Arrivederci, Roma!
WINTER SOCCER. A HEATED STRUGGLE
Kyiv Dynamo’s 2:0 defeat of the famous Italian team Roma is not just another major victory for the Ukrainian team in the Champions League tournament. Dynamo has not only won but also broken the Italian spell that has haunted it from as far back as 1969. That was the year the USSR champions played in the European Cup for the first time and were defeated by Fiorentina of Florence. Since then the draws brought the Kyivans together with the Italians on five more occasions, with Dynamo unable to win a single one of twelve matches, only one of which ended in a tie.
Apparently, it is no accident that the present Dynamo generation has broken with this unfortunate tradition. But again I must emphasize the remarkable confidence with which the team has been playing this fall in the European arena. Beginning with the match against Trabzonsport in Turkey, not once did our champions hang around in defensive positions. The team played on the offensive end of the pitch and left it only once without a single goal scored. Where there is confidence, there is luck.
POLITICAL WEATHER
In addition to the usual problems of cold and snow, which always accompany soccer matches in late November, this time there were political problems. How would the political tensions in the capital affect the Champions League match? Would the political confrontation spread to the grandstands of the Olympic Stadium? This was much discussed before the match, with some fearing the game would be canceled because of the political volatility in Kyiv.
Fortunately, this did not happen. The protests on the streets of Kyiv before the match were peaceful and nonviolent. Spectators coming to the match straight from the protest rally did not behave aggressively, but still found it difficult to switch from politics to soccer.
The Dynamo players seemed to feel this too. Holding an offensive advantage in the first half, the Kyivans played at a slower pace. Perhaps they did so because Roma sent in mostly little-known players. Except for Cassano and Candela, the stars of the Roman club did not come to Ukraine for various reasons. It seemed that our players were no longer interested in playing against simply skilled footballers rather than world-class stars. The little known players of the opposing team clearly did not infuse Dynamo with a combative spirit in the first half. Or perhaps the snow and political slogans from the grandstands got in the way?
TWENTY-FIVE RED MINUTES
The not quite productive siege of the net guarded by Roma’s goalkeeper Ivan Pelizzoli lasted for 67 minutes. With the exception of several moments when the Brazilians Diogo and Cleber of Dynamo prevented each other from scoring, Dynamo’s attacks did not translate into anything serious, while Roma’s Antonio Cassano had a chance to break through Dynamo’s defense and score.
A red ball became the signal for the Dynamo players to attack. According to international rules, a red ball is used to contrast with the snow on the pitch. Sixty-seven minutes into the match, the team of English referees decided it was time to field the red ball. Incidentally, replacing the ball was the referees’ most noteworthy decision, as they refereed the match without any significant mistakes.
As soon as the ball was replaced, the Dynamo players launched an offensive against the guest team’s defense. First Verpakovskis and then Diogo kept pounding the Italians’ goal from a close distance for two minutes, but hit the goalkeeper. The Romans accomplished what the Kyivans couldn’t do. In an attempt to intercept a pass from the flank, the European champion from Greece, Traianos Dellas, sent a beautiful header into his own goal.
After this the Dynamo players began literally flying over the field, overtaking the Italian team at every yard. They created the impression that ten fresh Dynamo players had joined the match all at once, even though only Leko and Shatskykh were sent in as replacements. The latter scored the winning goal after picking up an accurate pass from Diogo. At this point the guest team had no chance to square the match.
HEALTHY OPTIMISM
Not once during the match did the Romans send the ball into the goal area of Oleksandr Shovkovsky’s net, according to official UEFA statistics. They sent the ball in the direction of the Dynamo goal only three times. In the Champions League tournament four years ago Dynamo had no such advantage even over the modest Norwegian Rusenborg. I get the impression that our champions are only picking up their victorious pace, playing every match with increasing confidence.
Last Wednesday two other teams in Group B tied 1:1. Thus, in the last match of the group tournament Dynamo can content itself with not losing in the away match against Bayer Leverkusen. Had Real Madrid won its last match, Dynamo could even afford a defeat with a minimum score. But is it worth thinking about this now?
The Dynamo coach has accustomed Ukrainian spectators to the fact that his team is playing to win every match. Last month Jozsef Szabo said that the final match against Bayer would be decisive for his team. Therefore, instead of engaging in guesswork, we should wish Dynamo a confident victory and first place in the group. Incidentally, Dynamo has been in the top spot of Group B since day one of the tournament. Since they started off first, they have to finish this tournament in first place, isn’t that right?
Champions League. Group B. Fifth Round
Dynamo (Kyiv) — Roma (Rome) — 2:0
Real (Madrid) — Bayer (Leverkusen) — 1:1
W D L F A
1. Dynamo 3 1 1 11:5 10
2. Bayer 2 2 1 10:7 8
3. Real 1 2 1 8:8 8
4. Roma 0 1 4 4:13 1
