Dynamo U19 defender Daniel Dekhtiar commented on the away victory of “White-Blues” in the National League U19 match against Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih (1:0):
— How would you assess the team’s performance?
— I think we played very well in the first half: we pressed the opponent and created many chances. Overall, in my opinion, we had a good match but in the last 20-30 minutes we dropped a bit physically, and the opponent started creating dangerous moments near our goal. If we had converted our chances in the first half, which the hosts allowed us to create, we could have calmly seen out the game without unnecessary nerves.
— A 1:0 scoreline is quite fragile. Did you feel nervous toward the end of the match?
— Yes, of course. With such a narrow lead you have to stay fully focused in every episode until the final whistle because any mistake can lead to dropping points, especially at the end of the game.
— Dynamo haven’t conceded in last four matches. As a defender does that please you?
— Absolutely. It’s nice that we manage to keep clean sheets in defense while also scoring and winning. This is a very important indicator for the team. We would like to keep the championship trophy at home and confirm once again this season that we are champions.
— Speaking personally about you: in last two matches you’ve played full 90 minutes whereas before you mostly came on as a substitute. Do you feel that you’ve found your rhythm?
— Yes, I do. In the previous match I wasn’t yet in optimal condition because before that I had only played 20-30 minutes and wasn’t ready to play the full match. But in the second game, which was today, I felt much better and believe I’m now fully physically ready.
— Up next is a match against Shakhtar. Right now the opponent is ahead of Dynamo so you not only need to win the head-to-head game but also hope they drop points elsewhere.
— We really want to win this matchup. Games between Dynamo and Shakhtar are always principled — it’s a long-standing rivalry between two competitors. It’s very important for us to win, reduce the gap and then maintain the championship.
— So this match could be decisive in the title race?
— Yes, a lot will really depend on it. We can either reduce the gap or on the contrary allow the opponent to pull further ahead.
