Poland: Road to Euro 2012
Poland will be looking to their loyal fans to rally behind them for much required home support as their FIFA ranking of 65 won't be of a great threat to their higher ranked opponents in the group.
- NDTVSports
- Updated: May 22, 2012 06:16 PM IST
Poland will be looking to their loyal fans to rally behind them for a much required home support as their FIFA ranking of 65 won't be of a great threat to their higher ranked opponents in the group.
Poland are into the championships for the second time, the first time being the 2008 Euro. Unlike in 2008, where they had to qualify, this year being the co-hosts, they did not have to go through the qualifying rounds. Instead they had a number of friendly matches against some of the best footballing nations of the world.
The friendlies were a mixed bag for the Polish side as they played some fighting encounters against the top sides while they went a notch down against the lower ranked opponents.
While Poland shocked Argentina 2-1 in Warsaw and played out a well deserved 2-2 draw against Germany, they also succumbed to a 2-0 shock defeat to a lowly Lithuania.
Jakub Blaszczykowski and Robert Lewandowski, who led Borussia Dortmund to their second straight Bundesliga title, will lead Poland from the front at the Euro 2012.
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Infact, Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick in the drubbing Borussia gave Bayern in the German League Cup finals.
Poland would also pin high hopes on Arsenal first choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who could be their trump card at the championships.
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Franciszek Smuda, Polish coach, has already announced the preliminary squad without too many surprises.
But overall they have managed to impress with victories over sides like Belarus, Hungary, Georgia and draws against Mexico, South Korea and Portugal.
The two losses in their last 10 friendlies have come against France and Italy and Poland did look very much the part in both the outings.