Forward of "Dynamo U-19" Matviy Ponomarenko shared his impressions of the away victory over Zhytomyr "Polissya U-19" (3:1) in the 28th round of the youth championship.
— In the first round, "Dynamo" beat "Polissya" with a minimal advantage (2:1), and this time the winner was determined at the end of the match. An awkward opponent for our team?
— The game was indeed difficult for us because we couldn't convert our chances in the first half. Perhaps there was some panic, a certain nervousness. Overall, "Polissya" is a good team, they have everything to play at a high level in the future. We now have tough matches ahead, every game is crucial, just one victory left — and we become champions. And all the matches on the way to the gold medals are challenging.
— Igor Kostyuk mentioned that the players feel psychological pressure from the fact that the championship is close…
— Yes, such a burden is present, as the fight for the championship continues. But at the same time, I believe that when stepping onto the field, you need to shake off this burden and enjoy the game and the emotions it brings.
— Last season, "Dynamo" became champions after a long break, and this year they are defending the title of the best youth team in Ukraine. When was it tough?
— Defending the title is always harder than winning it, but if we talk specifically about the youth championship, last year there was more competition — from the likes of "Rukh" or "Dnipro-1", plus players born in 2004-2005 were also playing. So it wasn’t easy last season or this one (smiles).
— Today you managed to score. Such moments boost confidence, especially considering how difficult it was to return after an injury that kept you out of the game for a long time?
— Of course, it was hard, especially since I missed the entire previous week due to illness. For a forward, scoring goals is the most important thing, it’s the motivation to keep working on myself.
— The U-19 championship season is coming to an end, ahead is a full transition to adult football, to the first team of "Dynamo". Are you ready for this, for the competition for a place in the starting lineup?
— Without a doubt. I only set such goals for myself.