Dynamo forward Matviy Ponomarenko scored a goal in the match against Veres (3:0) and shared his emotions after the game in an interview with FootballHub.
- This is your second goal of the season, congratulations to you. Today you played more with your back to the goal, holding off defenders and using your speed. Was this a weakness you identified in the Veres defense?
- Thank you for congratulations. Of course we prepared thoroughly for this game. Yesterday we had a pretty long tactical session – about an hour and a half – analyzing previous matches and preparing for this one. This was the last match of the year in the league and we needed a win. We understood that we had to make up for what was lost earlier. Now with two consecutive victories I hope this will continue into the new year.
As for playing with my back to the goal… The coach instructed us to play more vertically, to fight for the ball. It just happened that I scored a goal and overall I felt good during the game.
- Unlike your teammates you played not on Thursday in the Conference League but on Wednesday in the UEFA Youth League. When you saw yourself in the starting lineup was it unexpected for you or were you physically prepared for this development?
- Of course you can't refuse an opportunity like that (smiles). Besides I’m young and recover quickly. We arrived and had two full days of rest – massages and recovery procedures. Yesterday there was almost no full training, just a light jog and some gym work. So I can say that I was fully recovered and everyone was ready for this match.
- You’re registered for the main team for the European cups but you went to help the U19 team. Did you ever think about helping the first team in the match against Fiorentina?
- Of course I always want to play for the first team of Dynamo. But if the coaching staff decided that I was needed more with the youth team right now, I can’t argue or be against it. I approach every game – whether it's for the U19 or the first team – and try to do my job. Besides I went to the youth team and we achieved a positive result, moving on to the next round – how can I be disappointed with that?
- With the arrival of the new acting head coach there’s been a lot of young players in the team. How is the internal communication now? Do you gather with other young players to talk to the senior teammates?
- No, not really. But, of course, when we go for lunch or dinner, for example, we all talk together. It’s very nice that older players with much more experience support us – players like Yarmolenko and Karavaiev, they always come up to us and give advice on how to play in certain situations. It’s nice that we’re given the chance to play for Dynamo (Kyiv). Of course communication is very important because without it nothing works. Right now the atmosphere in the team is fantastic, everyone wants to play – so we’re moving forward.
- Today I noticed how before the match Karavaiev told you that you shouldn’t go into the half-circle in front of the penalty area. Was that a joke?
- Not at all a joke. As an experienced player he knows how forwards play so he said: “Here’s the goal, play in front of it and you’ll score. You need to stick with it – you have all the qualities to do it”. I listened, got the ball in front of the goal – and scored today.
