Former goalkeeper of Kyiv “Dynamo” Illya Bliznyuk shared his impressions of his former team’s return match against Cypriot “Paphos” (0:2) in the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League. Recall that, in total, the Ukrainian team failed to advance to the next stage of the tournament, losing in the Europa League (0:1, 0:2).
Illya Bliznyuk“There was one team on the field — it was ‘Paphos’; we simply did not see the other. An unquestionable victory for the Cypriots! They were stronger in all components. I was especially surprised by how well the hosts were physically prepared. It’s the 90th minute of the match, and they are pressing the Dynamo players in their penalty area, who do not know what to do.
Yes, the Cypriots were stronger in everything: in duels, in passing, in ball control, in quick attacks, in speed, in pressing, and in “physique.” ‘Dynamo’ looked like a helpless team that was not ready to go onto the field and fight. What can I say if they couldn’t connect three or four passes? The second pass was like a gift to the opponent. In defense, there was only panic, and ahead, there was emptiness. No game, no teamwork, and the defenders didn’t know what to do.
Also, there was the lonely “lost” forward Vanat. The class of a striker is tested in international matches. Having a half-chance or a chance and scoring — that is the class of a striker. One must be able to create a moment for oneself or for a partner, beat one-on-one, and that is where the strength lies. So far, we have not observed that from Vanat.
Without a qualified defense and without a goalkeeper, it is difficult to set high goals — to reach the group stage of the Champions League. The entire defensive line is inadequate, and the goalkeeper is also a problem. In a word — a disaster. After Bushchan left, there hasn’t been a worthy replacement. The goalkeeper is the last bastion of defense; he must save, but Neshcheret looks uncertain. The first goal. Where did he run? He started to twitch, confused the defenders, and let in a goal. The second goal — it was also his fault. Sometimes a goalkeeper wins the match, but that is not the case with Neshcheret.
To build a team, you first need to find a reliable goalkeeper, as ‘Shakhtar’ did. Trubin left; they invited a great goalkeeper, Riznyk. That is a valuable acquisition. If the goal was in the Champions League, then it was definitely necessary to strengthen the goalkeeper position,” said Bliznyuk.
