Mriya prepares for the second round: report on two weeks of intense sparring

The beginning of spring for FC Mriya (Gostomel) is a time of active preparation for the second round of the Kyiv and Ukrainian championships. The team not only trains hard, but also selects new players, testing their capabilities in real-life games. To this end, the Dreamers are taking part in a number of friendly matches to determine the best of the best. Over the past two weeks, four exciting matches have taken place, which we briefly describe below.

22 February: FC Mriya (Gostomel) vs FC Athlet (Kyiv) – 1: 2

From the very first minutes of the game, it was clear that both teams were determined to fight uncompromisingly. ‘Athlet showed a solid game in the middle of the pitch, making it difficult for Mriya to move from defence to attack.

The key moment of the first 45 minutes was a goal by Shvets in the 43rd minute. After several attempts by Mriya to organise an attack, the visitors seized the initiative and launched a swift counterattack, which was confidently finished by Shvets, hitting the corner of the goal.

In the second half, Mriya came out with a determined attitude and in the 64th minute Donich sent the ball into the net to equalise the score. This gave the team psychological confidence and allowed them to keep the ball more often. However, in the 83rd minute, Kavun scored an accurate shot on Mriya’s goal – 1-2. The last minutes of the match were spent in constant attacks by the hosts, but the score did not change.

23 February: FC Mriya (Gostomel) vs FC ProFan – 7: 0

ProFan, the first media team in Ukraine to play in the top league and the winner of the DIAMOND LEAGUE 2024, arrived at the field to give Mriya a fight. The match took place at the Urban Sport City stadium.

From the very beginning, the Dreamers took control of the game, using high speed and pressure. The team managed to realise almost every scoring opportunity – counterattacks and penetrating passes became the reason for an effective finish. The result was 7 unanswered goals.

Unfortunately, this match was not without some unfortunate episodes:
– Mykola Morozyuk suffered a double hand injury after an unfortunate collision.
– Oleg Vygovsky suffered an injury to his talus.

FC Mriya sincerely wishes both players to return to action as soon as possible and hopes that these injuries will not be an obstacle to their further playing careers.

1 March: FC Shakhtar U17 vs FC Mriya (Gostomel) – 1: 3

It was the first trip of the season for most of Mriya’s newcomers, and Shakhtar’s youngsters are known for their high level of training. The game started at a fast pace, with the opponents exchanging attacks.

In the 10th minute, active pressure paid off as Dwali Soso opened the scoring. This goal became an important psychological impulse for Mriya, who tried to keep the ball and attack more.

Key events of the second half:
– 56th minute: A free kick near Shakhtar’s goal provoked a fire in the penalty area, which was taken advantage of by Zhavko Vladyslav, doubling the visitors’ lead.
– 62nd minute: The Pitmen reduced the deficit by implementing a quick combination.
– 75th minute: Denys Yarmak put an end to the match, setting the final score at 1-3.

2 March: FC Mriya (Gostomel) vs FC Polissia (Stavky) – 0: 1

The very next day, after a gruelling trip to Shakhtar U17, Mriya had a match with an old friend – Polissia (Stavky). FC Polissia is one of the leaders of the Kyiv region championship and has always been famous for its quality defensive play.

The only goal in the match was scored in the middle of the first half. Mriya had many chances to enter the visitors’ penalty area, but the Polissia defence acted in a coordinated and unmistakable manner. The home side’s attempts to equalise in the second half were unsuccessful, resulting in a 0-1 defeat.

Despite the defeat, the Dreamers gained important experience by testing several newcomers in a meeting with one of the favourites of the regional tournament. For their part, Polissia cemented their reputation as a high-class team capable of pressing and successfully defending.

Looking to the future

A series of control matches gives Mriya’s coaching staff an opportunity:

• Assess the potential of new players and draw conclusions about their readiness for official matches.
• Identify strengths and weaknesses in team building in order to make timely adjustments to tactics and training.
• To unite the team, as participation in diverse matches helps to build morale and increase mutual understanding between players.

The second round of the Kyiv and Ukrainian championships will begin soon, where Mriya will face new challenges and a serious fight for points.

We thank all the fans for their support! Stay with us, because there are still many interesting matches and bright victories ahead. We are on the road to success together!