Thursday, 12 June 2008
Day six of GroundReport’s exclusive on-the-ground coverage of Euro2008.
Poland will walk out of the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna in disgust tonight after an injury time penalty cost them a nearly-won victory.
Poland went up 1-0 early in the match and kept the Osterreich quiet throughout most of the 90 minutes. Only a questionable penalty call from English referee Howard Webb deep into second half injury time saved Austria from what looked like certain defeat.
The match began at break-neck speed, with the Austrians decisively up top throughout the first twenty minutes. They would have been up three or four against the Poles had it not been for keeper Artur Boruc, who on multiple one-on-one ocassions with Austrian strikers stood his ground and kept the ball from going into the goal.
It was Poland who took the lead in the 30th minute, when Brazillian-born Guerreiro Roger tapped the ball in from two yards out after fellow striker Marek Saganowski chested down a cross inside the six-yard box and squared it across for Guerreiro in an awkward shot attempt.
Before the Poland goal, Austria may have had the momentum and fans going their way, putting up nine shots, five of which Boruc saved in nail-biting fashion, while their opponents could not get any. That changed completely after the 30th, however, and Austria no longer looked as confident or bright as they did early in the match.
In the 63rd minute, the co-hosts called on their keeper, Jurgen Macho, to retain their hopes of survival. A short corner and a tick-tack combination of passes and crosses saw defender Jacek Bak volley dangerously off Macho’s hands, and mid-fielder Dariusz Dudka’s scissor-kick at the ensuing rebound was only matched in quality by Macho’s diving save. Poland took control of the match as the second half progressed, holding much of the possession and keeping Austria from getting a single clean shot off for an equalizer.
And then, the penalty happened. Polish defender Marius Lewandowski was adjudjed to have tugged the shirt of his opposite number in the box during a last-ditch Austrian free kick effort. The official, Howard Webb, did not hesitate to point to the spot, and striker Ivica Vastic made no mistake, drawing his side level at one apiece in the 94th minute of play. Prior to the match, an anonymous Austrian brewing company had promised the first Austrian goal-scorer to supply "free beer for life," and Vastic lay claim to the prize.
Group B becomes a free-for-all as a result of this draw, though Croatia are now guaranteed a spot in the quarterfinals as the winners of the group. Poland play the Croats Sunday, while the Austrians face Germany. The co-hosts are tied with the Poles at one point apiece, and Germany have three from their previous win against Poland. Croatia, with six points and an automatic berth in the knockout stage as a result of this latest match, will look to rest its starters and prepare to face either the Czech Republic or Turkey the following week, while the other three sides will battle it out for the remaining spot.