Acting head coach of Dynamo Ihor Kostyuk spoke to the media after the 15th-round Ukrainian Premier League victory over Kudrivka (2:1).
- First of all I want to congratulate all our servicemen as today is Armed Forces Day. Thanks to them we can hold these matches and thanks to them children woke up today and found gifts under their pillows. Today is also St. Nicholas Day so I think these two holidays complement each other. Because of our soldiers we can celebrate and play today so happy holidays to everyone.
- Congratulations on your first win. The four-game losing streak has ended and three points have been earned. How well did young players perform today? Redushko started the match – are you satisfied with their effort on the pitch?
- First and foremost, without dedication there is no result. Today that was our priority. We saw in the previous game that we lost some duels but today we improved, although we still lost some challenges.
Regarding young players - they understand our demands and they bring freshness. In the first half we dominated and could have scored more goals to “close” the game early. But football is football – we made a single mistake in the second half which caused some nervousness. Still we created plenty of chances in the second half but just didn’t finish them what made the ending tense.
- Eight players that were played in the U19 team started the game. Was this coincidental or do these players understand your demands best?
- We understand that many games are coming. After the match against Poltava some players were physically tired so rotation is unavoidable. It’s also our goal to give our academy graduates game time. If the competition is equal our players in development naturally get priority.
- After the previous match you mentioned your players lacked physical strength at the end. In this match it seemed the team also faded in the last 10 minutes and Kudrivka had a chance to equalize. Can we say the same about this game?
- What chance did Kudrivka really have? By then, the game situation dictated a pressing attack and it may look like the team is tired. But even during their attacks we had sharp counterattacks – Guerrero went one-on-one and we scored a disallowed goal. Yes, players lack some energy but it’s impossible to fully recover a team in four days to play 90 minutes at full tempo. We rotate the squad what allows us to stay fresher for upcoming matches.
- Regarding young players again: before the game you were giving instructions to Karavaiev. What exactly were you telling him?
- I asked him to put pressure on the goalkeeper because he seems uncertain when coming off his line.
- Before the match Kudrivka head coach Vasyl Baranov said a draw against Dynamo would be a poor result for his team. Did you hear this and did it motivate you?
- Of course we discussed it. I’ve known Vasyl Baranov for a long time but I haven’t lost a single duel in the youth league. Today we continue that tradition: starting with Zorya, then in Poltava – I’ve won all duels.
- We saw Guerrero throw a trash bin as he left the field. Do you approve of such emotional reactions or is it excessive?
- I didn’t see him throw the bin. But, of course, when a player misses an opportunity, emotions arise. Football needs emotional players, not those who shut down and don’t show themselves on the pitch.
- What’s the team’s upcoming schedule? Will players get any days off?
- There’s no time to rest. We need to work – tactically, physically and psychologically. Tomorrow we will do recovery and the day after tomorrow we will depart to Italy.
