Ustymenko: The stronger the opponent, the more interesting

Oboloni striker Denys Ustimenko commented on the upcoming match 1/32 of the Cup of Ukraine against Lviv Carpathians. "Physically and morally, everything is fine. We are preparing in regular mode, just like for Premier League matches. It was a good weekly cycle. At some points, we had enough workloads, but we also worked a lot tactically and prepared directly for the Carpathians. I think we did a good job. God grant that we will demonstrate all this in the match in Lviv. Let's not get carried away. The stronger the opponent, the more interesting. Maybe it's even for the better. If we can get past such an opponent as the Carpathians, it will give us confidence. How strongly do Lviv feel the Cup of Ukraine? For them, it's really more than just a tournament. The excitement starts a week before the match. Not only the fans who come to the stadium, but in fact the whole city lives for this match. When they see the Carpathian players, they immediately make it clear that the team must give their maximum and win. They have such a mentality. I can't explain exactly why, but when I was in the team, I myself was delighted with this attitude towards the Cup. It seems to me that they adjust to cup matches in a different way. It seems that for them it is even more important than the championship. They understand that teams can be eliminated in the Cup after each stage, so everyone experiences these matches very emotionally. Accordingly, if the team is relegated, the disappointment of the fans is very serious. This is a peculiar tradition of the Carpathians, which I experienced when I was part of this team. But we have our own tasks and opportunities. We are going to Lviv to win — that is our main task. There are always many fans in Lviv. When I played for Carpathians, many people always came to home matches. The stadium was filled to capacity. The people of Lviv love football very much, they live by it. People walk, cheer and support their team. We understand the power of the Carpathians. The team really made a very good progress - three matches, three victories, and they are confident. At the same time, we see that they play attacking football. When the Carpathians attack, if they counterattack quickly, they have certain problems. The coaching staff focuses on this. If we manage to follow the instructions, there will be moments. And if there are moments, goals will come. And where there are goals, there are victories. Denis Marchenko, who recently moved from Oboloni, is currently playing in the Carpathians? I am happy for Denys that his career is developing like this. I will only be positive to meet him on the field. God forbid, score him - then it will be nice for me and the whole of Obolon. The main thing is that everything turns out well for us," the press service of the club quotes Ustimenka as saying. As a reminder, the match between Karpaty and Obolon will take place today, August 22, at 18:00.