Dynamo U19 head coach Ihor Kostiuk shared his thoughts after the 1:1 away draw against Karpaty in the National League:
- An emotional match with many chances for both teams. Probably good for the fans but extra nerves for the coaches…
- Yes, it was a game of missed chances. Until the conceded goal we weren’t allowing them to create opportunities. The frustrating thing is that we had studied that set piece, we knew it. Of course, the referee probably wanted a sensation, wanted Dynamo not to win… But they blocked Ishchenko, didn’t let to play with Kuzik and we didn’t deal properly with the player who scored. A chain of mistakes.
Before that episode, basically, we had no real danger near our goal. After conceding we needed to change something, we needed to score. We made substitutions, changed the tactics and created several chances. But since we opened up more in defense it could have gone either way – we could have won or we could have lost.
- Playing in Lviv is always tough. Was this the kind of game you expected?
- We wanted to use quick attacks which we did from the very first minutes in the first half, creating spaces behind their defensive line. We broke through well but scored only once though we could have had several more – our finishing let us down. In the second half, until the goal we conceded, we closed down the zones well and didn’t let the opponent create much. Everything worked as it should and we counterattacked effectively. But again – sometimes the ball bounced awkwardly, sometimes we didn’t make the right decision – and in the end we conceded.
- Many newcomers joined the squad in the off-season, including from other clubs. How well do they already understand the team’s playing principles?
- In matches like this you need to show all your courage, skill and bring out your qualities when the game is end-to-end. You have to win your duels, be stronger in challenges. Little by little, through such games, they are toughening up. I believe they will progress thanks to strong opponents like Karpaty. If more teams like that appear in the league, since everyone plays all-out against us, then both the level of the league and our players will grow.
- About emotions: how much do they help or hinder the football you demand?
- I honestly don’t understand unemotional players, those who play without emotions. Maybe you can hold them inside but you still need to show dynamism, fighting spirit and win your battles. That’s one of the key things. If you don’t have emotions you shouldn’t even step on the pitch.
