UEFA Cup first round, first leg: If the gargantuan opulence of Nicolae Ceausescu's Palace of the Parliament serves as a monument to one man's rampant egotism, Everton's performance here last night spoke volumes about David Moyes's tactical pragmatism.
Everton's manager, a purist at heart, knows that this team are not good enough to pass their way to victory, and instead trusted that a series of well-choreographed set-piece routines and aerial balls would steer his team towards the group stage.
Although they scored an away goal, this somewhat cynical gameplan was insufficient to leave them with any more than a slender hope of overcoming a four-goal deficit and prevailing in the second leg at Goodison Park in two weeks.
The pain of failure will only be compounded by the knowledge that all Everton's endeavours in finishing fourth last season have effectively been for nothing.
As expected, Moyes fielded a midfield quintet, but its components were less anticipated. With Kevin Kilbane and Mikel Arteta dropped to the bench, there were places for Leon Osman and James McFadden on the right and left respectively.
The Scot swiftly began troubling Lucian Goian, the right-back, only to let himself down by persistently being caught offside.
No matter. Everton's in-your-face-approach was succeeding in denying Dinamo space and ruffling them appreciably.
It prompted several Everton set pieces, with one free-kick curled fractionally off target by Simon Davies as the Merseysiders dictated.
Not that Dinamo were to be underestimated. Apart from repeatedly thwarting Everton's attempts to sustain a high tempo by collapsing with a series of "injuries" requiring breaks for medical attention before the "victim" rose unscathed, they fielded a highly impressive individual in Ianis Zicu.
Operating just behind Claudiu Niculescu, Zicu dragged defenders out of position, giving Nigel Martyn a fright courtesy of a long-range shot unleashed after Phil Neville surrendered possession.
Requiring minimal assistance, Martyn had completed the Guardian crossword in enviably swift time during Everton's flight on Wednesday, but he could muster no answers to Niculescu's opener, as the striker lashed the ball into an empty net after Zicu's lay-off and Florentin Petre's cross had not only lured the goalkeeper off his line, but also evaded the lunging Joseph Yobo.
Everton's centre half did not take long to atone, however, heading Davies's free-kick over the line to register an equaliser.
Even so, those visiting fans crammed into a corner of Dinamo's Spartan little ground must have been giving thanks that Ioan Andone's side looked clueless at defending dead balls, because their team were creating precious little in open play.
Indeed, with Dinamo playing largely on the break, Moyes's men may well have conceded a second when Zicu once again drew Martyn out of his goal, but Tony Hibbert reacted smartly to clear.
However, there was no one on hand to perform similar heroics when, six minutes into the second half, Niculescu delivered an immaculate left-wing cross and Zicu volleyed the second past Martyn from six yards.
Martyn was needed to save smartly with his legs from Florin Bratu, but he had no hope of repelling the third. Beautifully struck from 20 yards by Florentin Petre, the midfielder's opportunistic shot had caught Moyes's defence cold.
Ditto number four, which arrived when Bratu, receiving possession in the area, swivelled superbly before guiding a curving shot beyond Martyn.
Shortly after that Duncan Ferguson saw a typical header well saved by Uladzimir Gaev, but Bratu then made it five, ghosting into space behind the otherwise valiant Yobo and stroking the ball home.
DINAMO BUCHAREST: (4-4-1-1): Gaev; Goian, Tamas, Moti, Pulhac; Petre, Margaritescu, Plesan (Munteanu, 77), Grigorie; Zicu; Niculescu (Bratu, 60). Subs not used: Guso, Galamaz, Baltoi, Cristea, Balan.
EVERTON: (4-5-1) Martyn; Hibbert, Yobo, Weir, Valente; Osman, Davies (Kilbane, 73), Neville, Cahill, McFadden (Ferguson, 77); Bent. Subs not used: Wright, Li Tie, Ferrari, Arteta, Hughes.
Referee: G Paparesta (Italy)
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