PBP: Czech Republic vs Poland: June 16 - Municipal Stadium Wroclaw [R]

Time for us to prove once and for all that knedliky are better than pierogi, and that pivo is better than wodka (which, by the way, you guys misspelled ).

So I'm out for the trip to Wrocław!

really looking forward to this game... Poland will have to go for this. I think they can do it, but can they handle the pressure? Czechs are not exactly a defensive fortress themselves so I'm hoping for GOALS in this!

No Rosicky so I expect Plasil and Jiracek to be running the midfield and Rezek will be brought in at LW. I wish Bilek would go the 4-4-2. This is the perfect opportunity with Rosicky out. Baros can't play as the lone striker.

-----------Baros--------Pekhart----------
-Jiracek--Hubschman--Plasil---Pilar---
--Limbersky--Kadlec--Sivok---Selassie--
-------------------Cech--------------------

My preferred line-up, but I'd put a lot of money on seeing this:

-------------------Baros-----------------
----Pilar-----------------------Rezek----
-------------Plasil----Jiracek------------
---------------Hubschman--------------
--Limbersky--Kadlec--Sivok---Selassie--
-------------------Cech--------------------

If it hadn't been for Greece's late 1st half goal, I'd say Poland's chances are increasingly slimmer. Now, though, it looks like things are looking up for the home team.

Yes that goal means that if that result stands, and so does this one - both teams will be out... so now there has to be a winner.. things have just got very interesting here!

Poland's going nowhere if they can't get their passing together. =\

1-0 Czech Rep scores.. bye bye Poland.. bye bye Russia, too? Who would've ever though it after the first round of games?

No one saw this coming...

Well that's a small shock. The bigger shock is that Russia is out. Unbelievable....
Why couldn't they beat Greece? Greece is one of the worst teams I have ever seen. Defensive like hell and still not perfect there and their offense is bad and slow....unbelievable

My prediction was actually spot on. I had Czechs topping the group and Greece coming 2nd. Russia is overrated (lost to Slovenia) and Poland isn't good. Everyone thought I was mad.

You are!

Greece and russia ended up both with 4 points and russia had better goal difference and goals why does greece advance Is the first tie breaker head to head?

Yes.
Tie-breaking criteria

Yeah head to head, then goal differential.

congratulations to the Czech Republic , they became the first team in history to qualify to the second round of the competition with a negative freakin goal difference ......

People are using that as a reason to knock us but we had one poor game against Russia largely due to the coach playing very attacking. We bounced back though and won back to back games which Russia didn't do. We broke down Greece's defense and we managed to beat Poland who hadn't lost a game. Czechs got a little lucky but we earned the right to advance.

I'm sorry, but Russia was the best team in the group. It's difficult to argue otherwise.

Ummm... I would say the points won make it very EASY to argue otherwise. Where do you see the difficulty?

Well I’m not going to knock them.. I’m disappointed not to see Russian & Poland go through as that’s who I originally predicted would go through and even bet at work; however, you’ve got to say that Czech Rep & Greece overcame adversity to come through in the end. CR got hammered in their first game but recovered to win their next two, including a game against the host nation. If you get 6 points out of your group games, including 3 vs the host nation, then you deserve to go through. Greece had even their own gods against them in this tourney: man unfairly sent off after half an hour, missed penalty, disallowed goal, captain booked and suspended for diving when it should’ve been a penalty and yet they still managed to find a way to qualify. I’ve got to say it would’ve been prettier had Russia & Poland gone through to the quarters. Russia for their football, and Poland for being the hosts, but they didn’t so all we can say is congratulations Greece & Czech Republic!

Oh and by the way, Czech Republic aren’t the first team to go through with a negative goal difference. A team did it in 96, and went all the way to the final. It was …. Ironically, the Czech Republic! I think Holland even went through with a negative GD. There’s also Italy 2008. However, CR may be the first team to win their group like that..

He's probably talking about technical and football ability.

You can't argue on that front considering how they ripped apart the Czechs. Almost nobody expected them to win the group.

I think Russia just got complacent.

Czech republic still look extremely medicore to me, especially upfront.

congratulations to GREECE deserved to win and it was time to wake up!!

What you just named was *offensive* ability, which is only a part of the equation. If you want to argue about who had the most firepower in attack, then Russia all the way. But there's a reason teams have defenders, goalies, and coaches, and there's a reason goal difference is a tie-breaker, and not the main criterion for advancement.

Getting complacent reflects on the team, and it is a component of the team. Character counts. You want to win on how pretty you play? Figure-skating is the sport you want. You want to count the whole game, and who is ahead in the end? Russia is at best the 2nd best in the group, and by the Euro rules, 3rd best.

The Czech's barely even threatended the Russian defence, so it can't be that bad can it?

They are the first team to ever qualify top with a negative goal difference. That tells you how good the Czech's defence really is.

Yes they did beat Greece and Poland, which Russia did not.

However they were one save from Cech at the end from being knocked out by Poland.