Football. Luck favors the stronger...

After the defeat to "Dnipro" in the first game of the ½ final, when the Dnipro players completely outplayed the vice-champions of Ukraine, winning 2:0, few expected that the return game would be so long, and that to determine the winner one would have to wait more than two hours of playing time. However, the opening minutes of the duel justified the hopes of the fans who completely filled the "Dynamo" stadium named after Valeriy Lobanovskyi.

Already in the 4th minute after a corner kick, Maris Verpakovskis shot dangerously, hitting the crossbar of the goal. The response of "Dnipro", which played on counterattacks in this match, was less dangerous. Yezerskyi's header went close to the post. A few minutes later, having gone down the right flank from the corner of the penalty area, Oleh Husiev shot, but the ball went a mere few centimeters from the 9.

Nevertheless, despite the high speeds of the Kyivans, "Dnipro" did not look depressed in this match. A fairly dense game in "Dnipro's" defense multiplied by frantic dedication did not allow the Kyivans to sharpen the game further, which proceeded with varying success for both teams. In the 31st minute it was time for "Dnipro" players to hit the crossbar. Nazarenko, unexpectedly for many and for Shovkovskyi, shot almost from the corner flag and hit the crossbar of "Dynamo's" goal. The Kyivans' goalkeeper did not even flinch at that moment. Belkevych continued the shots at the posts, who, taking a free kick from the line of the penalty area, curled the leather ball, which again shook the goal post closer to the junction, and the ball bounced to Husiev, who with a second shot struck above the goal, though Poklonskyi, who was following him closely, prevented the Dynamo player from hitting the target.

However, what the young Dynamo player failed to do was realized a few minutes later by Gavrančić. A minute before the end of the first half, Belkevych crossed into the penalty area and Rincón almost point-blank shot with a header at "Dnipro's" goal, but Kernozenko saved that shot, however the Dnipropetrovsk defense missed Gavrančić's follow-up, and the Serb sent the ball into the net from a few meters - 1:0 "Dynamo" took the lead.

Regarding the first half, it is worth noting. Both teams played spectacular football and only a slight territorial advantage was on the side of the Kyivans. For the Kyivans, the most active were Belkevych, Husiev and Verpakovskis. Goran Gavrančić felt somewhat uncomfortable in the position of central midfielder, fouling a lot, but still scored his goal. Ghioane and Kleber completely fell out of the game, and were substituted in the second half. As for "Dnipro", probably the most noticeable figure in this game was Rotan.

By the way, during the break, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma arrived at the match, who in the company of Verkhovna Rada Speaker Lytvyn and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych watched this game. The only thing that may have upset the leaders this evening is how the people greeted them. Instead of applause, both Kuchma and Yanukovych received something like "go home" - this is the version that passed censorship, and only Lytvyn was honored with some applause... And on the whole, the guarantor probably got pleasure from the game since victory went to his native team - "Dnipro", of which he was honorary president at one time. And also the main fan of "Shakhtar" - Yanukovych, probably liked "Dynamo's" defeat...

Despite everything, the presence of important guests did not influence the events on the field. In the second half, the teams played faster football, although closer to the end of the match both teams got tired, especially noticeable with "Dynamo". In the 57th minute of the game, Rykun almost went one-on-one with Shovkovskyi, having escaped from Yatsenko, but could not deliver an accurate and powerful shot at "Dynamo's" goal. Closer to the end of the 70th minute, Mykhailychenko made substitutions that significantly influenced the events on the field in the following minutes. Peiev especially came in handy, who further sharpened the game on the right flank, although the entering Bidnenko and Kornylenko did not spoil the picture. In the 74th minute, the Latvian Verpakovskis scored a goal into "Dnipro's" net. Maris, picking up the ball near the center circle at frantic speed, went past two "Dnipro" defenders and, entering the guests' penalty area, elegantly lobbed the onrushing Kernozenko - it was already 2:0. After the Kyivans made up the two-goal deficit, they calmed down somewhat, and it seemed they did not press "Dnipro" further although they could have.

In the last 5 minutes of regulation time, "Dynamo" got lucky several times. "Dnipro" had full advantage, and just two shots by Rotan are worth something. In the 85th minute, the young Dnipro midfielder shot from about 18 meters and Shovkovskyi barely held the ball in his hands. Three minutes later, the same Rotan curled a free kick from an angle into the near corner of the goal, and only the excellent reaction and long arms of the Kyivans' goalkeeper saved "Dynamo" from a certain goal. In the time remaining until the end of the game, "Dnipro" pressed the Kyivans even more against their goal, however, in one of the moments Yezerskyi's header was inaccurate. Mykhailychenko's charges also responded to the assault on their goal, but Kernozenko saved Gavrančić's low shot from distance.

In the two extra halves, the teams did not particularly tear their shirts, and first of all tried not to make mistakes in defense. However, there were chances for scoring for both one team and the other. For "Dynamo", let us note Kornylenko's shot from about 20 meters, which Kernozenko saved with difficulty, as well as the Belarusian's opportunity to go one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the "Dnipro" goalkeeper played well coming off his line. For the guests, the most realistic chance to score was had by Motuz, who towards the end of the second 15-minute period shot into "Dynamo's" corner from about 5 meters, but again the champions of Ukraine were saved by Shovkovskyi, who deflected the ball practically from the goal line.

Finally, penalties. The guests shot first, namely Rotan, who gave no chance to his more renowned opponent Shovkovskyi to prevail. Ruslan sent the "Dynamo" goalkeeper and the ball into different corners - 0:1 "Dnipro" took the lead. Subsequently, players of both teams took the 11-meter kicks as if they had not done so for several years, although it is worth noting the successful play of the goalkeepers. After Rotan, Gavrančić shoots - post. Then Lysytskyi shoots, who either took pity on his former teammates or was too nervous, but his weak shot into the corner of the goal was saved by Shovkovskyi without particular problems. Next to the ball for "Dynamo" was Belkevych, but his shot also hit the post, though Kernozenko corrected the flight of the ball.

Then Motuz of "Dnipro" tested the strength of the crossbar of the goal in which Shovkovskyi stood. Only on the sixth kick did the footballers manage to score. This was done by Rincón, who powerfully shot down the center under the crossbar, equalizing the score 1:1. Unfortunately for "Dynamo" fans, this was the last goal into "Dnipro's" net. Sablić sent the ball into the crossbar, and Peiev's shot into the corner of the goal was parried by Kernozenko. The Dnipropetrovsk players had only one miss after Rykun's shot, while Shelayev did not waste his chance, scoring the second goal, which after Peiev's failure became the winning one for the Dnipropetrovsk players.

Perhaps after the return match it is hard to say which team deserved victory more, since both demonstrated interesting and exciting football. "Dnipro" was undoubtedly luckier in the post-match penalty series, but, as they say - fortune favors the strong...

"Shakhtar" - "Chornomorets" - 1:0 Goal: Srna 79 - from a penalty "Shakhtar": 1.Pletikosa, 2.Starostyak, 18.Lewandowski, 28.Florea, 4.Tymoshchuk, 33.Srna, 10.Vukić (Dulai 90), 14.Stoican, 26.Raț (Bakharev 59), 20.Bielik (Marica 87), 17.Aghahowa. "Chornomorets": 1.Rudenko, 14.M.Stoian, 15.Dotsenko, 21.Branković (Hilaziev 72), 5.Bilozor, 24.Mitieriev, 27.Smalko, 30.Kozyr, 9.Balabanov, 10.Kosyrin (Subashych 86), 55.Ihonin.

First match - 1:0. "Shakhtar" advances to the semifinal.

Another semifinalist of the Ukrainian Cup was Donetsk's "Shakhtar", which, as in the match in Odesa, beat "Chornomorets" with a score of 1:0. True, this time the Miners were helped only by a penalty, the taking of which turned into a real drama. First Vukić took the 11-meter kick, but the "Chornomorets" goalkeeper parried it. However, a second later the referee awarded another penalty against the Odesa team. For what? Why? Only the referee himself knows. By the way, on the official website of FC "Shakhtar" it is stated that the second 11-meter kick was awarded for a foul against Aghahowa, who was fighting for the ball after Vukić failed to score. At the post-match press conference, "Chornomorets" coach Semen Altman noted that the repeat penalty against his team was awarded because players of both teams did not leave the 9-meter zone in time.... Bernd Schuster generally stated that he did not see why the penalty was retaken... But that does not change the essence. In the final of the Ukrainian Cup at the end of May in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk's "Dnipro" and Donetsk's "Shakhtar" will meet.