Valery Lobanovsky: "We only played our game, and at the same time we won it."

On their way to the finals, the Kyivans beat MXCK from Tashkent 3:0, KYAPAZ from Azerbaijan 6:0, and Estonian club Flora 3:0. Then Kyiv Dynamo scored one goal against Tbilisi Dynamo and in the semi-finals they demolished Kopetdag from Ashkhabad 5:0.

It is understandable, that the final game between Moscow Spartak and Kyiv Dynamo was the number one event at the competition. It would not be a mistake to say, that the tournament is organized for this very game between Ukrainian and Russian champions. In spite of extremely high cost of tickets, $45 at the cash-desk and up to $70 from scalpers, there still was not enough room for all who wanted to watch the live game at the CSKA indoor field. Unfortunately the number of seats there is limited to only 4,500.

Spartak was pretty good in the final game: you have to give it credit. But Dynamo was much better.

This kind of victory cannot help but gladden the heart. Dynamo club president Hryhory Surkis did not even try to hide his satisfaction. Unable to play the team's usual game without adapting to the indoor artificial field, Dynamo showed once more that it is best team in the former Soviet Union. But success has certainly not made them euphoric. They still have ahead of them training for the League of Champions quarterfinals.

The game between Kyiv Dynamo and its Tbilisi namesake was discussed in the Italian press, which has been closely watching the opponent to their Juventus. Analyzing its defense, Italian journalists ask who will substitute Vladislav Vashchyk, a libero, who is still recovering after surgery? But no answer could be found, for Kyiv spent 20 to 25 minutes on the defensive at most.

Offense is actually another issue. Dynamo, according to observers, has successfully begun training the second pairing of offensive players: Leonenko-Herasimenko. If everything works out right, "Ukrainian champion will get another ace: Shevchenko-Rebrov will become even more dangerous, now that they can take a rest for awhile."

"Are you satisfied with the preparation process for the games against Juventus?" was the basic question to Dynamo head coach Valery Lobanovsky when the winners returned home.

"I can say that everything is being done on schedule. We needed some practice, and we had it in Moscow, where we played 6 matches. Spartak actually needed the victory more than we did: they wanted revenge for last year's final. We just asked our boys to play their game, both collectively and individually, and we were satisfied with the result. After an easy time in Moscow, we will have final training in Israel. This one will not be easy."

Photos by Volodymyr Tymchenko:
Yuri Kalytvyntsev with the tournament's grand prize.
Andriy Shevchenko (left), Ukraine's top soccer player, is hard to hold back.