Goalkeeper of FC Dynamo Kyiv Ruslan Neshcheret spoke to Football Hub about the 2:0 victory over FC Inhulets Petrove in the Ukrainian Cup quarterfinal and assessed the team’s recent performances.
– How important is it for a goalkeeper not to concede in several matches in a row after the season restart?
– For both the goalkeeper and the defense as a whole it’s the best feeling when you keep a clean sheet. It’s very important for us to stay focused and avoid conceding a goal you might regret later – maybe for a whole day or even a whole year. For example today we could have conceded in the first half and been knocked out of the Cup.
– How important is it psychologically that the team has now won three matches in a row and left behind the negativity from before the restart?
– It’s very important, especially considering that we’re playing on a pitch that’s not in the best condition. For the team overall it’s crucial to win games and when we do it with a clean sheet it’s twice pleasant.
– Was there any underestimation of the opponent? After all they are a First League team and have lost several players. Did the coaching staff emphasize this?
– After the emotional comeback win against FC Shakhtar Donetsk losing to Inhulets would not just have been a slip-up – it would have been a real disaster for us. So we were fully focused on this match, regardless of whether they play in the First or Second League. The Cup is the kind of competition where you can concede once and be eliminated.
I think we did our job very well today. Yes, there were a few minor mistakes but overall, considering the pitch, I believe we controlled the game and were superior to the opponent.
– Next up is a match against Polissya. In recent games against Rukh, Epitsentr and today against Inhulets opponents allowed Dynamo a lot of possession. Polissya will probably play more aggressively. Are you already preparing for what could be a key match in the second half of the season?
– Starting tomorrow we’ll shift our focus from this game to FC Polissya Zhytomyr. I expect a tough match but we’ll do everything we can to achieve a positive result for our fans.
