Waldemar Fornalik: photo - PAP/Bartłomiej Zborowski
Poland has only ever beaten England once, during a World Cup qualifier in Chorzow in 1973, when English captain Bobby Moore turned the ball into his own goal and Włodzimierz Lubanski scored another in a famous 2 – 0 win.
The victory set up the encounter at Wembley a few months later, where Poland only needed a draw to take them through to the finals in West Germany.
After Jan Tomaszewski performed miracles in goal Poland eventually secured the 1 – 1 draw, sending England out of the World Cup.
Since those heady days of 1973 Poland have never beaten England, however, and national team coach Waldemar Fornalik says that his team will not be playing for a draw tonight but for a win.
“Someone wise once said that if the game is drawn, you can still lose. If you are trying to win, you can still tie,” Fornalik told journalists on Monday.
“Our goal is to win,” he said.
Fornalik has several selection headaches, however, with captain Jakub Blaszczykowski sidelined due to an ankle injury and first pick goalkeeper, Arsenal’s Wojciech Szczesny is also out of action.
Przemyslaw Tyton, one of the few Poles to play well during Euro 2012, will take Szczesny’s place.
“We know who will be in defence, though I will not be announcing that now. There are a few doubts as to the composition of the team but we are getting closer to a decision,” says Fornalik, who took over as team coach following the exit of Franciszek Smuda, who was at the end of his contract after Euro 2012.
One player back in the squad is Eugen Polanski, who missed last Friday's friendly against South Africa, which Poland won 1-0, after the FSV Mainz midfielder was called away on family matters.
Polanski returned to the team base in Warsaw on Monday.
“His psychological condition will be all right,” the coach said.
England are currently top of Group H after a 5 – 0 thrashing of San Marino last Friday, though they have played one game more than Poland, who are equal second with Montenegro on four points after two games. (pg)
source: IAR