Moreover, Soviet players didn’t manage to go through to Euro-1980. It was one of the most shameful qualifying rounds ever for USSR. At the Olympic Games in Moscow the team won only bronze.
To revive the former glory
All these failures were weird considering FC Dynamo Kyiv success the White-Blues achieved as they won the Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 1975.
In the 1982 World Cup qualification USSR faced Czechoslovakia, Wales, Turkey and Iceland.
Konstantin Beskov’s men won every home fixture without a single goal conceded. After that there were two victories and two draws away, which let USSR to get out of the group.
Eight FC Dynamo Kyiv performers featured in qualifying round – defenders Serhiy Baltacha (6 appearances), Anatoliy Demianenko (4 appearances, 1 goal), Volodymyr Lozynskyi (2 appearances) and Andriy Bal (1 appearance); halfbacks Leonid Buriak (7 appearances) and Volodymyr Bezsonov (6 appearances, 1 goal); strikers Oleh Blokhin (7 appearances, 5 goals) and Vadym Yevtushenko (1 appearance). Goalkeeper Viktor Chanov was a reservist.
Only one of aforementioned performers wasn’t added to USSR players’ list for the World Cup – Volodymyr Lozynskyi. Viktor Chanov and Vadym Yevtushenko went to Spain, but didn’t make a single appearance at the contest.
Leonid Buriak picked up an injury before the Mundial.
Such different draws
That year the World Cup format was rather unusual. At the first stage all teams were divided into six groups. Two teams from each group qualified for the following stage, but after that participants were divided into groups again with three teams in each. Eventually best teams went through to semifinals.
USSR faced Brazil, Scotland and New Zealand within the first group stage.
In the first fixture the Reds featured against Brazil. Five Dynamo players took the field in that game – Demianenko, Baltacha, Bezsonov, Blokhin and Bal. The latter opened the score 34 minutes into the match, but eventually USSR lost – 1:2.
In the second game Beskov’s men defeated New Zealand by three goals to nil. Five Kyivans performed for Soviet team again. Blokhin and Baltacha scored one goal each.
Before the group stage final fixture it was already clear the Brazil would win first place. To go through to the next stage USSR had at least not to lose against Scotland.
The game ended in a draw – 2:2. Five players represented FC Dynamo Kyiv again.
At the second stage USSR faced Belgium and Poland.
At first Soviet team defeat Belgium by narrow margin – 1:0.
Demianenko, Baltacha, Bezsonov, Blokhin and Bal took the field again.
In the decisive fixture against Poland victory was vital for USSR.
Still the game ended in a goalless draw and Beskov’s men tumbled out of the World Cup.
Twists of fate
Volodymyr Bezsonov played for FC Dynamo Kyiv till 1990. He won the Soviet Top league several times and the Cup Winners’ Cup with the White-Blues.
He became the best USSR player nine times in his career.
In general Bezsonov made 277 appearances for Dynamo in domestic league, scored 27 goals, won the Soviet Top League six times and USSR Cup four times.
Volodymyr participated in 1986 and 1990 World Cups and became Euro-1988 runner-up with USSR.
In 1991 Bezsonov started his career of coach. He worked for FC Dynamo Kyiv, CSCA Kyiv, Turkmenistan national team, FC Nyva Vinnytsia, FC Zoria Luhansk, FC Kharkiv and FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.
Today he plays for FC Dynamo Kyiv pro veterans. Bezsonov’s daughter Hanna is a famous multiple world champion in rhythmic gymnastics, who’s already finished her career.
Serhiy Baltacha was one of the first players to leave the USSR and to start featuring in Western Europe. In 1988 he joined Ipswich Town FC. Later Serhiy performed for Scottish clubs St. Johnstone FC and Inverness CT.
Today Baltacha lives in Great Britain and works as Charlton Athletic FC Academy coach.
In May of 2014 tragedy happened in Serhiy’s family. His daughter, who was a famous tennis player, passed away.
Anatoliy Demianenko, who was the White-Blues skipper from 1986 till 1990, left the team in 1991 and joined FC Magdeburg. Later he featured for RTS Widzew Łódź. A year later Anatoliy came back to Kyiv and finished his career in Dynamo.
Soon Demianenko became the White-Blues assistant coach. In 2005 he took charge of the team. He won the UPL, Ukrainian Cup (twice) and Ukrainian Super Cup with Dynamo. In 2007 he surrendered the office.
After that Demianenko worked as Neftchi Baku PFK, Nasaf Quarshi FK and FC Volyn Lutsk head coach.
In 1990 Andriy Bal was signed by Maccabi Tel Aviv FC. Later he performed for Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv FC. Bal started coaching also in Israel. He worked for Maccabi Herzliya FC and for Hakoah Amidar Ramat Gan FC.
In 2000 Bal returned to Ukraine. From 2001 till 2003 he was in charge of FC Vorskla Poltava and later worked for FC Chornomorets Odesa (2009 – 2010). Until quite recently Bal was FC Dynamo Kyiv assistant coach.
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