The former defender of "Shakhtar" and "Dynamo" Volodymyr Yezerskyi shared his impressions of the Ukrainian Cup final that took place yesterday.
— Volodymyr Ivanovych, did the last match "Shakhtar" vs "Dynamo" meet your expectations?
— First of all, I would like to note that it was significant that the Ukrainian Cup final took place in Zhytomyr for the first time.
I’ll say right away that I expected more from the clash of domestic giants in the decisive match of this tournament. However, it is necessary to take into account and possibly make allowances for the fact that the season is coming to an end, so fatigue accumulates.
But still, when "Shakhtar" and "Dynamo" meet, you always expect more sharpness, better quality of play.
The game itself showed caution from both opponents. There were many mistakes, and where the teams succeeded, it was in the emotions that emphasized the tension of this match.
— Did you have a favorite before the game?
— We understand that as of today, "Dynamo" is five minutes away from being champions. And "Shakhtar," for its part, hasn’t dropped below second place in the championship for a long time. Therefore, for the "miners," this match was somewhat crucial to somehow rehabilitate themselves for a disappointing season during which the team from Donetsk showed unstable play. Therefore, it seems to me that Mariyno Pushych’s team was more eager to win.
— Was the rehabilitation successful?
— In terms of the result—yes. This victory allowed "Shakhtar" not only to take the trophy but also to qualify for the upcoming season in the Europa League, rather than the Conference League. As for the quality of football, as I already said, I wanted to see a better picture.
— Didn’t it seem to you that after the break, "Dynamo" looked somewhat overconfident, not so much thinking about the second goal as about battling on the edge of provocation?
— It is worth noting that both teams showed psychological resilience. Yes, "Shakhtar" came back after the break, but "Dynamo" at that moment did not break. And regarding your question, the "miners" simply made the opponent think more about defense, which led to an increase in the number of fouls by the Kyiv team.
— They say that the goalkeeper is half the team. Can we say this about Andriy Yarmolenko in "Dynamo" right now?
— It is difficult to overestimate Andriy’s role in the team. He is a leader on the field and off the field. And his goal against "Shakhtar" in such a crucial match confirms my words.
— Who was the MVP of the match for you?
— Given the way the game went, it’s hard for me to highlight someone among the players when the goal-scoring moments along with the goals could be counted on one hand. I would give this award to the match referee, who, in my opinion, coped excellently with his duties. Mykola Balakin completely controlled the game, not allowing the players to cross the line of what is permissible, clearly stopping the extra emotions of the opponents.
— Next Sunday, can "Dynamo" forget about the slip in the Cup by winning the championship?
— Absolutely. After all, this is also a kind of rivalry with "Shakhtar." I won’t jump ahead and say that it will happen in the nearest round, but one thing is for sure: the championship will not escape from "Dynamo."
Sergiy BOYCHENKO