The head coach of LNZ, Vitaliy Ponomariov, commented on the victory over Dynamo in the 12th round of the Ukrainian championship.
Vitaliy Ponomariov. Photo: fc-lnz.com— Vitaliy Yuriyovych, congratulations once again on the victory over Dynamo. We would like to hear your overall analysis of the game.
— Thank the guys for following the coaching staff’s instructions. Against teams like Dynamo, Shakhtar, and Polissya, you must play with maximum organization so that practically no player falls out of the general pattern. All the guys acted with full dedication. Only in this way can you achieve results against strong opponents.
— What tactics are helping LNZ consistently defeat our flagships?
— Of course, we study each opponent and choose tactics specifically for them.
First of all, I repeat, we achieve results through organized play that helps us minimize dangerous moments near our goal. This is very important when you play reliably in defense and do not allow Shakhtar’s or Dynamo’s players to feel comfortable and do whatever they want on the field.
Also, of course, we prepared for a long time to play well in transitional phases. We saw Dynamo has a problem transitioning from attack to defense. It’s good that we managed to implement this on the field.
— How predictable was Dynamo for you as a coach?
— Again, I will say, we studied them, so there was nothing unexpected for us. We knew how Dynamo would play, how to exploit their weaknesses, and ify their strengths.
The individual quality of Dynamo players, which influences the game, could have been a surprise. We were wary of difficulties in this aspect.
— How much did the early substitution of Dynamo leader Andriy Yarmolenko due to injury simplify life for LNZ?
— Of course, he is an important player for Dynamo. This was shown in recent matches when he was on the field. I believe Yarmolenko is valuable today not only from a playing perspective but also from a psychological one. Therefore, his substitution was in our favor.
— It’s notable that both Polissya and Shakhtar, as well as Dynamo, were defeated after these teams played their matches in European competitions. How significant was the fatigue factor of your opponents in these confrontations?
— This is human physiology. You cannot travel thousands of kilometers and then come out and feel good physically.
I understand how difficult it is for them, and I want everyone to understand this as well. There can be criticism and much to say, but in physical terms, it’s truly tough, although, of course, Shakhtar and Dynamo have reserves in each player’s individual quality.
— Along with victories over the giants, LNZ has repeatedly faced setbacks this season against teams equal to or weaker than them. Do you understand what needs to be improved for greater team stability?
— We always work on all aspects and phases of the game. Of course, some things work out better, some worse.
Although we lost in some matches where we played more positionally, I believe we had many scoring opportunities. If we had realized them, we would have a completely different result and would not be talking about this now.
Dmytro Vyenko
