| Player | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Artur Boruc | Goalkeeper | Celtic (Scotland) |
| Lukasz Fabianski | Goalkeeper | Legia Warsaw |
| Tomasz Kuszczak | Goalkeeper | West Bromwich Albion (England) |
| Jacek Bak | Defender | Al Rayan (Qatar) |
| Marcin Baszczynski | Defender | Wisla Krakow |
| Bartosz Bosacki | Defender | Lech Poznan |
| Dariusz Dudka | Defender | Wisla Krakow |
| Seweryn Gancarczyk | Defender | Metallist Charkow (Ukraine) |
| Mariusz Jop | Defender | FK Moscow (Russia) |
| Mariusz Lewandowski | Defender | Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) |
| Michal Zewlakow | Defender | Anderlecht (Belgium) |
| Piotr Giza | Midfielder | Cracovia |
| Kamil Kosowski | Midfielder | Southampton (England) |
| Jacek Krzynowek | Midfielder | Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) |
| Sebastian Mila | Midfielder | Austria Vienna (Austria) |
| Arkadiusz Radomski | Midfielder | Austria Vienna (Austria) |
| Radoslaw Sobolewski | Midfielder | Wisla Krakow |
| Euzebiusz Smolarek | Midfielder | Borussia Dortmund (Germany) |
| Miroslaw Szymkowiak | Midfielder | Trabzonspor (Turkey) |
| Pawel Brozek | Forward | Wisla Krakow |
| Ireneusz Jelen | Forward | Wisla Plock |
| Grzegorz Rasiak | Forward | Southampton (England) |
| Maciej Zurawski | Forward | Celtic (Scotland) |
| Head Coach: | Pawel Janas | |
Scouting Report
Style of play: Polish coach Pawel Janas uses a traditional 4-4-2 formation with a flat back four and favours an attacking approach. Miroslaw Szymkowiak is the team's key playmaker in the centre of midfield. He orchestrates the Polish attack with the help of the two wide midfielders, Euzebiusz Smolarek and Jacek Krzynowek, with the trio forming an effective supply line for the forwards. They need to drop back in defence more, though, as all too often they are caught upfield, leaving the defence unprotected. Celtic striker Maciej Zurawski is Poland's main offensive threat, and it'll be up to him to bang in the goals - especially as regular strike partner Tomas Frankowski was not selected by coach Janas. There's little individualistic play on Poland, which tends to play as a team with the contributions of every player vital to the side's success.
Probable starting formation (4-4-2): (GK) Artur Boruc - (D) Jacek Bak, Marcin Baszczynski, Mariusz Lewandowski, Michal Zewlakow - (M) Euzebiusz Smolarek, Kosowski Kamil, Miroslaw Szymkowiak, Jacek Krzynowek - (F) Maciej Zurawski, Grzegorz Rasiak
Strengths:
Scoring - Poland was one the top-scoring clubs in European qualifying
with 27 goals - a remarkable average of 2.7 goals per game. Maciej Zurawski
scored a team-leading seven goals, and opposing defenders will have their
hands full trying to contain him.
Defence - Things are pretty tight at the back for Poland, who conceded
nine goals in 10 qualifying games. Lacking genuine stars, Poland's defence
is a tight-knit unit, although it will be interesting to see how it does without
former team captain Tomasz Klos, overlooked by coach Janas. Michal Zewlakow
is a quality defender and it will be him to anchor the defence.
Midfield creativity - Poland has several creative options in midfield.
Miroslaw Szymkowiak is a talented playmaker who orchestrates the attack from
the middle, while Jacek Krzynowek and Euzebiusz Smolarek give Poland dangerous
options down both wings. When they work together, the trio provides a lethal
supply line of passes and scoring opportunities to the forwards.
Weaknesses:
Goalkeeping - Four years ago, Jerzy Dudek was widely regarded as one of
the best goalkeepers in the world. Since then, his form has slipped drastically
(he now serves as a backup at Liverpool) and he didn't even make the Polish
team this time around. New No. 1 goalie Artur Boruc is coming off a good season
with Celtic in the Scottish league, but is unproven in international play.
Match fitness - Coach Janas can call upon several players who play
for top clubs across Europe. The problem is the majority of them are not regular
starters for their teams, and spend most of their time on the bench. Players
need to be "match-fit" when the World Cup starts, and many on Poland's
roster won't be.
Questionable team selections - Coach Janas's decision not to pick striker
Tomas Frankowski, who tied Maciej Zurawski as the team's top scorer in qualifying
with seven goals, defies logic. And how does he explain the omission of former
team captain Tomasz Klos, a veteran central defender who has anchored the
Polish defence for years? Left fullback Tomasz Rzasa was also snubbed, leaving
many to believe Janas doesn't even know what his best team is.
Players to watch:
Maciej Zurawski - Poland's leading scorer (tied with Tomas Frankowski)
in qualifying with seven goals. Zurawski has emerged as a star for Scottish
league champions Celtic and is renowned for his speed and scoring prowess
in front of goal.
Miroslaw Szymkowiak - A gifted playmaking midfielder who serves as
the fulcrum for the Polish attack. Szymkowiak is Poland's general on the field,
setting up scoring chances for his strikers with his sublime passing and dribbling
skills. Plays with a lot of emotion and is very dangerous in free kick situations.
Jacek Krzynowek - One of the few Polish players that plays abroad (with
Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, Germany's first division) who is a regular
starter for his club. Krzynowek gives width to the Polish attack in midfield,
creating scoring chances with his acute passes and penetrating runs down the
wings.
Key injuries/squad omissions: Coach Pawel Janas omitted several marquee names from his squad, none bigger than Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek. Dudek started for Poland at the 2002 World Cup but he was relegated to a backup role with Liverpool this past season. Still, he has vast international experience, unlike 21-year old keeper Lukasz Fabianski, who has played in just two exhibition games for Poland. Fabianski will be Poland's backup in Germany. Inexplicably, striker Tomasz Frankowski, Poland's top scorer in qualifying, did not earn a spot on the roster. Nor did left fullback Tomasz Rzasa and central defender and former team captain Tomasz Klos. Instead, Janas called up striker Pawel Brozek, fullback Dariusz Dudka and central midfielder Piotr Giza, who between them have only played in a handful of exhibition games. FK Moscow midfielder Damian Gorawski was originally named to Poland's roster but had to withdraw after medical tests uncovered he suffered from a serious circulation and respiratory condition. Coach Janas called up defender Bartosz Bosacki as Gorawski's replacement. A persistent knee injury kept Nigeria-born striker Emmanuel Olisadebe from being selected.
Prognosis: Poland was one of the dominant soccer powers in the world from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s, but looked sadly out of place at the 2002 World Cup (its first in 16 years) when it crashed out of the first round. Playing in the same group as Germany could be a bit of a blessing for the Poles this time around, as all the pressure will be on the hosts. Poland certainly has more skill and depth than Costa Rica, but Ecuador should prove to be a stern test. If Maciej Zurawski can duplicate his impressive scoring record in qualifying, and the defence can hold things together in the absence of Tomasz Klos, there's no reason why Poland can't advance to the second round and, perhaps, even upend Germany for first-place in Group A. More than likely, though, they'll be battling Ecuador for second.
Road to the World Cup
Current FIFA Ranking: #29
1st round matches:
June 9 vs. Ecuador in Gelsenkirchen
June 14 vs. Germany in Dortmund
June 20 vs. Costa Rica in Hanover
2006 qualification route: Poland finished in second place (24 points)
in Europe's Group 6 behind England (25 points). Poland was one of two second-place
teams in Europe to gain automatic qualification.
Qualifying record: 10 games played, 8 wins, 0 draws, 2 losses
Goals for: 27 Goals against: 9
Top goal-scorer in qualifying: Maciej Zurawski and Tomas Frankowski (7)
Qualifying results: (home team listed first)
Sept. 4, 2004 - Northern Ireland 0, Poland 3
Sept. 8, 2004 - Poland 1, England 2
Oct. 9, 2004 - Austria 1, Poland 3
Oct. 13, 2005 - Wales 2, Poland 3
March 26, 2005 - Poland 8, Azerbaijan 0
March 30, 2005 - Poland 1, Northern Ireland 0
June 4, 2005 - Azerbaijan 0, Poland 3
Sept. 3, 2005 - Poland 3, Austria 2
Sept. 7, 2005 - Poland 1, Wales 0
Oct. 12, 2005 - England 2, Poland 1
World Cup History
FIFA member since: 1923
Team nickname: Biaÿo-czerwoni (the White and Red)
All-time caps leader: Grzegorz Lato (95)
All-time leading scorer: Wlodzimierz Lubanski (48 goals)
Number of Previous World Cup Appearances: 6
All-time record: 28 games played, 14 wins, 5 draws, 9 losses
Goals for: 42 Goals against: 36
World Cup History:
1930 - Did not enter
1934 - Did not qualify
1938 - First round
1950 - Did not enter
1954 - Did not enter
1958 to 1970 - Did not qualify
1974 - Second round (3rd place)
1978 - Second round
1982 - Semifinals (3rd place)
1986 - Second round
1990 to 1998 - Did not qualify
2002 - First round
Biggest victory: 7-0 vs. Haiti in 1974
Biggest defeat: 4-0. vs. Brazil in 1986 and 4-0 vs. Portugal in 2002
Overall top scorer: Grzegorz Lato (10 goals)
Most appearances: Wladislaw Zmuda (21 matches)
Hosted the World Cup: Never
Other Achievements:
Olympic Gold Medal: 1972
Olympic Silver Medal: 1976, 1992
Greatest Players:
Zbigniew Boniek: A key member of the Juventus side that dominated Italian
and European soccer in the 1980s. Boniek was also an important member of the
national team, scoring a hat trick against Belgium in the 1982 World Cup as
he helped Poland finish in third place. Considered one of the greatest Eastern
European players of all time.
Grzegorz Lato: Poland's all-time leading scorer in the World Cup with 10 goals in 20 games. Lato was the top scorer at the 1974 World Cup (seven goals) and earned a record 95 caps for Poland, scoring 42 times in international competition. He played in two World Cups (1974 and 1982) before retiring from the national team in 1984.