Dynamo U19 head coach Vadym Milko summed up the away game against Kolos Kovalevka, in which the “white-and-blues” celebrated a 2:1 victory:
– Before the game, we asked the guys to press the opponent in their own half after mistakes or losing the ball. They were ready for that, pressed, won the ball back and tried to deliver it forward immediately. The first 7–10 minutes were a little chaotic, and then, I believe, the game was under our control. We scored two good goals. So, honestly, I was completely satisfied with the first half.
The second half was a little chaotic because, once again, there was responsibility for the result after the defeat to FC Kharkiv. We conceded again after a set piece, but the opponent executed the free kick brilliantly. So I don't even want to blame Royenko in this situation, although perhaps he could have done something. But the shot really was of very high quality.
I am satisfied with the guys for today's game. They approached everything we agreed on before the match responsibly and did everything that was required of them.
– How difficult was this match against Kolos for the team, considering that after your first goal the opponent equalized quite quickly?
– You know, if you take all of Kolos' matches – I watched them – this team creates very big problems for everyone. Even though Kolos are not high in the standings at the moment, they are a very difficult opponent; it is simply a matter of finishing. So I prepared the guys for the fact that today would be a very serious game. They approached it responsibly and coped with it.
Today, I can only praise them because they approached everything we agreed on very well. The fact that Kolos created a chance near our goal was simply a coincidence of circumstances. It was a goal from a free kick; these things happen in football. But the most important thing is the guys' reaction. They wanted to win and created enough chances to score more and not limit themselves to a 2:1 scoreline.
– The team had a two-week break due to the international matches. Tell us how you spent it with the team, and whether it affected the course of today's match?
– We prepared for two weeks. During this period, we had a city championship game against Atlet. The guys got match practice, so they remained in good shape. There was no drop-off in this regard. Today, they showed that they are ready to beat any team that comes up against them because they prepared well for the game.
Everyone said that this match would be somehow special for me because I used to play for Kolos, but it wasn't. Honestly, it was an ordinary, routine game. The guys approached it with all seriousness and did what was required of them. I am grateful to them for that.
– Dynamo scored the winning goal at the end of the first half, in the 44th minute. How important was it to go into the break with the lead?
– You know, thank God we scored at that particular minute. I believed in the guys and saw that they believed in themselves. We had enough chances to “close out” the game earlier. In particular, Fedorenko hit the post. In short, we had opportunities, so, as I said, I believed in the team, and the guys believed in themselves.
Before the game, we talked about how we had “burned ourselves” after the previous dropped points against Livyi Bereh and FC Kharkiv, and that this should not happen again. The guys understood everything correctly and did what we wanted.
– There were no more goals in the second half. Are you satisfied with how the team played after the break and held on to the winning result?
– It's all in the head; everything depends on psychology. You need an individual approach to every footballer. Someone wants to hold on to the result, while someone wants to play only for the win. So we needed a combination of all these factors, which is what we were aiming for. At halftime, I told the guys that nothing had been decided yet. A one-goal lead is very little. We needed to score another one and see the game through to victory. The guys tried, well done. This time, one more goal was enough for us, but they did everything to score it.
– After nine matches, Dynamo U19 have 19 points and are second in the standings. Rukh are five points ahead of your team. How important is it now not to look at the competitors and focus on your own results?
– You know, I have been saying for a long time that I ask the guys not to look at the standings. We will look at them in the spring. If they continue to train in the same way – at maximum effort, at one hundred percent – and give everything in every game, everything will work out for us. In the spring, we will see what result we have achieved. Everything depends on us.
They understand what I am talking about. The most important thing is that they accept it and take it in. It is very important when you have a dialogue rather than a monologue. They respond to me, we communicate and discuss different moments. I understand that they realize what we demand from them. And that is the most important thing. So at this stage, we are not looking at the standings. We will look at them in the spring.
