The head coach of Rivne’s «Veres U-19,» Stanislav Upilkov, summarized the match against Kyiv’s «Dynamo» (2:2) in the 16th round of the youth championship.
Stanislav UpilkovI evaluate my team’s game as satisfactory. A draw on the road is, overall, a positive result. Especially since we were losing 0:2. However, there are many questions for the referee regarding the penalties awarded against us. I am always proud of my team. The guys always show character and a desire to win. This game was no exception. We worked in a mid-block because we understood that we could not give Dynamo space behind our defenders.
That was our plan, and it worked until we conceded a goal. After that, we started to press and pressurize the opponent, moving higher up the field. Time was running out, and we needed to act. This was the purpose of the substitutions, and it worked. The team spirit, character, and even the little detail that our goalkeeper went for the last set-piece worked. He took a defender with him, and Dmytro Murashko finished the pass.
It was a very high-level game. We haven’t lost in five matches in a row. We still have three rounds ahead of us. I want us to play these matches with the same zeal and desire.
About the penalties... You know, referees can always make mistakes. But when they give such penalties... In the first episode, the fall happened even before the penalty area. Matvii Ponomarenko realized he no longer controlled the ball and acted on a forward’s instinct, falling. In the second episode, the referee clearly saw one person playing the ball and another simulating a foul, but immediately pointed to the spot. Okay, a penalty. But then, the same penalties should have been awarded after fouls on Dmytro Matkivsky and Stanislav Migutsky... And the referee tells us, «You made a shot afterwards.» What kind of interpretation of the rules of the game is that? Dynamo is a very strong team, playing in European competitions. Why do they need such help from the referees? It’s an outright insult to me and my team, which prepares for months for the championship, works hard, only to be «taken down» by someone in a uniform like this... It’s disappointing for me," said Upilkov.
