Preview: England will need to manage their nerves
Having to play two very important matches in a row, England already passed the first test. A 4-1 victory over Montenegro on Friday has the Three Lions in prime position to guarantee their place in next year's World Cup. But before they can celebrate that accomplishment, they will need to get past Poland.
Wembley Stadium will be expecting 18,000 Polish fans on Tuesday, which is an impressive number, considering they are already out of contention for qualification.
But although they are unable to book a place in next year's World Cup, they can spoil the party for England, just as they did in 1973. A memorable goalkeeping performance from Jan Tomaszewski denied the Three Lions of qualifying for the World Cup, and Artur Boruc is ready to do the same.
"We are still talking about that (Tomaszewski's performance) in Poland," the Southampton goalkeeper told DailyMail. "I know it's not the same, because this time we can't qualify. But at the very least, If I'm playing in that game I want to stop England."
Without any serious pressure, other than that of wanting to make their fans happy, Poland will be able to play completely stress free.
Unfortunately for England, they are unable to say the same. Failure to defeat Poland on Tuesday could cost them first place, depending on how Ukraine does against San Marino.
Roy Hodgson will give Everton's Leighton Baines the start, with Ashley Cole still out with a rib injury. Andros Townsend is also looking at a late fitness test, having picked up a knock against Montenegro on Friday.
"We'll monitor the knock, but we are hopeful he will be fit to play," Hodgson told reporters.
Up against what should be a difficult opponent, the England manager wants his players to finish the qualification stage with a victory.
"We must make sure we complete it against Poland, and I am sure we will," he said. "Even though they are out of the running and have nothing to play for, I can't imagine they will take their foot off the gas."
The disappointment of not being able to qualify for the World Cup is never good news, especially for a nation like Poland, who has a number of talented players. Borussia Dortmund's Lewandowski wants a big performance for the players, and their fans.
"We won't be favorites and we don't stand a chance of going through, but we want to go to Wembley and at least allow our supporters a little fun" Lewandowski told the Daily Telegraph.
England's players will need to focus and not let the emotions of the match get the best of them. As time goes on without a goal, the home squad will start to get anxious, knowing that Ukraine is very likely to defeat San Marino.
Not allowing those emotions to get to them will be key, if they are to grab the full three points against Poland. If the visitors manage to grab the first goal of the match, we could see an English side playing with their heart, opposed to their head.
Where to watch the match - live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch England vs Poland live on Tuesday, October 15, 2013:
In Canada at 15:00 ET on: Sportsnet Ontario / East / West / Pacific, Sportsnet World Online
In the UK at 20:00 BST on: UTV, ITV1
In the USA at 15:00 ET on: Fox Sports 1
If you are looking to follow the action in Poland, you can do so on TVP Sport and Polsat Sport. Viewers outside these areas can check the England vs Poland match page for full TV listings.
