by Aleks V | @aleksvee

Yuriy Kalitvintsev with the 2009 UEFA U-19 Euro trophy. Source: fc-dynamo.ru

Dynamo Moscow's Board of Directors announced Yuriy Kalitvintsev as the football club's new manager, taking over from interim Sergei Chikishev. The 48-year-old Volgograd native played as a midfielder for the club from 1992-1994, making a total of 107 appearances in all competitions and scoring 16 goals, including a hat-trick in a friendly against Italian side Brescia Calcio.

Yuriy Kalitvintsev won most of his silverware at Dynamo Kiev, including four Ukrainian championships, two Cups, and two CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) Cups.

He was consistently named one of the top players in both the Russian and Ukrainian championships. He acquired Ukrainian citizenship and was capped 22 times for the Ukraine national team, scoring one goal in their 1-0 win against Croatia in Euro 1996 Qualifying.



His son, Vladislav Kalitvintsev, seems no less gifted. The youngest player to debut for Dynamo Kiev in the modern era, he's already tallied a Premier League title and two Ukrainian Cups.



Kalitvintsev's coaching career has had its ups and downs. After a short spell at Ukraine side Zakarpattia (now FC Hoverla Uzhhorod), he headed Ukraine's Under-19 national team on two occasions, leading them to victory in the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Championship during his second spell.

He lost out to Myron Markevych and then Oleh Blokhin for the job at the senior team, although he did join the coaching staff of both managers, serving as caretaker after Markevych's resignation.

Volga Nizhny Novgorod gave Kalitvintsev a long-awaited chance to return to the role of head coach. However, his stay at the Russian Premier League was short-lived - appointed to the helm in January 2013, he resigned in March the following year. The club's financial problems took a toll on results - they were 14th in the Premier League with just 18 points after 22 games. Kalitvintsev's Volga were in 7th before the players stopped getting paid, however.

In his first press conference as manager of Dynamo Moscow, Kalitvintsev immediately set his sights higher than simply returning the storied club, relegated last season for the first time in their 93-year history, to the top tier of Russian football. He emphasized the need for the club to have a long-term development strategy, one that is conducive to its homegrown players. He expressed his desire to work closely with the head coach of the club's farm team.

Kalitvintsev's coaching approach will undoubtedly differ from that of his predecessors. "We will communicate with the players," he said. "The team will keep those players who are willing to work, not just earn money."

Kalitvintsev's coaching staff consists of Gennadiy Litovchenko and Yuri Kovtun from his Volga days, as well as ex-Dynamo Moscow goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky.

by Aleks V | @aleksvee

It's another year, and another horde of fans and journalists pointing fingers at United States men's national team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, or so I've heard upon reading a piece by a Mr. Leander Schaerlaeckens on Yahoo! Sports.

Mr. Schaerlaeckens makes a good point to praise LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, who could once again take over the USMNT at some point in the future, but other than that, his article is but one of many unfair criticisms aimed at current NT coach Klinsmann, grounded in a few statistics, plenty of adjectives, and not much else.

When it comes to the quality of play shown by the USMNT, the problem isn't Jurgen Klinsmann - it's US soccer in general.

While the rest of the soccer world has noticeably grown and evolved in the last decade, Major League Soccer has not only stayed behind - it has gone backwards. "There's no doubt that our 20th season was the best season in our 20 years," Mr. Garber proudly told Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated.

Whatever he was watching last year, it certainly wasn't MLS.

I recall tuning in to the 2015 MLS Cup Final between Columbus Crew and the Portland Timbers - supposedly a contest between the league's best two teams. Portland's Diego Valeri scored the fastest goal in the history of the MLS Cup. Rodney Wallace added to the Timbers' lead, and Crew got one back through Kei Kamara. Those were the first 18 minutes of the game, and the only worth watching. The rest looked like an amateur soccer game, a total embarrassment for the league and US soccer in general.

Things weren't always so bad. When I first began watching MLS seven or eight years ago, the picture was different. It was exciting and fast-paced. The New York Red Bulls were especially strong, with players like Thierry Henry, Juan Pablo Angel, Tim Ream, Rafael Marquez, and Dane Richards. When Angel and other good players left the Red Bulls, it was the start of a downward spiral. Years later, when the Red Bulls finally won the first silverware in their history, they sacked then coach Mike Petke and hired Jesse Marsch, whose only coaching stint was a 1 year, 3 month 12-16-6 spell with the Montreal Impact.

Jurgen Klinsmann.

Such decisions can only be explained by some sort of financial interests, rather than results.

The degradation of MLS can be attributed to its 'business first' approach, which turns a blind eye on quality. Like the music industry, MLS enjoys being average - great for their bottom line, but not for the goal line. Good for the short-term, but not the long-term. It's a system that feeds the wallets of the few, but doesn't work for the players or the fans.

The generational shift has also contributed to the stagnation in the development of US soccer. The new generation of players isn't growing, and there's no one to replace the few talents of the last. Many of the NT's youngest players are neither MLS youth products nor play in MLS. It's no wonder that MLS is still known as 'the retirement league' for successful European players like Steven Gerrard who are long past their prime.

US soccer is behind Europe in another big way - the absence of promotion and relegation. Without a pyramidal system in which the worst two clubs automatically leave the league at the end of the season, there's little incentive for players besides just getting through another year.

If not for the USMNT players who play abroad (captain Michael Bradley previously played for AS Roma and Borussia Monchengladbach, six out of seven defenders called up for recent qualifiers play abroad, a handful of NT forwards play in the Bundesliga, and the two main goalkeepers are in the English Premier League), the situation would be much more grim.

After the USMNT's 2-1 loss to Jamaica in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, I wrote of the superiority of players with experience at some of the best leagues abroad to MLS players, arguing that players who play every four days will be in better shape than those who play once a week. I also mentioned that "the U.S. can only hope to rely on homegrown talent with the improvement of its academy programs and league system."

Clubs in Europe have strong academies. MLS clubs have academies, too - the difference is in quality.
How many homegrown USMNT players have MLS academies produced, and just how good are they?

Mr. Schaerlaeckens points out the difference in the national team's performance in friendlies and official games, but fails to provide analysis. Why does the USMNT perform better in friendlies? The players have something to prove - unofficial games are the battleground for spots in the starting line-up. Why does the team sometimes under-perform in official games? The unwillingness of some of its key players to put country over club. Official games are much more physical - why give your all and risk getting injured? For some players, getting benched for their club is a much bigger deal than sitting out for a NT game. At the end of the day, the ball is round, and that's a factor as well.

Given the same players, would someone else do as good - or even better - a job as Jurgen Klinsmann? I doubt it.

Klinsmann was an excellent player and is a good coach. He needs the support of the US Soccer Federation, his players, and the fans - that'll give the national team a real chance of not only making the World Cup finals, but doing well in the tournament itself.

Note: As this article was being written, the USMNT won 4-0 in their 2018 World Cup Qualifier vs Guatemala. They've won all 10 of their home World Cup Qualifiers under Klinsmann.

by Aleks V | @aleksvee

The second half of the 2015-16 Russian Premier League season kicks off on Saturday, March 5, with Krylya Sovetov hosting FC Rostov at 14:15 Moscow Time (6:15 a.m. ET). The winter transfer window has produced some exciting additions, giving us plenty to look forward to.

10. The Kuban step

Felipe Santana. Photo: FC Kuban

A struggling Kuban Krasnodar made the best out of the winter transfer window with seven free signings, including Schalke centre back Felipe Santana. The club will still need to pay its players, however. Kuban's financial woes led to a growing debt, with some players not being payed in months. The club's General Director Valery Statsenko said that the debts are currently being paid, and will soon disappear entirely. Meanwhile, manager Sergey Tashuev is tasked with crafting a new team mid-season. It'll be quite challenging, but when you're bottom of the table, there's not much else to do. Will Kuban find a money wise approach to rescue them from the impending doom of relegation?

9. The Bright cousin

Amkar Perm's new signings. Bright Dike is number 10. Photo: FC Amkar Perm

Chinedu Bright Dike, cousin of ex-Spartak forward Emmanuel Emenike, joined mid-table club Amkar Perm this winter as a free agent. The American-born Nigerian forward, who's also the older brother of FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup runner-up Courtney Dike, previously played in the U.S., where he scored 20 goals in 50 games for MLS club Portland Timbers, and had a great run at USL side Orange County Blues FC (6 goals and 2 assists in 10 appearances). It's not every day a former MLS player makes the move to Russia - Yura Movsisyan did so in 2011 - so there will be some added interest to his performance from abroad.

8. Ezekiel sees the Lokomotiv wheel

Photo: FC Lokomotiv on Twitter

The RPL's most expensive signing this winter was Ezekiel Henty, who joined Lokomotiv Moscow from Slovenian club NK Olimpija for 5 million euros. The 22-year-old winger's performance this season in the Prva Liga certainly justifies the sum - eight goals and eight assists in 21 appearances. Plus, he doubles as a centre-forward.

7. Luke brings back the Force

Luke Wilkshire. Photo: FC Terek Grozny

Amidst all the hustle and bustle of big name signings, Australian right-back Luke Wilkshire quietly made his way back to Russia. The defender joined Terek Grozny in November as a free agent, being unattached since leaving Dutch side Feyenoord in August, but was only confirmed in the roster this winter. Last season found Luke struggling with thigh injuries, yet eking out four assists in 27 appearances, including one in Europa League qualifying. At his best, he's a great asset to the back line. He'll fit right in with Terek's powerful defense - the team lost only two games this season and conceded the second lowest number of goals. A winning equation has two parts, and Luke's ability to provide opportunities in the attack can help the 7th placed team move into Europa League territory. We can all be certain the Force is still strong with this one.

6. The young and the restless

21-year-old Tashaev had a goal and an assist in Dynamo's winter friendlies. Photo: rfpl.org

As the second youngest team in the Russian Premier League (average age: 25.9), Dynamo Moscow are entering a new era. It may be one of great difficulty, unexpected surprises, or both. After multiple seasons of transfer shenanigans, UEFA put their foot down, pushing the Moscow club to make adjustments with regards to Financial Fair Play. Dynamo ended up selling their most expensive players - mostly foreigners - and introducing salary caps. With these limits in place, they've had to rely on their U21s, some of who, like Tashaev, Terekhov, Katrich, and Obolskiy, have shown they can play well at the highest level. Dynamo's winter transfer window was marked by the departure of the overrated (Kokorin), the arrival of the underrated (Sebastian Holmen), and a blast from the past in the form of fullback Andrey Eshchenko, on loan until the end of the season a decade after his first loan spell at Dynamo. Like Kuban's Tashuev, Dynamo coach Andrey Kobelev is tasked with rebuilding a team. The only manager to lead Dynamo to a top 3 finish in the 21st century, Kobelev won't follow where the path may lead - he'll leave yet another trail.

5. FC Krasnodar's new stadium

Digital rendering of FC Krasnodar's new stadium.

Andres Villas-Boas is known for his constant complaints regarding the quality of pitches with artificial turf. It won't be long before he shows up to nail his 95 theses on the door of the Russian Football Union. Krasnodar's new stadium, however, won't make the list. The Bulls' new home, which will seat 33,000, is set to host its first game this summer. The turf is au naturale. If it opens in time to see AVB off, one thing's for sure - there's no chance of him complaining about this one.

4. AVB's farewell

Andres Villas-Boas. Photo: Instagram

Andres Villas-Boas has chosen to leave the reigning RPL champions at the end of the season. Under the Portuguese manager, Zenit won the 2014-15 Russian Premier League title and 2015 Super Cup. They are currently the last Russian team standing in Europe. They're also in the semi-finals of the domestic cup tournament. With the title still at stake, there are three opportunities for silverware. If Villas-Boas adds to his trophy collection before leaving Russia, he'll certainly fulfill his mission of "doing for Zenit what Peter the Great did for St. Petersburg".

3. Roman Shirokov

Roman Shirokov. Photo: pfc-cska.com

This is a no-brainer - the Russia national team captain's return to the club where he began his career was one of the biggest transfers this winter. The fact that he joined from Spartak Moscow only adds some extra spice to the derby. As a youth player, Shirokov never made CSKA's senior team. He has something to prove, and that means we'll likely see the return of the original, critically acclaimed midfielder who shone for Zenit five years ago. Leonid Slutsky, who is doing double duty at CSKA and Russia's NT, will be able to keep a better eye on him and help bring back the Shirokov we all love and look forward to seeing.

2. Alenichev's Spartak

"The title is that way." Photo: rfpl.org

Dmitri Alenichev said it loud and clear: He wants to win the title. Spartak are currently fourth, four points behind second placed Rostov and seven behind leaders CSKA. Despite the departure of a handful of key players like Movsisyan and Ozbiliz, Spartak only made one signing in the winter transfer window, acquiring the talented Paraguayan winger Lorenzo Melgarejo from Kuban Krasnodar. However, that signing was a good one - together with Quincy Promes, Spartak now have the season's top two goal scorers at their disposal. For a team with title ambitions, that may come in handy.

1. FC Rostov: A Cinderella Story

Kurban Berdyev: the man with a plan. Photo: FC Rostov

Rostov are the RPL's Leicester City. If Miodrag Bozovic was the Nigel Pearson to the RPL's Leicester, then Kurban Berdyev is their Claudio Ranieri, taking over and finishing what the other began. It's hard to imagine that a team that finished last season in the relegation play-offs is currently 2nd (!) behind CSKA, and has a realistic shot at their first Premier League title. Under Berdyev, Rostov have conceded the least number of goals of any RPL club this season. With 12 more games and 36 possible points left in the season, they'll do their best to keep the dream alive.

Opinion

by Aleks V 

The Theatre of Dreams currently plays host to a rather lackluster show. Dull movement, inaccurate passes, and a six game winless streak that featured a tumble from 3rd to 6th in the league table are just a few of the season's highlights. Promising, top-billed stars (Martial, Depay) have shone, but only briefly. To top it all off, players like Ander Herrera are no longer as visible as they usually are. Something must be amiss. Of course, all fans will agree that no matter how many games Manchester United fail to hit the target or get by winning 1-0 against a 10th placed team, the show must go on. But before it does, it needs a new guy in charge. Someone who has a record of rebuilding and getting the players, veteran and new, to look their best. United are, after all, "such stuff as dreams are made on", but as Shakespeare aptly noted, their "life is rounded with a sleep".

Luckily for them, there happens to be an Englishman called Nigel Pearson who's yet to be picked up by another side yearning for stardom.

Pearson may not have a resume the likes of current Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal, with world-renowned clubs like Ajax, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich in the mix. However, he has something that may be more important - a background in rebuilding. Case in point: Leicester City. Upon his arrival, the club were playing in the third tier of English football. During his second spell, they had arrived at the Premier League.

Nigel Pearson. Photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

The fruits of his labor are still visible under the Foxes' current manager Claudio Ranieri. Although credit must be given to Ranieri, who brought the club further up the table and into the race for the title, Pearson's second spell at Leicester laid the foundation for their Premier League success.

12 of the players from his 2013/14 roster are still there. Some have been instrumental to the Foxes' consistent performance in the Premier League. Danny Drinkwater, who made five assists so far this season, has been praised for his midfield mastery. Jamie Vardy, a prominent goalscorer at Leicester, found the net in eleven consecutive matches last year, breaking a record held by Ruud van Nistelrooy.

There are plenty of parallels to be made between Nigel Pearson and United's manager of 26 years Sir Alex Ferguson. Both were appointed with the task of rebuilding struggling sides. United were on the verge of relegation, Leicester were relegated from the Championship. Both managed teams that pulled off impressive comebacks - the Red Devils are often called the "comeback kings", while the Foxes, under Pearson, learned to overcome 1 and 2-goal deficits, carrying the trend into the Ranieri era and earning the same name. Fittingly, both Ferguson and Pearson won managerial awards as well as titles. Pearson has yet to win said titles with a Premier League club, but that may yet change.

Sir Alex himself complimented Pearson on his work at Leicester, saying his team "were fantastic". Sadly, I can't recall the last time that word was used to describe Manchester United.

Sir Alex Ferguson. Photo: Total Fusbol

Critics may point to a scandal involving Pearson's son which led to his sacking. However, a fair assessment of the manager's abilities should not be affected by his son's behavior. They'll also point to Pearson's fiery temper, most notably in some of his encounters with the press, but before the critics do any more pointing, the clear-headed among us will show them the door.

Lets not forget that Ferguson, who wasn't on bad terms with the press to begin with, had a tough time with the media as the years went on. In his autobiography, he writes that it was difficult to have any relationship at all with the "intense and volatile" press of today. And who could blame him? Pointless questions are asked, provocations are made, and facts are often spun out of proportion, or slanted in favor of where the money's from, and not just in sports journalism.

Sir Alex became synonymous with Manchester United, etching his name in the history of football as one of the game's greatest managers. Naturally, United struggled to transition into the post-Fergie era, first with David Moyes in charge, and now with Louis van Gaal. As it turns out, the job of Manchester United manager calls for something more than just Premier League experience - there's an "it factor" involved as well.

Sir Alex Ferguson was a managerial phenomenon, and neither Manchester United nor any other football club will likely find another leader of his intellect and tactical ability any time soon. What they can find, however, is someone with similar qualities who can take the team in a very similar direction.

All that's left to do is put pen to paper.

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Highlights of Nigel Pearson's first season at Leicester:
League One champs, promotion to Championship
23 game unbeaten run (2008-09)
4 losses in 46 league games

Highlights of Sir Alex Ferguson's first full season at Manchester United:
2nd place top division finish
10 game unbeaten run (March - May 1988)
5 losses in 40 league games


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by Aleks V | @aleksvee

It was just another cold, wintry day in the Moscow Oblast as Dynamo prepared to face off against city rivals Lokomotiv. The pregame fireworks, however, suggested this was no ordinary derby.

This past month, Dynamo Moscow celebrated the 70th anniversary of their historic tour of Britain, in which the team beat Chelsea, Cardiff City, Arsenal and Glasgow Rangers with a combined score of 19:9. Representatives from all four clubs and family of the Dynamo players from the 1945 team were invited to Moscow for anniversary-related festivities and were VIP guests at the derby at Arena Khimki on November 30th.

Photo: fcdynamo.ru

Following a sneak peak at the Dynamo stadium's ongoing reconstruction, the group were joined by the club board for a meal at a restaurant and were shown a video put together by Dynamo TV. Then it was off to Arena Khimki, where the guests were not only treated to gifts, but also to a thrilling match that ended in a 2:2 draw. A ceremonial kick off was performed by Arsenal director Ken Friar OBE and Natalia Frolova, daughter of Dynamo manager Mikhail Yakushin, who coached the team during the tour. Among other attendees were three representatives from Cardiff City, Arsenal legend Liam Brady, ex-Glasgow Rangers defender John "Bomber" Brown, and Chelsea ambassador Tore André Flo.

Flo, who had a spell at Rangers, remembers playing at the old Dynamo stadium, where he scored a goal in his team's 4-1 second leg win over the Moscow club in the second round of the 2001-02 UEFA Cup. The game remains Dynamo's last against a British side in any competition.

Few today can brag about having had a firsthand experience related to the 1945 tour, and Ken Friar is among them. "I remember how as a boy I wanted to see the Arsenal-Dynamo match," he recalls. "But tickets were impossible to get, so I had to listen on the radio." Indeed, 54,000 filled the stands that day at White Hart Lane, the Gunners' temporary home after WWII. The match proved to be one of the most memorable - ask anyone who's heard of the Dynamo tour, and they'll probably mention the high-scoring, controversial contest played in a thick "pea souper" of a fog.

Although there was no match between the British and the Russians this year, smiles were exchanged, and memories were made and shared, just as they were 70 years ago.

Photo: fcdynamo.ru

In true Russian style, events surrounding the anniversary began long before the actual dates, when Dynamo attended Soccerex in Manchester this September. Thus, the visit to Moscow by the British two months later became symbolic - it paralleled the return visits in 1954 and 1955, when Arsenal and Wolverhampton set foot on Dynamo stadium.

Such gatherings demonstrate that the importance of the tour lies beyond the pages of text and photographs. They reignite interest in a shared history, and more importantly remind a new generation of the connection between the future and past.

As a famous Russian expression states, "the new is actually the well-forgotten old".
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More on the 70th anniversary of Dynamo Moscow's tour of Britain

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