Defender of Kyiv "Dynamo" Vladyslav Dubinchak summarized the match of his team with Donetsk "Shakhtar" (2:2), which took place today in Lviv within the framework of the 26th round of the Ukrainian championship.
Vladyslav Dubinchak. Photo — Yu. Yuriev— I believe we completely lost the first half; we were not on the field — only Shakhtar was present. We created nothing sharp near the opponent’s goal. They fully controlled the game. However, I liked the second half. We went out on the field, realizing that we had nothing to lose, played decently, and managed to make a comeback. For us, this result is positive, as we did not let Shakhtar get closer and did not allow Oleksandriya to gain ground, so everything is good.
When we conceded such an unnecessary goal due to a mistake in the fifth minute, we did not understand what had happened. Therefore, we were somewhat unfocused. When you go out on the field, you tune in to the fight, and that goal threw us off balance. We played the first half below our level. But in the second half, when there was nothing left to lose, we went forward, and it paid off.
— Vanat scored the first goal after your cross from the flank. There were similar moments in the first half, but you couldn’t finish them. Is this a practiced combination?
— You cannot call it a practiced play. It seems to me that in all teams, the wide defenders cross, and forwards try to finish. It’s good that it worked out. Vanat was where he needed to be, and I crossed it where it was needed. I am very happy that this goal helped us make such a comeback.
— There was a lot of fighting, provocations…
— This is a derby; this is a match between "Dynamo" and "Shakhtar"; it cannot be otherwise. In these matches, emotions are always at a maximum level; everyone wants to win, and no one wants to give in. The players take it normally; after the game, we shook hands.
— Did you add emotions, enthusiasm in the second half?
— The quick conceded goal completely disrupted our game plan. We had a plan, we had agreed on something, but when you concede a goal in the fifth minute due to a mistake, it throws you off. You lose your game somewhere, lose your confidence. We needed a break to readjust a bit. When we realized we had nothing to lose in this game, we went forward, and it helped us achieve a comeback.
— You scored the second goal already in stoppage time…
— We could have scored earlier; we had quite good chances — for Vanat, for Kabayev, and for Shaparenko. The opponent also had good moments. I hope the fans enjoyed the game. Given the first half, the draw is positive for us.
— "Dynamo" has had many matches with unsuccessful first halves; have you discussed with your partners and coaches why this happens?
— Until you mentioned it, I hadn’t thought about it. We sometimes have bad first halves, but perhaps we feel that we have a certain reserve. We go out to play cautiously, not fully engaging, and when we understand that we need to win, we activate. Yes, this is a problem; I understand that we need to engage immediately, score, and take control of the game, but that’s how it is.
— Recently, we see a lot of productive actions from you; do you analyze your games?
— The fact that I push forward is both my problem and a good trait. I believe I am a defender who plays more in attack. Now, as we strive for the championship, we try to play more disciplined in defense; I step back and try to play forward less.
Overall, it seems to me that by nature, I am a player who plays more forward; I think the coaches see that too. Perhaps I am not so strong in defense, but I can play well going forward. I try to act on my strong qualities, plus the confidence that comes when I play three or four consecutive matches. Then I feel free on the field, and when I don’t play for a long time, in the first games, I feel insecure, worrying not to make a mistake, so I am not benched again. For my mistake in the match against Ferencvaros in the fall, I paid dearly — I sat out 6-7 matches on the bench. But it’s okay; this is football; this is my experience. Now, fortunately, everything is good.
— "Dynamo" is unbeaten in the Ukrainian championship and the Cup; do you think about not losing every time?
— You don’t get a Cup for being unbeaten, so what difference does it make? The main thing is to win the championship; everything else is not important.
