Player Updates

Forwards

Janczyk ::: CSKA Moscow ::: 78'+
Jeleń ::: AJ Auxerre ::: 78'+
Matusiak ::: Heerenveen ::: 46'+
Piszczek ::: Hertha BSC Berlin ::: DNP
Rasiak ::: Southampton ::: 69'+
Saganowski ::: Southampton ::: (2)
Ślusarski ::: WBA ::: DNP
Smolarek ::: Racing Santander ::: 60'+
Wichniarek ::: Arminia Bielefeld ::: 61'
Zurawski ::: Celtic Glasgow ::: DNP

Midfielders

Błaszczykowski ::: Borussia Dortmund ::: 90'
Bronowicki ::: Crvena Zvezda ::: 90'
Grzelak ::: Boavista Porto ::: DNP
Kaźmierczak ::: FC Porto ::: DNP
Krzynówek ::: VfL Wolfsburg ::: (3)
Kukiełka ::: Energie Cottbus ::: 90'
Lewandowski ::: Szachtar Donieck ::: 90'
Radomski ::: Austria Wien ::: DNP

Defenders

Bąk ::: Austria Wien ::: (1)
Gancarczyk ::: Metalist Kharkiv ::: 73'+
Golański ::: Steaua Bucureşti ::: 76'+
Jop ::: FK Moscow ::: DNP
Kazimierczak ::: Boavista ::: DNP
Rząsa ::: SV Ried :::
Wasilewski ::: Anderlecht ::: DNP
Żuraw ::: Hannover 96 ::: DNP

Goalkeepers

Dudek ::: Real Madrid ::: DNP
Białkowski ::: Southampton ::: DNP
Boruc ::: Celtic Glasgow ::: 90'
Fabiański ::: Arsenal ::: DNP
Kuszczak ::: Manchester United ::: DNP

Player Updates

Forwards

Jeleń ::: AJ Auxerre ::: DNP
Matusiak ::: Heerenveen ::: 69'+
Piszczek ::: Hertha BSC Berlin ::: DNP
Rasiak ::: Southampton ::: (4)
Saganowski ::: Southampton ::: DNP
Ślusarski ::: WBA ::: DNP
Smolarek ::: Racing Santander ::: 61'+
Wichniarek ::: Arminia Bielefeld ::: (4)
Zurawski ::: Celtic Glasgow ::: DNP

Midfielders

Błaszczykowski ::: Borussia Dortmund ::: 90'
Grzelak ::: Boavista Porto ::: DNP
Kaźmierczak ::: FC Porto ::: DNP
Krzynówek ::: VfL Wolfsburg ::: (2)
Kukiełka ::: Energie Cottbus ::: 90'
Lewandowski ::: Szachtar Donieck ::: DNP
Mila ::: Valerenga ::: DNP
Radomski ::: Austria Wien ::: DNP

Defenders

Bąk ::: Austria Wien ::: 90'
Gancarczyk ::: Metalist Kharkiv ::: 74'+
Golański ::: Steaua Bucureşti ::: 90'
Kazimierczak ::: Boavista ::: DNP
Rząsa ::: SV Ried ::: 90'
Wasilewski ::: Anderlecht ::: 90'
Żuraw ::: Hannover 96 ::: 88'+

Goalkeepers

Dudek ::: Real Madrid ::: DNP
Białkowski ::: Southampton ::: DNP
Boruc ::: Celtic Glasgow ::: 90'
Fabiański ::: Arsenal ::: DNP
Kuszczak ::: Manchester United ::: DNP

Another Wasted Opportunity

Wednesday was the day the group was supposed to be more clear and at least one team should have broken away from the pact. But instead, all the teams in contention drew one another and everything remains the same except that one more game has passed, everyone is up by one more point, and for some, another opportunity wasted.

Poland repeated with another lackluster effort just as they did in Portugal and their mediocrity continues with that being their 3rd consecutive match where they failed to pick up a win. But given how poorly Poland played in those matches, they should actually be happy they aren't on a 3 game losing streak instead.

Both Finland and Poland missed many chances with both hitting goal posts and having other narrow misses. Smolarek had a great opportunity to put Poland up 1 but credit to the Finnish keeper who just get enough of a touch to steer it away. There was not much else to report from that side of the pitch as Poland's offense was MIA yet again.

On the other side, although Boruc could have people fooled by the number of saves he made, he had a very poor match by his standards. I can't even recall the last time he made so many mistakes and looked so shaky with the ball. He had trouble catching routine balls, made a Robinson-like blunder (although luckily for him was at least further away from his net), and he also fumbled a ball coming right at him that led to the Finns hitting the goal post.

However the Finns were not all that impressive, in fact all the did was rely on long balls. What was unimpressive was how slow Poland's defenders were in catching up to them and containing them. Far too often they were trying to catch up. Although defense was poor, this was not what cost Poland the points.

I will however give credit to Boruc who did make an excellent game-saving stop in the late stages of the match that required him to be very focused, it was reminiscent of the goal Ecuador scored to open the WC against us, except this time it was stopped. Had it not been, the results could have been just as devastating.

The best chances in the match were the ones that were missed, as the ones that made it on net that weren't goal posts were often just harmless shots that did not give much trouble to either keeper.

A large portion of the blame must lay with Beenhakker on this match. Some of the decisions he made almost makes it look as if he hasn't been with this team for a year. Starting our best forward (Smolarek) in the midfield position while playing our best midfielder (Krzynowek) in the forward position was absurd. Krzynowek has definitely been hot in his last couple matches, but even with that said he is an aging vet who has done just fine from midfield...yet Beenhakker decided to tinker with two players who both had 4 goals a piece in qualifying - tops for the team and tied for 2nd in the group.

Although Beenhakker finally replaced the struggling (to put it lightly) Zurawski...he replaced him with Rasiak, a player who historically has only ever done well against poor opposition. Albeit Finland is not the cream of the crop, they're still too good for him to be expected to score. Mind-boggling to say the least, why Beenhakker made the choices he made.

In the end the match was lost because Poland didn't play to their offensive skills. When Poland plays well they dominate the match and get many scoring opportunities, they seldom are able to achieve good results by trying to play defensive or playing away from their game. Finland was not a time to try something new, rather, it was a time to go back to what had worked and rely on the guys doing what they have done all during qualifying.

Poland Steals A Point In Lisbon

Many people marked this day as one of the biggest in Poland's qualifying campaign, especially since a win could have really put Poland in the clear while taking all 6 unlikely points from one of the best teams in Europe. This was a match I was expecting Poland to lose but still hoping they would somehow come out with a point. After all, Portugal would be home with all the pressure in the world to beat a team they weren't supposed to have lost to in the first place. No one would have blamed Poland if they came out of Portugal without a point under such difficult circumstances. That's why I didn't consider this to be the big match for Poland, not as big as the one on Wednesday anyway.

The first half was surprising in the sense Poland did not stick to what worked the first time around against Portugal - taking the play to their opponents. Instead Poland was sitting on its heels for most of the half and of the match (with possession usually hovering around 65% for Portugal, and even that seemed a little low). Despite all this possession Portugal was not able to create much in the half aside from a free kick by Ronaldo that had Boruc fooled, only to be saved by the crossbar.

Poland although not the aggressor in this match did find a couple of holes in Portugal's defense - one of which sprang Smolarek in all alone on what would have been a goal identical to one he scored the last time these two teams met. Unfortunately this time it was not as good a day for him as he would miss the top corner by mere inches. Just before the break Poland would get another opportunity when Blaszczykowski hammered a shot that Ricardo stopped, only to allow for a massive rebound that Lewandowski got enough of to shock the home crowd just before the break.

With Poland up 1-0 at the break things looked pretty promising for a team that usually saved its best play for after the break. But Beenhakker did not abandon the passive game plan and Poland were on its heels again to start the second half. Unfortunately they were not as lucky as only minutes into the half Portugal were able to equalize after Zewlakow was unable to get much on a loose ball, leaving Boruc helpless at any attempt to stop Maniche's easy finish.

Even the equalizer was not enough to wake Poland from its coma. Instead, they fell further in it giving up chance after chance after chance only to see luck go their way each and every time - until the 73rd minute when Ronaldo showed his class by beating Boruc on an excellent strike while even having a defender in front of him. It seemed imminent that the floodgates would soon follow if this kept up.

Luckily though, Poland was poised to respond as they began finally taking the play to Portugal and pressured them into submission when Jacek Krzynowek got them back on even terms in the late stages of the match when he drilled a rocket in past Ricardo. That would have been a better story than what actually happened. Poland didn't make an effort, they were in fact barely able to hang on to the tight game that was looking to escape them. But again, Poland had luck on its side this game, the proof was in the equalizer when Krzynowek sent what looked like a very harmless shot (that I doubt he himself would have expected to go in, without the aid of one of his teammates anyway) that hit the goalpost only to bounce off Ricardo's back and into the net. It was quite a break for a team that really did nothing to earn one at all.

Usually one team plays better than the other and upsets do happen, but in this case Poland didn't even show up for the second half (aside from Krzynowek) and still managed to walk away with a point in Lisbon. I'm not sure what's more disturbing - the fact that Poland could play so poorly after getting all the momentum going into the break or Portugal failing to convert on as many chances as they had and coming out with only one point to show for.

Nonetheless this was a very pleasant surprise to see that finally Poland was not the one getting all the unlucky breaks and bounces. With some of the bad fortunes that Poland has had this qualifying I guess they were due to get some going their way. But clearly, Poland did not deserve a point, they deserved to be embarrassed the way they were 5 years ago in Korea. Fortunately though, Poland can move from this qualifying group saying they were able to take 4 out of 6 points against one of the top teams in Europe. It's a good thing though that the scoreboard never says how you got the result.