Robert Lewandowski was the star man inside the first 20 minutes of the match with a lively performance on the offensive. The Borussia Dortmund goal poacher electrified the National Stadium in Warsaw with his header in the 17th minute.
The manner in which Poland got off to a positive start will baffle Greek fans, tough. Spanish referee, Carlos Velasco Carballo, stole the headlines with his abysmal officiating.
The calls that buried Greece
The two incidents that got Greece’s Sokratis booked twice should have certainly been ignored by referee Carlos Velasco Carballo. First, Sokratis was accused of elbowing Lewandowski around the hour mark but it looked more like a 50/50 challenge.
The defender received his marching orders in controversial fashion inside the 44th minute; Murawski lost his balance when trying to get past Sokratis. According to the referee, the Greek player was to blame.
Poland got lucky again when Carballo denied what should have been a penalty. Perquis executed a sliding tackle in his own box and the ball clearly touched his arm in the process. With a man down and a denied penalty appeal, Greece left the pitch 1-0 down at the break.
The gift that punished the proud co-hosts
Then came the moment when Greece reminded Poland that they are past European Championship winners. The Greeks showed a bit more composure at the restart. They might have been advised by Portuguese manager Fernando Santos in the dressing room. Refocusing instantly paid off.
The co-hosts surprisingly let their foot off the pedal and when Arsenal goalkeeper Szczesny missed a cross, PAOK’s Dimitris Salpingidis was there to tap the ball across the goal line. Punished. At 1-1, there was all to play for. The second period suddenly looked like a new game, forcing Poland to multiply their efforts as belief mounted within the Greek team.
Another red card was flashed. This time, it went to Poland’s Szczesny. The latter made the terrible decision of kicking Salpingidis in a one-on-one situation. There was no point wasting time by arguing with the referee. The youngster immediately left the pitch. At that moment, numbers were equal: 10 vs 10 and 1-1. However, from the awarded penalty kick, did the Greeks take their golden chance for revival?
The strength of Poland’s intimidating home crowd
From the first whistle of the game, the home crowd acted like Poland’s 12th man. Their energy was even more needed in the 70th minute when Giorgos Karagounis was yards away from putting Greece 2-1 up.
The pressure was on Szczesny’s substitute, goalkeeper Tyton, to pull a splendid save and keep Poland in the match. The electric atmosphere by the fans at the National Stadium in Warsaw certainly played a part in the outcome of that moment as Tyton produced a vital punch at the disgust of the Greeks.
Salpingidis thought to have clinched a brace 5 minutes later but his strike was ruled out for offside. Poland’s players and supporters could breathe a big sigh of relief…
For more info on this game, go to the Poland vs Greece match page. Meanwhile, UEFA Euro 2012 continues for the co-hosts with a match against Russia on June 12 at the same venue. Greece will meet the Czech Republic at the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw.
June 12, 2012: Greece vs Czech Republic
June 12, 2012: Poland vs Russia
