Dynamo Kyiv defender Taras Mykhavko shared his impressions of yesterday’s match in the 3rd round of the main stage of the Conference League against Bosnian «Zrinjski» (6:0).
Taras Mykhavko— Any victory is important — both for the team and for Ukraine. First of all, I want to thank all the fans for their support in the stadium, and those who watched the match in front of their TV screens. I also thank the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the opportunity to represent our country on the international stage.
What can I say about the victory? I am satisfied, as is the whole team. Today we will think a little more about this game, but tomorrow we will start direct preparation for the championship match, as we have a very important match against LNZ ahead — as, indeed, every match is. Today we can rejoice a little, but tomorrow we will be working.
— Do you think today everything went well on the field, considering that from the first minute, the team was active and scored a goal?
— Yes, thank God, everything went well for us. We could have scored even more, but the main thing is that we won, didn’t concede any goals, and scored six. Everyone is satisfied, but, as I repeat, preparation for the next championship match begins tomorrow.
— What was your mindset going into the second half with the score at 1:0? What helped you to score three goals at the beginning of the second half?
— The mindset was not to slow down, not to lower the tempo, not to fall back into defense, not to retreat to our half of the field, and at the same time continue to play our football as in the first half. We went out with the motivation to score more, and we didn’t stop. Fortunately, we managed to score five in the second half. So, I repeat, the result is good.
— You played again in the position of left back; is it familiar to you, or have you fully mastered it?
— I have said before that it doesn’t matter to me — to play on the left or in the center of defense, because I have played both places. Of course, I am more used to being a central defender, but, I repeat, it does not matter.
— You get involved in the attack during set-pieces and come up for corner kick deliveries — just as when you played in the center. Today, Dynamo scored two goals after set pieces. How much do you work on this, and how successful does it feel to be?
— We often practice set-pieces in training. It is now a very important part of modern football worldwide. We devote a lot of time to this and also work on tactical actions on the field in general. And it undoubtedly brings results.
— Does it feel like the team, after not a very successful series, has returned to a winning path and regained optimal form?
— I wouldn’t say it’s peak form yet. Yes, we had unsatisfactory results — we realize that. There was also criticism, which we understood and accepted calmly because we were indeed going through a difficult period. The team didn’t deserve such «hate.» But, of course, every player and every coach on our staff strives to win. So perhaps after this game, we will manage to get on a «winning streak.»
