Lupashko: I think Karpaty did not deserve such a score in the match with Dynamo

Head coach Carpathians Vladislav Lupashko shared his impressions of the match lost to Kyiv Dynamo (1:3) in the third round Ukrainian Premier League.

“The impressions from the match are positive on the one hand, and disappointing on the other. I think we didn’t deserve such a score. We created pressure, had a chance to equalize, even scored a goal that was disallowed due to offside. The referee could have awarded a penalty against Dynamo… They awarded a penalty against us – I doubt it, because there was minimal contact. There was also a touch in the moment with Ocheretko, but they didn’t award a penalty. There is disappointment, but if you compare it to the first game, we have stepped forward in courage, in the conduct of the game, in an attempt to dominate the football field. I want more pressure from the first minutes, so that we run and create pressure, no matter who we are playing against.”

“We didn’t demand that the players sit low in defense. We wanted the players to meet the opponent high. However, the players were a little physically weak. There is a lot of talk about the field affecting this, but it is psychology. We need to change it, we need to be even bolder. We understand who we are playing against – most coaches would have chosen a defensive scheme. However, we wanted to play higher. Dynamo made us sit in defense. During the break, we rested, talked and returned to the game. The second half was of better quality.”

“I have never told the players to score quick goals. The plan was that we would start aggressively and want to play like that until the final whistle. We scored because we pressed. We managed to close Dynamo in their penalty area. At half-time, we said that we need to continue doing this. After all, as we saw, the Ukrainian national team players can also lose the ball. We need to understand this.”

“I say again that football is alive in Ukraine and this needs to be conveyed to people, shown to the UAF so that quotas are increased. Most matches are held with 50 or 100 people at the stadium, and you don’t want to watch that. The football players felt the support today. When fans drive the team forward, that’s real football. I emphasize to the players that they are happy people, because they can play matches in conditions where people support them.”

Let us recall that in today’s match Karpaty scored in the first minute thanks to the efforts of Oleh Ocheretko. Nevertheless, Dynamo managed to turn the game around and win a strong-willed victory. In the second half, with the score 1:2, Brazilian Stenio missed a good opportunity, and Denis Ustimenko’s goal was cancelled due to offside. As a result, Andriy Yarmolenko earned a penalty, converted it and set the final score.

Karpaty suffered their first defeat in this UPL competition. Lupashko’s team has 4 points after three rounds. On August 21, the Lviv team will start the Ukrainian Cup with a home match against Chornomorets.