Former Kyiv Dynamo forward Igor Gorbach, who now plays for Luhansk Zorya, commented on the recent results of his current team.
Igor Gorbach. Photo — FC Zorya— «Zorya» is currently on a 6-match unbeaten streak (3 wins and 3 draws). The last time you lost was back in September to Shakhtar (0:1). How can you explain such a successful stretch in the championship?
— I think we have a very good team. We work hard — both the players and the coaching staff. This helps us not to lose over such a long period and to achieve positive results.
— The last game in the championship was against Metalist 1925, currently led by Mladen Bartulovich. How crucial was this match for you, and how did you manage to beat the strong Kharkiv team with a score of 3:1?
— This match was very important for us. In general, matches against former teammates or former coaches are always emotional and important. We all know Mladen well, we respect him greatly for the time we spent together at Zorya. That made this victory even sweeter.
— In your opinion, in which matches should «Zorya» have taken all three points but failed to secure a win?
— In my opinion, with Kryvbas (2:3) we should have at least drawn («Zorya» almost came back, losing 1:3, — ed.), with Veres (0:0) we lost two points because we couldn’t capitalize on our chances. I’ll specifically highlight these two matches — we should have secured more points in them.
— Was the draw with Dynamo (1:1) earned or lost points?
— I’ll put it this way, points gained against Shakhtar or Dynamo are bonus points, like a reward for great football and character on the field. Regarding the match with Dynamo, we played really well and could even have won that encounter. So I believe we rather lost some points there.
— What was the best and worst match for «Zorya» this season?
— I think our best match in the championship so far was the victory in the last round against Metalist 1925 (3:1). And the worst... I’ll express my personal opinion and name the game against Kolos (1:3), where we really didn’t play our best.
— How would you describe the football that «Zorya» tries to play under Viktor Skrypnyk?
— «Zorya» tries to play sharp, attacking football. At the same time, our team doesn’t stick to just one style or tactic. We try to play according to the opponent. However, the players of «Zorya» do not simply adapt to others' play but also try to impose their football on the opponent when possible.
— How do you assess this season for yourself? Does the fact that you haven’t scored yet weigh on you?
— To be honest, so far this season isn’t very successful for me. I’m not satisfied because I haven’t played much and still haven’t scored. So I need to keep working and look for my chances on the field.
— «Zorya» has serious competition in attack. However, there is Budkivsky separately, and there are young players like Slesar, Matkevich, Salenko, you. What should you learn from a forward like Budkivsky?
— Above all, how he calmly handles situations. Or how he acts in difficult situations and how quickly he makes decisions under pressure in the penalty area. This is something to definitely learn from Philip. Overall, he is a great master with extensive experience.
Sviatoslav Vasylyk
