 120 minutes against “Polesie”. Unfortunately, I couldn’t replace all such players. Therefore, those who remained on the field felt fatigued, they struggled.
Again, this is not an excuse; we always fight for the best result. But due to a slight loss of concentration, we conceded two goals. But “Dynamo” deserved them, as they created several scoring opportunities in the second half.
The result fully reflects the game.
We again missed the victory over “Dynamo” in the last minutes of the match. In the first round, our opponent got very, very lucky, but today the result is deserved: “Dynamo” earned a draw in the last minutes.
— Ahead is the final of the Ukrainian Cup against “Dynamo”. How much does today’s match provide you with new information about the opponent?
— There are no secrets here. We know each other very well with “Dynamo”. Of course, preparation for the final will go on, this is a match of great magnitude, and today’s game will provide some basis in this regard. But the teams will be of high quality, which are well aware of each other’s strengths. Therefore, I am eagerly looking forward to this match. I am sure it will be an interesting confrontation.
— What did you say to the team after the match?
— The score, of course, is disappointing: it can’t be otherwise when you squander a two-goal advantage. But I always try to be a realist. I analyzed the game together with the team, thanked the players for their effort. I always emphasize that every success or failure should only be lived for 24 hours, and then — a new game, a fight for a new result. This is the beauty of football.
— How do you assess the referees’ performance in today’s match?
— As good and worthy. Of course, there were episodes with falls, player protests, and rule violations. But it is important to assess the referees’ work not only when there are questions about them but also when the referees perform well and fulfill their duties. So I can only thank the referees for today’s match.
— Is the fight for silver medals important for “Shakhtar”?
— Yes, everything is important for us. We will fight. Any fight is important for us. Yes, the confrontation with “Dynamo” in the final of the Ukrainian Cup is more important, but the fight for second place also matters to us. And we will be in this battle until the end. And we will do everything we can. But the Ukrainian Cup is currently our more prioritized tournament.
Post-match press conference of the head coach of “Dynamo” Oleksandr Shovkovskyi.
Oleksandr POPOV from the “Arena Lviv” stadium
