The head coach of Kyiv «Dynamo U-19» Ihor Kostyuk shared his expectations from the European Cup confrontation with the Swedish team «Brommapojkarna» in the framework of the 2nd round of the UEFA Youth League.
Ihor Kostyuk— How ready is your team to meet the tough opponent?
— We had one day to recover. Today (on Monday, — ed.) we spent the day on the road. We arrived according to schedule, as planned, everything is in the standard mode, without disruptions.
The quality of the field leaves much to be desired, but the guys understand everything; you can see that there’s desire, excitement, and the sports aggression needed for such matches, so there’s no need for additional motivation. Everyone trains with great enthusiasm. Today we modeled the tactical scheme we plan to use against the Swedes. Tomorrow (on Tuesday, — ed.) there will be a pre-match training, and we’ll practice certain nuances.
— The team composition has changed compared to last season. Only three players born in 2006 can be involved... Do you already have an idea who it will be?
— There’s an understanding. We joked with the guys that we have five such players in the team. We talked with them so they would understand who will play and who won’t. This is football, and we can’t field all five. The players born in 2006 understand this and accept it from a professional perspective. Compared to last year, our lineup is very different. Many new players who haven’t played in such matches, and for whom this is a new challenge. We’ll see how they cope.
— How can you characterize the opponent? The team looks physically strong.
— Scandinavians are traditionally very physically developed. Despite this, they control the ball well. The team is very well-structured, tactically sound. Our opponents maintain structure on the field, are very disciplined, and command respect. This team is currently leading the championship, winning all matches. They have confidence in their abilities. This is the largest academy in Europe, consisting of 260 teams. Therefore, they have plenty to choose from; quantity transforms into quality.
— How to play against such an opponent? In your team, there are players who already have experience in the UEFA Youth League...
— You can’t rely on two or three players to pull through such matches. Everyone must work for the result and be a united whole on the field. And implement the strategy we choose for the game. This is how we plan to achieve results. We have two matches ahead, based on which we must advance further.
