Former Kyiv Dynamo defender Anatoliy Bessmertny commented on the results of the 9th round matches of the Ukrainian championship, which took place last weekend.
Anatoliy Bessmertny— In the last round, the most discussed topic was Kyiv Dynamo’s fifth consecutive draw, where they once again failed to secure a winning score and conceded late in the match against Zorya. What do you think could be the reason for the team’s crisis under Oleksandr Shovkovskyi?
— I understand that Dynamo lacks efficiency in execution. In all matches, Dynamo plays as the dominant side, controlling the ball. However, missed opportunities combined with weak defensive play, where meaningless goals are conceded, hinder the results. Additionally, in my opinion, the players from the capital team lack self-confidence to some extent. They started the season well, achieving four consecutive victories. But then came one draw, another — and the loss of points continued. To get out of this situation, they just need to gain confidence and capitalize on the created opportunities.
— Dynamo’s traditional rival in the championship race, Shakhtar, also played to a draw. It seems that year after year, in matches against Polissya, Shakhtar is somehow jinxed: out of five meetings between these rivals in the Ukrainian championship, they have never won.
— It’s becoming a kind of tradition that Shakhtar cannot overcome Polissya. However, we must note the Zhytomyr team — it’s now among the top three or four teams in Ukraine. Both in terms of player selection and the coaching staff’s qualifications. And by stable financial standing as well. I believe Polissya is a deserved competitor to Shakhtar.
— Meanwhile, Kryvbas suddenly leapt to the top spot after defeating Rukh away in the last round. Do you see this as a surprise?
— I don’t see it as a surprise because other teams can rise as well — particularly LNZ, Kolos. As for Kryvbas showing good play throughout the season, there’s nothing to be surprised about. I believe Kryvyi Rih deservedly climbed to the lead. They are defeating their competitors and generally look good in the championship.
— Another match in Lviv also ended with the hosts' defeat: Karpaty sensationally lost to Premier League newcomer Epicenter by a two-goal margin. Probably no one expected this?
— You know, watching Epicenter’s game, I can say that this team is very good. In those matches where they lost points, they didn’t even deserve to lose. There were games in which the Kamianets-Podilskyi team scored a lot but didn’t win. As for the game in Lviv, Epicenter looked quite good. I think Karpaty simply underestimated their opponent.
— Near the top three, which includes Kryvbas, Shakhtar, and Dynamo, Cherkasy LNZ is closing in after taking three points from Kolos. Many attribute the rise of the agricultural complex representative to the coaching skills of Vitaliy Ponomaryov.
— This coach indeed works excellently. A good foundation is laid in LNZ, the team shows decent football — modern, fast, physical. I think that in matches against the Cherkasy team, it will be difficult for any opponent.
— What can you say about the game between the table neighbors Veres and Oleksandriya, which ended in a 1:1 draw?
— Oleksandriya started poorly in this championship, and Veres is not always stable. Both teams are combative, so was the draw between them. This is one of those cases where two generally equal opponents met. While Oleksandriya plays more technical football, Veres relies on strength. It’s fair to say that this match was a clash of two characters. Therefore, the result is justified.
— A similar score was recorded in the Khodryivka vs. Metalist 1925 match. Few expected that the newcomer to the elite will upset the well-equipped Kharkiv team...
— As you’ve seen, Khodryivka has already sprung quite a few surprises in this championship. On Monday, they aimed to surprise their coach Vasyl Baranov, who celebrated his birthday that day. He deserves it. It seemed that they just moved up from the first league, but they look great. They’re not intimidated by Ukrainian football’s giants, always showing character and good play. So I’m not surprised at all by the draw of the Chernihiv region team in the Monday match. Although Metalist 1925, in terms of player selection, is a fairly decent team. I’m sure Khodryivka will still cause a lot of trouble for rivals in the elite.
— The applause from their fans came for Obolon from the capital, which overcame another newcomer, Poltava. What do you think prevents the Poltava team from leaving the bottom of the standings?
— Poltava is a good team, but I think they lack confidence. Perhaps they should have invited a couple of qualified players with prestigious names to strengthen the squad. As for Obolon, they are not an easy opponent for anyone. Overall, the game performed by both teams was good, but the capital’s team was the luckier one.
Viacheslav Kulchytsky
