20 March 1990 - Farewell To The Black Spider

On 20 March 1990, Dynamo Moscow star Lev Yashin died. Nicknamed "the Black Spider" for his customary all-black kit, he is remembered by many as the greatest goalkeeper in history.

Born in Moscow, Yashin spent his entire professional career with Dynamo, making 326 league appearances from 1949 to 1971. In the process, he won five league titles and three Soviet Cups. Once, when asked about his incredible record for stopping penalty kicks, he said the secret was "to have a smoke to calm your nerves, then toss back a strong drink to tone your muscles."

Despite his success with Dynamo, he rose to international fame as keeper for the Soviet national team. He earned his first cap in 1954 and was instrumental in their gold medal winning 1956 Summer Olympics campaign, allowing only two goals in the tournament. He was equally frugal in the 1960 European Championship, again allowing only two goals in the tournament as the Soviet Union won the inaugural tournament.

In 1963, the year he captured his fifth league title with Dynamo, he won the Ballon d'Or, becoming the first--and to date only--goalkeeper to win the award.

He suffered a knee injury in 1986 that led to the amputation of one of his legs. That created complications that led to his death in 1990. Four years later, FIFA created the Lev Yashin Award, given to the best goalkeeper at the World Cup.

5 August 2009 - A Last-Minute Goal 220 Years In The Making

On 5 August 2009, Celtic defeated Dynamo Moscow 0-2 in the Champions League third qualifying round to advance 2-1 on aggregate. It was the first time in history that Celtic won a European tie after losing the first leg at home.

They nearly didn't make it. After losing the first leg in Glasgow, 0-1, the situation looked bleak. Playing before a below-capacity crowd of 12,000 at the Arena Khimki in Moscow, the hosts appeared content to sit on their one-goal advantage. But a 44th-minute header from striker Scott McDonald leveled the aggregate score at 1-1.

Celtic, who had enjoyed the majority of possession in the first half, continued to control the match after the break. McDonald narrowly missed another goal in the 62nd minute, as his shot flew just inches past the far post. In the 79th minute, with extra-time looming, manager Tony Mowbray replaced McDonald with striker Georgios Samaras (pictured). The Greek striker quickly repaid Mowbray's faith with a stunning bit of athleticism, dribbling through three Dynamo defenders to notch the tie-winner in the 90th minute.

It was the first time in the club's more than 220 years of history that they won a European tie after losing the first leg at home. The euphoria did not last long, however, as Celtic were eliminated from the competition in the next round by Arsenal.

24 May 1972 - The (Non-) Cup Winners' Cup

On 24 May 1972, Scotland's Rangers won their first (and to date only) European trophy, beating Dynamo Moscow 3-2 in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final before 24,000 at Barcelona's Camp Nou. Despite the tournament's name, Rangers (pictured, post-match) are one of five teams to win the competition without actually entering as a cup winner.

The tournament, played from the 1960-61 season to the 1998-99 season, was open to the winners of the domestic cup competitions in UEFA's member states. But the defending Scottish Cup champion that year was Celtic, who also qualified for the European Cup by winning the league, so Rangers, as the Scottish Cup runners-up, took the spot.

Dynamo, on the other hand, qualified in the traditional manner by winning the 1970 Soviet Union Cup. All eyes in the USSR were on them, as they were the first Soviet team to make it to a European final. Still, only about 400 supporters traveled from Moscow, compared to over 16,000 for Rangers.

The Scots dominated the first fifty minutes, going up 3-0, but Dynamo pulled one back at the hour mark, then heightened the tension by scoring a second in the 87th minute. With one minute remaining, thousands of Rangers supporters invaded the pitch, thinking the match was over. The match stopped while the pitch was cleared, then when the final whistle sounded, the Rangers supporters rushed the pitch again, clashing with the police in several altercations.

As a result of the supporters' actions, UEFA banned Rangers from the next season's competition, preventing them from defending their title.

13 November 1945 - The Soviets Invade Britain

On 13 November 1945, Dynamo Moscow drew with Chelsea, 3-3, at Stamford Bridge before a capacity crowd of 85,000. It was the opening match of Dynamo's England tour, which saw them also face Cardiff, Arsenal, and Glasgow Rangers.

The tour was engineered by members of the FA and the Football League, who were looking to celebrate the resumption of English football after its World War II hiatus. As one of the Soviet Union's leading clubs, Dynamo generated a lot of interest in a British public that was still unfamiliar with the Soviet nation. The British press, however, was critical of the Soviets' footballing abilities, with one reporter saying Dynamo were "not nearly good enough to play our class of professional teams."

The opening half against Chelsea appeared to prove him correct, as Dynamo went down 2-0. In the second half, however, Dynamo's fluid passing game allowed them to equalize. Late into the second half, new Blues signing Tommy Lawton appeared to win the match for Chelsea with a header, but Dynamo's Vsyevolod Bobrov scored a dramatic third for the Soviets, despite appearing to be offside.

Dynamo continued to impress on its tour, crushing Third Division Cardiff, 10-1, then beating Arsenal 4-3, before finally losing to Rangers, 3-2. (Highlights of the Rangers match can be seen below.)