Paradoxically, our national championship, which is held against the background of a brutal war, is perhaps the most interesting in recent years. Accordingly, the mass media pay enough attention to the tournament, in the center of which the Ukrainian "classic" naturally ended up last week.
Undoubtedly, the main news that we are currently waiting for is the situation at the front, the territories suffering from enemy attacks, military support from our international partners. However, even in such conditions, football continues to fulfill its important mission, and its scope of responsibilities is only expanding. What are the international charity tours of "Dynamo" and "Shakhtar" worth, the endless humanitarian actions of these and other clubs aimed at helping the Armed Forces of Ukraine and compatriots affected by the war.
However, the very existence of football, its support and guardianship remains an overriding factor.
"Playing football means that we are alive. It is important for people to think about something other than war sometimes. Football is a break, including for soldiers who can watch our games on their phones. Many testify that we have done a good job to regain the championship this season. Ukrainian football had to not disappear, but it was also important for the morale of the population." (Ua.tribuna.com, 21.04.23), it is hard not to agree with this point of view of Shakhtar General Director Serhiy Palkin, which he voiced in an interview with Le Temps.
Yes, teams can use an extremely limited number of stadiums for UPL matches, they get to the games by buses, sometimes spending up to 8-9 hours traveling, and during air raids they are forced to interrupt matches, waiting out the danger in shelters. But we increasingly forget about such nuances - we continue to analyze tactical schemes, criticize and praise coaches and players, celebrate the emergence of new talents.
And all this only emphasizes the importance of continuing football life on our territory. This is a message that we are sending to the whole world: Ukraine has not just stood its ground, it is developing and taking care of the future.
At the bottom of the Premier League table, the desperate battle for a place under the sun continues, with almost half of the teams in the top division still in danger of relegation, adding weight to every point they earn or lose.
But perhaps an even more interesting confrontation is at the top. Taking advantage of the objective difficulties faced by recognized giants, competition was imposed on them by representatives of the second echelon, so to speak, Dnipro-1 and Zorya.
"I think this is the most interesting championship of Ukraine - I don't remember that there was such a tension that after eight rounds before the end of the tournament it was not clear who would become the champion and who would take other prizes" (Dynamo.kiev.ua, 22.04.23), — these words of Shakhtar manager Ihor Jovyevich are an additional confirmation of the exclusivity of the current tournament.
Frankly, few people expected that Zorya would shoot this season, but she still silenced the skeptics. Moreover, having opened the 22nd round with a match against "Colossus" and won a minimal victory (1:0), the wards of the Dutchman Patrick van Leeuwen took second place. Maybe not for long, but this result still can't fail to impress..
"Van Leeuwen has managed to provide the team with fun, fast-paced football and successfully exploits the talent of the leading players. If some coaches do not know what to do with the existing surplus of football players, then "Zorya" patches holes and creatively solves personnel problems. Of course, this is the weakest contender for silver medals in the last 20 years, but the way "Zorya" diligently realizes its personnel potential, how the coach successfully motivates poorly realized football players, causes all kinds of respect." (FanDay.net, 16.04.23), Artur Valerko states. He also notes that Zorya remains the most spectacular team in the championship, scoring an average of 3.27 goals in matches.
According to columnist Vitaly Pasichny, van Leeuwen has proven that he is a strong specialist, and working with young footballers is far from his only virtue.
"There was no doubt that van Leeuwen would cope with the youth: 13 years of work in the academies of Feyenoord and Shakhtar could not have passed just like that. The beautiful game of Brazhko, Saputin and Batagov no longer surprises anyone. It is much more surprising that a man who decided to work as a head coach only in his sixties turned out to be strong in other components. (Football.ua, 04/17/23), Pasichny emphasizes.
The journalist reminds that it was the Dutchman, for example, who discovered the 23-year-old world champion Ihor Snurnitsyn as an excellent wingback, although he was active in the center of defense in Zora. It was this coach who initiated the invitation of the Panamanian striker Guerrero, whom he knew from working together in Israel, and who he promptly and effectively integrated into the Ukrainian team's tactical plan.
In the spring, Van Leeuwen's wards have already beaten Dynamo and Dnipro-1. In Pasichny's opinion, the current "Zorya" can even be considered stronger than the Luhansk teams that Yuriy Vernydub and Viktor Skrypnyk once led to the Europa League. The statement seems too bold, however, it is not based on an empty space.
Friday's victory over "Kolos" was brought by "Zorya" footballers who were loaned by the Luhansk club from "Dynamo": Serhii Buletsa provided an assist, Volodymyr Brazhko scored. This circumstance prompted some mass media to criticize the "white and blue" team, which, they say, cannot see or reveal the true potential of promising football players. The Xsport.ua resource was generally impressed with the title: "Lucescu bites his elbows" (Xsport.ua, 21.04.23).
A strange position. There can be no doubt that Dynamo coaches not only follow their players who play for other clubs, but also rejoice in their success. Actually, young football players are leased out so that they get game practice, gain the necessary experience and eventually progress. After all, then all this baggage will be useful to their home team.
Vladyslav Dubinchak and Oleksandr Tymczyk, for example, before becoming important elements in the tactical structures of Mircea Lucescu, mastered the lessons of UPL in other teams. The first is in Arsenal, Karpaty, Dnipro-1, the second is in Zora. Maksym Dyachuk, currently the main center back of Dynamo, spent the first part of the season in "Alexandria", where his "adult" debut took place.
The same story with Shakhtar's leading defender Mykola Matvienko, who is being hunted by European giants: at the beginning of his career, he was also sent on business trips to Karpaty and Vorskla. And do you remember Dmytro Chygrynskyi, whom Barcelona bought from the miners for 25 million euros in 2009? A few years before the high-profile transfer, the stout defender, without going to the "base" of the miners, was an intern at "Metallurg" from Zaporizhzhia.
The same will happen with Buletsa, Brazhko, and other footballers sent out on loan - they will return to Dynamo when it is necessary. While there are enough midfielders in the Kyiv team, they are trying to bring other guys who are at the beginning of their football career to a new level. And, as the match against Shakhtar confirmed, they also have all the makings for further professional growth.
On the eve of the match between the two most titled teams of the country, several publications immediately emphasized the peculiarity of this dispute, which does not depend either on the current form of the opponents or on their tournament position.
"Well, what, we waited. The match is a symbol of Ukrainian football, the match by which Ukrainian football is known abroad, the match with which Ukrainian football is associated." (Football.ua, 22.04.23) — Vitaliy Pasichny declared.
"Both "Dnipro-1" and "Zorya" this season, as well as "Metalist" and "Dnipro" earlier, tried to break the dual power in Ukrainian football, but if they succeeded, it was only at a short distance. And in such things, stability is always important. And only two flagships of domestic football have it - Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk. And therefore, when they would not go to the football field, all other games would fade into the background. Because it is the "classic" that remains a priority for both the general public and football connoisseurs. The places of the teams in the table, as well as their current form, hint at the presence of a clear favorite in Saturday's match, but the "classic" therefore has a weighty status because it knows how to surprise. (Ua-football.com, 21.04.23), Georgy Groshev fueled interest in the duel.
"Shakhtar", having approached the Kyiv match as the leader of the UPL and the main contender for the championship, was ahead of "Dynamo" by 12 points. In view of this and certain playing difficulties of the "white-and-blue" team, which could not overcome "Rukh" a week before, the vast majority of journalists and experts believed that the miners would not have big problems in the confrontation with Mircea Lucescu's team.
Yozhef Sabo, Mykhailo Kopolovets, Oleg Shelaev, Artem Fedetskyi, Rustam Khudzhamov, who were contacted for predictions by various publications, predicted a sure victory for Shakhtar. Bookmakers were of the same opinion: bets on the success of the Donetsk nationals were accepted with a coefficient of 2.13, while the home team's win was estimated at 3.65.
The players could not use the injured wingers — Oleksandr Zubkov, Dmytro Kryskiv, Ivan Petryak — in the game, but even against this background, the losses of the Kyiv players looked more significant. Georgy Bushchan and Mykola Shaparenko, who are still unable to help their partners, were joined the day before by Denys Popov, Oleksandr Karavaev and Justin Lonveik. Everyone is a potential "core" player.
Nevertheless, the Kyivans, who were definitely under pressure from recent failures, managed to adjust properly and forced the favorite to act in an unusual style.
"The importance of three points was felt by both teams, so we saw a fairly predictable cautious style from the first minutes. "Dynamo" managed to close down "Shakhtar" with a positional defense in their own half, and in the end Anatoliy Trubin was almost the only possible option for the miners to play the ball." (Sport.ua, 22.04.23), Oleksandr Snitko describes the events of the debut segment.
However, the miners not only coped with the starting difficulties, they also scored, taking advantage of the first good opportunity. Taras Stepanenko's shot from 30-35 meters didn't look too difficult, but Ruslan Nescheret missed it - either because of the sun that blinded his eyes, or because of Lassina Traore's unexpected maneuver, due to whose wide torso the ball flew out at the last moment.
"During the second half, Ihor Jovičević decided that his team should abandon actions to create the second goal and concentrate exclusively on defense. The "chameleon" tactic, as the Croatian himself called it, but instead it turned out to be more like the "ostrich" tactic (Football.ua, 22.04.23).
After the break, Kyiv objectively looked more interesting and, probably logically, finally regained the balance.
"The people of Donetsk were in the lead until Lucescu decided to go all-in with a willful decision and released Anton Tsarenko, including Anton Tsarenko, on the field, whose crazy dynamics immediately changed the course of events on the field" (Sport.ua, 22.04.23), the same Snitko emphasizes.
Yes, it was the 18-year-old Tsarenko who forced Stepanenko, who was 15 years his senior, to foul him and earn a key standard. And already Oleksandr Andrievskyi, whom Lucescu not only released in the "start", but also did not change when he shuffled the midfield in the second half, caught Trubin by surprise with a smart shot and established the final score - 1:1.
Statistical indicators at the end of the game did not reveal a big advantage of one of the teams, although Dynamo managed to light more fires in the penalty area.
"The match against Shakhtar was not a victory for the Dynamo players, but it gave them hope that the season is not lost yet." Kyiv didn't look worse in the first half, but after the break they led the game and built interesting attacks" (Footboom.com, 23.04.23), Serhiy Sytnyk shares his impressions.
In addition, the referee of the match Vitaliy Romanov in two episodes had every reason to make decisions that could make the guests' task extremely difficult. Before the break, the referee did not award a penalty when the ball hit Yaroslav Rakytskyi's hand after a "shot" by Benito, and at the beginning of the second half he did not send off Artem Bondarenko, judging his dirty tackle against Vladyslav Vanat as "mustard". Both episodes are from the 50-50 category, or at the discretion of the referee, so the miners should be grateful to fate.
However, the Shakhtar head coach has a different point of view:
"Today was really 'classic'. The tension in the game was very high. We quickly opened the score, it gave us wings, allowed us to dominate, control the game. We have created enough prerequisites to take the mountain. Time will tell if we lost two points today or gained one. We will continue to fight for the championship" (Dynamo.kiev.ua, 22.04.23).
Despite all the nuances, Mircea Lucescu expressed satisfaction with both the game as a whole and its conclusion.
"I would like to note that today seven pupils of Dynamo Kyiv played in our team." They played the match at a fairly good level, despite their lack of experience and their age. The match against Shakhtar is a good experience for such guys. Good young football players, who used to play for Mariupol, also played against the opponent today. And they also showed themselves well. It is great that the young players of both teams have the opportunity to play at this level. We conceded an optional goal, but managed to get back into the game, equalized and could have achieved more. However, 1:1 is also a good result." (Dynamo.kiev.ua, 22.04.23).
Meanwhile, many rightfully believe that the draw is primarily in the hands of Zora and Dnipro-1.
"Shakhtar's coronation did not take place, and this is a big plus for further championship intrigue. Yes, "Dynamo" remains outside the top three, but with prospects to improve its position in the near future." (Footboom.com, 23.04.23) - believes Serhii Sytnyk.
"It was rumored that the fate of the golden race will be decided if Shakhtar wins in Kyiv, but a draw leaves Dnipro-1 with a chance to compete for the trophy. Especially since today's miners cannot be called invincible" (Ua-football.com, 22.04.23), - reflects Georgy Groshev.
Indeed, before Saturday's match, Shakhtar was in full control of the situation and even if Dnipro-1 lost in May, they would continue to hold the fate of the championship in their hands. But now, when "Dynamo" took points from the miners, the ball went to the side of the Dnipros. Eight points behind the leaders, they have two matches in hand, so if they win all their remaining matches, they will be guaranteed gold medals regardless of how their main rivals fare.
As for "Dynamo", it is currently on the threshold of a new stage of testing. After all, at the end of the "classic" Lucescu announced that he had to undergo an operation due to coxarthrosis, and in the absence of the 77-year-old specialist, his assistant Oleksandr Shovkovskyi would manage the team. At the same time, the Romanian coach emphasized that he will continue to monitor all processes:
"I could do the surgery in another country, but I think I need to stay in Kyiv to be close to the team. This is important for football players, for "Dynamo", and perhaps even for Ukraine" (Dynamo.kiev.ua, 22.04.23).
Be that as it may, despite the proximity of the "main", Shovkovsky will have to adapt to a new role - with a different level of complexity and responsibility. And, of course, to be ready to solve a series of difficult questions and make a series of important decisions that will arise at every step. And judging by everything, it is the former goalkeeper and legend of the club who will lead Dynamo to the finish line of the championship.
For his part, Artur Valerko, reflecting on the new zigzag of Shovkovsky's career, hints that in the current situation he should become a "crisis manager" and resort to restructuring the team.
"Shovkovsky remained the senior on the ship. He is not a 16-year-old captain, but he is also not a coach with experience in crisis situations. He is not a newcomer to the club, he has observed the training process, meetings and conversations in the dressing room with his own eyes. But Oleksandr Volodymyrovych's voice has never sounded in front of the entire team in silence. From now on, Shovkovskyi is responsible for everything, he is asked both for the game and the result. The team is in crisis, but there will be no concessions. However, just as it was in those days when the stout brunette came out in an elegant uniform to defend the "Bessarabian" goal... If Shovkovsky starts a responsible coaching job in his native club, he does not need to explain what he will face. If he's up to it, he hopefully knows where the reset/reboot button is." (Fanday.net, 23.04.23).
However, if we are talking about only the eight final rounds, it is obvious that Shovkovsky will not make drastic changes to the training schedule and tactical training, that is, break the preparatory process. However, setting up the team, mobilizing the players and giving them an additional push for the 48-year-old specialist is quite up to the task. Especially considering his authority.
"It is hardly worth delving into analytics now, assessing the potential level of the new head of Dynamo." We have a fifty-fifty chance that he will be able to revive the team - either he will or he won't. I think that Alexander himself is well aware of this.
His advantage is today's undoubted authority in our football, which has not yet been spoiled by anything. Shovkovsky was and remains an idol of fans and a role model for young football players. If he is supported by former partners who managed to play together with him (and why not?), this will give an opportunity to revive the psychology of winners in Dynamo, which has started to be noticeably lost recently. Everything else is a matter of technique" (23.04.23), well-known journalist Mykola Nesenyuk reasonably notes on his page in Facebook. And it is hard not to agree with him.
The peculiarity of Shovkovsky's new mission is the youth of the current Dynamo team - the factor that allows us to look ahead with optimism and at the same time stands in the way of stability and improvement of results.
Serhiy Sytnyk's observation is indicative in this respect:
"I will pay attention to the youth of the central defense and the goalkeeper of the White and Blues." The average age of Nescheret, Dyachuk and Sirota was 21 years (!), and the entire defense line was 21.6 years. Kyiv has a very young defense and it continues to show in key moments" (Footboom.com, 23.04.23).
Let's add to the mentioned guys 21-year-old forward Vladyslav Vanat and 19-year-old winger Nazar Voloshyn, who also started in the match against Shakhtar. And 18-year-old midfielder Anton Tsarenko, who entered the game in the middle of the second half. Let us recall that it was Tsarenko who was recognized as the best Ukrainian football player of March in his age category (relevant survey specialists and the media conducted the site goldtalant.com.ua), his activity created the prerequisites for the saving goal of Kyiv.
Moreover, the composition of youth "Dynamo" (U19) continues to be a source of reinforcement for the "base". The team, which last week defeated its peers from Shakhtar for the second time this season (3:2), features several players who have already been tested in Lucescu's team. These are the newly-minted winner of the African Cup (U20), the striking Senegalese striker Samba Diallo, the central midfielder Oleksandr Yatsyk, and the center back Anton Bol. But they are not the only ones.
The coach of the Dynamo youth team, Ihor Kostyuk, who at one time played for Dynamo together with Shovkovsky, emphasizes that the same Diallo is actually already a player of the first team, while Bol and Yatsyk are ready to take a step up:
"I believe that both of them can already play in the UPL. Physically and psychologically, Sashko and Anton are ready to play at the level of adult football" (Sport.ua, 19.04.23).
"Dynamo" has always been famous for its strong school, it works for the future, bets on its own pupils, and in the conditions when it is difficult to lure a qualified foreigner to Ukraine, the "doubles" should become a good auxiliary option. Of course, its presence can both facilitate and complicate Shovkovsky's work. However, in any case, the choice, including personnel, remains with him. Let's wait.
Meanwhile, talk of another former partner of Shovkovsky - Serhiy Rebrov as the future coach of the national team - will finally come to nothing for a while. In fact, Rebrov himself did everything to finally stop the speculation surrounding his name.
After all, last week began with a new portion of inside information, which this time was distributed on the air of the author's program "Vatsko on Air" by the well-known commentator Viktor Vatsko.
Just the next day, Mohammed Hamad, a journalist from the Emirates, where Rebrov currently works, came out with a refutation of Watzka's statement.
"The news that Serhiy Rebrov signed a 3-year contract with UAF is not true. The coach personally stated that he did not conduct negotiations with the Ukrainian federation. This was right after he knocked Al Wasl out of the Cup semi-finals on April 5. Rebrov's contract with Al Ain runs until the summer of 2023. He only focuses on team preparation. The coach could announce a contract extension with Al Ain at the end of the season if the club can meet some of his player demands. Rebrov set himself the goal of winning the next AFC Champions League. He wants it" (Football24.ua, 04/18/23), Hamad emphasized on his Twitter.
A few days later, Ihor Tsyganyk added fuel to the fire, who actually confirmed the information made public by Vatsk.
Such an exchange of throw-ins could have lasted a long time if Rebrov himself had not dotted all the i's. In an interview with journalist Roman Bebekh, the coach denied numerous rumors regarding his possible appointment and vowed not to make any comments on this topic until the end of his contract with Al-Ain:
"I respect my contract and the club I work for. Al Ain is currently the only team in the UAE to compete in three tournaments. In this situation, I want to focus as much as possible on my team and I'm not going to comment on anything, no publication." (Sport.ua, 22.04.23).
Rebrov noted that Ruslan Rotan, who managed the national team's actions in the qualifying match against the English, called him only once. At the same time, Rebrov did not give his colleague any instructions, including personnel.
"I told Ruslan that I would help him with everything I could. I work with Yarmolenko, I know many guys... But I never told Ruslan that I was the next coach of the national team, I never gave instructions on what to do, who to call up, who to place. How can I be related to the national team if I have a valid contract with the club? How can I advise someone if I have three games a week?” (Sport.ua, 22.04.23).
Summarizing what was said, Rebrov nonetheless emphasized that he never refused to work with the Ukrainian national team. Especially in the current situation. The coach urged to respect his current contract, but at the same time admitted that he had already made a decision about his future.
Therefore, the topic of the national team can be considered closed at least until June, when the EURO-2024 selection matches resume. After all, no official information regarding the possible appointment of Rebrov will appear before, and no other candidate for the coaching chair in the national team has been discussed so far.
RETURNS AND DEBUTS
So let's focus on internal affairs, the more life in the national tournaments, as we have already noted, is boiling despite the empty stands. And the next season promises to be even more lively, because the number of clubs in the First and Second Leagues should increase. Someone is preparing to return to the football family, someone is preparing for their debut. Corresponding data was published by journalist Ihor Tsvyk.
"Agrobusiness", "Left Bank", "VPC-Agro", "Podillya" and "Viktoria" are planning to return to the First League. Among these clubs, "Agrobusiness" immediately, and "Left Bank" - in the future, plan to enter the UPL. The owner of the Volochysk club, Oleg Sobutskyi, dissolved the club a year ago and terminated the contracts with the players who refused to return to Ukraine from the training camp in Turkey, and generally stated that he was no longer into football. I guess times have changed because Agribusiness is making a comeback.
"Lyubomyr" (Stavishche), "Trostianets", "Skala" (Stry), "Lokomotiv" (Kyiv), "Druzhba" (Myrivka) are planning to enter the Second League. At the same time, it is worth noting that the first two teams played in the Second League during the season of invasion, and "Skala" once played there several times, changing the location from Stryi to Morshyn. As for Lokomotiv and Druzhba, this will be the debut of the clubs in professional football. (Sportanalytic.com, 22.04.23).
All these processes are a sign of the revival of football in the country and, in general, a good sign against the background of a full-scale war, victory in which remains the main goal for every conscientious Ukrainian.
Orest LELEKA