Uncomfortable match
Sunday, April 2, 2023
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Head coach of Shakhtar Igor Jovicevic assessed the match against Chornomorets (2-2)
– What did the team lack to score a winning goal in the second half? (Ua.tribuna.com)
– First of all, it was an expectedly difficult match. This is always the case after the matches between the national teams, because football players return with different levels of readiness: someone played both matches for the national team, someone played one half or did not play at all. Until the players get back into the pace and rhythm of the game, the first match is always dangerous. Everyone is talking about this, and this is not demagoguery, but a simple fact. And there are matches where you lose points and we lost points today. But in terms of the game, I think that they did not close out the scoring in the first half, when they had many more opportunities: in the first 20 minutes, there were 4–5 moments that we completed in the best matches, knowing that in the second half fatigue will come to the fore somewhere and the implementation will be suboptimal. We lacked the final shot, creativity and conversion, especially, I will say again, in the first half, although we did not control the game as much as we wanted, because it was difficult, since Chornomorets are the only UPL team that offer one-on-one play across the field, with high pressing. One-on-one all the time requires outplaying, dribbling. It is exhausting and you have to be fresh for such match. Today we lacked a little freshness to keep up such pace. They offer aggressive football, and in the first three games of the spring, Chornomorets showed what they are capable of. So here many teams will still lose points, and Chornomorets will still compete for points. But we have one point. We wanted to win here to get over ourselves, although there were a little less opportunities in the second half than in the first. We will make conclusions, analyse, the team will rest – and there are still 12 rounds for us. This is true because many teams are fighting for the top spot that everyone wants. However, okay, we are one point ahead, and we will prepare for Metalist.
– If you compare Chornomorets, which you defeated in September, and Chornomorets today, are they different teams? (FC Chornomorets Press Service)
– Yes, there are several other players who change the picture, but the style of Hryhorchuk, the coach whom I must praise, offers an aggressive, one-on-one game model. Few teams in Europe play with such high pressing one-on-one, and you have to be ready, you have to be fresh to respond to such aggression, because dribbling is the most exhausting. Today was such a match, especially in the first half, when the ball went back and forth: there was no control – neither on their part, nor on ours. Because they do not allow you to stand and control the ball, but constantly attack you, and you have to receive the ball all the time under the pressure. An uncomfortable match, I must admit. But, again, not everyone plays like that. We go from match to match and think about how we will score points, which is very necessary for us, because we want to achieve our dream.
– First of all, it was an expectedly difficult match. This is always the case after the matches between the national teams, because football players return with different levels of readiness: someone played both matches for the national team, someone played one half or did not play at all. Until the players get back into the pace and rhythm of the game, the first match is always dangerous. Everyone is talking about this, and this is not demagoguery, but a simple fact. And there are matches where you lose points and we lost points today. But in terms of the game, I think that they did not close out the scoring in the first half, when they had many more opportunities: in the first 20 minutes, there were 4–5 moments that we completed in the best matches, knowing that in the second half fatigue will come to the fore somewhere and the implementation will be suboptimal. We lacked the final shot, creativity and conversion, especially, I will say again, in the first half, although we did not control the game as much as we wanted, because it was difficult, since Chornomorets are the only UPL team that offer one-on-one play across the field, with high pressing. One-on-one all the time requires outplaying, dribbling. It is exhausting and you have to be fresh for such match. Today we lacked a little freshness to keep up such pace. They offer aggressive football, and in the first three games of the spring, Chornomorets showed what they are capable of. So here many teams will still lose points, and Chornomorets will still compete for points. But we have one point. We wanted to win here to get over ourselves, although there were a little less opportunities in the second half than in the first. We will make conclusions, analyse, the team will rest – and there are still 12 rounds for us. This is true because many teams are fighting for the top spot that everyone wants. However, okay, we are one point ahead, and we will prepare for Metalist.
– If you compare Chornomorets, which you defeated in September, and Chornomorets today, are they different teams? (FC Chornomorets Press Service)
– Yes, there are several other players who change the picture, but the style of Hryhorchuk, the coach whom I must praise, offers an aggressive, one-on-one game model. Few teams in Europe play with such high pressing one-on-one, and you have to be ready, you have to be fresh to respond to such aggression, because dribbling is the most exhausting. Today was such a match, especially in the first half, when the ball went back and forth: there was no control – neither on their part, nor on ours. Because they do not allow you to stand and control the ball, but constantly attack you, and you have to receive the ball all the time under the pressure. An uncomfortable match, I must admit. But, again, not everyone plays like that. We go from match to match and think about how we will score points, which is very necessary for us, because we want to achieve our dream.