The former defender of Kyiv "Dynamo" Vladyslav Vashchuk shared his impressions of his former team’s return match against Israeli "Maccabi" (1:0) in the Europa League playoff round. Recall that, based on the results of the two matches (1:3, 1:0), the Kyiv team could not advance to the main stage of this tournament.
— It was clear that the guys were trying. They wanted to score a second goal, but they weren’t lucky. This kind of character and desire should have been shown in the first game, then we would have gone further. "Dynamo" should have defeated "Maccabi," but it happened as it did.
— Do you think Surkis or Shovkovsky gave the players a talking-to after the unconvincing games against Paphos and the first game with "Maccabi"?
— I think so, there was a conversation. This was evident in the second game with "Maccabi." The guys played carefully not to receive a red card.
— Who impressed you among the "Dynamo" players in yesterday’s match?
— The whole team played well, wanted to win, no one dropped out. If I have to choose one, I’d name Neshcheret. He played the match at a high level, in some moments he saved the team and did everything to keep the score at 0 in the goal.
— Does veteran Yarmolenko still maintain a high level?
— He has a high level that hasn’t gone anywhere. He needs to be utilized. Yarmolenko, even at 35, strongly helps "Dynamo." He is a player of high class and skill.
— Was Vanat sorely missed in this match?
— Of course, since "Dynamo" needed to score. I think with Vanat, there could have been a different, more positive result. But other forwards also need to develop, move the attack forward, and score.
— Among the forwards at "Dynamo," there are still Guerrero and young Ponomarenko. What do you think of them?
— Guerrero needs to find himself and start scoring more, and Ponomarenko needs to show himself, demonstrate his abilities — who he is and what he represents, and whether he can play at a higher level. We’ll see.
— Maybe it was necessary to keep Supryaga, whom "Dynamo" loaned to "Epitsentr"?
— There’s no point for Supryaga to sit on the bench as it was in "Dynamo," he needs to play. He went to Epitsentr for game practice.
— Do you believe he will thrive there?
— Supryaga should have started to flourish earlier, and now he needs to regain confidence in his own abilities, play regularly, and finally start scoring.
— Vanat is a step away from a transfer to "Girona." What do you think of his prospects in the Spanish team?
— It’s hard to say, we need to watch. "Girona" is going through tough times right now and is looking for players who can help them get out of the crisis. I hope Vanat helps them, as well as himself, and continues to grow.
— What are the prospects for "Dynamo" and "Shakhtar" in the Conference League?
— The prospects are good, but there are many factors to consider. We are in a war, clubs have difficult logistics, constant travels. Can "Dynamo" and "Shakhtar" compete for the trophy? Well, why not? "Dynamo" and "Shakhtar" can compete for victory in the tournament; there aren’t as many giants in the Conference League as there are in the Champions League and the Europa League.
Andrii Piskun