Poland 1, Croatia 0: Ah, sports.

June 4th, 2006 | by: Os Davis |

Poland 1, Croatia 0. This is why we love sports, i guess.

Yesterday, many of us had the Bialo-czerwoni written off, not advancing past group play, rebuilding for 2010…today, well, we’re baaaaaaaaaaaaaack. Just check out the telegram-like comments of excitement from a handful of faithful. In what other walk of life can faith be lost and regained so quickly and gloriously?

That international word “Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!” sure never sounded better than last night in the 54th minute when loved than despised and now recrowned Ebi “The Hash Bomber” Smolarek scored the header that made the difference. I bet he was high (nudge nudge wink wink) after this game.

(Incidentally, it was said that Ebi’s play in the Colombia match was due to a bout of food poisoning and that five Croatian players in this game were suffering from same. Meanwhile, ’stateside we’ve got Dirk Nowitski in Dallas and Dwayne Wade in Miami also getting food poisoning before crucial elimination games. What gives? Was someome reading my comments on Kobe Bryant Syndrome?)

Boruc, whose neck was reportedly being measured so as to calculate the size of the noose he’d soon be sporting alongside the Dude(k) and Tomasz Kuszczak, was only seriously threatened once and for once had luck on his side, as Dario Srna’s free kick hit the crossbar in the 42nd.

And even Pawel Janas has got to be feeling a bit lighter of criticism. Not only does a win stifle detractors more effectively than anything short of resignation, but Coach wisely let his assistant Maciej Skorza handle the media back home.

Sweetest of all, I’ll be enjoying a nice bottle of something bagged from the Kaiser in winning a bit i thought was a lost cause since the Lithuania game. Cheers!

Surely we can all agree that sports is hardly the most important thing in a world boasting billions of starving, race hatred and a fragile ecosystem. Yet, in such an existence where belief comes difficultly and the aesthetics of the human body are so often taken for granted, sport can provide a vacation-like atmosphere of exuberance, an excellent way to discuss beautiful moments of the past, the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat and, perhaps most of all, a bloody brilliant excuse to drink with lots of other people in the middle of the way if necessary.

Poland 1, Croatia 0. Wow. Now is anyone else ready for the Cup?

Tags: boruc, Croatia, food poisoning, Poland, Smolarek

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Comments

By Bart | June 4th, 2006 at 10:38 am

to all our “fans” That booed us at home in the Colombian game

The bandwagon is officially closed.

Posted from Canada

By Martin | June 4th, 2006 at 5:48 pm

Go Poland! I will believe strongly in this team over the whole World Cup!

PS. Good article

Posted from United States

By Adaś | June 4th, 2006 at 6:08 pm

Good blogging.

I think what this game showed though, is that if Polska is going to win, they’re gonna do it through hard work and pinch of luck. Every article I’ve read points out Croatia’s domination and the absence of key players. Having said that, it’s not like we need to win every game 10-0. As long as we can get a key goal here and there, meanwhile stacking the midfield so as to hold of the more talented players of other teams, we can do this

POLSKA GOLA

By Maks | June 5th, 2006 at 5:58 am

Great blog. I check it everyday and hope you post a new one. This makes my day! GO POLSKA BABY!

Posted from United States

By Austin | June 5th, 2006 at 6:31 pm

Polska kroluje!!!!!
Tylko tak dalej! Uczcijmy pamiec Gorskiego dobrym wystepem w Mundialu… Trzecie miejsce to minimum!

Posted from United States

By Edyta | June 5th, 2006 at 6:44 pm

some great blogging, unfortunatly i was unable to watch the game since it wasn’t shown, but my dad and i were glued to the computer where a site was reporting everything that happened. poland will DOMINATE this time. i have good faith in them.

Posted from United States

By krepa | June 5th, 2006 at 7:57 pm

great blogging indeed, for those who like myself weren’t able to watche the game, check out following link http://youtube.com/watch?v=vPl6v99xGC8&search=poland%20croatia
you will find 3min49s compilation from the mentioned game!
POOOOOOOOOOOOLSKAAAAAAAAAAAA GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLL!!!!!

Posted from United States

By Wisla Fan | June 6th, 2006 at 12:27 am

The time has come for bialo-czerwoni to shine once again.

Posted from United States

By Cinkowski | June 6th, 2006 at 12:48 pm

POLSKA GOLA!!! We can win!!!

Posted from Poland

By pierogi | June 6th, 2006 at 1:36 pm

Poland 2 Ecuador 0

Posted from Canada

By Denis Susac | June 6th, 2006 at 3:48 pm

polska..polska…polsa…..hmmm….i thought you guys had confidence before you guys played croatia…?

No dissrespect but honestly, they way croatia played against poland, was very different from their usual way of playing. Hopefully everything works out in your group..

Bye

Posted from United States

By szumacher | June 7th, 2006 at 10:06 am

Same startegy against germany and we gonna win our group!!! then weak sweden and we are in q-finals… can’t wait!

pozdro dla wszystkich kibicow polskiej reprezentacji!

By juras | June 9th, 2006 at 1:40 pm

i can still remember watching our ‘zlota jedynastka’ kick ass and take names back in ‘74 in germany…against now legendary teams which are in the pantheon of immortality [i.e. beckenbauer, muller, maier, breitner, vogts, schwartzenbeck..cruyff, neeeskens, krol, rep..jarzinho, rivelino..ayala, kempes..zoff..etc. and of course lato, szarmach, gadocha, deyna, tomaszewski, zmuda, gorgon, etc. on the bialo-czerwoni side...bad luck [rain flooded stadion] made us lose to the germans and left us playing brazil for the 3rd place…which we got by playing with guts and no complex syndrome…abba’s waterloo was the biggest hit during that summer..i was only 8 years old but lived our country’s glory with all of my heart and soul watching all the action on a small b&w tv screen..
unfortunately football [or soccer for my american peers] isn’t played with such passion and heroism anymore..at least by my polish countrymen..we were always the baddest fighters when fighting with our hearts and souls for a higher cause and we could still easily go to the finals if we could only find that inspiration within our hearts…however, it’s unlikely this will happen…i fail to see true inspiration in poland’s teams ever since that ‘74 cup [despite winning a 3rd place once more back in spain '82] and so i remain quite cynical about our chances …at least until young polish players will play for the glory and honor above all else and despite everything…especially money….but hell, one can still dream hehehe…
polska gola!!!!

Posted from United States

By Lucas | June 9th, 2006 at 4:55 pm

Poland will win this World Cup! They are maybe not good enought but they are smart!!!!!! POLSKA!!! BIALO-CZERWONI!!!!!

Posted from United Kingdom