SPORTSLINE

by Andrij Kudla Wynnyckyj

SOCCER

Ukrainian league to contract

Adding to the pain of the loss of its marquee player, the Ukrainian Professional Football League (UPFL) has decided to cut the number of teams in the premier division from 16 to 14 by the 2000-2001 season.

According to a Reuters report of July 1, League Secretary Dmytro Reznik said the reduction was necessitated by the large increase in the number of games for top clubs like Kyiv Dynamo.

Dynamo, who won the league and cup double and reached the semifinals of the European Cup last season, must again play in domestic and European competition while its players also make up the bulk of the national squad.

"It makes such a heavy load for our best players so they barely have time to rest," Mr. Reznik said.

The new season begins on July 12.

The 1998-1999 campaign ended on June 25, as Dynamo Kyiv lost its final game with Mr. Shevchenko on its roster, a 2-1 decision taken by Karpaty Lviv. (See chart below.)

Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1. Dynamo Kyiv	30	23	5	2	75	17	74
2. Shakhtar Donetsk	30	20	5	5	70	25	65
3. Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih	30	6	11	3	43	18	59
4. Karpaty Lviv	30	15	10	5	54	34	55
5. Metalurg Mariupol	30	14	6	10	35	27	48
6. Metalist Kharkiv	30	14	5	11	31	32	47
7. CSKA Kyiv	30	11	10	9	37	35	43
8. Metalurg Zaporizhia	30	12	6	12	46	43	42
9. Tavria Symferopol	30	10	7	13	33	39	37
10. Vorskla Poltava	30	10	5	15	36	43	35
11. Zirka Kirovohrad	30	9	7	14	31	40	34
12. Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk	30	9	5	16	28	44	32
13. Nyva Ternopil	30	8	7	15	29	41	31
14. Metalurg Donetsk	30	7	7	16	27	51	28
15. Prykarpattia Ivano-Frankivsk	30	6	6	18	21	59	24
16. SK Mykolaiv	30	2	6	22	18	67	12

National team stumbles

Once again, after looking very strong, lackadaisical play by Ukraine's national side has allowed its rivals in its European Cup qualifying group to close in on them. On June 5, in Kyiv, they trounced group doormats Andorra 4-0 on goals by Serhii Popov (36th minute), Serhii Rebrov (41st), Yurii Dmytrulin (60th) and Andrii Husin adding a marker in the final seconds.

However, matters soured considerably four days later in the team's away match against Armenia. As they did in World Cup qualifying play, the Armenians held the Ukrainians to a scoreless tie, with coach Joszef Szabo substituting Andriy Shevchenko and Mr. Rebrov out of the game in frustration. However, neither Serhii Skachenko (for Rebrov in the 72nd minute) nor Vasyl Kardash (for Shevchenko at the 67th) could provide the needed marker.

In the meantime, Russia has been on a charge, winning its away match in France 3-2 on June 5 and avenging an earlier loss to Iceland by taking the return engagement 1-0 on June 9. Iceland did not find Armenia as puzzling as the Ukrainians did, and took its June 5 match by a score of 2-0. France looked weak in its away game against Andorra, needing a penalty kick at the 87th minute to prevail narrowly 1-0.

This has plunged the group into turmoil, with France a scant point behind Ukraine in the standings and Russia and Iceland tied for a close third behind. Every one of the ensuing matches, played this fall, will be crucial.

Schedule (home team first):

September 4

UKRAINE vs. France
Iceland vs. Andorra
Russia vs. Armenia

September 8

Iceland vs. UKRAINE
Andorra vs. Russia
Armenia vs. France

October 9

Russia vs. UKRAINE
France vs. Iceland
Andorra vs. Armenia

STANDINGS

	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
1. Ukraine	4	3	0	12	3	15
2. France	4	2	1	11	6	14
3. Russia	4	0	3	17	10	12
4. Iceland	3	3	1	7	3	12
5. Armenia	1	1	4	3	10	4
6. Andorra	0	0	5	6	19	0

(Legend: W-Win, D-Draw, L-Loss, F-Goals For, A-Goals Against, Pts-Points)

HOCKEY

World championships

When Ukraine's players reach the top level in international hockey competition, they often receive a rude greeting. This year's International Ice Hockey Federation World Senior Championships, held May 1-16 in Oslo, Hamar and Lillehammer, Norway, were no exception.

Ukraine lost to Finland 3-1 on May 2, 4-1 to Russia two days later, then were beaten soundly by Belarus on May 6 in a 6-1 shocker (given the closeness of the previous games).

Two Ukrainians have top-10 stats.

Ukraine's goaltender Oleksander Viukhin faced a barrage of 76 shots in three games, allowing eight goals, for a ninth-ranked save percentage of 89.47. Quite respectable, given that he bested NHL standout Arturs Irbe of Latvia, who benefited from a stronger defense.

In the "toughness" category, defenseman Viacheslav Zavalniuk placed eighth in the "most penalized" list, on the strength of a 10-minute misconduct and four minor penalties. The team performed well in killing penalties, managing to hold off 84 percent of opponents' man advantages, to finish seventh in the special teams rankings.

Ukraine finished 14th in a field of 16, but avoided relegation. They will play in the next millennium's qualification tournament against Kazakstan, Latvia and the U.K. (newly promoted from Pool A).

At the World Under-18 Junior Championships, held April 8-18 in Füssen and Kaufbeuren, Germany, Ukraine fared somewhat better.

Resounding losses to the Czech Republic (6-1 on April 10) and Sweden (10-2 on April 13) in the preliminary round were balanced by a victory over Germany (4-0 on April 11). In relegation play, Ukraine bested Norway 3-0 on April 15, but lost to the U.S. 6-0 the next day. As a result, the blue-and-yellows finished eighth out of a field of 10.

Ukraine's goaltender, Vadym Selevestrov, deserves a special medal. Over six games, he faced a monstrous 227 shots (an average of 38 shots per game), making a tournament-leading 201 saves, for a percentage of 88.55 (seventh over all). Now if only he had a defense corps ...

Following a recurring theme, a Ukrainian distinguished himself by landing in the penalty box. Right-winger Alex Salashchenko garnered 33 minutes in penalties (third in the rankings), boosted by a 20-minute misconduct added to his five minors and one five-minute major. Roman Scherbatiuk took a category-leading total of 11 minor penalties, placing him 14th on the "most penalized" list. Yevhen Yemelianenko also kept busy with 18 minutes on nine minors (18th), and Oleksander Pobedonostsev sat out 12 minutes on six minors (tied for 24th).

This proved costly, as Ukraine surrendered nine goals when in a manpower disadvantage. Mr. Salaschenko made some amends for his willingness to tangle by potting a short-handed goal. The team's penalty killing was seventh over all, with a 84.48 percentage.

Right-winger Oleksander Yanchenko was among the leaders in goal scoring in the tournament. He was the championship's leading opportunist, with three powerplay goals, and adding one at even strength to place fourth over all in goals scored. Mr. Salaschenko added two goals at even strength, for 10th spot over all.

Identity mysteries

There seems to be an even split among Ukrainian hockey fans on the subject of Wayne Gretzky, definitely the highest scoring player who ever donned a pair of skates and arguably the greatest. There are those who insist that Mr. Gretzky is himself Ukrainian; and those who are embarrassed by this insistence, likening it to erstwhile Soviet claims on the invention of baseball. These two camps are likely to exist past the Brantford, Ontario, native's retirement, which, sadly, he announced in New York in April.

In the meantime, one mystery surrounding a hockey player's background that arose earlier this season can be dispelled. In this space it was noted that Denys Shvydkyi, a center on the Russian national junior team that won the 1999 world championship in Winnipeg, could be Ukrainian.

In fact, Mr. Shvydkyi was born in Kharkiv, on November 21, 1980, and in the 1998-1999 season played as a left-winger for the Ontario Hockey League's Barrie Colts. A 6'1" 195-pounder, he was Barrie's first round selection in the Canadian Hockey League's import draft (11th over all), arriving from Russia's Torpedo Yaroslavl senior team.

The Kharkovite was selected as the OHL's rookie of the month in November 1998 and the league's player of the week for the seven days ending on January 17. On April 16, Mr. Shvydkyi was named to the OHL's First All-Rookie team.

Over the season, the forward scored 35 goals and 59 assists for 94 points in 61 games, the second highest total among rookies, behind teammate Sheldon Keefe.

In the playoffs, the Colts, who finished atop the Central Division, were upset in seven, often chippy, games by the Oshawa Generals. Mr. Shvydkyi stayed out of the penalty box throughout the brouhaha that broke around him, scored five goals and assisted on six.

He is eligible for the 1999 NHL Entry Draft.

Golf note

Matt Kuchar, the Floridian phenom who was invited to last year's U.S. Open Golf tournament and performed so well that he earned a return trip, has suffered the fate of many young golfers. After the initial flash, Mr. Kuchar wilted under the pressure of having turned pro. At this year's U.S. Open, he shot a 16-over par in the first round and did not make the cut.

Sportsline can be reached by e-mail: [email protected].

If you know of the sportish exploits of a Ukrainian athlete, team, coach, or even management type, please let us know. Please provide evidence of any individual's Ukrainian background or history of having played/coached for Ukraine.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, July 18, 1999, No. 29, Vol. LXVII

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