Dynamo head coach Ihor Kostiuk commented for UPL TV on the winning match against Zorya Luhansk (2:0) in the 7th round of the Ukrainian Premier League.
– It was important for us to win today. Our substitutions worked – the players came on, put pressure on the opponent, and scored our goals. But we saw that when the score was 1:0, the opponent opened up, and there was one chance, then a second, a third. But 2:0 is also a confident victory. The players gave one hundred percent today and earned these important three points.
– If we focus on the quality of football your team played and the instructions for the game, how would you assess it?
– We understood how the opponent would play – with a low block, and they launched counterattacks in the first half. We failed to cope with these quick transitions, and Zorya created chances. At halftime, we made adjustments. We struggled with our finishing in the first half – Ponomarenko had a one-on-one hundred-percent chance that he failed to convert. But then Brazhko scored… The task was to put the opponent under pressure until the end. I’ll repeat once again, the substitutions strengthened the game, but we were playing against a difficult team – everyone saw how they played against Polissya and how they adapted. But today I believe we deservedly won, and the opposing team’s coach confirmed this.
– Bah played the entire second half today. How would you assess his performance?
– Of course, he is still adapting, but he is a player who makes a difference. You saw that today. He could have scored, he created chances – he added more sharpness to our attack, and we need players like that who can beat opponents one-on-one.
– Brazhko found an opportunity to shoot and opened the scoring. Would you agree that this was the key moment of the match?
– He had taken shots several times, and finally the ball went in.
– The international break is coming up. Can you sum up this fairly long period for Dynamo since the start of the season?
– I don’t think the start of the season was unsuccessful. We played a fairly meaningful match against LNZ, but failed to take our chances. Then there was the real misfortune in the match against Bukovyna, where the whole team played poorly. After that match, we gathered as a team for a conversation, and everyone understands that we are still getting to know each other. I am grateful to the guys for understanding the situation we are in. Only together, with maximum commitment and through teamwork, will we become better and fight for the gold medals.
