The head coach of Kryvyi Rih’s Kryvbas, Patrick van Leeuwen, commented on the defeat to Dynamo in the 10th round of the Ukrainian Championship on Football Hub.
Patrick van Leeuwen— Patrick, today Dynamo stunned Kryvbas — three goals in half an hour. What do you think was the reason for such a result? Why didn’t the team react appropriately?
— As we discussed with the guys, we started the match with too much respect for Dynamo. In a regular game, we play more aggressively, create more chances, but today it didn’t happen. We went into halftime at 0:3 — and that speaks volumes. I can’t say the players didn’t want to or didn’t try — it just didn’t work out this time. We had a good winning streak, but today was a moment when we need to draw conclusions and move forward. It’s a lesson for the whole team.
— Dynamo today attacked mainly from the right flank. Do you think the Kyiv team deliberately tried to put pressure on Ivan Dibango, who recently recovered from an injury?
— I don’t think it’s about one player. The problem was elsewhere — we didn’t act aggressively enough in the initial stages, we didn’t press the opponent during their buildup. In past matches, we did this better. Today there was a lack of that pressure.
— The match against Dynamo — is probably one of the toughest tests of the season. What conclusions did you draw after the game?
— Yes, this match provided us with a lot of information. In the previous ten matches, we had wins, draws, and losses — and from each, we drew conclusions. This game is another source for analysis. We have a lot to work on during training.
— Your team — one of the top-scoring in the UPL, but today you couldn’t score. In the first half, we saw a few attempts to lob behind the defenders, particularly by Mendoza. Was this a planned strategy?
— Yes, it’s part of our playing style — attacking space and using the speed of our players. We try to act aggressively, but today we lacked precision in finishing attacks. We will work on this.
— This week Kryvbas was at the top of the table. Could the team have relaxed somewhat or believed too much in their strength?
— Perhaps, to some extent, yes. We always try to maintain the same energy from the first to the last minute, but today it didn’t work out. Now every player needs to analyze their game, watch the video, understand what didn’t work, and draw conclusions.
