The captain of Kyiv’s «Dynamo,» Vitaliy Buyalskyi, summed up the match against Luhansk’s «Zorya» (1:1) in the 9th round of the Ukrainian championship, where he scored his team’s only goal.
Vitaliy Buyalskyi— The team couldn’t manage a victory again — the fifth draw. How frustrating is it to concede at the end of the match again?
— Of course, it’s a painful situation. We need to understand why we concede in the last minutes, as this is not happening for the first time. Sometimes it’s a lack of concentration, sometimes it’s relaxation. So, again, we need to figure out why we concede specifically in the last minutes.
— How did you prepare for this game, considering there was a break related to national team matches? Usually, matches after such breaks are challenging, was it the same this time?
— Initially, we had a few days off, then trained and worked throughout the period. I think today we lacked a bit of concentration at the end, which is why we conceded. We also need to better execute our chances.
— The scored goal took a long time to «develop». There were many moments in the first half when it was possible to score, but someone didn’t make a pass, someone didn’t shoot. How do such things affect the final result?
— Of course, they affect. We need to be more cold-blooded, calmer during the final pass, the final strike. Sometimes we need to play less selfishly and pass to a partner. We also need to treat attacking moments more carefully and calmly.
— If you had scored more goals earlier — in the first half or at the beginning of the second — perhaps one conceded goal wouldn’t have affected the result so much?
— Yes, possibly. But in the first half, we could have conceded when Ruslan Neshcheret saved us. So I can’t say we had one hundred percent moments before the break, whereas «Zorya» did — and Ruslan played brilliantly then, saving us.
— Now you are the top scorer of «Dynamo» with four goals. Tell us about your emotional celebration with Karavaev after scoring.
— It was just a normal celebration. Karavaev made the pass, and I had to be in that zone. If he passed there and I wasn’t there — then it would be my question why I didn’t support the attack. So everything went well, he did great.
— You are not only the top scorer of «Dynamo» this season but also the top scorer in matches against «Zorya.» Today you scored your eighth goal against them. Why is this opponent so «convenient» for you?
— I don’t know, it just happens. I can’t explain. I remember scoring against them last season as well, it’s just how circumstances were. There’s no special or additional motivation — I prepare the same way for any team. Sometimes I manage to score, but not everything works out in every match.
— Today many praised Shola Ogundana for his work on the field. How would you assess his actions, how is the newcomer adapting?
— I’m not a coach, so I can’t evaluate players, that’s the coaching staff’s job. They decide who plays and who doesn’t.
— A challenging period is ahead: matches with «Samsunspor» in the Conference League, «Kryvbas,» twice with «Shakhtar,» and again the European competitions. How important is this segment?
— I wouldn’t say it’s too difficult — rather interesting. On the contrary, many matches, and not just any matches, but games against strong opponents in the Conference League, the championship, and the Ukrainian Cup — it’s exciting for every footballer. I think every player prefers playing to training.
— Now «Dynamo» has both its worst series — five matches without victories — and its best — over 40 matches without losses. How does this feel within the team — more of a decline or still a positive?
— Of course, a decline. If there are no victories, there can be no talk of progress or uplift. Everything depends on the result — the microclimate, the team’s mood, and the state of each player. Of course, everyone wants to win.
— Maybe something needs to change — go to church or just relax together, for example, go for a barbecue?
— It’s not a problem to go to church or make a barbecue. But it should come from everyone personally, because you can’t force anyone to go to church. In reality, it’s not about barbecues, we concede during the game. We need to figure out in which moments, and be more focused in the last minutes. If we concede at the end, it’s either due to fatigue or lack of concentration. I don’t see any other reason.
