Following Dynamo’s home victory over Kudrivka, defender Taras Mykhavko shared his thoughts on the match, spoke about preparations for the crucial Ukrainian Cup clash with Shakhtar, and discussed his first few days working with the new coaching staff.
– It was certainly a difficult game. The early kick-off made things a little harder, as it was not easy to get ourselves going. Kudrivka are also a good opponent, and the team played some good, quality football. We created a lot of chances in the first half and could have scored more. It was not easy, but we are happy that we played the game and won.
– You were one of the first players to rush to Ivan Petryak’s aid when he was injured. Could you tell us what happened? From the stands, the incident looked quite frightening.
– There was a long pass, followed by contact during an aerial challenge. From what I saw, the players collided heads, and Ivan seemed to take a blow to the temple. At first, he went down on his knees, and nothing suggested that it would have serious consequences. But then it became clear that he was unwell and feeling bad. We noticed immediately, reacted quickly, and everyone tried to help. God willing, he will recover as soon as possible and regain his health, because it was a truly frightening situation.
– How do you control your emotions in a moment like that and refocus on the game? Vladyslav Dubinchak seemed particularly affected by the incident. How did the team manage to regroup?
– It is really difficult because we are talking about a person's health. We found it hard to deal with that moment and recover from the emotions, but this is football, and unfortunately, physical contact is an integral part of the game. Sadly, this situation occurred. As I said, we hope Ivan recovers quickly.
– Could you comment on the goal we conceded? You were not at fault; the ball simply went into the net after a deflection. However, this was already the fourth own goal of this kind in your career. How did it happen?
– Yes, it was a rather strange goal. I cannot remember who took the shot, but I stuck out my leg to block it. The ball skimmed along the pitch, hit what I think was my heel, and went into the opposite corner from where Zhora was positioned. Of course, it is disappointing, but this is football. The main thing is that we won. We will work on it and hope these incidents do not happen again. But it is what it is.
– What was the first thing Georgiy said to you after that incident?
– He asked me how many goals like that I had scored already.
– After the air raid alert, Kudrivka looked much stronger than before it. What went wrong? Why did the opposition step up their game?
– In my opinion, Kudrivka did enough to deserve a goal. They played well and created a lot of chances. There were moments when Zhora really had to bail us out. I believe our opponents deserved their goal. It is just a shame that it came in that particular way. But, as I said, this is football, and anything can happen.
– The Ukrainian Cup match against Shakhtar is coming up, and the team also has a new coaching staff. How are you preparing for this game? Could it be described as your most important match of the season so far?
– Of course, we have some really important matches ahead of us. Shakhtar are our direct rivals. But we prepare for each game as it comes, and we will approach the match against them with twice the motivation. We approach our games against all opponents in the same way, although, of course, you can feel the special intensity of the rivalry with Shakhtar. That is why we are preparing for this match very seriously.
– How are you finding working with the new coaching staff? They have only been with the team for a few days, but have they already managed to change anything in the preparation and training process?
– Of course, the new coaching staff are bringing their own ideas, and you can feel that straight away. The team has responded to them very positively. There are new ideas. In addition, the staff consists mainly of Polish specialists. I am very happy that we have such good and intelligent coaches working with us. They are giving us everything we need to go out onto the pitch and play.
