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| April 15th 2005 |
Mexico City, Estadio Azteca
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| POLAND - NETHERLANDS |
0-2 (0-1)
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GOALS 33' 0-1 Willy van der Kuylen
59' 0-2 Faas Wilkes
REFEREE David Cesar Arnaldo Coelho (Brazil)
ATTENDANCE 105,000
YELLOW CARDS Gorgon, Musial, Gadocha, Cmikiewicz (POL)
Rijkaard (NED)
POLAND (Coach: Kazimierz Gorski, system 4-3-3)
1 Jan Tomaszewski
2 Antoni Szymanowski
4 Wladislaw Zmuda
5 Jerzy Gorgon
3 Adam Musial
10 Zbigniew Boniek (-65)
6 Henryk Kasperczak (-54)
12 Kazimierz Deyna (captain)
16 Gregorz Lato
8 Andrzej Szarmach
20 Gerard Cieslik (-72)
Substitutes:
15 Leslaw Cmikiewicz (+54)
9 Wlodzimierz Lubanski (+65)
11 Robert Gadocha (+72)
NETHERLANDS (Coach: Rinus Michels, system 4-3-3)
1 Jan van Beveren
2 Wim Suurbier
3 Frank Rijkaard
6 Rinus Israël
5 Ruud Krol
7 Johan Neeskens (-71)
11 Willy van der Kuylen
10 Wim van Hanegem
20 Faas Wilkes (-80)
13 Beb Bakhuys (-83)
14 Johan Cruijff (captain)
Substitutes:
4 Ronald Koeman (+71)
8 Ruud Gullit (+80)
22 Bertus de Harder (+83)
MATCHREPORT
Poland had the difficult task to beat Holland to reach the second round. It
had replaced Robert Gadocha, who had been a disappointment until that
moment, by Gerard Cieslik. At centre forward Andrzej Szarmach again was
preferred to the great Wlodik Lubanski. Holland had no problems and could
field their best side. Rinus Michels chose Bakhuys instead of Van Basten and
yet again preferred 50's star Faas Wilkes to Ruud Gullit. Poland were
determined to let Holland stumble but in the end simply lacked class to make
the orange team sweat.
Holland, with Wim van Hanegem as the man at the wheel in midfield and their
best performer on the night, was technically in a different class compared
to the Poles that much more relied on their speed. Lato however found a
tough opponent in the also very quick Krol, Szarmach didn't touch the ball
against mighty Rijkaard and Suurbier had no problems controlling Cieslik.
The only difficulty Holland had was constantly going forward right back
Szymanowski. Cruijff, his direct opponent, wouldn't follow and that left Van
Hanegem with the choice of attacking Szymanowski, or just follow Deyna. The
Polish captain was the man with most ballpossession in the first half, he
tried to set the pace of the game and reach his strikers, but Lato, Szarmach
and Cieslik were no match for the Dutch defence led by the impressive Rinus
Israël.
Holland on their turn tried to keep the ball in their ranks as long as
possible, just to get the pace out of the game. They knew they could be in
trouble against the physically and conditionally strong Poles with a fast
match, so the best remedy would be: keep the ball. And with Van Hanegem,
Rijkaard, Cruijff and Van der Kuylen, all great technicians, they were well
equipped to do so. But they had their chances too, when they enlightened the
game suddenly. Bakhuys, already after 2 minutes, anticipated strongly on a
beautiful pass by Van Hanegem, turned away from his marker Zmuda but sent
his shot wide. The second moment of danger occurred when Suurbier steamed up
along the right sending a cross to Neeskens, whose header was kept out by
Tomaszewski. Poland again couldn't really impose. Deyna tried from long
distance but Van Beveren was not the kind of goalie you would surprise from
outside the box. He gracefully parried the shot. Another shot from
Kasperczak went over the bar. But that was all for Poland during the opening
minutes.
The difference in quality got clear after half an hour. Holland combined
well through the Polish defence, Wilkes surpassed both Zmuda and Musial
before passing the ball back to Van der Kuylen. The midfielder turned away
from Kasperczak and finished it off precisely: 1-0, the second goal for Van
der Kuylen in the competition. That score provoked Poland to more action,
they now had to score twice. And they tried, but when Holland with Van
Hanegem, Cruijff and Van der Kuylen, working remarkably well together, kept
the ball in the team, all that the Poles could do was run behind it
helplessly. Half-time came with Holland 1-0 in front.
After the break the Dutch had to go back at first. Lato now woke up, ran
past Krol twice a released perfect crosses for Szarmach, who headed it wide,
and Boniek who saw his shot tipped over the bar by Van Beveren. It seemed
Poland had grabbed themselves together for a last operation, but Holland
kept their defence closed and with 59 minutes on the clock decided the
match. It was a brilliant goal. Faas Wilkes got the ball in midfield and
started a solo, dazzling past Cmikiewicz, Deyna and Zmuda. Then Gorgon was
outplayed by a 1-2 combination with the help of Bakhuys, before Wilkes
composedly sent a low drive past Tomaszewski: 2-0 for Holland.
It took the poison out of the game. Poland had lost the belief and could not
find the energy to put Holland under more pressure. The arrival of Lubanski
instead of Boniek looked ambitious, but the truth was different. Poland had
a good team, Holland a great team. Michels could afford to take off dynamo
Johan Neeskens and bring Ronald Koeman, a guarantee for even more possession
of the ball in midfield. Kazimierz Gorski tried to turn things around by
bringing Gadocha, but all it provided was a yellow card for the striker, one
of four yellow cards Poland sustained. Holland only got one caution, but it
was one that hurt. Frank Rijkaard got his second booking and therefore would
be suspended for the match in the round of last 16, which would take Holland
to Yokohama for a clash with the Soviet Union. Holland of course kept the
lead intact during the rest of the match. Poland's loss not only threw the
team out of the competition, it also meant that Uruguay together with
Holland qualified for the next round. Holland, with a better goaldifference,
remained first in the group. For Uruguay a difficult task was lying ahead
against Spain, the winners in group A.
Group F will be decided next Tuesday. France are already through although
they are not completely sure of first place. And winning the group is
important, since the runners up face an encounter with the winners of group
H, most likely Brazil. And that is something that you'd better avoid at this
stage of the tournament! Still Aimé Jacquet has stated that he will not
field many of his first choices, and that might give Chile a slight chance
of surprising. They need a win but will always be dependent on the result
Belgium gets against Ireland. The Green Army coached by Jack Charlton are
without skipper Roy Keane in that match, who received a red card in the last
match. Belgium misses sweeper Laurent Verbiest, who will be replaced by Nico
Dewalque. France-Chile will be played in the Stade de France in Saint Denis.
Referee here is Pierluigi Collina. Simultaneously Belgium-Ireland will take
place in the Olympia Stadion in München, with Moroccan Said Belqola handling
the whistle.
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