Head coach of Kyiv Dynamo Oleksandr Shovkovskyi commented on the match against LNZ (0:1) in the 12th round of the Ukrainian championship for Football Hub.
Oleksandr Shovkovskyi (photo: fcdynamo.com)— Oleksandr Volodymyrovych, it seemed that after the emotional victory in European competition, Dynamo would be on the rise. But today, — a minimal defeat. What is the reason?
— Undoubtedly, we lacked emotion and freshness today. That’s the main reason. It’s very difficult to play every third day. We are currently in a tight schedule, with the last matches being exhausting. We couldn’t even conduct a normal training process — we were focusing more on player recovery. The desire was there today, but objectively, we lacked physical strength.
— What’s with Andrii Yarmolenko? He came out, created a moment, but then disappeared from the game.
— Everything will become clear with Yarmolenko in the coming days. So far, it’s impossible to give a clear answer. We suspect an injury, but we hope it’s not serious.
— You substituted Tiareh in the first half. What prompted such a substitution?
— This is also a result of physical fatigue. We understood that we were playing against a well-organized team, which concedes little and counterattacks dangerously. We warned the boys about this. They use quick transitions and passes behind the back — we needed to act more carefully. The opponent, unlike us, had a whole week to prepare, so they were fresher. We understood this before the match.
— Angel Torres did not appear on the field again. Why?
— Because only 11 players can play at the same time (smiles). Of course, I would like to give him a chance, but today’s lineup choice was based on the physical condition of the players and tactical considerations.
— Ahead are matches with teams that are lower in the standings. Can we say that the schedule is a bit easier?
— Do you want to belittle these teams now? It’s not worth talking like that. There are no easy matches in the Premier League. We respect every opponent. We prepare for each game to win, regardless of the team’s place in the standings.
— There is a break ahead for national team matches. How timely is it for you?
— Very timely. We need to recover, to reset a bit. The only difficulty is that many guys will go to the national teams, and they only returned to Kyiv at 11 a. m. yesterday, today they are already on the road again. But this is part of our life. Those who stay will get a few days off, and then we will work again. After all, not even half the season is behind us yet.
