Positively middling

10th June 2011

Poland met France in the Legia Warszawa stadium this Thursday night in a match that promised to either raise or dash hopes following the 2-1 result over a weakened Argentina last weekend. French coach Laurent Blanc had tempted fate by stating before the match, “Poland has no outstanding players.” Smuda later gave the standard reply that, “Poland will try to match the French and win the game.

In the event France ran out comfortable 1-0 winners in a match which displayed the gulf in class that a smidgeon of control brings. There wasn’t much between the sides, but Poland were always the more likely to lose the ball in dangerous areas or misplace the final pass.

The previous weeken ...