The goalkeeper of Lviv’s "Karpaty," Andrii Klishchuk recalled one of the matches of his former team, "Hirnyk-Sport," against Kyiv’s "Dynamo" (0:6) in the 1/16 finals of the Ukrainian Cup 2015/16.
Andrii Klishchuk. Photo — FC "Karpaty"— You made a name for yourself in adult football with "Hirnyk-Sport." Among that period, your home match against "Dynamo" (0:6) in the 1/16 finals of the Ukrainian Cup 2015/16 stands out. Did that game stay in your memory for long?
— Yes. In the first stage of the Cup, we then played away against "Kremin" (2:0) and faced "Dynamo." We were very happy to face the grand team because we wanted to play against the stars. "Dynamo" didn’t let us down and came to us with a truly competitive squad.
We were energized for the match, but we understood at that moment the level of our team and "Dynamo." They were really different poles, you could say. For some players, we couldn’t keep up not just with our feet but even with our minds.
The game was tough and emotional. I had a lot of work to do. Although after, I was more happy than disappointed, despite conceding six goals. All the goals conceded were complicated. At the same time, I saved us in a few moments. "Dynamo" really put us through our paces.
— At that time, Andrii Yarmolenko, who was being actively traded to "Everton," scored "3+3."
— At that time, it seemed to me that he was running without touching the ground. All his movements... were very quick.
— In the middle of the second half, Vitorino Antunes scored with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area. Did you have a chance to save it?
— I remember that moment. Yarmolenko took a corner, and Antunes shot it on the volley.
After the match in the evening, there was a studio of the "Profutbol" program with Ihor Tsiganyk, and they invited expert Ihor Shukhovtsev. The latter said something like, "What’s so special about that shot? You catch the ball with two hands and start the attack."
Shukhovtsev said it so calmly, and I didn’t understand he wasn’t serious. Initially, I was disappointed. I thought, "How can this be? That’s a shot with no chances." I started to get myself worked up, and then he finally said, "I’m just joking."
— Did you manage to get the jerseys of the "Dynamo" players after the match?
— Yes, I got a jersey from Oleksandr Rybka, which I kept for ten years. This summer, together with Yuriy Vakulko, we collected money and this jersey with signatures went for charity at auction. It was taken for six-seven thousand hryvnias.
— At "Hirnyk-Sport," you crossed paths with the young future midfielder of "Dynamo" and the national team of Ukraine, Oleksandr Andriievskyi. How did you remember him as a person and a player?
— Very kind, calm, and hardworking. I remember we constantly crossed paths in the gym, stayed after training, and played table tennis or something else. Among all others in the team, he stood out for not drinking alcohol at all and eating very little sweets. Just a professional football player.
— Did you feel his powerful shot back then?
— His left foot is very good. I don’t remember about his shot, but he made surprisingly good through passes deep into the field, creating many goal-scoring opportunities.
— How did the head coach Ihor Zhabchenko nurture him?
— He treated him like his own son. He protected him, constantly praised him, and provided guidance. It was clear that he paid a lot of attention to him.
Dmytro Vienkov
