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     Supernag Junior Artist Username: Supernag Post Number: 33 Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 74.63.84.61 Rating: N/A |
Poland needs a big victory against Croatia and a lot of help in other Group B match to keep alive its hopes of advancing to the quarter-finals at the European Championship. Poland must win in Klagenfurt over Croatia, which has already secured top spot in the group, by three or four goals, and needs Austria to beat Germany in Vienna in order to advance. "The only thing we can do is try to win our match with Croatia, and for the rest we are in the waiting room," Poland coach Leo Beenhakker said. "I've always learned that you have to put your time and your energy in the things you can manage, what you have in your hands. We don't have the result of Germany-Austria in our hands, we only have more or less the result of our own match in our hands, so we are focused on our own match." It's a match that means everything for Poland - and nothing for Croatia. Coach Slaven Bilic's team has already wrapped up a spot in the knockout stage with wins over Austria and Germany. With that in mind, Bilic has indicated he will change his line-up to rest most of his top stars for Croatia's quarter-final match against Turkey. "We are going to field the strongest team possible, but we are not going to take risks," Bilic said. "The criteria will be yellow cards, those who are injured, and those who are drained from the past two matches." Five Croatia players, including star midfielder Luka Modric, have yellow cards and are unlikely to play to prevent the possibility of getting a second yellow and missing the quarter-finals. Midfielder Dario Srna, defenders Josip Simunic and Robert Kovac, and strikers Ivica Olic and Mladen Petric are all likely to join Modric on the bench. Defender Dario Knezevic, who came on as a substitute against both Austria and Germany, said he hopes to start against Poland. "We are first in the group and it doesn't pay to make risks," Knezevic said. "We are not under pressure to win." Poland is, and to win big. But the Poles have not shown at the tournament that they possess the firepower to score heaps of goals, let alone to do so against a talented Croatian side that outclassed pre-tournament favorite Germany. Poland's sole goal in its first two matches came against Austria - widely considered the weakest team in the tournament - and the Poles have struggled to create quality scoring opportunities, let alone finish the few it has created. Asked whether his team is capable of beating Croatia by the necessary margin, Beenhakker said without hesitation: "I don't know." The coach has said that the need to score may force him to juggle his starting line-up, without specifying what those changes might be. And it's not clear what options he has. The squad is still smarting from the loss of attacking midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski and forward Maciej Zurawski, both of whom are sidelined with injuries. An air of resignation has hung over the camp since the injury-time penalty awarded to Austria left the Poles with one point instead of three from their second match, and took their fate out of their own hands. Still, they say they are determined to fight as long as there is a slim hope of playing on. | ||
| Supernag Junior Artist Username: Supernag Post Number: 32 Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 74.63.84.61 Rating: N/A |
Poland Score Big To Win! In order for Poland to qualify, they must at least win by 2 goals differences in this game. David Soz can foresee Poland to play attacking football tonight. Croatia had qualified as group B winner. They will rest major of the key players. Therefore, this a game where Poland first team to meet Croatia second team. Poland are World Cup 2006 contender and qualified in Euro 2008 as well. This had proven their abilities and hints us not to underestimate them. David Soz will surely back Poland which team with only mission to win by at least 2 goals. |
