It was definitely a tough game
Sunday, October 27, 2024
|
Commentary of Shakhtar U19 head coach Oleksii Bielik after the victory over Dynamo U19 (1-0)
– Congratulations on the victory! Thanks to the success in the match, Shakhtar took the first place in the Youth League standings. What is your summary?
– It was definitely a tough game for us. It is clear that the road to London for the UEFA Youth League match was exhausting, in fact, we spend two days on the European Cup games, while Dynamo U19 only played their first match in the European Cups this week, we felt more tired than the opponent due to that. The accumulated fatigue took its toll, especially when the players started having cramps, they lacked a bit of freshness to develop a quick attack. However, the mettle plays an important role in such a situation. Perhaps, we did not show the best and too spectacular game, but not all matches have to be spectacular – sometimes you need to be patient to get the desired result. Today we succeeded, and I am very grateful to the players. Actually, I do not even really understand how young players manage such a tight schedule without days off and with limited recovery time. We see how even senior teams, such as Shakhtar, Dynamo or Polissia, struggle with playing in the European Cups and switching to the championship from the weekly cycle. It is hard even for adult, physically fit professional footballers, and what can we say about young players who are only growing. I constantly emphasise that if our players keep their mettle as it is now and develop their skills, we will definitely succeed. At the same time, I want to thank Dynamo U19 – they are a strong team, they are our main competitors that we have not beaten in a long time. I wish them success and to advance as far as possible in the European Cups, because this is extremely important to show that youth football continues to develop despite all difficulties and military actions. The Ukrainian teams advancing as far as possible in the European Cups shows not only our mettle but also the strength of our soldiers who fight for us every day. Therefore, we have to show their spirit on the football fields of Europe.
– The last time Shakhtar U19 defeated Dynamo U19 was in 2021. Did this fact add motivation and competitive anger?
– There are many details that have an effect on motivation before each game, but in the match between Shakhtar and Dynamo the players do not need to be additionally motivated. If a player appears for such a match without proper motivation, this is the road to nowhere. The team will get the first day of rest in a long time, despite the international break, because our players are called up to the national teams. The next opponents are Chornomorets U19, and they are already the most important for us, so we will focus on them, without thinking about Young Boys U19 or Dynamo U19.
– Rostyslav Bahlai played confidently throughout the match, saving the team from conceding a goal more than once. What can you say about the performance of the goalkeeper?
– Rostyslav is a talented football player, and many people know about it, not only in our Academy. He has great qualities, and today not only the goalkeeper but also other players gave their all for the result, worked for defence a lot. I can note that both we and Dynamo did not have many moment. Yes, they had the initiative and tried to move the ball into the penalty area, but we dealt with that. We both had several shots on goal, but luck was on our side today.
– It was definitely a tough game for us. It is clear that the road to London for the UEFA Youth League match was exhausting, in fact, we spend two days on the European Cup games, while Dynamo U19 only played their first match in the European Cups this week, we felt more tired than the opponent due to that. The accumulated fatigue took its toll, especially when the players started having cramps, they lacked a bit of freshness to develop a quick attack. However, the mettle plays an important role in such a situation. Perhaps, we did not show the best and too spectacular game, but not all matches have to be spectacular – sometimes you need to be patient to get the desired result. Today we succeeded, and I am very grateful to the players. Actually, I do not even really understand how young players manage such a tight schedule without days off and with limited recovery time. We see how even senior teams, such as Shakhtar, Dynamo or Polissia, struggle with playing in the European Cups and switching to the championship from the weekly cycle. It is hard even for adult, physically fit professional footballers, and what can we say about young players who are only growing. I constantly emphasise that if our players keep their mettle as it is now and develop their skills, we will definitely succeed. At the same time, I want to thank Dynamo U19 – they are a strong team, they are our main competitors that we have not beaten in a long time. I wish them success and to advance as far as possible in the European Cups, because this is extremely important to show that youth football continues to develop despite all difficulties and military actions. The Ukrainian teams advancing as far as possible in the European Cups shows not only our mettle but also the strength of our soldiers who fight for us every day. Therefore, we have to show their spirit on the football fields of Europe.
– The last time Shakhtar U19 defeated Dynamo U19 was in 2021. Did this fact add motivation and competitive anger?
– There are many details that have an effect on motivation before each game, but in the match between Shakhtar and Dynamo the players do not need to be additionally motivated. If a player appears for such a match without proper motivation, this is the road to nowhere. The team will get the first day of rest in a long time, despite the international break, because our players are called up to the national teams. The next opponents are Chornomorets U19, and they are already the most important for us, so we will focus on them, without thinking about Young Boys U19 or Dynamo U19.
– Rostyslav Bahlai played confidently throughout the match, saving the team from conceding a goal more than once. What can you say about the performance of the goalkeeper?
– Rostyslav is a talented football player, and many people know about it, not only in our Academy. He has great qualities, and today not only the goalkeeper but also other players gave their all for the result, worked for defence a lot. I can note that both we and Dynamo did not have many moment. Yes, they had the initiative and tried to move the ball into the penalty area, but we dealt with that. We both had several shots on goal, but luck was on our side today.