Smolyakov - about FC Kharkiv's victory over Zorya: "The most difficult thing was to deal with all these aerial alarms"

Artem Smolyakov exclusively for "UF" assessed FC Kharkiv's victory over Zorya with a score of 3:0, the prolonged completion of the UPL match, and playing under air alarms.

Matchday 4 of the UPL between Zorya and FC Kharkiv stretched over two days. Kharkiv won both parts of the match and ultimately secured a confident victory - 3:0.

Immediately after the game, we talked to Artem Smolyakov. In an exclusive interview with the "Ukrainian Football" website, the left winger of FC Kharkiv talked about the challenging completion of the match against Zorya, evaluated his own performance, and shared thoughts on playing matches under frequent air alarms.

"We knew that these three points were very important for us."

– To be honest, it was tough, especially today, as we had a quite challenging first half yesterday and the beginning of the second half, – Artem Smolyakov confessed after the match. – We knew that these three points were very important for us, so we gathered ourselves and went out to finish the game. It didn't matter how much energy was left - we had to play until the end and do our job.

– The score is 3:0. Is Kharkiv so strong or Zorya weak?

– I can't say that Zorya is a weak team. Maybe today they were a bit off, and we turned out to be functionally better prepared. It was evident on the field. Yes, maybe in such matches, open football takes a back seat, and fighting qualities come to the fore. But this is also an element of football, a part of the game. There are no weak teams in the Premier League, so we have to approach each match and prove that we are stronger and meet the level we aim to be at.

"I believe I had a successful match."

– Did the game plan change today compared to yesterday?

– Nothing changed. We did everything the coaching staff demanded from us. And I believe we will only continue to improve.

– How do you assess your performance? Did you fulfill the tasks set by the coaches?

– Overall, the whole team played well today both in defense and attack. We executed all the key actions required by the coaching staff. Speaking personally, I believe I had a successful match. I think I fulfilled the tasks given to me by the coaches. From my flank, in principle, there were no problems.

– What was the most challenging for you on the field?

– The most challenging part was dealing with all these air alarms. Even when I was in Ukraine before going to America, I never encountered a situation where a match was postponed to another day. If there were alarms, we still finished the game on the same day.

"Perhaps some matches should be held in western Ukraine now."

– How do you see the way out of this situation from a player's perspective? Should matches be scheduled for a later time in regions where the danger is currently highest?

– You know, this is not for me to decide how to act in this situation. Perhaps some matches should be held in western Ukraine now because alarms have been sounding almost every half hour for the last four to five days. Of course, it's difficult to play in such a situation, but we have to deal with it somehow - go out on the field and play, no matter what. I believe we will endure. Thanks to our defenders, the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who help us and enable us to play in such a challenging time.

– After such a victory, how many days off did you get?

– There are no days off. We have another game on Saturday, so we need to prepare for it. Tomorrow we have recovery, and then we train and prepare for the match against Obolonny.

The match of the fourth round of the UPL between Zorya and FC Kharkiv practically split into four playing segments - lasting 19, 32, 36, and about three minutes. The first two teams played on August 30, and the last two on August 31.

FC Kharkiv secures a resounding victory for the first time in this championship - 3:0, and Kosovar Baton Zabergdja scores the first brace of the season.

Zorya from Luhansk concedes three goals at home for the second time in a row and remains without points.