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Euro 2012- Group A; POL,GRE,RUS,CZE
Topic Started: Jun 5 2012, 06:06 PM (462 Views)
Merengue
Administrator
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The thread for discussing the teams and matches in Group A involving Poland, Greece, Russia and the Czech Republic, a very even looking group on paper.

Poland Preview and Squad Biographies

Greece Preview andSquad Biographies

Russia Preview and Squad Biographies

Czech Republic Preview and Squad Biographies
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Sammy Maudlin
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Interesting to read about Poland nationalizing some western European players with Polish roots. Germany took Klose and Podolski so why not have Poland get Boenisch and Polanski? And French born Obraniak and Perquis too. Many of us older guys remember stylish Polish teams, first with Lato and Deyna in the 70s then with Boniek in the 80s. Would be nice to see Poland return to a competitive level of play especially with their trio of players from Borussia Dortmund providing skill, experience and a winning attitude. There is no better time than this for Poland to make a move on the international stage.
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Gunners
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Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski is a player to watch in this group. If Poland progresses out of the group, he will likely be a primary reason.

I'm also interested to see if Tomas Rosicky can inspire the Czechs. Once such a great player, injuries have unfortunately derailed his career in recent years. However, he has been healthy over the past several months and was a key player in Arsenal's late-season resurgence.
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SuperEagle
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Old veterans Rosicky and Baros will carry the Czechs hopes. One player to watch, the Ethiopian decended Theodor Gebre Selassie at right back, the first black man I belief to represent the Czech Republic.

I think Russia are going to surprise people and play some good football in this tournament. Well after 4 years ago maybeihatt should not really surprise us.
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Sammy Maudlin
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Match day 1 results
Poland 1-1 Greece
Russia 4-1 Czech Republic

The Spanish referee screws up the Poland-Greece game with an unjust red card (2 yellows) for Greek defender Sokratis (don't expect me to spell his last name!) even though the 2nd yellow the Polish attacker had slipped and was not fouled by Sokratis. If UEFA has any sense of fair play, which they don't, they should rescind Sokratis red card. Anyway the game ended 1-1 even though Poland also had goalie Szczesny sent off for bringing a Greek attacker down but the resulting penalty was saved by backup goalie Tyton.

Poland began brightly and scored on a Lewandowski header but Greece adjusted and came into the game. In the end a tie I think was a just result.

In game 2 Russia powered past Czech Republic 4-1. It was 2-0 at the half and though the Czech's cut the score to 2-1 with a goal by Pilar, their best player, along with Rosicky, IMO, the Russians continually exploited holes in the Czech defense. Dzagoev with 2 goals, Shirokov and sub Pavlychenko, with the ebst of the bunch, also scored for Russia who played a nice passing game and were lethal on the counter. But did Russia look good because of their own play or because the Czechs did not seem to know how to defend? We'll find out in match day 2 when Russia play co hosts Poland.
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xeneize
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Quote:
 
But did Russia look good because of their own play or because the Czechs did not seem to know how to defend? We'll find out in match day 2 when Russia play co hosts Poland.


Good question but credit to Russia for playing some attractive football. Nice passing by them, Arshavin looked like the Arshavin from Euro 2008 and Dzagoev showed why he was on that list somebody posted of unknown players to watch.
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libero
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Man Greece are just one awkward team to play. They were not as defensive as Otto Rehhagel's Greek teams but they just do not go down easily. Poland started off very well and looked poised for an easy win as they were exploiting Greece's left side but Fernando Santos the Greek coach made some adjustments and evened the game up. Karagounis had a very good game in midfield too bad for him he missed the penalty but he telegraphed where he was going I thought with a long run up and opened his hips up to early. Still Tyton was, well a Titan in saving that PK just off the bench. A direct red for Szczesny, does that mean he is out for the next two games? If so his tourney is over unless Poland gets out of its group.

Russia ran a clinic on counter attacking play. But beyond that they also were really well organized, they never looked unbalanced even with the Czechs trying to attack them. An impressive start for last tournament's semifinalists.
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Winslow
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It's astonishing that Greece could play that poorly and still pull a point. The fact that they would've won by converting that PK shows how wasteful Poland was. Still, if the White Eagles play like they did in the first half, they'll wipe out the Czechs, who have all kinds of problems.
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Merengue
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The Czechs were so naive defensively and unlike Greece who suffered at he start vs Poland, the Czechs never adjusted to try and shut the Russian attack down. Great start for Arshavin and Dzagoev. They'll now have their local "derby" against the Poles next Tuesday, that won't be an easy game for either team. Meanwhile Greece should take advantage of the porous Czech defense unless the Czechs somehow make the needed defensive adjustments.
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karl pilkington
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A preview of today's Poland-Russia match, a must win game for Poland. It has the makings of a tense and intriguing matchup.
"You can only talk rubbish if you're aware of knowledge."
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Sammy Maudlin
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Greece 1-2 Czech Republic
Poland 1-1 Russia

The Czechs scored twice in the first 6 minutes to take control of the game. Greece had a goal called back for offside (close but was right call) then Greece scored when cech and a defender crossed signals and Cech dropepd a ball which Greece then put in the net. A big win for the Czechs who defended much better than they did vs Russia.

In the 2nd game Dzagoev got his 3rd goal of the tournament as he headed in a Russian free kick. But Kuba, damn no way am I typing out his full name, which is why he is known as Kuba in Dortmund, with a great left footed curling shot to equalize for Poland. It was a tense game where each pressed the other well in midfield and in the end I think both were satisfied with the draw. Just as in World Cup 82 the Poland-Russia (Ok then it was Poland-USSR) match ended in a draw.

We always thought this was a group where any of the four could advance. That still applies with 2 of 3 games played. The table is:

Russia 4
Czech Rep. 3
Poland 2
Greece 1

On the final day Russia plays Greece and Poland vs Czech Rep. Each of the four control their fate, win and you advance while only Russia I believe auomatically advance with a last day tie.
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raconteur
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I hope there were no further fan problems between Russian and Poland fans, I heard there were pre match arrests, plus there was the provocative march through Warsaw by Russian fans and then the giant tifo (banner) unfured at the match which read in English, "This is Russia."

Thankfully on the field both teams played a relatively clean game. But anybody else see the irony in a Poland-Russia game refereed by a German?

I'll give a shot at Kuba's last name without cheating and copying and pasting it, Jakub Blaszczykowski.It was a beautiful shot from him. Like Spain-Italy and France-England, and probably tomorrow's Germany-netherlands game, this was a tense derby like match with both teams closing the other down well. No freedom on the counters for Russia in this game like they had vs the Czechs.

Speaking of the Czechs, they got back on track with their win over Greece. Some major defensive mistakes by both teams leading to those goals, I think my money would be on Russia & Poland getting out of this group but we know all four teams have a legit chance on the final match day.
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Pique
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Yes it was a tense game and a tie was probably the right result between Poland and Russia. Similar styled teams who somewhat neutralized each other. Dzagoev's agent has to be happy man about now, he can smell a big transfer coming up!
Esas son las leyendas de futbol mexicano,
En todo Mexico hay un Chiva hermano!
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Mr. Pither
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A highly entertaining game with a beautiful goal by Kuba aka Jakub Blaszczykowski (you got the spelling right raconteur). Plenty of energy by both teams but especially by the Poles. It is good to have both co hosts doing well, look at the emotions brought forth from both Poland and Ukraine in their matches.

The French born Perquis has I think done a fine job in the centre of Poland's defence and Piszczek was great at right back, not only going forward but in his defending as I thought he did very well in marking Arshavin.

Some worries for the Czechs as Rosicky had to leave their match against the Greeks with an injury. They are struggling to get him ready for the decisive match against Poland.
P-I-T-H-E-R ...as in Brotherhood, but with PI instead of the BRO and no HOOD
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ursus arctos
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Russia has been fined Euro 120,000 and given a suspended six point penalty for the next Euro qualifiers for their fans' antics in Warsaw.

They have three days to appeal.
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