Fans of “Chernomorets” in the last season did not wait for their Pets to qualify for European cups. Photo: chernomorets.odessa.ua

“SE” – about the strengths and weaknesses of Chornomorets last season.

Vyacheslav KULCHITSKIY

from Odessa

Fans of “Chernomorets”, tired and a half games crisis favorite team, before the season they lived with hope for change for the better. The basis for optimism was emerging a positive in the game “seamen”.

But the beginning of the season was like a continuation of the protracted tournament of turmoil, a prisoner who for various reasons turned out to be the Odessa club. Starting three defeats from Vorskla, Shakhtar and Zorya – raised doubts about the tournament prospects even at inveterate optimists.

Many then it seemed that Chornomorets in the future will get in the Premier League the role of whipping boy. However, this role did not suit themselves “sailors” and contrary to expectations, things are gradually getting a little better. The coaching staff headed by the then acting head coach Alexander Babich managed to find the right words for the wards that did not waver psychologically. Moreover, the stabilized composition of the Odessa team began to give out one victory after another, like a launch failure and was not.

If the first prize in “Olimpik” with the account 3:0, many related to the category of random, and the second victory over “Star” – considered it a coincidence, then two the next success in game with “Volyn” and “Alexandria” – began to look like a pattern. After such a powerful breakthrough “Chernomorets” has risen from the bottom of the standings up, and played a draw with Karpaty, Dnipro and having Victoria in the away match against “Steel”, appeared on the fourth line.

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With the time about the Odessa team talking. Experts have noted the two main trump of “Chernomorets” – fast and sharp counterattacks and standard positions. Most of the wards Babic goals were scored from them. In this context, it is impossible not to pay attention to the defender Evgeny Martynenko, who in the 2015-16 season, has shown the ability to hit the target after crosses and corner kicks.

He has not changed himself and the Championships, scoring 2 goals. Who knows how many in total could be effective attacks that player, if not received at the end of February trauma. Because of her player for a long time was sidelined without playing a single match until the end of the championship.

But he played the attacking midfielder Dmitry Korkishko, with seven goals becoming the top scorer of FC Chornomorets. The result in modern football is not so hot, but if you compare it with the total figure of players attack, it looks impressive. Judge for yourself: six players listed as forwards – Vladimir Barilko, Alexei Koblenko, Vladislav Kabaev, Nikita Tatarko, Silviu and Elias managed to score at all…. exactly the same goals. The worst result was only a year earlier, in one of the most disastrous seasons in the club’s history.

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However, back to the events of the championship. Unbeaten black and blue lasted quite a long time – eight rounds, exactly to the finish of the first round. Interrupted her, “Vorskla”, which started with a victory over “Chernomorets”, and the second round of the season. The results of the sailors lost stability: defeat began to alternate with infrequent draws and wins. Did not go well for the team and the winter break, during which the Odessa polished skill in his native city and on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.

This period was not without personnel changes. In particular, Odessa left the players who made the weather at Chornomorets goalkeeper Evgeni Borovik, Midfielders Vladyslav kalytvyntsev and Artyom. By the way, the departure allowed the team from Odesa to avoid the record for the number of yellow and red cards earned in the course of a season. On a couple of Georgian David Khocholava according to the results they have received 25 yellow cards and two red cards in the “sailors.” This indicator does not recall even seasoned statistics, exploring the history of “Chernomorets”.

To see how stalled the team Babic in the second round, it should be called a number of her points – 9. For comparison: in the first, the figure was much greater – 18 points. However, the sum of these points was enough for the first stage of the championship to get into the top six.

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However, in fairness it should be noted that the inhabitants of Odessa unwittingly helped loosed steam “Vorskla”. In the final stages of the first stage Poltava has missed important points, losing thus the chance to leave the sailors behind in the correspondence competition for a place in the leading Paladino.

Received from Poltava unique gift Chernomorets seemed to have changed. At the beginning of the second stage ship has gained cruising speed, adding the asset 10 points in four rounds! After the draw with Marseille in the home match, after which the Odessa almost a month and a half did not take opponents on a “dead” lawn of his native arena, followed by three wins in a row. And not just the defeat but the victory of the resonance, so to speak, character.

One after the other “Chernomorets” beat “Shakhtar”, “Alexandria” and “Dawn”, and did so on foreign fields (although, understandably in a fight with the Alexandrians the sailors acted as the nominal owners). Such an impressive series not only allowed Odessa to catch up with the “Alexandria”, but to be at arm’s length from reaching the third “Dawn”.

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Chetyrehochkovym the gap from the Luhansk team for some time gave rise to in the environment very hot Odessa fans a daring idea: instead of whether to threaten to Chornomorets on bronze? At that moment, an opportune moment was the game against Dynamo, which became a kind of litmus test in determining the true capabilities of the sailors. It immediately cooled the ardor of those who spoke about the medals – team Babych lost 1:4. It became clear that to tackle the more serious peaks “Chernomorets” spring sample is not yet ready.

Fiasco in Kiev marked the beginning of another series of black-and-blue – this time with the sign “minus”. For six rounds, until the very finish of the championship, they suffered five defeats, one draw, losing the chance to reach at least the fifth European place.

Three rounds before the finish, having the same number of points with the same “Alexandria”, the Odessa team had a decent resistance. Playing in the minority half, “Chernomorets” even took the lead, but eventually failed to hold on for the win.

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The fate of the coveted fifth lines should have been addressed in correspondence to the rivalry between the Alexandrians and the inhabitants of Odessa in the last two rounds. The test matches with the winners of the “Dawn” and “Dynamo” – the team of Alexander Babic did not survive, while the competitor scored two points in the games against Olympique de Marseille and Shakhtar.

By the way I note that, unlike the fans, eager to see Chornomorets in the Europa League, the club this goal at the forefront is not intended…

Sport-Express in Ukraine