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Magnifique! Poland-Greece 2:0.

August 13th, 2009 | By: tomasz | 41 Comments »

Life writes the best scripts. The much awaited debut of Ludovic Obraniak ended in him scoring two goals and leading the Bialo Czerwoni to a 2-0 win against Greece. It was a dream-like introduction of Ludo to the Polish fans. However, what’s most important is that the team performed good enough for the fans to believe in victories against Northern Ireland and Slovenia in September.

Poland-Greece 2:0 (47., 79. Obraniak)
Poland: Boruc – Wasilewski, Zewlakow, Dudka, Krzynowek – Blaszczykowski (83. Saganowski), Murawski (75. Jodlowiec), M. Lewandowski, Smolarek (46. Obraniak) – Roger (75. Lobodzinski) – R.Lewandowski (55. Brozek)

The first big surprise of the game was the fact that Obraniak started it on the bench. Leo decided to give a chance to Ebi Smolarek on the left wing and Rafal Murawski in the centre. The injured Jelen apart, it was our strongest possible lineup. The team was playing quite good from the beginning. The defense made no serious mistakes, the positioning was good, Zewlakow together with Dudka intercepted a lot of crucial passes. Krzynowek sometimes lost his position, but was well covered by the central defenders. Mariusz Lewandowski was his usual self (in a positive way) whereas Murawski showed that he feels very good as a linkup player between defense and offense. The Rubin Kazan midfielder was the one who tried to speed up our play and deliver the ball to the attacking minded players. Jakub Blaszczykowski was behind our most threatening attacks in the first half; each ball passed to him meant that something interesting would happen. He lost the ball on a couple of occasions, nevertheless he remains one of few Polish players who are not afraid to take risk. It was also clear that both Ebi and Roger are far from their best. Ambitious as they were playing, they lacked the pace and physical strength needed to outrun the Greek defenders. Robert Lewandowski had an ok game, though he sometimes struggled to keep possession with defenders on his back. Our best chances came from shots by Blaszczu and Muras, the first aimed at the goalie, the second just wide of the target. Kuba had another good chance, but was dispossessed by a defender at the last moment. Ebi’s good shot was blocked and R.Lewandowski missed a header on one occasion. We controlled the game, though the tempo of our play left a bit to be desired. The idea was definitely there, but sometimes it was brought to life a bit too slowly.

Second half and something that the fans were waiting for: Ludovic Obraniak entered the pitch. Our first corner and a sign that the new Bialo Czerwony was born with a silver spoon. M.Lewandowski headed the ball in the box, Wasyl’s shot got deflected off Obraniak and the ball crossed the line out of reach of the surprised Chalkias. First, I thought it was Wasyl who scored, but the replays showed clearly that the ball hit Ludo before ending up in the net. Wasyl was happy to give the goal away to the newest member of the team. The situation was perfect, we could afford to wait for Greece to attack and use our most powerful weapon: counter attack. The Greeks are nowhere near the European top in terms of the offensive power so I expected a lot of goalscoring opportunities for our team. Surprisingly, after the goal we weren’t as consequent in our play as before. The defenders started to kick the ball away with no reason or pass it back to the keeper. Instead of keeping the ball we wanted to reach the Greek box too quickly and lost possession too easily. The Greeks had their occasions; fortunately Artur Boruc was in place to confirm that the Scottish journalists were right: he is returning to his best. Then the most beautiful play of the whole game happened. Kuba had the ball outside of the box, flicked it above the defenders towards Pawel Brozek, who passed it to Obraniak, who didn’t think much and volleyed it to score the second goal. Wow! That was something we don’t often see from the Bialo Czerwoni. That goal ended the match, we were satisfied with the result and the Greeks had no idea how to turn the game around. Good result, a new hero for the fans and a glimpse of hope before the qualifiers. Not bad for one friendly game.

Player ratings (1-10):

Artur Boruc 7: very confident performance, not even a small mistake and a one great save when he turned the ball above the bar. Seems like he put his problems behind him.
Marcin Wasilewski 6: ambitious as always, finally posed some threat in the opponents’ box. Enabled Obraniak to score his first.
Michal Zewlakow 7: good defending, a lot of intercepted passes. Brought the ball well out of defense, especially in the first half.
Dariusz Dudka 7: formed a good partnership with Zewlakow, more confident on the ball than usual.
Jacek Krzynowek 6: sometimes lacked good positioning, but didn’t lose his head under pressure and took part in a couple of offensive plays.
Mariusz Lewandowski 6: his main task was to keep possession and he realized it adequately.
Rafal Murawski 6: a player that can be found anywhere on the pitch, usually the first to introduce our pressing. Covers the gaps in the midfield.
Jakub Blaszczykowski 7: the best dribbler in the team, every action had to run through him in the first half. Great pass for the second goal, very dynamic. Could have and should have scored on two occasions.
Ebi Smolarek 5: I haven’t seen him this ambitious in a long time. Very alive, but not efficient enough. Hasn’t got enough pace to outrun defenders.
Roger Guerreiro 5: the players have to remember to pass the ball directly to his feet, otherwise he’s useless. Sometimes took too much time on the ball. Great opening pass for Blaszczu in the first half.
Robert Lewandowski 5: tried to keep possession as much as possible. Dangerous when with his face towards the goal, good in one touch play. Not a single goalscoring opportunity though.
Ludovic Obraniak 7: the first goal was lucky, but the second one proved all the qualities we’ve seen on the compilation videos. Doesn’t think twice when he has to shoot the ball. Played as a left winger, but entered the box on every possible occasion. Looks to me he’s more a central midfielder than a natural winger outrunning defenders. I wait to see him crossing the ball. Very skillful, fast feet, no problems with keeping possession.
Pawel Brozek 6: put the ball above the bar in his single goalscoring opportunity. Great assist for the second Obraniak goal.
Tomasz Jodlowiec 6: put by Leo in the midfield, did very well to calm the game down during the spell of Greek attacks.
Wojciech Lobodzinski 5: way behind Blaszczu in terms of skills. Was one on one with defenders on numerous occasions, but failed to capitalize on it.
Marek Saganowski 5: didn’t bring anything worth mentioning to the game.

Conclusions:

- Ludovic Obraniak is a very good addition to the team. He’s got the skills, he’s got the goals. It’s too early to call him the saviour of the Bialo Czerwoni, but he certainly gives a lot of new options to the team.
- it’s absolutely crucial that Kuba Blaszczykowski stays healthy in September. The team is just on a higher level with him on the pitch.
- both Ebi Smolarek and Roger have to improve. It’s not a coincidence that Ebi is without club and Roger often sits on Legia’s bench. Smolarek is closer to losing his place in the team to Obraniak.
- Jacek Krzynowek can manage as a left back against serious competition. He looks much better than Wawrzyniak or Komorowski.
- Tomasz Jodlowiec can be a backup player for Mariusz Lewandowski or Rafal Murawski.
- Artur Boruc reclaims his position as Poland’s nr 1 with the performance against Greece. He’ll start against the Irish even if Lukasz Fabianski is healthy.
- Rafal Murawski should start playing regularly for Rubin Kazan sooner than later, he looks fine to me.
- we’re capable of winning the games against Northern Ireland and Slovenia.

The friendly against Greece ended more positively than anyone could’ve expected. The team looks ready to compete in the qualifiers. Some riddles got solved; Ludovic Obraniak is a great addition to the team, Artur Boruc looks as if he’s put his personal problems behind him, Jakub Blaszczykowski is in good form at the start of the season and Rafal Murawski is still the same player we’ve cheered on Ekstraklasa pitches. Come the qualifiers, the Bialo Czerwoni will have the fans’ full support.

Highlights:

Goals

1:0

2:0

Extended highlights

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Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 41 comments.

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By MarcinO | August 14th, 2009 at 10:03 am

The PZPN tried the nationalistic approach for a very long time. In doing so they lost a lot of quality guys, some that wanted to play for us but were deemed not good enough for whatever reasons. So where did that get them? Because of all that we are witnessing interest in football among kids growing up in Poland nowhere near the level it is in other football first nations. These kids are not motivated to sacrifice and work hard so maybe one day they can represent Poland at a World Cup. The younger generations don’t have world class footballers they can look up to (God bless Boruc, also Kuba is on his way). Thank God Boniek and Lato are still among us. Not a lot of younger people will even know who they are because they never seen them play.

As a person looking at it from the outside, I don’t care anymore how they do it as long as they get results. Some people can’t accept the fact that Poland is changing (for the better) and is more multicultural. I like that because it keeps things interesting. For those of you who spent most of your lives outside of Poland, I don’t think anyone would blame you for giving your current home nation the right of first refusal to represent at an international level. I think our fans are afraid to get labelled or criticized for our national team becoming open to all with some Polish roots. None of that will matter as soon as they start wining consistently.

By Peter | August 14th, 2009 at 8:01 pm

Roger and Obraniak aren’t playing for Poland because of their love for the country and or the culture. Roger and Obraniak are playing for Poland because they cant get on to the French and Brazilian team.

Believe me I am a big believer in a more multicultural Poland, Poland will be much better of in the long run if they start getting more multicultural.

I also believe more in ethnicity than race. Ethnicity is defined as the culture one practices and/or is raised in. I would be all for a Vietnamese kid playing for the NT if he was raised and/or “became” polish with no ulterior motives.

A lot of guys in Poland talk about the German NT but almost all their guys grew up speaking German, including the Poles.

Wejher – I would consider you polish and of course British regardless of your “blood.” You chose to immerse yourself in the polish culture. Guys like Obraniak only “rediscover” their polish blood in order to play on the national team.

By SD | August 14th, 2009 at 8:57 pm

Ya but is being a second choice all that really bad. I mean if you apply to your top college and don’t accepted do you decided not to go to college at all or go to your second choice. Plus the word “mercenary” would imply the PNZP is paying Ludovic and Roger money to play for Poland. They no they’re not joining a Brazil or Spain that is almost guarenteed a spot in semi-finals in the world cup, hell they’re not even guarenteed a spot at all. The only thing they’re guarenteed is the right to represent poland on the international stage with loyal Polish supporters. Some people claim Roger joined because he wanted to showcase himself in the Euro and join a bigger club. Its been more than a year since the Euro and hes still palying for Legia and still playing for the NT. And what does Ludovic have to gain really? He’s already in a big club. And if he now wants to rediscover his roots now, better late than never. And Obraniak himself stressed he got a Polish passport to reconnect not to play for the NT. Hes bound to help the NT win more and if you’d rather see the performances from the South Africa friendlies instead of the Greece game on the account of what you believe are “true intentions” or “second chance NTs” than do you even what to see the team succede. I’m not saying the team should become the German or French disgraces of NTs but Ludovic and Roger are certainly not “mercenaries” and like Ludovic said give 200% for Polska.

By Paradowski | August 14th, 2009 at 10:05 pm

I really like and agree with SD’s reply – very well said. And I’m sure Ludovic is also making is father very proud (and all his family), and that must mean a lot to him.

By adas | August 14th, 2009 at 10:29 pm

This is ridiculous. You don’t know that Roger doesn’t feel he’s Polish or want to be. If he’s learning the damn language, which is predominantly only spoken in Poland, then how can you say he’s not commited? In the US we’re called Polish-Americans. Why can’t Roger be a Brazilian-Pole? And to top it off, there are two players on the team not born and raised in Poland. Roger must have been offerred the chance to play, meaning the PZPN wanted him to at least try out. The other is of Polish descent. Most of the team still struggles to gel and play well together for whatever reason. Adding a little Brazilian flair, or Obraniak’s apparant lack of fear to step up and take initiative can help to relax the team. Even Boruc plays more relaxed when the guys up front can play well. So what gives? The all-Polish team struggles to win and everyone gets pissed. When they start to win, will it be “This isn’t right, the team’s to diluted with foreign players, its not a real Polish team.” Trust me, if pulling all eleven starters for Brazil to Poland meant we had to go through one generation of not “real” Poles but being successful at football, the children would work their asses off to succeed them. And clearly, we’re not gonna see anything like that happen.

By Peter | August 14th, 2009 at 11:03 pm

I called them mercenaries because they joined the Polish NT to showcase their skills to a wider audience which they hope they could parlay into cash. Therefore they are “polish” simply for the money, the PZPN is certainly not paying them but they are there purely for monetary reasons. This backfired on Roger because he just proved his game is too slow for any higher level league and barely on par in the Polish league.

Second Obraniak will say whatever the correct thing is to say. I find it a weird coincidence that his rediscovery of his roots just happens to coincide with him reaching an age where it would be unlikely he would make the French team.

By Witold | August 14th, 2009 at 11:55 pm

Kuba! Obraniak! Boruc! Go Polska Go!

Another French is tempted by the Polish NT, Timothee Kolodziejczak, a talentuous left back who plays for Lyon…

Damien Perquis seems to be very serious, a lot of French internet site talk about that, but in one, Damien explain why he want to play for us, how much his polish grand mother and his mother are proud of this decision, and he wish that his girl have also the Polish nationality, because he is proud of his Polish roots:

Sorry it is in french
The Polish Dream of Damien Perquis
http://www.lest-eclair.fr/index.php/cms/13/article/339265/Le_reve_polonais__de_Damien_Perquis

I was born in France, my father and my mother are polish, I’m married with a Canadian, my two children wear the Polish NT suit because I’m proud of my roots, and I’m pretty sure that if they will be good enough to play in international level, they will either will play for Canada or Poland, but because Poland is a better team, it will be more interesting for them to play for Poland. Are you sure that every NT Polish born player plays for the NT only because they are proud to be polish?

By SD | August 15th, 2009 at 12:08 am

Just as adas said, how can you tell what theyre really their for. But I feel its pointless to argue because it seems this whole business of foreign players is split 50/50 with the fans. Half including most ot the Polish diaspora fans seem to like the foreign players while the other half with more natives seem to dislike it. I was looking at a comment section of a arcticle on Laurent Koscielny and it seems that its 50/50 some want him others don’t (link –> http://sport.wp.pl/kat,1728,title,Koscielny-drugim-Obraniakiem,wid,11262281,wiadomosc.html?ticaid=18916 ). Luckily in my case Leo, the NT players, Lato, and the PZNP all are in favor of foreign players. Whether their intentions are pure or not you have to atleast admit it is helping the national team while the younger Polish players train for Euro 2012( Janczyk, Salamon, Glik ect.) Some people say its not about winning or losing but I am competitive person and I always want to win and quite frankly I want to see the NT win whether Roger is doing it for money as you say or for more honorable reasons as I see him doing. Ludovic however i know 100% he aint doing it for money and if he didn’t make French team thats too bad for them because its their loss and our gain.

By SD | August 15th, 2009 at 12:17 am

Oh ya and nice article Witold, i ran it thru google translator. In all honesty if I had to choose to play for USA or Poland i’d go Poland b/c 1. soccer in America isn’t given much respect and 2. like Damien Piques I’d feel more proud playing for Poland than USA.

By Tomek | August 15th, 2009 at 5:56 am

Fully agree with SD, couldn’t say it better.

Roger might even have chosen Poland to make himself more known, but so what?
Yes, he probably did join Poland ’cause he’d never play for Brazil, but again so what? He took the job seriously, especially now since he even learned to speak Polish, which is very impressive since it’s one of the most difficult languages to learn for a non-Eastern European person.

Obraniak could have been eventually get called up when he moves to a bigger team, and France get a competent coach (both shouldn’t take too long to happen), and he knew that, but he still chose for Poland.
He was one of the best players from Ligue 1 last season so if he would keep it up then France would welcome him with open arms, but he still refused them.
He wanted to make his family proud, which is one of the most noble things to do, especially during these times.

Posted from Netherlands

By a | August 15th, 2009 at 8:26 am

Regarding the national team having foreign players, for the answer I would look to American politicians. As long as half are for it and the other half against it, we can’t lose. Its called having you cake and eating it too.

By Casimir | August 15th, 2009 at 2:37 pm

Ebi was raised in the Netherlands… I guess we should’ve never called him up….

By Rydzynski | August 16th, 2009 at 1:35 pm

Rafal Murawski made his first appearance for Rubin Kazan today, coming in at the 60th minute.

By Tomek | August 16th, 2009 at 2:13 pm

That’s pretty bad I thought Murawski would start. This is a really weird situation.

By Peter | August 16th, 2009 at 3:20 pm

To me and I believe to most people the russian league is shrouded in mystery. Poles should avoid it like the plague for the sake of their career

By Casimir | August 16th, 2009 at 8:19 pm

Yeah, it seems like every player we have who goes there ends up disappearing. I can understand the attraction to going to a Russian team, culture and language isn’t that much different, but really would be better off going to a league that develops talent better like the Netherlands or Germany, or at least Ukraine if they can’t make the leap to a western league yet.

By adas | August 16th, 2009 at 11:32 pm

I think it might be a case of wanting to just get out of Poland. It certainly feels like the Russian league gets some more exposure than the Polish league. And if the Dutch, German, or Ukrainian leagues aren’t asking then how are you gonna go? In the end though, a lot of times it feels as though there’s like a racism against Polish players in other leagues. Not always, but especially in the big clubs. Just look at the Man U situation. Kusczak will never get a real chance. I don’t think its because he’s not shown any skill for the game. Maybe Ben Foster is the better keeper, but we’ll never really know without a fair competition for the job.

By Casimir | August 17th, 2009 at 12:31 am

I agree with you on the Kuszczak comment. The guy that does the offside site for ManU went to great lengths to bash Tomasz as the “polish failbot” and yet praised Foster for what? Foster hasn’t done shit. I personally don’t like Kuszczak but he would easily overtake Foster if Foster wasn’t the English’s last hope of having a decent keeper in their NT.

By Tomek | August 17th, 2009 at 2:18 am

Fully agree with you Casimir, I can’t believe unprofessional behavior like that is tolerated on the Offside. That guy must be like, 12 or something.

Posted from Netherlands

By Peter | August 17th, 2009 at 10:18 am

I don’t think Kuszczak is experiencing racism. It just so happens he is not much better than Foster. Their skills being almost equal you will almost certainly give an advantage to a home country kid. Thats going to be the case in every league.

By adas | August 17th, 2009 at 5:25 pm

That in and of itself is some form of prejudice. Foster shouldn’t be deemed better because he is English. And I’m sure there are fans of Man U. who don’t think of him as anything because he is Polish. The fact is, we may not be despised in the world, but we certainly aren’t looked up to. Its just a fact.

By Peter | August 17th, 2009 at 8:32 pm

He is not deemed better because he is english, he is simply given an advantage because he is english.

Of course the fact of the matter is that the coaches simply believe Foster is better, which may be the case. Or he is getting the backup position for locker room reasons.

By adas | August 18th, 2009 at 9:13 am

He is deemed the better fit because he’s English. Its just like being deemed better. When prejudice is involved it means someone is thought of as better based on where they are from rather than skill. I’m not saying Kusczak is even the better player. to me it seems like the two should have an equal opportunity to battle for the postion. That will never happen, which makes me wonder why Man. U. have Kusczak at all. He does make a lot of money that could be spent elsewhere.

By Peter | August 19th, 2009 at 1:24 pm

Starting over someone else does not mean coaches believe you are better than the other person. Better players often sit on the bench for a variety of reasons.

By SD | August 20th, 2009 at 12:58 am

Ok I will say this, after watching some videos of him on youtube it seems he’s cooled off a little. A couple of years ago his goal celebrations were ridiculous with him kicking and banging his head on the sideline and pulling his shirt up everytime. But last season he was much more mellow with his celebrations. But as long as Leo is coach he aint gonna play on NT cause they just but heads.

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