The hero of the 7th round Kobak talks about the goal from the corner and the victory over Kharkiv: Lokomotiv strives to play more aggressively in attack

Lokomotiv won its second victory of the season, beating the first league team Metalist 1925 with a score of 3:2. And the midfielder of the “railwaymen” Kobak was involved in all (!) three goals of his team – he scored himself, gave an assist and a pre-goal pass. Of course, the jury of the PFL and Sport Arena paid attention to such a bright solo performance.

The hero of the seventh round in the Second League, Edward Kobak, shared with Sport Arena his impressions of Lokomotiv’s victory over Metalist 1925-2, recalled his performances abroad and explained why he failed to gain a foothold in Shakhtar and Dnipro.

– How unexpected and pleasant is it for you to be recognized as the best player of the round in the Second League?

– Of course, it is very pleasant, because I won in significant competition. This is the reward of the whole team. We worked together and this is our common reward. I am happy that the work of the whole team brought results.

– Lokomotiv had a bad start to the current season. What do you think is the reason for such results?

– The start of the season was not easy for us, because during the off-season the team was joined by a number of newcomers. We did not have enough interaction on the field, there was a lack of teamwork. Also, we have not yet decided on the main tactical scheme, according to which we will play during the season. All this was reflected in the team’s results at the start of the season. However, we have already managed to adapt and are starting to improve the situation in the tournament table.

– The team is gradually progressing now. Perhaps some changes were made to the training process? What was the main reason for the improvement?

– We have improved our dedication and desire to fight. We lacked this at the beginning of the season. We began to understand each other better on the field, and this affected our results. The training process has also become more intense, which helps us stay in shape and prepare better for games.

– Metalist 1925-2 has a very young lineup. Do you agree that such opponents are even more dangerous, because you don’t know what to expect from them?

– Metalist 1925 has a lot of promising young people who are already joining the training with the first team. We understood that the game would be difficult, since the opponent has fast and technical players. Young people are always dangerous because they can unexpectedly demonstrate their best qualities, so we were ready for a difficult game.

– What did you focus on before the game with Kharkiv? Is the current Lokomotiv capable of playing from a position of strength or is it too early to talk about it?

– It all depends on the situation on the field. If we score first, we often focus on defense. We wait for the opponent to make a mistake and try to quickly run out to counterattack. However, we are constantly working on playing more aggressively and dominating the field.

– Already in the seventh minute after your pass, Zakhiny scored. Do you spend a lot of time on corner kicks during training?

– We work a lot on set pieces in training, especially corners. My assist was the result of a well-practiced combination. Set pieces can decide the outcome of a game, so we always try to practice them 100%.

– At the end of the first half, Lokomotiv took the lead for the second time in the match. You scored a direct shot from a corner. Admit it, did you shoot or did you pass? When have you ever scored such goals in training?

– I noticed that the goalkeeper went to the near post. At that moment he decided to beat him and send the ball to the far post area. The wind helped a little and the ball flew straight into the goal. To be honest, it was not a planned direct hit, but sometimes happy accidents happen in football.

– In seven matches you scored a goal and made an assist. Are you happy with this performance?

– I am not completely satisfied with myself, because there were moments when I could have scored more, but the implementation failed. I draw conclusions and work to be more effective in the future. However, giving assists gives me no less pleasure than scoring goals. The most important thing is for the team to win and for us to gain points in the tournament table.

– How did your transfer to Lokomotiv happen? Who invited you to the Kiev club and how difficult is it to adapt?

– My agent called me on the phone and said that there was an offer from Lokomotiv. I immediately wrote to the president of the club, because I have known him for a long time. We quickly discussed the details, and without hesitation I decided to join the team. The transition happened very quickly and easily.

There were no problems with adaptation. I already knew some of the team players. This helped me quickly find a common language with the team. In addition, we have a young team, so the atmosphere in the team was very friendly.

– You played in Poland and Croatia. How would you rate this experience?

– Yes, I had experience playing in the Polish third league and the Croatian first league. It was a very useful experience that helped me grow professionally. I took a lot of positive moments, especially in terms of tactical preparation and mentality. Football in Europe is similar, but the mentality is different. Each country has its own peculiarities in the approach to the game.

– You were in the structure of Shakhtar and Dnipro. Why were you unable to gain a foothold in these clubs?

– I made my debut in the Second League in Dnipro when I was 16 years old. Later the club broke up and I moved to Shakhtar. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to gain a foothold in Shakhtar. I was allowed into the first team, but at that time they were betting on the Brazilians. De Zerbi gave a chance to many young Ukrainians, but by that time I was already on loan in Minai. Now I’m in Lokomotiv and our goal is to get maximum points in every game and fulfill the tasks set before us.

BLITZ

• Born in Mukachevo
• Pupil of the FC Dnepr school
• First coach – Victor Geychik
• I follow Manchester City in Europe
• Players I follow: Bernardo Silva, Foden
• Goal in football? To break through and establish yourself in a good team in Europe

Yaroslav Kroha