World

Europe

Poland

Poland-Denmark 1:1. Everything According To Leo’s Plan.

June 1st, 2008 | By: tomasz | 19 Comments »

After a decent performance in a match played in an extreme heat Poland drew with Denmark 1:1. It wasn’t as good a level of play as we expect in the Euros, but the week by week progress is observable in Bialo Czerwoni’s style when compared to friendlies against Macedonia and Albania. Jacek Krzynowek scored for Poland and Maciej Zurawski missed a penalty.

Poland-Denmark 1:1 (Krzynowek 43′-Vingaard 28′)
Poland: Artur Boruc – Marcin Wasilewski, Jacek Bak, Mariusz Jop, Jakub Wawrzyniak (46. Pawel Golanski) – Dariusz Dudka, Mariusz Lewandowski, Jacek Krzynowek (77. Lukasz Gargula), Euzebiusz Smolarek (77. Marek Saganowski) – Tomasz Zahorski (46. Wojciech Lobodzinski), Maciej Zurawski (46. Roger Guerreiro)

A game at 4 p.m. in full sun isn’t the best of ideas. However, this was the exact time of the first whistle of Poland-Denmark match. Danes were after a hard season, whereas Poles didn’t want to risk any injuries before Euros. It all showed in this game. At the same time, there are a lot of conclusions to be drawn from it and a lot of questions were answered by Leo in terms of our Euro first eleven.

The teams were evenly matched. Denmark proved to be the most serious opponent for us before the Euros. We started with Tomasz Zahorski on the right wing and Jakub Wawrzyniak at left back. Jacek Krzynowek played as an attacking central midfielder and Ebi Smolarek was on the left wing for the first 15-20 minutes. We tried to keep the ball for as long as possible but lacked the ability to change the pace of the game and surprise the Danes with a forward pass. Needless to say, our only high tempo play in the first half ended up in a goal. Earlier, the Danes scored what I can only call an easiest goal you can imagine. Just a simple pass in the penalty box, a decent shot that Boruc couldn’t hold and a simple tap in afterwards. We responded with Smolarek’s dribble in the penalty area after which he was fouled (at least for all the Polish fans). Unfortunately, Zurawski couldn’t hold his nerve and shot as badly as in 2002’s World Cup game against the USA. The first 15-20 minutes of the second half were for me an example of what I expect during the Euros. We controlled the game, there was more movement and change of position, we played wider and used the wingers well. There were also some short spells of energetic pressing, a weapon that we are to use against the Germans. Then there were changes in both sides and the match started resembling a picnic, as it is often a case with friendlies.

I think that this encounter preserved a sort of status qou. There is no ground for panic, but at the same time we’re not entering the Euros with a nationwide optimism. I’ve got a feeling that we’ll perform much better than 2 years ago, though.

Conclusions from the game:
- we’re still in the dark about a left back position. Jakub Wawrzyniak was given a chance in the first half. A quiet performance: one good offensive run and one horrible loss of a ball after which Boruc had to save his ass. Pawel Golanski played in the second half but failed to impress. He’s a right footed player and always looks for a chance to pass to the centre. He also can’t cross well with his left foot. Michal Zewlakow has a minor injury and didn’t want to risk a serious one. We still have 3 candidates for a left back position.
- Roger will be a substitute during the Euros. There is absolutely no way he can play instead of Smolarek, Zurawski or Krzynowek in the first squad. Having said that, he had a good game today and will certainly be useful next week. He can make a difference from the bench.
- Maciej Zurawski shouldn’t be our penalty taker, too risky.
- we can’t count on Tomasz Zahorski to perform at the highest international level, he’s behind Lobo and Kuba on the right wing and probably behind Saganowski as a striker.
- Smolarek will mostly play as a striker during the Euros
- no surprise, Artur Boruc will be our first choice keeper.
- Smolarek and Krzynowek seem to be the only players able to surprise the opponents with some unexpected touch of brilliance. I will also count on Kuba Blaszczykowski and Roger in this respect.
- Lobodzinski looks as if the injury in the Albania game didn’t really happen. He was one of the most active and energetic players today. He made a huge progress during the training camp when compared to what he showed in his last games for Wisla.

Two questions are left to be answered as far as the first eleven for Germany is concerned: the left back position and Kuba Blaszczykowski’s fitness. Other than that, our squad will look like this: Boruc- Wasyl, Bak, Zewlakow, Wawrzyniak or Golanski or Jop- Krzynowek, Dudka, Lewy, Zuraw, Kuba or Lobo- Ebi. Start praying.

Tags: Bak, Beenhakker, boruc, Dudka, Gargula, Golanski, Group A, Jop, Krzynowek, Lewandowski, Lobodzinski, Poland, Roger, Saganowski, Smolarek, Wasilewski, Wawrzyniak, Zahorski, Zewlakow, zurawski

Poland World Cup RSS Feed

del.icio.us:Poland-Denmark 1:1. Everything According To Leo's Plan.

digg:Poland-Denmark 1:1. Everything According To Leo's Plan.

newsvine:Poland-Denmark 1:1. Everything According To Leo's Plan.

reddit:Poland-Denmark 1:1. Everything According To Leo's Plan.

fark:Poland-Denmark 1:1. Everything According To Leo's Plan.

Y!:Poland-Denmark 1:1. Everything According To Leo's Plan.

stumbleupon:Poland-Denmark 1:1. Everything According To Leo's Plan.

Comments

By fdsgfdsg | June 1st, 2008 at 2:08 pm

Puma and PZPN need to clean up the Polish kits, they’re arguably the least recognizable in the entire tournament.

By disilluso | June 1st, 2008 at 2:14 pm

Hi, anyone knows the hierarchy of Polish free kickers for the tournament? A reply would be much appreciated.

By Smoga | June 1st, 2008 at 2:31 pm

I agree Tomek with pretty much everything you said. The left back position is the most worrisome problem, though…against someone like Odonkour both Wawa and Golanski will get burned. I think I’d rather see Zewlak there and Jop (who might have been partially to blame on the goal, but was pretty decent otherwise) in the middle.

@disilluso: interesting question. Today we saw Gargula (who will be a sub), and Roger, who will likely be a sub, on the FK’s. Other then that we’ll probably see Krzynowek or maybe even one of our DM’s, Lewan or Dudka. We don’t have a true specialist..the only one that we have had, a while ago, Sebek Mila, is no longer a NT material.

I wonder does anyone know what Leo’s hierarchy for FK’s is??

As for PK’s, Tomasz you said that you’d rather see someone else….I would agree, but Zuraw has been taking them for a very long time, and I don’t see a chance for a change. BTW…I absolutely don’t want to see us advance to the QF’s and then have to decide a match through PK’s. True, we have Artur, one of the best stoppers out there, but our PK takers are all suspect, although I suppose people like Lewan or Dudka could simply overpower the opposing goalies.

Posted from United States

By Smoga | June 1st, 2008 at 2:32 pm

@fdsgfdsg

I LOVE our kits. Pure simplicity and elegance.

Posted from United States

By fdsgfdsg | June 1st, 2008 at 3:05 pm

@Smoga

Personally, my favourite kits are Nike’s Dutch jerseys.
Simple, recognizable, intense colour choice, and not plastered with the Nike swoosh.

A Polish kit with the old 1970’s era crest and design would be amazing.

By Smoga | June 1st, 2008 at 3:15 pm

@fdsgfdsg

Yeah, I’d appreciate less commercialism as well on our kits (can anyone tell me why we have the National Crest AND the new PZPN symbol plus sixteen (j/k) Puma logos), but other than that I like them a lot. I think it does harken back to the simple 70’s adidas kits…

Posted from United States

By tomasz | June 1st, 2008 at 3:57 pm

@disilluso
To be honest, as Smoga wrote, we don’t have true specialists. Today Gargula and Roger took the free kics, but they’ll both be bench players, at least in the first game. It will probably be Krzyniu and Lewy, but they both go for power ahead of accuracy. As for corners, the ones on the right side will be taken by Krzyniu, the ones on the left by a right footed player.
@Smoga
Leo already said after the game that he’ll stick to Zuraw with penalties. Today’s spot kick was horrible, Zuraw said afterwards that he planned to shot in other direction but changed his mind in the last moment. This can’t happen during the tournament. We never really decided our games through penalties so it would be an interesting experience, but I agree that it would be hard to choose five penalty-experienced players.
@fdsgfdsg
The puma kits aren’t that horrible. The only problem is that they use the same pattern for all the puma shirts, so ours is very much like Czech, Swiss or Austrian one. I’d like to see something more distinctive. Our contract with Puma runs out this year, I’d like to see nike or kappa, no adidas.

Posted from Poland

By disilluso | June 1st, 2008 at 4:54 pm

Many thanks to Smoga and Tomasz for your quick replies

By PRS | June 1st, 2008 at 8:18 pm

Tomasz,

It looked to me like the point of the game was to not allow goals. We did a good job with that although the left back (our problem area) left his man open for the tap in. Boruc knocked it off-goal but the defender needed to cover.

Ebi did well. Both the penalty, which needs to be a goal, and the score came off his work. Roger looked like he really wanted to play. He will be very good off the bench and I would really like to see him play with Ebi next time. Roger has knee to chest high crosses that are difficult to defend against and Ebi knows how to put in a loose ball.

Zurawski had a terrible game. He was rightly taken off after the first half. He was being called on fouls, did not make any action and missed the penalty. Defense and midfield played well for the first twenty minutes with him but then lost it, and conceded the goal. They regained it at the end of the half and actually looked more comfortable without Zurawski in the second half.

We also need a penalty shooter and free kick taker. Our set pieces are not dangerous. Someone else needs to take the free kicks (Roger) and penalties (Ebi).

Other than that, there is promise there. I am thinking that Leo really wanted to see us not concede a goal in the second half and was pleased. If it goes according to plan, we will be protecting a point or three against Germany.

PRS

Posted from United States

By gregorio | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:35 pm

I think your headline says it all. our press tends to be critical over the game but when you look at it from the perspective leo’s drawn, it’s going very well. the progress is obvious, the danes are really strong , just recall our previous matches against them. we never could get even close to such a result, and we could have won on sunday.
still, I’m slightly nervous, because there’s only a few days to the zero hour and we still lack many elements – eg. free kicks (btw, żuraw often takes them from the left side) or finishing (total lack of composure in the opponent’s box), but if leo says he can make it on time with the team, I have no reason to doubt it.
and there’s one more positive signal: nobody in our group thinks we’re a threat to their teams; that’s the way we like it best. I’m sure neither korea nor ecuador underestimated the eagles of that time.

Posted from Poland

By gregorio | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:40 pm

ps. I mean tomasz’s headline of course.

as for other things, I agree roger was better than żuraw, and I agree he’ll be a sub against germans.

hey, anyone filled in the brackets? I left portugal and italy without promotion in the first phase of the tournament. my final is – big surprise – us vs spain (my second favourite). unfortunately, we come second eventually;)

cheers

Posted from Poland

By AndreasGryphius | June 2nd, 2008 at 3:41 pm

Poland, at the 1974 World Cup series, may have been the best team – not Germany, not Holland (results are sometimes cruelly unrealistic – cf. the 2006 final: France vs. Italy: the better team lost … At least that is what then-star-player and now-soccer-guru Breitner thinks.

Poland today is a different story.

I figure – calculating in a more temperate way – that Germany will show Poland where their (present) place is. I mean: 4 : 0.

Good night, and good luck.

By gregorio | June 2nd, 2008 at 4:49 pm

come on, I saw the Germans predicting such a result, they all were like 10 years old. such unrealistic optimism is characteristic of that age. I say the winning side will be just one goal ahead.

Posted from Poland

By rob | June 2nd, 2008 at 6:46 pm

4:0 hahahaha good one good one, you’re a funny guy andreas..funny guy

By tomasz | June 3rd, 2008 at 2:01 am

@PRS
I think that our opponents won’t have so many chances this time around. It’s because the team is able to hold the ball better, consequently there will be less time for our opponents to construct any attacking play. Remember games against Germany or England when Janas was in charge? It was all defense and Boruc’s heroics. Zuraw had a mediocre game, but he really looked well in the Albania game. The thing is he can’t play as a lone striker as he drops back for the ball and then we’re left with no striker whatsoever. If he plays behind Ebi I’m confident he’ll do well. As for free kicks, we’re going to practise them this week. Roger’s looked threatening but he won’t play in the first squad. A first one to come off the bench, though.
@Gregorio
Nobody performs perfect at this moment, just look at the last games by Germans or Croats. France drew with Paraguay, Spain hardly won against Peru. I really hope that we’ll play our best on Sunday. Mind you, this may prove not enough for Germans. I saw Ballack in the last game and I’m really afraid id Dudka or Lewy can cover him. As long as Croats and Austrians draw the first game we’ll still be in it regardless of the Germany game. I also noticed that everybody considers us a weakest team in the group. Even when you read different websites predictions we’re listed even behind Austria. And have you seen the last Wprost cover? It may only enhance our players’ motivation.
@AndreasGryphius
Sweet dreams, just don’t have nightmares like in the lasr two Euro tournaments. Remember those great games against Portugal, Latvia or Czech Rep?

Posted from Poland

By Taimaz | June 3rd, 2008 at 12:52 pm

Hey Tomasz! Im really interested to know if there is any chance Dudka will be seated on the bench for the first game against Germany? Who is his biggest threats in the squad? Is there the slightest chance the defensiveminded Benhakker will start ROGER(and go offensive) or anyone else instead of Dudka for the first match? I believe Lewy is a sure starter if he wanna go with just one defensive midfielder, but is there a chance he will change to just one all of a sudden in the EURO’s?

Im thinking about putting some money on a bet that says “Dudka will start against Germany”, so that’s why im wondering. My friend is Polish and he has been “investegating” this matter and come to the conclusion that it’s a rather small chance of him not starting. I would love some insight on this since I dont speak polish myself so its hard for me to look these things up deeply =) The more analysis and counterpoints to this matter the better =) Thanks in advance.

Posted from Sweden

By tomasz | June 3rd, 2008 at 2:05 pm

As it stands for now Dudka will certainly start against Germans. Firstly, he performed quite well in the last friendlies. Secondly, we don’t have high quality defensive midfielders to replace him (Murawski, Pazdan). The inclusion of Roger in Dudka’s place would mean a change of tactics and style. Roger is a genuine offensive player, whereas Dudka is the strongest when he has to defend. I don’t think Beenhakker will risk a more offensive tactics against Germany. It may happen if we have to win against Austria.

Posted from Poland

By gregorio | June 3rd, 2008 at 2:17 pm

it’s true, dudka is one of leo’s favourites

Posted from Poland

By James Zahorski | June 8th, 2008 at 10:44 pm

Tomasz,
It was great to learn another Zahorski loving the game of soccer. Look forward to see you in the Ero cup. Hello from your cousins from the United States. Good luck.

James Zahorski

Posted from United States

Comments are closed