On can assess by many criteria the four matches’ results of the Champions’ League group tournament, according to which “Dynamo” has ahead of time left the ranks of the pretenders to the trophy, more than a month before the tournament ends. If to take an ordinary school examinations format as a basis, “Dynamo” has not pass the Champions’ League exam, and for this reason it was not “moved to the next form” in the way of the continuation of the struggle on the next stages of Europe’s main club tournament. But if to assess “Dynamo”’s each game, the Ukrainian club’s game in Lion against the local team deserves a firm “two”, contrary to the first three matches, lost with crushing defeat scores and not even worth a “one”. Why “two”? Because a defeat is always a negative result, and only a draw could deserve a “three”. Why has this evaluation and whether “Dynamo” players could play more successfully?
The Kyivans earned the first of two points for their diligence and self-abnegation. The “Dynamo” players were conscientiously fulfilling their couches’ instructions, giving all their strength to the struggle, during the whole game against one of Europe’s strongest club teams for today. Among the tasks, obviously put by the couch Demyanenko there was, for example, not to let the competitor kick penalties in less than a thirty-meter distance from Shovkovsky’s goal. This task was successfully fulfilled by our football players. “Lion”’s captain Zhuinio has not got any opportunity to prove his mastery in the average-distance standards kicking, — the way he did this in the previous match in Kyiv, having scored a victorious goal to “Dynamo”.
The support halfbacks Mykhalyk and Yussuf with the help of wing fullbacks Husiev and El-Kadduri managed to “confuse” the play of the hosts’ mobile halfbacks. As a result, the ball moved to the French club’s forwards, with Maluda looking the most dangerous among them, at the moments, when it was practically impossible to strike a finishing blow.
Actually, one mistake made by central fullbacks Havranchych and Rodolfo was enough for a young forward Benzema to open the scoring with a sharp kick on the thirteenth minute of the game already. We will add to the “Dynamo”’s mark another point for not missing any other goals.
And that is all. It does not come for more than a “two”. One could deserve more scoring at least one goal to the competitors. Unfortunately, “Dynamo”’s attacking group, represented by Rebrov, Milievsky, Chernat and Kleber, managed only to mark the attacking actions. Those one and a half opportunities for sharp kicks that “Dynamo” players had did not prove anything. If to score not by goals, but by opportunities, as “Lion”’s couch Ulye stated after the match, the score would be 3:1 or 4:1 in his team’s favor. But it came only as 1:0.
We cannot fool ourselves. The playground’s hosts didn’t play even half their force in the second half of the match, giving the opportunity to the Ukrainian team to hold the ball. But when “Lion” used its tough pressing, “Dynamo”’s play lost every sign of orderliness.
The unsatisfactory evaluation of “Dynamo”’s play in this year’s Champions’ League is obvious. Does the team has a chance for correction, if not in the nearest future, than in the perspective? Is a former threatening European favorite capable of passing an exam on the appropriateness to modern soccer of the highest level? This will be proved by the next “exam re-passing”, that “Dynamo” will have either in the UEFA Championship in spring or next summer already, while making its way through to the Champions’ League. The main thing for the team’s supervisors and couches is asserting again that everything is fine with “Dynamo” and the team was not just lucky enough. Not to lose to a first-class team with big score, hoping for draw at maximum, — this is the top of abilities of today’s “Dynamo”.
If to continue “school” analogies, than “Dynamo” will never pass the European exams not even with an “excellent” or “good”, but with a “satisfactory” either, having such a stock of “knowledge” represented by a football mastery. In such a situation a “crib” in the form of several new players or a bit of luck won’t help already. One should start a thorough and all-embracing study of the “subject”, i.e. the modern high-level soccer. Through the change of methods, textbooks, and teachers, possibly. Otherwise, Kyiv “Dynamo”’s every new participation in the European Championships will end with a “two” again with staying for the next year. That kind of football, thanks to which “Dynamo” won on the same Lion stadium in the finale of the Coup of Champions 20 years ago, remained in the past forever, as well as the mentioned victory. That happened in another life to another generation of “Dynamo” players, who were able to pass European football examinations excellently.
