Shakhtar 2, Sparta 1
Donetsk Shakhtar has cruised to its first victory in the UEFA Champions League group tournament. This could have happened as long as three weeks ago in the capital of the Czech Republic, but at that time the lack of experience kept the Ukrainian club from outplaying its rival, rather mediocre by European standards. Having almost lost the chance to go on to the next leg, the coal miners (shakhtar is miner in Ukrainian – Ed.) seemed to relieve themselves of the onerous burden of responsibility and began to play without the worry that the team showed in September. What also contributed to this result were the sixteen days of rest which most of the Shakhtar players had, for the national championship final game was postponed to God knows when and by whom. Thus at long last Shakhtar was simply fated for a win.
Fortunately, nothing could spoil the impression the Donetsk side made that night with its fast and passionate play. Feeling the pressure of the Czechs in the very first minutes, the Ukrainians responded with equal pressure and managed to win the initiative and keep it to the end of the game. This time the hosts’ fast and dynamic play was propped up by a sort of deep-seated confidence in the ability to score as many goals as needed for victory. Shakhtar need not have brought the game to a dramatic showdown in the concluding minutes. If the squad had taken advantage of their fine opportunities to score against Sparta in the first half alone, it could have hit at least three balls home. But in reality, Shakhtar was forced to struggle for an equalizer after Virt and Okoronkwo failed to handle the corner ball. It was Jarosek who took possession of the “instrument of the game,” left unattended for a second, and opened the score. Then Vorobei failed to kick home the penalty because there was nobody to contain his unduly high emotions. Then, unexpectedly, Shakhtar fullback Gleveckas unexpectedly showed what he was made of. But those obliged to score goals were always missing from the right positions.
We must have to admit that this resulted from our players’ inadequate technique. For technique is the ability not only to handle the ball but also to do this instantly against fierce resistance. Our soccer players’ technique can be compared to the equipment produced by our industry: it is reliable and strong but too far from world standards. What the Czechs displayed was no Brazilian technique either. But, just as the Skoda is steadily approaching the Volkswagen, so is Czech technique improving in the right direction. Even leaving aside potential European star Rosicki we must say that the other Sparta players handled the ball more skillfully than ours did. The Ukrainians responded to this with insane effort and speed. Looking at our miners fighting courageously for the ball they lost because they could not stop it, I recalled an old joke about two construction-battalion soldiers who can replace a power shovel. The Czech champion’s too rational and well-conceived performance was broken precisely by the hosts’ unbounded energy.
Sparta’s attempts to launch an offensive early in the second half were a far cry from its attacks in Prague. Wise from bitter experience, Shakhtar did its best to keep the visitors from bombarding their free kick area with lobbing passes. By far the most unexpected thing in the match was the choice of the Nigerian Okoronkwo as the Donetsk squad’s middle fullback. The first genuine foreigner in our soccer, this colorful muscleman from Africa created a host of problems both for the visiting forwards and his teammates. His unusual actions more than once made the hearts of Shakhtar’s most devoted fans sink. Yet, all this, including the dribbling of Zubov, the thrust of Atelkin, the speed of Popov, the all-round skills of Tymoshchuk, the stubbornness of Starostiak, and the shots of Kryventsov, made a truly spectacular soccer show in Donetsk. It would have been unfair if Shakhtar had not won. As was the case with the August match versus Slavia, we expected to the very last second that the stronger will win. And it happened just like this. Foreign referees, unlike ours, award precisely as many penalty shots as the players deserve. So the second penalty against the visitors caused not an ironic grin, as it would do during national championship games, but worry: will they score?
They did. Now our runner-up champion stands third in the group and, under certain fantastic circumstances, will be able even to contest second place.
I don’t know about other spectators, but I do not want to say goodbye to the Shakhtar players after they have been knocked out of Eurocup tournaments. I want to see Zubov, Bekik and, for that matter, Okoronkwo, whom even commentators will mix up with nobody else, every week on my television screen. I would like neither to part with, lose sight of, nor forget these players and the Shakhtar club as a whole, for the way they played has won the sincere affection of soccer fans.
