On Sunday, October 26, in a home match of the 10th round of the Ukrainian championship, Kyiv’s «Dynamo» defeated Kryvyi Rih’s «Kryvbas» with a score of 4:0. The match took place in Kyiv at the «Dynamo» stadium named after Valeriy Lobanovskyi. Presenting the post-match press conference of the head coach of the capital team, Oleksandr Shovkovskyi.
— How do you feel about the team’s mood after ending the series of draws?
— First and foremost, after the game, I thanked the team for the attitude shown today, which should be there in every match. But it wasn’t easy for us. It was only today that we were able to rest for the first time after the previous match. Initially, we had a flight, then in the morning after the game, we traveled by train, and only today did the players get a good night’s sleep. Recovery is just as crucial a part of preparation.
We thoroughly understood the opponent’s strengths and prepared for the match, including on an individual level, by speaking with the players.
It’s always nice to win. Undoubtedly, the mood in the locker room after the match was entirely different compared to what it was after the previous game.
— Can it be said that «everything went in» today, and if it had been the same in previous games, would you have won them too?
— We are continuously working on improving our actions both in attack organization and defense, as well as in attack completion. Some things work, some don’t. But in all matches, we created significantly more chances than the number of goals scored. It was the same today. However, our finishing was at a much higher level. We are constantly working on this and aim for each player to be the best version of themselves in every match. This doesn’t always happen for various reasons. But we are always working and conveying to the players what modern football and the coaching staff demand of them.
Oleksandr Shovkovskyi. Photo — Y. Yuriev— Has Mikhal’ko played on the defensive flank for the second consecutive match? Is this a situational measure, or can we expect to see him in this position in future matches?
— You know, we have quite a few injuries. Tymchyk was listed today, but after recovering from injury, he had only two and a half training sessions, with one and a half of those with «Dynamo U-19».
Dubyinchak, Bilovar, and Shaparenko are injured.
Yarmolenko has just returned from illness and only yesterday trained with us; before that, he worked with «Dynamo U-19», not only for running but also for team interaction.
As for Mikhal’ko, we will certainly have rotation, and Taras will get his playing time on the field. Today Vivcharenko asked for a substitution due to discomfort. We agreed with the players before the match that in a situation where you must play every third day, you should speak up immediately if you feel anything. For example, Voloshyn didn’t mention any discomfort during the last match, but it turned out he had injured his hamstring. And now he’ll be out for at least a week.
— How did the idea to play Yarmolenko as a central forward come about?
— We’ve been considering this idea for quite some time. But we couldn’t implement it in the last match.
In closing, I want to say this. We are just as upset by recent results as our fans. And we accept constructive criticism. But there’s no need to hate on the team. The guys are also troubled. One of the main focuses in preparing for today’s match was psychologically restoring the players. We must understand that we can’t differentiate between wins and losses and should approach every game with maximum determination and responsibility. But we are all human, and certain situations happen.
Congratulations to all Dynamo fans on this victory. Last night was once again tragic for Kyiv and all of Ukraine. Three people died, over 30 were injured, and some are in serious condition. In these circumstances, it’s crucial for us to stick together and support one another. I wish everyone victories in both small and big things, and the victory we all desire. Glory to Ukraine!
Stay tuned for the post-match press conference of «Kryvbas» head coach Patrick van Leeuwen coming soon...
Oleksandr Popov from «Dynamo» stadium named after Valeriy Lobanovskyi
