Who's the favorite to win this group ?

2:0 Senegal
Konate scores

 

Evidently the French specialist decided that Glik is able to play, according to Polish reports. Final decision in Nawalka's hands.

 

Game ends 2:0. Senegal dominated the entire game but struggled with finishing.

 

Yeah, sure.

 

Not that it matters, because I can't prove anything nor did I see the game, but Senegal won 2:0, the first goal was an own goal, the second was by Konate. So the rest of my story checks out. I was just relaying what my colleague in Austria wrote to me.

Korea did have some chances in the second half when Senegal went ahead, but Senegal apparently visibly dominated.

 

Anyway, even a slightly biased report is better than no report at all, so thanks, zahzah!

 

Here is a decent article in English.

http://www.psnfutbol.com/2018/06/11/glik-gets-the-green-light-to-play-in-the-2018-fifa-world-cup/

Now the fun really begins. Assuming that he is match fit and receives the final clearance by the Polish NT doctors, perhaps FIFA doctor, and by Nawalka, would starting him against say, Senegal, be a blessing or a curse? What if the injury reoccurs after the first physical challenge? What if he is only 75% fit? And what about the psychological baggage and perhaps unconscious desire to avoid injury? I would not want to be in Nawalka's shoes, any decision that he makes will be scrutinized closely, and in case of loss due to defensive lapses the blame will be squarely on him.

 

I doubt he plays Senegal. Even Glik himself said he doesn't expect to be ready for that game.

 

I have noticed something that makes me believe that people should not write Japan off yet.
During the 2009/2010 season which preceded the World Cup in South Africa, they lost pretty much all their friendlies, in fact they last time they were victorious was in october 2009 against Togo.
Result : They made it to the 2nd round and were one penalty shootout away from a quarter appearance. They were coached by a Japanese and played really well (especially in defence) during the final tournament

Fast forward, four years later, they won pretty much all their friendlies, including a win in Brussels against a Belgium team that was already highly regarded and touted as one of the favourite..
Result : they finished dead last in their group. They were coached by a Brazilian and were pretty poor during the tournament.

In 2014, they were confident and played their brand of attacking football, in 2010 they were very defensive, I think they adapted their in accordance to their previous results.
.

 

Yes, except that the fired coach Halilhodzhic wanted them to play more defensively. While the FA wanted to go back to Samurai Blue, which is where they are now with Nishino. So they actually seemed to have learned nothing from 2010 and 2014.

 

Yup.

Very rarely does a team have this little time to prepare tactically and find a way to advance.
Can they play spoiler? Yes. They do have the talent and the fihgting spirit to steal some points here and there.
But it will take a huge effort and a lot of fortuitous bounces to advance let alone get first as was suggested.

 

African teams in WC !

 

Go go go!

 

Tunisia seems to be getting the short end of the stick in that picture. Smaller than everyone else, and not even facing forward, but looking off into the distance somewhere, like they are already bored with the whole thing.

 

Some crazy-ass news out of Poland. NT doctor apparently threatening to resign if Glik goes to the World Cup, as he feels that his conpetency is being undermined. Stuff like this is the last thing a team needs just before the tournament.

 

I hope that does not happen. Glik should at least try to go. For Goodness sake, this is the World Cup, and is worth a risk. Poland is not a team that qualifies all the time, so I'd say let Glik go and try to play at least some of it.

 

I think that's a reporters yarn, Jaroszewski said nothing like that in today's interviews. I always kept up hope after reading an interview with Kamil Stoch's doctor who said the day of the injury to wait and see, because if it didn't need to be operated on he could be back quickly.

 

Jaroszewski stated that he never said anything like this. Typical fake news.

 

Polish sites are claiming that (barring Glik's return) this will be the setup for Russia: a 3-4-3.

 

This may be setup for today's friendly. But for sure this will be not a starting setup during the World Cup. This is not a strongest squad. Goralski, Kurzawa, Bereszynski, Kownacki, Jedrzejczyk are not starters for sure. And IMHO Poland will play 4-4-2 or 4-5-1. Formation with a three defenders may be used during some phases of the game.

 

Take it up with your analysts I also can't imagine a squad without Zielinski, Grosicki, Blaszczykowski, Piszczek. But Bereszynski (2 starts in 6 in 2017) and Jedrzejczyk (4 starts in 6 in 2017) were starters during qualifying.

 

Fabianski too?

 

Yeah, but Still Rybus is the first choice over Bereszynski. Jedrzejczyk is versatile, but you don't think that he will replace Piszczek, don't you?

 

All in all - squad aside -it's more interesting whether Poland will stick with the old formations or go full revolution with a 3-4-3

 

IMHO starting eleven during world cup should be - Szczesny/Fabianski (depends, they are euqally good) - Rybus - Bednarek/Pazdan(depends) - Glik - Piszczek -Grosicki - Krychowiak - Zielinski - Blaszczykowski - Milik - Lewandowski.

Of course def. depends if Glik is fit or not. If he is not fit, probable setup is Pazdan/ Bednarek.