Dynamo Kyiv vicecaptain Andriy Yarmolenko shared his emotions live on UPL TV after the 2:1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Ukrainian Cup in which he scored a goal.
– Andriy, in your opinion, what brought Dynamo the victory today?
– I think, first of all, patience and faith in one another. Because in the first half it was really tough for us. Shakhtar had possession, they had the upper hand, no doubt. We knew we just had to endure it. We understood that they couldn’t keep playing at that tempo for the entire match and that our moment would come – we just had to take it. That’s what happened. And then, I think, we took control of the game.
– You seemed to take control after conceding. Did that goal “sting” the team into action?
– That’s usually how it happens. We were playing cautiously because we knew it’s a cup match – there’s no room for mistakes. But once we conceded we realized we had nothing left to lose and had to go forward.
– Did you realize that this could be your last Ukrainian Cup match in your career?
– I don’t think about that. Whatever happens, it happens. I just try to work hard and give everything in training. The most important thing is to be honest with yourself. Even if we had been knocked out, I could still look in the mirror with a clear conscience.
– You said the first half was very difficult and you were almost without the ball. What changed in the second half? What happened in the dressing room during halftime? Because Dynamo looked like a completely different team afterward.
– I think everyone understands how dependent forwards are. When the team is defending all the time and just shifting side to side, then even when you finally get the ball, you simply don’t have the strength left to counterattack. We made some tactical adjustments in the second half, started playing more in Shakhtar’s half. We knew we just had to wait for our chance. That’s a striker’s fate – you might stand around for 70 or 90 minutes without the ball but when the key moment comes you must be there to finish it.
– Do you enjoy playing in this new position at 36 years old?
– Actually it’s not new for me. I started my career as a striker, played that role for the national team a few times too. Even when I was in England, David Moyes used me as a forward. So it’s not new. With experience you understand how to act in any attacking role.
– In the 72nd minute you scored but a couple of minutes earlier you were seen signaling toward the bench. Were you asking to be substituted?
– Yes, I signaled that I could give five more minutes and then they should sub me off. I knew I was running out of gas – I hadn’t played much lately, had a match against Kryvbas recently and playing again just two days later was tough. I honestly raised my hand and said I could give five more minutes. I knew we had fresh hungry guys on the bench who could come on and do the job just as well. I didn’t want to hurt the team – I’m not my team’s enemy.
