Can Host Poland Get Out of Group A?

I expect Poland to raise their game, they may also get the benefit of some dubious officiating, call it home field advantage. However it will take some luck and lacklustres Greek an Czech performances to see Poland qualify with Russia

 

It's a poor analysis, especially given that Poland is an open book, not an unknown. Greece, Russia and the Czech's, while experienced, are way past the crest, a bunch of teams hanging on for dear life, their best days in the rear view mirror. Russia has played well recently though, every team can go on a good run of form, and Russia certainly may in the tournament. Poland on the other hand has the 2nd youngest team after Germany, they have 3 players that won the Bundesliga championship, and all 3 were key cogs in doing that. Any attack up Poland's right flank has been executed thousands of times by the same players, Piszczek, Blasczykowski and Lewandowski. Smuda, the head coach, has always had an attacking mentality, whether Poland advances or not, they will be a fun attacking team to watch. I pick them to top the group, but that may not happen if the haphazard defense gets exposed too often.

 

What the article failed to notice is that Poland have never lost a single game at home to ANY of the teams in their group. The did lose to Czechoslovakia way back in 1950. Apart from that they have won almost every single games against Greece, Czech Rep and Russia (drawn the rest) and over the years there have been a lot of those.

And suddenly Poland is to lose to all 3 countries???

 

In a serious game for points only against Czech's in recent years. But yes, that was a fun game to watch!

 

Regardless - 3 teams of similar class to Poland with Poland playing at home possessing a vastly superior head to head and somehow Poland supposed to be dead bottom of the group? Russia and Poland to make it out of the group.

 

Gut is not analysis. This is the best team Poland has fielded in 30 years, it would be shocking for them not to get out of this group.

 

I'm sorry, but you can't see them getting out of a group with a toothless Greek squad and a Czech team way past its prime? They beat Greece in a friendly 2:0 just 3 years ago, while Czech Rep. 2:1 and 2:0 in 2009 and 2008 respectively.

I agree Russia on paper is the strongest team, but Poland not making it out of THIS group would be a surprise. All three teams play a type of football which suits Poland.

I think you may be looking too much into FIFA rankings, but remember that they have been only playing friendlies for the last 3 years.

 

I see them getting out of the group with Russia

 

I find that blog incredibly superficial. It's only past results talk. No tactics, players, form, etc. Has the guy even watched any of their recent matches?

I see Russia and Poland making it out of this group. Those Borussia players are hot. I expect also Poland to be one of the fittest teams. They're young and have followed the German example of hiring "Athlete's Performance" to maximise fitness. Indeed, it seems from what I've read that the close ties the Polish FA has with the DFB has led to a fair amount of German "best-practices" being adopted. Smart move.

The Czechs did not qualify in a convincing manner. See those playoff games vs. Montenegro? I see them in a rebuilding period. And dead last in the group.

The Greeks aren't the ultra-defensive Greeks of the Rehakles era. I could see em advancing. It's a close group. But I see PL and R edging em out.

 

This is true, and I am surprised that it is not mentioned in any blogs/articles about Group A or Poland's chances. Athlete's Performance guys, full time psychologist, stress on work ethic and team unity, all those things are novel for the Polish NT.

 

Poland will advance along with the Czech Republic

 

I was rather surprised when I read that Poland had hired a sports psychologist for the first time. Are there any teams at EURO 2012 who don't have one?!? Anyone in the know...?

As for Poland, I was also surprised reading that Poland had initially only hired the guy for a two-week period. Seems to me you want a sports psychologist to be an integral part of the team. Throughout qualification and all. Not a brief one-off thing. Anyway, Poland has extended the contract, so perhaps a psychologist will become a permanent fixture. It should.

In any case, Poland has joined the more progressive camp in terms of methods. Which is one building-bloc that makes me optimistic about Poland's performance.

 

I would like to know how many National Teams at the EC employ full time sports psychologists as well; from what I read this has been primarily the strategy of club teams in the past, and has only been utilized by most National Teams fairly recently.

As for Poland's use of the psychologist, Smuda had said in the past that since the players are not mentally ill, a psychologist is not needed. This is typical Smuda, with his "man on the street" attitude. However it appears that the NT players who play for big Western European club teams, where sports psychologist is a commonplace thing, lobbied both the PZPN and Smuda to have one for the NT, and so now we have one on the staff.

 

I agree, but I see Poland pulling out a surprising tie or two. I think Russia is definitely moving past the group stage, but that could be either first or second. The other team will probably be, in my opinion, Czech Republic. With this group what it is, it's up in the air.

 

My god... how good do you think Greece or Czech Rep. are and how poor a team is Poland supposedly that they need luck to pull a tie?

They have beat all of these teams with ease (by simply outplaying them) in the recent past despite having weaker teams than the current one...

 

I think Borussia Polski can most definitely make it out of this group, in fact just about anyone can - this is the group of life afterall... but I think it will be 1. Russia 2. Poland 3. Czech 4. Greece. I think the final match between Poland & Czechs will prove decisive but I think the host nation will progress, in fact I can see them even winning the group.

 

I've been underestimating Greece for some time, so I figured I'd stop I've also been impressed with Czech Republic. I guess it just comes down to I don't know much about Borussia Poland (I love that name btw), so it's just a matter of them not getting the benefit of the doubt... And don't worry, if they win today, I'll eat plenty of crow

 

Do you prefer your crow baked or fried?

 

I guess I'll take it in a gyro... lol