Honored Coach of Ukraine, former head coach of the Ukrainian national team Myron Markevych shared his impressions of the 11th round match of the Ukrainian championship between Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kyiv (3:1).
— Overall, I liked the game. I saw full commitment from both teams. Yes, there were mistakes and not many scoring opportunities, but the commitment of the opponents to a positive result was visible on the field. The derby was 100 percent successful.
I assumed that the two head-to-head matches in terms of victories would be split between Shakhtar and Dynamo. That’s exactly what happened.
— There was enough artistry from both sides. Do you agree?
— Indeed, there were plenty of provocations. But this has happened more than once in meetings between these teams. So there’s no need to be surprised. (Smiles).
— In two head-to-head matches over five days, Dynamo and Shakhtar each secured one victory. But who benefited more strategically?
— I think Dynamo. Since Shakhtar was eliminated from the Cup, and in the championship, the whole battle is still ahead. Only 11 rounds have been played. And given the unpredictability of the current tournament, everything can still change. Morally, Kyivans should not lose heart. Especially since in the second half, Oleksandr Shovkovsky’s charges looked better again, but the «Miners» also took past mistakes into account...
— Much attention in the match was focused on Popov, who made ambiguous comments about Shakhtar’s current Brazilian players...
— That was noticeable. So, we need to be more careful when speaking about the opponent. I do not rule out that after such words, Shakhtar players received additional motivation.
— Who impressed you in both teams?—
In Dynamo, I would highlight Vitaliy Buyalskyi. And for Shakhtar, the best, in my opinion, were Eginaldo and central defender Marlon. I would also like to note Dynamo’s defender Tiaare in advance. This player has potential for the future. Yes, he still makes a lot of mistakes, but his potential is visible.
— Was Andriy Yarmolenko unable to show himself due to increased attention?
— At Shakhtar, they perfectly understood that the sharpest threat for Dynamo came from this player, and therefore, they didn’t give the Kyiv leader any breathing space. The «Miners» were well-prepared for this match. You could say they worked on their mistakes effectively.
— Does the past game give cause for optimism in Ukrainian football? —
Definitely. We need more matches like this. Of course, the quality of play leaves much to be desired, but the emotions, team commitment, and drive for competition show that we will eventually return to the best examples of Ukrainian football. And, of course, we hope that Shakhtar and Dynamo will perform with the same commitment in European competitions. Imagine where Legia and Samsunspor would be with such play from the «Miners» and Dynamo players.
Tomorrow there will be two more matches in the championship featuring leading group teams. And in these matches, such emotions are also desired. This can only benefit domestic competitions.
Serhiy Demianchuk