When a win is not a win
Dynamo did win, they did get the three points. What is much harder to explain is how hard they had tried to get this win. In the years past, they would not have even perspired to get past this opposition. The midtable Zorya Luhansk have hardly the credentials nor the roster to stop Dynamo. Yet, Dynamo needed a goal in the 4th added minute to eke out a laughable 2-1 win. And the performance was flattered by the score. Dynamo had not distinguished themselves from the Premier League debutante. So, we can approach this in two ways.
I can be a glass half-full optimist and take the three points with weak play hoping that the play will improve to eventually deserve the points or...
I can be a glass half-empty pessimist and harp on the fact that Dynamo wins only because of the weak opposition, while in CL they will, with such play, get shellacked every outing...
July 10, USC vs. Shakhtar Donetsk (in Odessa) 2-2, pk 4-2
July 14, UPL 1 @ Shakhtar Donetsk 1-1
July 21, UPL 2 vs. Arsenal Kyiv 2-2
Aug 1, UPL 3 @ Chornomorets Odesa 0-0
Aug 4, UPL 4 vs. Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 1-3
Aug 11, UPL 5 @ Metalurh Zaporizhzhya 1-0
Aug 14/15, CL Q3L1 @ FK Sarajevo (BiH) 1-0
Aug 18, UPL 6 vs. Karpaty Lviv 7-3
Aug 25, UPL 7 @ Kryvbas Kryvyi Rig 1-0
Aug 28/29, CL Q3L2 vs. FK Sarajevo (BiH) 3-0
Sept 1, UPL 8 vs. FK Kharkiv 2-0
Sept 15, UPL 9 @ Metalurh Donetsk 2-1
Sept 18, CL 1 @ AS Roma (ITA) 0-2
Sept 22, UPL 10 @ Tavriya Symferopil 4-1
Sept 26, UkCup 2 @ Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 2-0
Sept 29, UPL 11 vs. Naftovyk Okhtyrka 0-1
Oct 3, CL 2 vs. Sporting CP Setubal (POR) 1-2
Oct 6, UPL 12 @ Zorya Luhansk 2-1
Oct 20, UPL 13 vs. Zakarpattia Uzhhorod
Oct 23, CL 3 vs. Manchester United FC (ENG)
Oct 27, UPL 14 @ Vorskla Poltava
Oct 31, UkCup 3 @ Tavriya Symferopil
Nov 3, UPL 15 vs. Metalist Kharkiv
Nov 7, CL 4 @ Manchester United FC (ENG)
Nov 10, UPL 16 vs. Shakhtar Donetsk
Nov 24, UPL 17 @ Arsenal Kyiv
Nov 28, CL 5 vs. AS Roma (ITA)
Dec 1, UPL 18 vs. Chernomorets Odesa
Dec 8/9, UkCup QFL1 TBA
Dec 11, CL 6 @ Sporting CP Setubal (POR)
Dec 15/16, UkCup QFL2 TBA
Winter Break
Mar 1, UPL 19 @ Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
Mar 8, UPL 20 vs. Metalurh Zaporizhzhya
Mar 15, UPL 21 @ Karpaty Lviv
Mar 19, UkCup SF2L TBA
Mar 22, UPL 22 vs. Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
Mar 29, UPL 23 @ FK Kharkiv
Apr 5, UPL 24 vs. Metalurh Donetsk
Apr 12, UPL 25 @ Tavriya Symferopil
Apr 16, UkCup SF2L TBA
Apr 19, UPL 26 @ Naftovyk Okhtyrka
Apr 26, UPL 27 vs. Zorya Luhansk
May 3, UPL 28 @ Zakarpattya Uzhhorod
May 7, UkCup Final TBA
May 11, UPL 29 vs. Vorksla Poltava
May 18, UPL 30 @ Metalist Kharkiv
Ukrainian Premier League Current Standings
#
PR
Team
GP
W
D
L
GF
GA
PT
1
1
Shakhtar Donetsk
12
11
1
0
31
7
34
2
2
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
12
8
1
3
22
13
25
3
3
Dynamo Kyiv
12
7
3
2
23
13
24
4
4
Metalist Kharkiv
12
7
2
3
20
14
23
5
5
Chornomorets Odesa
12
5
2
5
9
10
17
6
7
Tavriya Simferopil
12
5
2
5
13
19
17
7
6
Metalurh Zaporizhzhya
12
4
3
5
11
13
15
8
8
Metalurh Donetsk
12
3
6
3
16
15
15
9
15
Arsenal Kyiv
12
4
2
6
23
20
14
10
9
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
12
4
1
7
16
20
13
11
10
Zorya Luhansk
12
4
1
7
12
18
13
12
12
FK Kharkiv
12
3
4
5
8
12
13
13
13
Zakarpattya Uzhgorod
12
3
4
5
9
16
13
14
14
Vorskla-Naftohaz Poltava
12
2
7
3
9
12
13
15
11
Karpaty Lviv
12
3
3
6
11
17
12
16
16
Naftovyk Okhtyrka
12
1
2
9
5
19
5
I can be a glass half-full optimist and take the three points with weak play hoping that the play will improve to eventually deserve the points or...
I can be a glass half-empty pessimist and harp on the fact that Dynamo wins only because of the weak opposition, while in CL they will, with such play, get shellacked every outing...
July 10, USC vs. Shakhtar Donetsk (in Odessa) 2-2, pk 4-2
July 14, UPL 1 @ Shakhtar Donetsk 1-1
July 21, UPL 2 vs. Arsenal Kyiv 2-2
Aug 1, UPL 3 @ Chornomorets Odesa 0-0
Aug 4, UPL 4 vs. Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 1-3
Aug 11, UPL 5 @ Metalurh Zaporizhzhya 1-0
Aug 14/15, CL Q3L1 @ FK Sarajevo (BiH) 1-0
Aug 18, UPL 6 vs. Karpaty Lviv 7-3
Aug 25, UPL 7 @ Kryvbas Kryvyi Rig 1-0
Aug 28/29, CL Q3L2 vs. FK Sarajevo (BiH) 3-0
Sept 1, UPL 8 vs. FK Kharkiv 2-0
Sept 15, UPL 9 @ Metalurh Donetsk 2-1
Sept 18, CL 1 @ AS Roma (ITA) 0-2
Sept 22, UPL 10 @ Tavriya Symferopil 4-1
Sept 26, UkCup 2 @ Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 2-0
Sept 29, UPL 11 vs. Naftovyk Okhtyrka 0-1
Oct 3, CL 2 vs. Sporting CP Setubal (POR) 1-2
Oct 6, UPL 12 @ Zorya Luhansk 2-1
Oct 20, UPL 13 vs. Zakarpattia Uzhhorod
Oct 23, CL 3 vs. Manchester United FC (ENG)
Oct 27, UPL 14 @ Vorskla Poltava
Oct 31, UkCup 3 @ Tavriya Symferopil
Nov 3, UPL 15 vs. Metalist Kharkiv
Nov 7, CL 4 @ Manchester United FC (ENG)
Nov 10, UPL 16 vs. Shakhtar Donetsk
Nov 24, UPL 17 @ Arsenal Kyiv
Nov 28, CL 5 vs. AS Roma (ITA)
Dec 1, UPL 18 vs. Chernomorets Odesa
Dec 8/9, UkCup QFL1 TBA
Dec 11, CL 6 @ Sporting CP Setubal (POR)
Dec 15/16, UkCup QFL2 TBA
Winter Break
Mar 1, UPL 19 @ Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
Mar 8, UPL 20 vs. Metalurh Zaporizhzhya
Mar 15, UPL 21 @ Karpaty Lviv
Mar 19, UkCup SF2L TBA
Mar 22, UPL 22 vs. Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
Mar 29, UPL 23 @ FK Kharkiv
Apr 5, UPL 24 vs. Metalurh Donetsk
Apr 12, UPL 25 @ Tavriya Symferopil
Apr 16, UkCup SF2L TBA
Apr 19, UPL 26 @ Naftovyk Okhtyrka
Apr 26, UPL 27 vs. Zorya Luhansk
May 3, UPL 28 @ Zakarpattya Uzhhorod
May 7, UkCup Final TBA
May 11, UPL 29 vs. Vorksla Poltava
May 18, UPL 30 @ Metalist Kharkiv
Ukrainian Premier League Current Standings
#
PR
Team
GP
W
D
L
GF
GA
PT
1
1
Shakhtar Donetsk
12
11
1
0
31
7
34
2
2
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk
12
8
1
3
22
13
25
3
3
Dynamo Kyiv
12
7
3
2
23
13
24
4
4
Metalist Kharkiv
12
7
2
3
20
14
23
5
5
Chornomorets Odesa
12
5
2
5
9
10
17
6
7
Tavriya Simferopil
12
5
2
5
13
19
17
7
6
Metalurh Zaporizhzhya
12
4
3
5
11
13
15
8
8
Metalurh Donetsk
12
3
6
3
16
15
15
9
15
Arsenal Kyiv
12
4
2
6
23
20
14
10
9
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih
12
4
1
7
16
20
13
11
10
Zorya Luhansk
12
4
1
7
12
18
13
12
12
FK Kharkiv
12
3
4
5
8
12
13
13
13
Zakarpattya Uzhgorod
12
3
4
5
9
16
13
14
14
Vorskla-Naftohaz Poltava
12
2
7
3
9
12
13
15
11
Karpaty Lviv
12
3
3
6
11
17
12
16
16
Naftovyk Okhtyrka
12
1
2
9
5
19
5