Wojciech Tomasz Szczęsny saved the last penalty of the series against Daniel James and Poland qualified for the European Championship in Germany without shooting once on goal in the 130 minutes it took for the play-off final to be settled through regular means. Wales lost (4-5 in the shootout) after an exercise that was more epic than game. Poland thus won the last ticket of the three that were disputed on Tuesday night, dedicated to the three finals of the playoffs. Georgia and Ukraine will accompany the Poles to the Euro Cup that will begin on June 14 in Munich.
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Ward, Rodon, Ben Davies, Mepham, Ampadu, Roberts (Brooks, min. 83), Jordan James, Neco Williams, Harry Wilson, Kieffer Moore and Brennan Johnson (Daniel James, min. 70)
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Szczesny, Bednarek (Bartosz Salamon, min. 79), Dawidowicz, Jakub Kiwior, Nicola Zalewski, Jakub Piotrowski (Taras Romanchuk, min. 105), Bartosz Slisz, Frankowski, Zielinski (Sebastian Szymanski, min. 100), Swiderski (Krzysztof Piatek , min. 80) and Lewandowski
Goals
Referee Daniele Orsato
Yellow cards Jakub Piotrowski (min. 50), Jordan James (min. 55), Nicola Zalewski (min. 71) and Mepham (min. 97)
Viktor Tsygankov, Girona winger, and Mihailo Mudryk, Chelsea winger, scored the goals (2-1) that beat Iceland and qualified Ukraine for the European Championship. The match played in Wrocław (Poland) before thousands of Ukrainian pilgrims was an act of national vindication. After two years of war following the invasion of Russia, the presence of the Slavic team in the final phase of the tournament transcends sporting success. Something similar happens with Georgia, another former Soviet republic, qualified for the Euro Cup for the first time in its history after beating Greece in Tbilisi, in another penalty shootout at the end of another 0-0.
The Cardiff stadium was packed with passionate anthem singers. The crowd sang the most vibrant verses from the folk repertoire of the Welsh nation. Interspersed with patriotic songs like the Yma or Hyd British pop classics included —Just Can’t Get Enough— and some prayer to the deities, Christian or pagan. All help was insufficient in the arduous struggle of the players in red to control the ball when it was not touched by the left-handed Neco Williams or the right-handed Brennan Johnson, the young people responsible for carrying the offensive responsibility bequeathed to them by the retired Gareth Bale.
In the absence of headlights to illuminate their football, the Welsh clung to discipline, effort, camaraderie. The tools of the modest kept them united under the breath of a tireless and contagious fan of fervor. They put relentless pressure on the Poles. They were taken away from the area. From the first minute to the last of an exhausting match, the local team managed to ensure that the Central European interiors did not manage to overtake the game towards the last quarter of the field. The consequence was the total disconnection of Robert Lewandowski. Those who regret that Barça’s number nine is unassisted by Gündogan, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong must have seen it at the expense of Sielinski, Blisz and Piotrowski. The man was so dejected and angry that at the end of regulation time he only had two shots, one after a corner and the other from outside the area. Both off goal.
They say that Lewandowski is a crack. It would take a leap of faith to see something similar in Cardiff’s performance. The Polish captain, 35, also did not reach the playoffs With a dazzling record: three goals in the qualifying phase, against Moldova and the Faroe Islands, and dismal statistics with his club, he did not invite hope. There are 36 footballers in Europe’s four major leagues with a better goals-per-minute-played ratio this season. If the three penalties he counts are excluded, his 10 goals from play in 27 games show a poor average: a goal every 215 minutes. Only in the League do they surpass him, by far, Álvaro Morata (1/122); Hugo Duro (1/195); Ante Budimir (1/184); Borja Mayoral (1/196); Youssef en-Nesyri (1/177), Alexander Sorloth (1/135) or Gorka Guruzeta (1/150), the attacker signed by Athletic in 2022, after relegating to the First Federation with Amorebieta.
Wales put pressure on them and as Poland couldn’t find another way out, Szelsny played long for Lewandowski. Invariably surpassed by the local centre-backs, experienced in aerial duels in the Championship and the Premier. Poland put pressure and the Welsh defenders looked long for Kieffer Moore, Ipswich’s number nine. Danny Ward. The Welsh goalkeeper has not played a single minute this season at Leicester, in the Championship. Until the penalties, he didn’t have a job in Cardiff either. Szelsny, his counterpart, headed into Moore’s corner, following a lateral foul, and saw Ben White head a corner into the net. The linesman declared offside without the VAR ruling or the images of the video arbitration trial being broadcast. The play, due to its tightness, deserved review.
The match continued without finesse. Wales generated more danger with Roberts’ throw-ins than with Johnson’s drives, and Poland was exhausted where they stopped Nicola Zalewski, the young Roma attacker, condemned by his coach to avoid obstacles on a wing, far from the immediate area of influence, and, above all, far from Lewandowski, who did not touch a ball with his foot inside the area until he took his corresponding penalty.
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