Obolon midfielder Maksym Chekh talked about his team’s recent match against Dynamo (2:2) in the 5th round of the Ukrainian Championship.
— You participated in the Kyiv derby between “Obolon” and “Dynamo” for the first time. How did you prepare for the match and were you nervous before the game?
— Honestly, I wasn’t nervous. I only felt apprehensive before the match against “Metalist 1925” after a long break. At that time, the nerves were quite strong. But this was already the 5th round, so there was no nervousness; on the contrary, there was a desire to play in such an atmosphere and against such an opponent. Of course, with “Dynamo,” there’s no need to motivate ourselves; we understood how to play against them.
— Have you ever played in front of such support, with the stadium completely full?
— In Mariupol, we played against “Dynamo.” A lot of people also came to see us play against “Shakhtar.” The atmosphere in “Karpaty” was also great, the fans were amazing. Even at the World Cup, the stands were packed.
— With such support in the match against “Dynamo,” did you feel pressure from the fans?
— Pressure? No, on the contrary, it was pleasant to play with such strong support. I wish we could have more matches like this in Ukraine — then the level of football would rise.
— Were there any special instructions from the coach before the Kyiv derby?
— We discuss our opponent before every game, find their weak and strong points, and analyze them. On the field, we try to implement everything the coach showed in theory.
— After the first goal, did you feel that you could beat “Dynamo”?
— As soon as we equalized the score, we immediately conceded the second goal. So, we thought about how to catch up with the opponent again. But there was a feeling that we could level the game, as “Dynamo” missed several of their chances, and I thought we would find our opportunity. Thank God we got a chance and took advantage of it.
— Which players from “Dynamo” created the most problems on the field?
— Honestly, it’s hard to single out anyone during the game. In general, Buyalskyi — he provided two assists. But “Dynamo” is a good team, all the players are internationals, and that says a lot.
— But even though they are internationals, did you sometimes look better?
— This is thanks to the fighting spirit of my teammates for this game.
— During the match, there were several scuffles between the players of “Obolon” and “Dynamo.” Is it hard to keep your cool in such an emotional match?
— I had a moment with “Kryvbas”: I got tangled up with Tverdokhleb and then realized that it looked ugly on my part. So, I try to control myself, but it’s football, and, you know, it’s not always possible to hold back emotions.
— Did the team believe in salvation in the last seconds?
— Yes, I thought to myself that there would definitely be a moment. And see how everything happened at the end of the match: “Dynamo” lost our players, and we scored a goal.
— Was your second goal a mistake by “Dynamo” defenders or a coordinated effort by “Obolon”?
— I don’t get involved in “Dynamo,” let them sort it out. Denys Ushymenko did very well to position himself in this important episode and equalized the score.
— In the last seconds, a scandalous episode occurred; the president of “Obolon” said that you were robbed of victory. Do you agree with him?
— Probably, I agree. In my opinion, the referee should have allowed the episode to play out before blowing the whistle.
— Did you discuss this situation with the team after the game?
— No, we didn’t discuss it.
— You drew, and the fans were thrilled. What was the reaction of the coach and the staff after the game?
— They were very happy because, you see, it’s “Dynamo” — champions of Ukraine, so for us, any points are important on the table.
— Did the president already give bonuses?
— Yes, we received them.
— Who would you highlight among your teammates? Who became the hero of the match against “Dynamo”?
— It’s hard to name one person; we always play as a team. Let it be Denys Ushymenko, as his goal brought the draw.
— And how would you rate your performance?
— Honestly, I don’t like to evaluate my game; let the experts do that.
— What do you say about the first five rounds of the UPL? Are you satisfied with the team’s performance?
— I think this is a decent start for “Obolon,” not counting the game against “Kryvbas.” In that match, we played a pretty good first half, and in my opinion, we should have scored. The result would have been different. But we have a game; I think it’s good, we played five rounds, but this is just the beginning, and we have already forgotten about these results. The team is preparing for the next matches.
— What are “Obolon”'s current goals?
— To go out and win every match. We don’t think about European cups; our only focus is the next match.
— The next opponent will be special for you. Is the team ready for the game against “Karpaty”?
— We are preparing, we will also take a look at them in theory, they will show us their weak and strong points. So we are ready. “Karpaty” is an ordinary team, even though they say they play some special football in Ukraine. But in my opinion, they are no better than the others. We need to prepare seriously; they have some good individual players.
— “Obolon” has not lost at home this season. Is it a factor of home field or coincidence?
— I think it’s all thanks to our fans, and we have no right to drop points.
— If you score against “Karpaty” — will you celebrate?
— I will celebrate, 100%.
— Explain your decision.
— I have already mentioned in previous interviews how they treated me and why it happened, but I don’t want to comment on it right now.
Andrii Vitrenko