International matches of the Polish national football team. Poland was defeated by Colombia and lost its chances of reaching the playoffs. Group stage and elimination from the World Cup

The excitement around Tuesday's match was noticeably weaker than on the day of the first game, when Argentina faced Iceland in the same arena. This is understandable: fans from different countries were eager to take advantage of the opportunity to see Leo Messi with their own eyes, just as a week earlier the public was eager to watch the Argentines train in Bronnitsy near Moscow.

Neither Poland nor Senegal had players of this caliber, but already on the approach to the stadium it became clear what it should look like on the days of Spartak’s home games: as far as the eye could see, everything was pleasing to the eye with red and white tints. Perhaps there were shoals of Senegalese fans fighting somewhere, but this could not be determined visually. And the thought immediately came to mind: shouldn’t we offer the Spartak leadership to rent out Polish “tiffozi” while the football season continues in Russia? They definitely wouldn’t spoil the surrounding reality.

Contrary to their own reputation as desperate brawlers and brawlers, Polish fans behaved unusually peacefully and even sleepily. If aggression was visible anywhere, it was in the media center - too compact for there to be enough seats for everyone, and therefore provoking skirmishes and internecine strife in the struggle for suddenly vacant chairs.

The Poles looked disapprovingly at the TV screens in anticipation of the match with the participation of their team: there Japan was tearing the Colombians to shreds. Perhaps the guests mentally projected what they saw onto the scenario of the upcoming match: Japan was far from the first team to publicly gut the favorite, while Senegal was called the biggest mystery of the tournament even before the World Cup. An African pearl. And pearls, as you know, are such a strong thing. How can you not be afraid?

As the stands filled up, their sound design changed. The fighting song that flowed more and more harmoniously from the stands made us remember one of the names of the Polish football torsida: soldiers of the legion. It is clear that in this context we are usually talking about Legia fans, but the World Cup is the very time when the axes of club passions are buried in the ground. But the fact that the “legion fans” not so long ago beat their own players for the defeat against “Lech” was worth keeping in mind just to understand what can be expected in Tushino if Poland is defeated in the first of their matches.

Lewandowski +10

The chronicle of the Russian stage preserves the story of how Nikolai Baskov and Maxim Galkin once flew on a tour to one of the Russian cities in the same plane. The singer preened for a long time before stepping onto the ramp, straightened his signature hairstyle and, finally, putting on a snow-white raincoat and a working smile, he left the plane. At the bottom of the gangway, smiling just as sunnyly, stood a girl with a sign: “Galkin +1.”

For many, the Polish national team looks about the same. It has Robert Lewandowski and the rest.

The Bayern Munich striker has been consistently recognized as the best football player in the country for the last seven years, and seven years in football is a lifetime. One of the achievements of the Polish forward may never be surpassed: on September 22, 2015, coming on as a substitute in the second half of the match against Wolfsburg, Lewandowski scored five goals in nine (!!!) minutes. Every second person follows the life of Robert and his wife Anna (black belt in professional karate), calling them nothing less than “the Polish Beckhams.” And in the town of Kuznya-Ratsiborskaya there was even a street named after Robert.

The Poles joke that if Lewandowski ever thinks about the presidency, he will be guaranteed the support of the nation. On the other hand, the world has already seen from the example of Lionel Messi how helpless the one on whom the main hopes are placed can turn out to be. So the player’s virtual presidential future may well be directly dependent on the outcome of Poland’s performance at the World Cup.

First duel

The intrigue of the match was also fueled by the fact that the two teams had never played against each other before, and they had to find out who was capable of what as the performance progressed. Poland has not played at the world championships for 12 years, Senegal for 16.

Group H, with the only favorite in the person of the Colombian national team, probably could not have been considered seriously if not for the result of a slightly earlier match than the Polish-Senegalese match on Tuesday, in which the Colombians lost to Japan. This plunged the Japanese fans into the abyss of unbridled joy, and seriously puzzled the Russian technical “staff” working with the team (“they thought, three times for 90 minutes, and they would be able to go on vacation, but this is how it turns out…”).

The first five days of the championship, with a number of unexpected, not to say stunning, results, psychologically liberated many newcomers to the big football game. Each of them mentally probably asked himself the question: why am I worse? Journalists gloomily joked that the championship, if recognized favorites such as Argentina, Brazil, Spain and Germany failed to qualify from their groups, could be closed for senselessness.

On the field in the first half there was an absolutely equal fight, with a dozen players from the Senegal team looking at some points noticeably faster than the Poles. There was a feeling that the game would be the first goalless draw of the championship: in the first 35 minutes there was not a single dangerous moment on the field. However, the legendary Spartak coach Oleg Romantsev spoke well on this matter many years ago, noting that although the score in football is important, true football gourmets enjoy something completely different, while the abundance of goals means that the teams have no luck defense is good.

However, football gourmets had nothing to profit from. The match, despite the good, strong level of players from both teams, confidently went to the nomination of the most boring game of the first round.

The goal, scored in the 38th minute, turned out to be ridiculous: Senegalese midfielder Idrissa Gueye did not shoot too hard from long range, and the ball, ricocheting off Thiago Sionek, went into the Polish goal as an own goal.

The second half started noticeably more aggressively. In the first minutes, Jan Bednarek, who replaced Jakub Blaszczykowski, crashed his head into Yussuf Sabali and took quite a long time to recover on the lawn. On the 49th, Salif Sane received a yellow card. On the 59th, Nyangu needed medical help - the player, limping heavily, was about to go to the sideline, accompanied by doctors, but suddenly returned. And at that very second, having intercepted the ball, he rushed towards Wojciech Szczęsny’s ​​goal with such speed, as if it was not the Senegalese’s battered body that was running across the field, but his flaming soul - 2:0.

The moment became the highlight of the match. Senegalese fans should definitely have been glad that the footballer, who has dual citizenship, chose a year ago to play for his historical homeland, and not for France, where he played at the youth team level.

The more the Poles tried, the worse they did. The team really fought, trying to turn the slightest opportunity to attack in their favor, and in the 86th minute the efforts turned out to be successful: Grzegorz Krychowiak headed the ball into the goal.

The stadium was silent, but again, as during the match between the Icelanders and the Argentines, there was a full house (44,190 spectators), roared, and the game sparkled with new colors. The four minutes added by the referee could theoretically have given the Poles the opportunity to equalize the score, but they failed to create a single more dangerous moment.

The Polish national team is a team with a rich history that has not been able to come out of the shadows for quite some time. But the current generation of Polish football players is quite capable of doing this.

History of the Poland national football team

• Participation in the final stage of the world championships: 8 times.
• Participation in the final stage of the European Championships: 3 times.

Achievements of the Polish national team

• 1974 World Cup – 3rd place.
• 1982 World Cup – 3rd place.

Poland national team at the world championships

The Polish team competed for the first time at the World Championships in 1938 and lost to the Brazilian team in the 1/8 finals (the tournament was held according to the Olympic system). But what a match it was! Regular time ended with the score 4:4, in extra time the Brazilians scored twice, and the Poles only once.

The “golden age” of the Polish national team spanned the period from the mid-70s to the mid-80s of the last century, when the Poles played in four world championships in a row, twice finishing in the top four teams on the planet.

The Poles took first place in the group, beating Italy, Argentina and the Haitian team. In the second round, where the teams were also divided into groups, the Polish team beat Sweden and Yugoslavia, but lost to the West German team - 0:1, and then managed to beat the Brazilian team with the same score in the match for 3rd place.

Four years later, the Poles again win the group, this time ahead of the current world champion, the German team. But in the second group round, Poland loses 0:2 to Argentina, the future world champion, and 1:3 to the Brazilian team.

Only on the third attempt did the Poles overcome the second group stage of the World Cup. The Polish national team in 1982 beat Cameroon and Peru in the first group stage (again the future world champion), and in the second group round the teams of the USSR and Belgium.

But in the semi-final match, the magnificent Paulo Rossi scored two unanswered goals against the Poles, and Poland went to the consolation final, where they beat the French team and climbed to the podium. As it turned out, this was the last success of the Polish team. Having made it to the 1986 World Cup, the Polish team was able to make it to the 1/8 finals, where they were defeated by the Brazilian team 0:4.

Then Polish football found itself in a deep crisis, from which it began to emerge only at the beginning of the new century. Then the Polish national team qualified for the 2002 and 2006 World Championships, where they failed to advance from the group.

Having missed the world championships in 2010 and 2014, the Poles qualified for the Russian World Cup, where they again failed to make it past the group stage.

Polish national team at the European Championships

But the Poles never went well with the European championships - for the first time they were able to get there only in 2008, when they lost to the Germans and Croats and played a draw with the Austrian team, not leaving the group.

The team showed the same result at the home Euro, losing out to the teams of the Czech Republic and Greece, with the only difference being that this time there was one defeat and two draws.

Only at the last European Championship were the Poles able to leave the group, ahead of the teams of Northern Ireland and Ukraine. Then in the 1/8 finals they beat the Swiss team on penalties, and in the quarterfinals they also lost to the future champions the Portuguese on penalties.

Poland national football team players

If you make up the symbolic Polish national football team, then there are enough strong players - this is the top scorer of the 1974 World Cup Grzegorz Lato, and the leader of Juventus in the early 80s Zbigniew Boniek, and the long-time Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek, and many others wonderful football players.

But the strongest team seems to be the 1974 Polish team - Lato, Szarmakh, Deyna, Gorgon. And the composition of the Polish national team in 1982 was also not weak, it is no coincidence that these two teams stopped one step away from the main match in football.

Record holders for the number of matches played

1. Robert Lnwandowski - 109 matches.
2. Jakub Blaszczykowski - 108.
3. Mikhail Zhevlakov - 102 games.
4. Grzegorz Lato - 100.
5. Kazimierz Deyna - 97.

Top scorers of the Polish national team

1. Robert Lewandowski - 60 goals.
2. Włodzimierz Lubański - 48.
3. Grzegorz Lato - 45.
4. Kazimierz Deyna - 41.
5. Ernst Pohl - 39.

Poland national football team roster

The current Polish national team is very heterogeneous in its composition. Goalkeepers Wojciech Szczesny and Lukasz Fabianski are quite skilled, but the defense and midfield lines are made up of very average players. Lukasz Piszczek and Jakub Blaszczykowski stand apart here, but their best years are apparently already behind them.

But in attack the Poles have a world-class star - Robert Lewandowski, who is the captain of the team. When he is in perfect order, it is quite difficult to envy his rivals.

Coach of the Polish national football team

The team is coached by its home-grown specialist Jerzy Brzenczyk. At one time, he played more than 40 matches for the national team, but has not yet proven himself in the coaching field.

By the way, Brzenczyk is Jakub Blaszczykowski’s uncle. When, in front of the eyes of 11-year-old Jakob, his father killed his mother (Brzenczyk’s sister), it was Jerzy who replaced his father.

Poland national football team uniform

• In their first five World Cups, Poland played Brazil four times and lost all of them. And at the most successful championship for itself in 1982, Poland avoided a meeting with the Brazilians.
• Forward of the Polish national team Ernest Wilimovsky became the author of the first “poker” in the final stages of the World Championship (1938).
• At the 1974 World Cup, Polish goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski managed to save two penalties.

Present tense

The Polish national team is a rather unpredictable team. She qualified for Euro 2020 in one breath - 8 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat, and confidently won the group. But it’s hard to predict her performance in the final part. With a successful combination of circumstances, this could mean reaching the quarterfinals; if unlucky, it could mean relegation from the group.

I talked with Wodzislaw Smorawski, a fan with fifteen years of experience, who talked about the chances of his country’s national team at the upcoming championship.

The Polish national football team returned to the final stage of the World Cup after 12 years. There is euphoria in the country. How do you assess the chances of the Polish team?

“Taking into account the place we occupy in the FIFA rankings, it would be great if we managed to reach the quarterfinals. I’m not trying to win a medal, but the quarter-finals are real and certainly achievable for our players.

— In the world of football they believe that now there are no weak teams in Europe - this is the first thing. Secondly, Montenegro is the Balkans, and the people there are special. They always play football until the very end - which was confirmed. When the Polish team relaxed a little, they brought the score to 2:2. Fortunately, we also showed fortitude.

Should opponents be wary of the Poles at the championship? What are the strengths of the Polish national team, besides a strong spirit?

— The strength is the atmosphere that reigns in the team. After all, this is a specific organism. This is not a team that meets every day. These are not footballers who spend whole days with each other, as happens in clubs. The national team consists of players who meet only a few times a year and train differently. And it is the atmosphere that reigns in the team itself that is of enormous importance.

This is what we managed to achieve, mainly due to the character of the players and their determination to win. The Poles won 8 out of 10 matches in the qualifying stage, drew with Kazakhstan, and suffered one defeat from. This hasn't happened for a long time.

I think that now the team will play at a different level. At the European Championships, which took place in 2016, we were called a “dark horse,” but we achieved a lot. And losing the quarterfinals against the future champion is a good result. Now the team is in the top ten of the rankings. Our opponents will look at us differently. I think that they will not be afraid of us, but they should respect us.

You are a long-time fan. Are you going to go to Russia for the FIFA World Cup and how interested, in principle, are Polish fans in attending matches in the Russian Federation?

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to go myself.” But knowing our fans, who are ready to go to the ends of the earth for their team, I think the interest will be enormous. The World Cup is taking place relatively close and there will be a lot of Polish fans. And this is good. Let's become the so-called twelfth player. I hope that during the matches you will be able to feel more than once that she is playing “at home.”

- What do you think fans who will go to the 2018 World Cup in Russia should expect?

— Russians are very friendly people and, like all Slavic peoples, sweet and hospitable. Therefore, the fans will definitely receive a warm welcome. It is clear that you may encounter some aggression and unpleasant behavior from some of the local fans, who, like the English, are famous for this in Europe. In general, guests of any country should be prepared to meet pseudo-fans and hooligans, including their own. But overall, I think everything will be great and nice.

I know that most are already ready. Many are undergoing final “cosmetic” work. A lot of money has been invested in this championship. Judging by the Olympic Games held in Sochi, President Putin is not sparing money on this. The stadiums that have already been built or are under construction look decent. It will be great, but I’m afraid it won’t be without incident—it’s unlikely to be avoided.

- Perhaps because Polish fans will go wild not only in the stands?

— Of course, considering that we have, let’s say, a specific history with the Russians. Therefore, I fully admit that, in addition to football fans, a group of real hooligans will go, for whom the main thing is to wave their fists and fight to prove who is the best. But these are the marginalized, and not at all the main mass who will go to root for the team and support it. I read a funny tweet on the Internet: “The gates to heaven have opened - we are going to Russia.” It would probably never have occurred to us that paradise could be waiting for us in Russia, but it turned out that in some ways it really is waiting for us.

All information about the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Russia can be found in the FIFA 2018 special project.

Having missed the previous two World Cups, the Polish national football team finally managed to earn a ticket to the final part of the tournament. The White Eagles confidently overcame the qualifying stage, becoming first in their group, where the national teams of Armenia, Denmark, Kazakhstan, Montenegro and Romania also played.

At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the Poles will compete for access to the playoff round with Colombia, Japan and Senegal. These are not the strongest teams in the world, especially since Adam Navalka has a good squad of high-quality football players who know how to get an acceptable result. At the beginning of June, the head coach of the “white-red” decided on the list of players who will go to defend the colors of the national flag at the World Cup in the summer.

The composition of the Polish national football team for the 2018 World Cup

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders:

Forwards:

Leader and main star of the Polish national team

Among all the players in Adam Navalka's squad, special attention should be paid to Robert Lewandowski. Now the forward plays for Bayern Munich, where he is the main goalscorer. Robert is one of the best strikers in modern football. He has everything to play the role of number 9: height, strength, speed, intransigence, excellent play with both feet, and the ability to play on the second floor. During his career, Lewandowski scored many goals for clubs of various levels, including the author of a unique record - “5 goals scored in 9 minutes.”

It is Lewandowski who will become a big threat for all the teams with whom the Poles will play at the World Cup. Teammates will try to load the forward as much as possible so that he pushes through the opponent’s defense and hits the ball into the goal net. There hasn’t been a player like Robert in the Polish national team for a long time. He rightfully wears the captain's armband, and is also the top scorer in the history of his national team. With such a player, Navalka’s squad can easily overcome the group stage of the 2018 World Cup.

Now everything is definitely ready for the start of the World Cup. All 32 participating teams arrived in Russia. The Polish national team was one of the last to arrive; its flight landed in Sochi at 14:55.

Of course, it is difficult for the Poles to win the fight for the attention of residents and guests of the resort against the Brazilians, who have already appreciated the local beaches and delighted the public with an open training session. But the red and white team also has stars, the main one of which is the Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski, are also familiar to many Jakub Blaszczykowski, Lukasz Piszczek and goalkeeper of Juventus Wojciech Szczesny. Krasnodar residents remember the defender Artura Jedrzejczyk a, who played for the “bulls”, and Maciej Rybus just recently became the champion of Russia as part of Lokomotiv.

This whole company arrived in Sochi in a great mood; yesterday they defeated modest Lithuania with a score of 4:0.

As soon as the superstar of Polish football, national team striker and team captain Robert Lewandowski stepped off the plane in Sochi, the first thing he did was take a photo of himself and the guys from the club on his mobile phone.

Hello Russia. We are here to fight for our dreams,” Lewandowski captioned the photo.

We met the Polish national team at the hotel no worse than the Brazilians. A song was sung to the long-awaited guests and a loaf was offered.

The players were not worried about possible excess weight. The team's open training session is scheduled in just a few hours.

WHERE DOES THE POLAND TEAM LIVE?

And the Polish national team settled in the luxurious five-star Hyatt hotel in the center of Sochi, 200 meters from the Black Sea coast. There are 198 rooms in the fourteen-story building, which offers stunning views. But not all of them are occupied by players, coaches and staff. The hotel also accepts other guests.

The team will have their own space, but will not be completely isolated. Sochi has excellent conditions for training and living. “I think the team will feel great there,” he said Secretary of the Polish Football Federation Maciej Sawicki after visiting the hotel. - This is the best base we could get. Trainer Adam Navalka happy with the choice. We will have excellent conditions.

During the stay of the Polish national team, there were no free rooms left in the hotel, despite the fact that a night here costs at least 22,500 rubles at this time. They say that several wealthy fans managed to book rooms in the same hotel as their team.

Adam Navalka's team will have conference rooms for classes, a gym, saunas and a swimming pool at their disposal. It is known that the Polish national team chose between Sochi and Kazan, but chose the resort. Who refuses a sea view?

But among the obvious advantages, the team named the proximity of the training base to the airport - only 20 kilometers.

WHERE TO TRAIN

And the Polish national team will prepare for the matches away from prying eyes at the Sputnik-Sport stadium in Matsesta, which is 12 kilometers from the hotel. The territory is surrounded by dense forest on picturesque slopes.

The stadium was extensively reconstructed especially for the World Cup. The field is equipped with an automatic watering system, locker rooms for athletes have been built, and covered spectator stands with 500 seats have appeared, stadium workers say.

In addition, a huge media center tent for journalists has appeared near the field, accommodating 150 people, where players and coaches will communicate with the press, as well as a gym. Interestingly, the wall in the gym moves easily so that the coach can see the group of football players both on the field and in the gym.

The Polish national team is not putting off getting acquainted with the stadium. Open training will begin here at 7 p.m. on June 13. You can get to it only by invitations issued to children's football teams in Sochi.

WHO WILL HE PLAY WITH?

The Polish national team at the World Cup in Russia was in Group H. On June 19, the “white-red” will fight Senegal in Moscow, on June 24 in Kazan with Colombia and on June 28 in Volgograd with a team from Japan.