Dynamo Kyiv U19 midfielder Arsenii Fedorenko shared his thoughts after the team’s 2:0 victory over Metalist 1925 in Matchday 23 of the Ukrainian U19 League.
– Congratulations on the win! What are your impressions of the match?
– We’re satisfied with the result but not so much with the performance because not everything worked out. The pitch was slippery and didn’t really suit our style of play. Still we’re happy with the result and will keep working to improve.
– The pitch made it difficult to execute your game plan. Did you have to adjust during the match and at halftime?
– Yes, there was more physical play and duels. We wanted to control the ball more but we had to adapt a bit.
– You scored the team’s second goal in the second half. Did that goal give you more confidence?
– Yes, the second goal relieved some pressure but we’ve had matches where we lost points in the final minutes. So there was no relaxation – we stayed focused until the end.
– You received a yellow card in the 90th minute. What happened there?
– I was playing the moment to the end and the referee didn’t award a penalty. I agree that it wasn’t a penalty but in the heat of the moment I went into a tackle. I didn’t get the ball though I wouldn’t say I hit the opponent’s leg. The referee saw it differently. It was my first yellow card this season so I’ll be more careful going forward.
– You’ve scored three goals in your last two matches. Are you satisfied with your form?
– Yes, I’m happy with my scoring form. I’ll try to maintain it until the end of the season and carry it into the next one. We’ll keep working.
– Today the team wore T-shirts with Mircea Lucescu’s image. Can you tell us more about that initiative?
– I can only say good things about it. Mircea Lucescu was a great coach with a great career and many titles. People like him are never forgotten.
– Did you ever meet him during his time at Dynamo?
– I’ve been at Dynamo since I was 10 and when I was around 11 or 12 I managed to take a photo with him. But we didn’t really know each other.
– What are your expectations for the next match against Zorya?
– Everything will be as usual. We have two matches left before the game against Shakhtar and we need to win them all. We’ve built good momentum and we have to maintain it. We’ll keep doing our job and hope for the best.
