THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ISTANBUL, Turkey — Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Jadson scored in extra time Wednesday to clinch the last UEFA Cup with a 2-1 win over Werder Bremen.
The teams had drawn 1-1 through regular time at Istanbul’s Sukru Saracoglu Stadium before Jadson, one of five Brazilian players in Shakhtar’s lineup, hit a shot from about 12 yards in the 97th minute.
Goalkeeper Tim Wiese got to the shot but let it slip over his own line to make Shakhtar the first Ukrainian team to win the UEFA Cup.
Shakhtar, which first took the lead in the 25th through Luiz Adriano before Naldo equalized 10 minutes later, also became the last winner of the tournament in its present form.
Europe’s second-tier club competition will be reshaped and renamed the Europa League for next season.
While Wiese’s error decided the match, the first two goals — both scored by Brazilians — came from mistakes.
Bremen defender Sebastian Proedl, starting only because of an injury to Germany international Per Mertesacker, first failed to cut out a simple pass by Shakhtar defender Razvan Rat. The ball ran to Luiz Adriano, who cut inside and lifted a shot over Wiese.
Shakhtar, which was the better side throughout, created more openings during the next 10 minutes and goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov had little to do until Naldo hit a free kick over the wall following a foul on Markus Rosenberg by Fernandinho.
The shot was firmly struck and almost right at Pyatov and he got both hands to it, but inexplicably could only deflect the ball into his own net.
But those errors did not detract from the entertaining play on the field, particularly by the Brazil-inspired Shakhtar.
With attacking midfielders Willian, Jadson and Ilsinho in support of lone striker Adriano, the Ukrainian team shrugged off its reputation for occasionally turgid play to frequently baffle the Bremen defence.
Only the resistance of Naldo, yet another Brazilian at the heart of Bremen’s back line, seemed to deny Shakhtar a more convincing victory.
With Bremen sloppily giving the ball away, Shakhtar had the first chance in the sixth minute when Ilsinho and Jadson combined to set up Luiz Adriano, who shot just wide of the post when he could have taken more time to place his shot past Wiese.
Bremen captain Frank Baumann responded with a similarly wide shot moments later but Shakhtar counterattacked to again take the initiative.
The Brazilian flair seemed infectious as Shakhtar’s Dmytro Chygrynskiy calmly slipped the ball under pressure to fellow defender Rat before receiving the return pass and clearing.
With the teams tied 1-1, Willian almost created another goal in first-half injury time, twisting and turning on the right before sending over a cross that a defender put over his own bar before it could reach Adriano.
Although chances were fewer at the start of the second half, both teams continued their entertaining play, with Ilsinho dancing over the ball before setting up a colleague for a cross with a delicate back heel that fooled two defenders.
At the other end, Rosenberg turned and shot inside the area but was blocked.
While Shakhtar coach Mirea Lucescu opted to give players individual instruction as they lay on the grass stretching or receiving massages to relieve cramp at the end of 90 minutes, Bremen’s Thomas Schaaf — a player with the club before his decade as coach — gathered his team about him in a huddle for what looked like a rallying call.
Lucescu’s approach was more productive, with Wiese pushing out long-range shot from Darijo Srna and diving at the feet of Olexandr Gladkiy to deny the substitute a chance before Jadson scored.
And although Pyatov saved at the near post from a snap shot by Pizarro, Willian almost made it 3-1 with long-range chip onto the roof of net.