Ruslan Rotan: Kryvbas had chances in the second half and could have equalized

Ruslan Rotan, head coach of Zhytomyr’s Polissya, commented on the UPL Matchday 7 home game against Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih, which ended in a 1:0 victory.

- Polissya has been winning match after match lately. Is this streak an extra boost for the team, or does it create psychological pressure?

- Of course, right now it’s more of a burden. There is a lot of attention on us; every team plays us with extra determination, knowing where we stand in the league table. We are a target for our opponents, so they prepare to face us as if we were the league leaders. For us, it is primarily a matter of responsibility and a test of our professional attitude. We’ve just come through a grueling stretch of matches. Thank God, we made it through. Now we need to rest, take a mental breather, and keep working with the understanding that opponents will face us with maximum concentration from now on.

- First place is a burden. How ready is the team to carry that burden for the rest of the season?

- I absolutely agree that it’s a burden, and the main thing is to view it the right way. We shouldn't think that just because we’re in first place, the job is done. There’s a long road ahead and many tough matches where opponents will fight even harder. We mustn't rest on our laurels; we need to improve in every training session and strive to become a better version of ourselves every day.

- Looking back at the game against Livyi Bereh, the opponent sat deep, and there were very few clear-cut chances. Today, however, the team was charging forward, especially in the first half. Was that a reaction to the previous match, or did Kryvbas’s style of play simply open up more space?

- We were highly motivated right from the start and knew exactly what we wanted to achieve on the pitch. The only thing we lacked was a second goal. Had we converted a chance earlier, the game would have been much easier. Instead, we ran into a problem similar to the match against Livyi Bereh: we didn't score that second goal, and in the second half, I feel we didn't look like ourselves. We have to admit that the substitutions we made didn't strengthen our play. For me, this is grounds for a serious conversation with the lads. With the possible exception of Leandro, the fresh players failed to get up to the pace of the match.

- Unlike your changes, the opponent's substitutions noticeably leveled the playing field. Did you not expect the game to unfold that way in the second half?

- No, actually, I did. You have to give credit to the opponent: Kryvbas has quality players; they created chances and were desperate to equalize. But we have to focus on our own actions. We needed to score a second goal to relieve that psychological pressure. When the scoreline is precarious, the fear of making a mistake creeps in, and the team involuntarily starts thinking only about holding onto the result. That’s the wrong mindset. We need to aim to decide matches earlier and control the game.

- There is a long break ahead for international matches. Many players have been called up from Polissya. Do you view this break as a positive or a negative, considering the momentum you’ve built?

- It’s a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, we are proud that nine players have gone off to represent national and youth teams. It brings great prestige to the club and is a testament to the good work being done. On the other hand, there is a significant downside: the imbalance. The lads will be training away from the team for three weeks. This will become a tangible issue ahead of the next UPL round, so we are already in contact with the national team coaches and are monitoring everyone's fitness levels.

At the same time, this break offers us a great opportunity to take a look at the club's young players who are knocking on the door of the first team and to assess their potential during training.

Media of FC "Kryvbas" Kryvyi Rih according to the materials UPL TV