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AUGUST
7
***Shevchenko
scored two goals in Milan's game with Bayern Leverkusen en route to Milan's
3-2 victory.
***Suker
signed with Arsenal and will play alongside Oleg Luzhniy who also joined
the English
club
recently.
AUGUST
6
***For
6 months the Shevchenko intrigue was on the minds of soccer fans in the
former
USSR.
Grigory Surkis stirred the water, as usual; Valeriy Lobonovskiy was quiet;
the
journalists
were going through the motions of being confused. But in December
of
last
year Europe found out that the decision about the sale of Shevchenko was
already
made,
and the transfer sum - $25 million - already determined. It was said
that Milan,
one of
the many conteders for Shevchenko, won the heart of the Ukrainian with
a $60,000
weekly
salary. Had Dynamo not made it out of the group stage of the Champions'
League,
Shevchenko
would have been in Milan at the end of January.
But Lobonovskiy went another way. Kiev reached the semifinal, and
the sale of the
forward
was announced only in the beginning of July. Just a month later Andrey
walked on
to the
Paris field to play his former club's nemesis - Bayern Munich. He
came out to prove
the evident
- there would be no miracle. The language spoken (in the tactical
sense) by
Alberto
Dzakkeroni, like Italian, cannot be learned in a year. "He was burning
with desire to
score,
and that is why he was constantly making mistakes in his solo raids.
Everything is
just
starting; he just needs to calm down" - that is how the Italian Gazetta
dello Sport characterized Shevchenko's play.
"The Ukrainian did not read any of the attacking schemes, so that explains
his attempts to
realize
individual moves," - say the witnesses of the debut. These moves
are familiar to us
from
Valeriy Lobanovskiy's team. Being in an envious athletic shape, the
Kiev Ronaldo was
ready
to make a run from the middle of the field, waiting for a moment to get
Rebrov's precise
pass
and go one-on-one with the hapless goalie. He usually scored, and
then ran towards
the stands
under the accompaniment of the public's ovation.
There are many masters of the ''precise'' pass in Milan, as well.
It can be made by the Croatian playmaker Boban, one of the best defenders
in the world - Maldini, the laureate
of the
golden ball in the EURO 96 - Liberian Weah, the experienced Albertini,
a left flank
player
- the Argentinian Gulelminpietro, the right halfback from Denmark - Helveg
- everyone
a player
of his respective national team. The problem is that in the Italian
Serie A there is
neither
Shakter nor Kryvbass whose feeble defenses Shevchenko easily passed.
In the Paris game against Bayern we again saw Bierhoff heading the ball
out of his penalty
area,
Weah taking the ball away from a forward (Janker), the sprinty Ba, whose
soul raced
forward,
but whose mind commanded the feet to return, helping out the defenders
- the thought it took Dzakkeroni a whole year to dril into him. Only
Andrey viewed the whole thing
from
the central circle.
One more principal of Dzakkeroni's trident is the immaculate communication
and universality of the three forwards. Bierhoff's golden head at
center, Weah and Shevchenko on the flanks - this is what the coach has
in mind for next season. Milan's play in Paris proves that the harmony
is still far ahead. It is like Shevchenko doesn't see Weah or Bierhoff
- and the couple of times he went one on one with the goalie, he tricked
himself and was not able to score.
The fact
that Shevchenko was allowed to kick the penalty earned by Bierhoff after
Andrey's
move
should be seen as a friendly sign in the locker room, not as a mirror of
his achievements.
"Andrey is a real champion. His purchase is a great achievement of
the club - Vieri cost Inter
twice
as much. Shevchenko is forward with speed, having perfect control
of tackle and passing technique. And, most importantly, he has fathomless
ability to get better," - says
Dzakkeroni
in an interview. But he warns immediately: ''In order to see him
in better shape,
we will
have to wait. Six months - and he'll take off."
RUSSIAN IZVESTIA
***Shevchenko
scored his first goal for Milan as the Italians beat Bayern Munich, 2-0,
in a tour-
nament
in Europe.
JULY 30,
1999
***Milan
lost a friendly, 0-1, to a team from the Italian third league. According
to Milan's coach, Andrey
Shevchenko plays well in the open field and when an opening is created.
In this game, however,
his partners didn't supply him the ball where he wanted it, so Andrey wasn't
able to create
any dangerous moments.
***There
were reports a few days ago that the Croatian forward Davor Suker, having
broken all ties
with Real Madrid and becoming a free agent, expressed his desire to try
it out at Dynamo
Kiev
and called Valeriy Lobanovsky. Yesterday, however, the daily AS (Spain)
reported the
opposite.
In fact, Suker wants to stay in Madrid because of his girlfriend, Anna
Obregon, who
works
at a local television station. That is why he decided to transfer
to "Rayo Valyekano" which won
a place in the premier division. According to reports, the club has
made Suker an offer of
600,000 dollars. The Croatian spurned the invitations from
other clubs, such as Convetry, West Ham, and Olympiakos, on the very grounds
of not wanting to leave Spain. Suker was the best
goalscorer
in the World Cup last summer. Dynamo, according to rumors, are willing
to pay him $30
mil.
***KIEV,
July 28 - Croatian international striker Davor Suker wants to
join Dynamo
Kiev, the club said on Wednesday. "We're
in a process of negotiation," Dynamo president Hrigory Surkis said, adding
that it was
Suker who intiated the talks with the Ukrainian champions.
"...Suker
called Dynamo coach Valery Lobanovsky and offered his services," said
Surkis.
"However,
the fact that we have talks (with Suker) doesn't necessarily mean that
he will
play for us. In any case, our coach will have the final say."
Suker, who
won the Golden Boot award at the 1998 World Cup finals with six goals,
was released
by Real Madrid in May after falling out with coach John Toshack.
He had been
suspended by the club without pay two weeks earlier following his
criticism
of Toshack. Ukrainian
media said they expected Suker to travel to Kiev next week.
Dynamo, European
Cup semifinalists last season, were beginning this season's
European
campaign on Wednesday with a home game against Lithuania's Zalgiris
Vilnius in
the second qualifying round of the Champions League.
***Davor Suker, a Croatian free agent released last season by Real Madrid, is allegedly interested in playing for Dynamo Kiev. He will come for an audition some time in August.
***Lately, there had been rumors about the Locomotive Moscow haflback Aleksey Smertin transferring to Kiev for a price of 4-5 mln. Today, however, Locomotive coach vehemently denied the rumors, stating that they arose due to "a lack of news during the summer." Dynamo Kiev, with the injuries to Belkevich and Hatskevich, which will take at least three months to heal, need to fortify this position, but the Locomotive officials say that it would be stupid to sell Smertin with one and a half years left on his contract and his price going up as he assumes leadership in the Russian National Team.
***The
great Dynamo forward Oleg Blohin left the head choaching position of AEK
Athens even though
his team finished in second place last year and got an opportunity to start
the Eurocups
from
the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions' League.
***In
an exhibition match between Milan A and Milan B, Andrey Shevchenko didn't
play even though
his name was annonced as a member of the B squad. Rumors are that
he sustained
a microinjury
and will be back soon.
***Dynamo Kiev bought a Baltica Kaliningrad talent Maxim Shatskih who promises to be a star in the future.
***It has been rumored that Dynamo Kiev striker Serhiy Rebrov received a $17 mln offer from the Greek Panathinaiakos. This would explain why Dynamo is actively looking for a forward. European teams must turn in their lineups for European Cups by July 23.
***Facts
about Andriy Shevchenko:
1976: Born, Kiev, September 29
1984: Joined Dynamo Kiev youth summer school
1993: Signed as professional by Dynamo Kiev
1994: November 8, scored a goal in his professional debut in the
Ukrainian premier division
against Shakhtar Donetsk (Dynamo won 3-1)
1995: March 25, made his professional debut for Ukraine against Croatia
in a European
championship qualifier (0-4 loss)
1999: July 1, transfered to AC Milan for $25 mil, 5-year contract
***Dynamo
has lost one of its best players of all time, Andrey Shevchenko, to Milan
(Italy). He has signed a contract good for 5 years and worth $25
million. Congratulations to Andrey. DK have also
lost Oleg
Luzhniy to Newcastle United. Among the promising newcomers are Serebrenikov
and Kormiltzev.