Victory is very important
Thursday, April 18, 2024
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Shakhtar women’s team head coach Roman Zaiev reflects on the win against Ladomyr, Molodiuk’s sending-off and emotional state of the team
– Congratulations on victory! What will be your resume of the match?
– We understood that Shakhtar and Ladomyr did not get points since the beginning of the second part of the season. Of course, Ladomyr, as the hosts, were preparing for a fight. We knew it would be a tough game, and taking the cold weather and the pitch condition into account, it turned out to be more of a mess than a quality one. I would like to give a proper respect to defenders who closed Ladomyr leader Vikroriia Hiryn in quit a disciplined manner. I am also very happy with the quality of Oleksandra Yanieva's play and Mariia Vykaliuk's goal at the end of the match. It is exactly the goal that was missing at the beginning of the match.
– How important is the victory for the team psychologically?
– The victory is very important because we understood that there has not been a period when we lost three times in a row since the beginning of the team's existence. It put psychological pressure on the team, so we made the girls take a very responsible approach to the game. We need to get out of the psychological pit and I'm glad that everything turned out in our favour.
– Shakhtar created chances in the first half, but did not converted them. What did the team lack in the final third of the field in your opinion?
– It is not even worth talking about experience. Rather a lack of class of certain performers played a key role in the moments when they should have made the difference. Also, perhaps nervous mood did not allow to convert chances. Indeed, the score could have been completely different.
– How did the game change after Molodiuk was sent off?
– In my opinion, an important role was played by the referee's emotional reaction: she tried to respond with cards to every shout from Ladomyr players. Molodiuk is a player who puts pressure on the opponent's defensive line, so after she was sent off, this pressure decreased and the opponents tried to create chances.
– Are you satisfied with the level of physical endurance of footballers?
– After the game against Metalist 1925, we reflected on what influenced the result of the previous meeting. The match against Ladomyr answered what was missing: either psychological stability or physical endurance. Since the girls withstood the pace of the match, the reason was in psychology. We prepared the girls and told them to form a team spirit that will help them win.
– We understood that Shakhtar and Ladomyr did not get points since the beginning of the second part of the season. Of course, Ladomyr, as the hosts, were preparing for a fight. We knew it would be a tough game, and taking the cold weather and the pitch condition into account, it turned out to be more of a mess than a quality one. I would like to give a proper respect to defenders who closed Ladomyr leader Vikroriia Hiryn in quit a disciplined manner. I am also very happy with the quality of Oleksandra Yanieva's play and Mariia Vykaliuk's goal at the end of the match. It is exactly the goal that was missing at the beginning of the match.
– How important is the victory for the team psychologically?
– The victory is very important because we understood that there has not been a period when we lost three times in a row since the beginning of the team's existence. It put psychological pressure on the team, so we made the girls take a very responsible approach to the game. We need to get out of the psychological pit and I'm glad that everything turned out in our favour.
– Shakhtar created chances in the first half, but did not converted them. What did the team lack in the final third of the field in your opinion?
– It is not even worth talking about experience. Rather a lack of class of certain performers played a key role in the moments when they should have made the difference. Also, perhaps nervous mood did not allow to convert chances. Indeed, the score could have been completely different.
– How did the game change after Molodiuk was sent off?
– In my opinion, an important role was played by the referee's emotional reaction: she tried to respond with cards to every shout from Ladomyr players. Molodiuk is a player who puts pressure on the opponent's defensive line, so after she was sent off, this pressure decreased and the opponents tried to create chances.
– Are you satisfied with the level of physical endurance of footballers?
– After the game against Metalist 1925, we reflected on what influenced the result of the previous meeting. The match against Ladomyr answered what was missing: either psychological stability or physical endurance. Since the girls withstood the pace of the match, the reason was in psychology. We prepared the girls and told them to form a team spirit that will help them win.