Well-known journalist Ihor Linnik assessed the performance of Dynamo Kyiv winger Andriy Yarmolenko in the role of central forward in matches against Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih (4:0, Ukrainian Championship) and Shakhtar Donetsk (2:1, Ukrainian Cup).
Ihor Linnik«In the matches of Dynamo Kyiv against Kryvbas and Shakhtar, Andriy Yarmolenko convincingly demonstrated that even at 36, he is currently the best central forward in Ukraine.
At the moment, Yarmolenko truly looks head and shoulders above not only all the nominal forwards of Dynamo and the UPL, but also Dovbyk, Vanat, and Yaremchuk.
Such a Yarmolenko could also be useful for the Ukrainian national team in its crucial qualifying matches against France and Iceland.
I think Serhiy Rebrov cannot avoid pondering over this: if Cristiano Ronaldo at 40 remains more than a relevant player for the Portuguese national team, then perhaps Yarmolenko should not be excluded from the Ukrainian national team’s roster?
Overall, the coaching staff of Oleksandr Shovkovskyi has added pleasant challenges for our national team coaches.
Moreover, the decision of Dynamo’s coaches, partly forced, could also be considered a kind of revelation of the season. It added depth, variability, and aggressiveness to Kyiv’s attack so much that the team visibly began to regain its identity.
This is what it means to have a forward with brains, technique, and motivation. In a word, bravo!» wrote Linnik on his Facebook page.
