The former head coach of “Metallurg”, “Metalist”, and “Karpaty”, Alexander Sevidov shared his impressions of the match in the first round of the main stage of the Conference League between Kyiv’s “Dynamo” and England’s “Crystal Palace” (0:2), which took place yesterday in Lublin.
Alexander Sevidov— Is the first conceded goal the fault of the “Dynamo” coaching staff? How can you make a substitution 5 minutes in, with the team playing short-handed, and concede a goal during that period?
— The coaches couldn’t determine whether Mikhavko could continue playing. While they were thinking and deciding, we got this result.
— “Dynamo” switched back to playing with three central defenders, but that didn’t help either.
— In principle, they logically chose the tactic of playing with three central defenders. They studied the English team thoroughly, knowing there would be many crosses, throws, and shots into the box, so they wanted to fill that area with players. But it didn’t help. They failed defensively and had no counterplay in attack. The first goal came from a positional mistake by Dubinchak. He chose the wrong position and then lost the aerial duel.
— After conceding a goal, “Dynamo” perked up a bit, but can these players turn the game around?
— The guests just calmed down a bit, slowed their tempo, allowing the Kyiv team to control the ball more; nothing more. They didn’t create a single chance during the game; that’s “Dynamo” for you. Nobody is making runs on the counterattack. Unfortunately, “Dynamo” has accustomed us to the fact that in European competitions and the championship, they are two different teams. But even in the UPL lately, things have been, to put it mildly, not good.
— How can you create something when the first and only shot on goal was in the 87th minute?
— If you step onto the field thinking about not losing, rather than thinking about winning, it’s clear why the team doesn’t attack, hence the style of play and the result. As noted before, there were no counterattacks, the game was simplified, kicking the ball forward away from their own goal. If Guerrero tried to hold the ball, the defenders quickly pushed him out, not allowing that to happen.
What was “Dynamo” trying to play with? We saw “Crystal Palace”: using crosses, pressure, and the fighting spirit of their tall players. “Dynamo” completely lacks speedy attacks, and most importantly, there is no commitment. Only one player had good speed — Tymchik. He tried to accelerate attacks along the flank, but when everyone is walking behind him, his efforts are simply nullified.
— The second goal is the result of a series of mistakes. First, Brazhko easily lost the duel, and then after a cross, the forward scored from the penalty area, beating Tiara and Dubinchak.
— Brazhko met the ball carrier too passively. He doesn’t have the explosive power to make a quick start and turn. That’s his downside.
But the next question arises. Where is the backup? Why is the entire defense behind the ball line? Everyone is running and playing facing their own goal. It’s worth noting that there was no quick attack. The player outplays Brazhko quite easily, a pass to the edge, and the forward springs up and scores. All very easy and simple.
In my opinion, the qualification of the players does not allow them to show European-level football even in the third most significant tournament, such as the Conference League.
Sergey Shebek
