Dynamo forward Matvii Ponomarenko shared his impressions after the final match of the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage against Armenian side Noah (2:0).
- Of course, the mood is great as we finished the year with a win which is our third in a row. We prepared seriously for this match and the coaching staff emphasized its importance despite the fact that we no longer had a chance to reach playoffs. But this is football and you have to go into every game giving everything. Everyone wanted to win today and go on vacation in a good mood.
It’s disappointing that we didn’t manage to progress further but that’s life. We need to move forward and draw conclusions. There will be a new year and I hope that next time we’ll make it through and everything will be fine. Perhaps this time we were a bit unlucky with the draw - strong teams like Crystal Palace from England and Fiorentina were our opponents. But that’s football. You have to go out against any opponent and play to win.
- You’ve now scored in three consecutive matches for the first team. After your goal it was clear that you gained even more confidence. Did you want to score again?
- Of course. That’s the striker’s nature - he always wants to score. It’s very nice to find the net in every game. I’d like to thank the coach for the trust and for naming me in the starting lineup. When you’re given a chance you have to take it. I was given that chance so I had to go out, score and help the team.
- A vacation is coming up. Do you already know anything about team’s future plans?
- We don’t know anything yet. Later they’ll post in the group chat or call us and then we’ll start preparing for the second part of the season. About a week should be dedicated to proper rest and then it’s back to work - training, running and building fitness for the spring part of the season.
