Poland put it all in Robert Lewandowski’s hands, and Robert Lewandowski put it all in Memo Ochoa’s hands.
0-0, how much chance do we have to give Mexico to make history this time?
price?
I feel Lagerbäck today.
This is also how you can explain what toilets are to a footballer. Robert Lewandowski is the best penalty taker in Europe, with a goal percentage of over 90 percent from eleven metres. He almost never misses them, and here he gets the chance to push them a good distance towards the playoffs.
But a private toilet.
He now stands 11 meters away from Memo Ochoa, the goalkeeper who until last fall conceded his last 29 penalties in the Mexican league – but is world-renowned for his heroic efforts for Mexico as the World Cup approached.
Lewandowski never misses, never saves Ochoa.
Ochoa saved, Lewandowski missed. Because it’s the World Cup.
It felt like a Lagerbäck
Otherwise, it was difficult to imagine that this is where Sweden could be. Opposite Mexico, in the industrial area of Doha, in a yard built from 974 recycled shipping containers. That was what rained down on Chorzow, and that was what erased Karlström’s mishandling.
Jan Andersson’s team beat Mexico in a meaningless friendly, they lost to Poland in the decisive World Cup qualifiers, and if it were the other way around, they would be here. And yes… they were probably more here than in Poland.
Poland under Czeslaw Meczevic is very far from the advanced team that got involved in a confrontation whether it be Germany or Turkmenistan, and now they are going to play the opening match of the World Cup. So Poland have scored just one goal in their last six opening matches, failing to win by a single goal – and they didn’t seem particularly eager to win that one either.
Tactically it looked fun, fluid and fluid with a five line defense that turned into a four line when attacking. But more than anything, they were a team with one idea – defending low, and I hope the hopelessly abandoned Robert Lewandowski will win the game for them.
Twenty minutes later, I felt like Lars Lagerback.
Seventh consecutive miss
By that time, Mexico had rolled intensively around Poland without stopping, going from edge to edge and surrounding the penalty area. They didn’t have that much of an edge (they don’t have them), and it was amazing how Hector Herrera, who kicked off against Sweden, was now a stone pillar when the tempo was turned up with other equipment. But obviously they were better, if they had Lewandowski or at least the old nine Raul Jimenez, they would have scored three goals. Now land in the positions shook by Poland’s giant defenders, or try to fall into the harps behind the back line.
But there is still a difference. Poland was not attacked, which is why I thought of Lagerback.
– I think he’s superior with attackers, then you can always play in attack, – said Lagerback.
Now I miss Milik and attacking play.
Things got better after the break, Micevic at least made sure Lewandowski wasn’t completely solo up front, and in the end it looked like he was right after all:
Enough with Lewandowski!
The Polish number nine fell inside the penalty area, Hector Moreno grabbed the Lucha Libre shirt and the referee fired a penalty kick. I made this moment for him, a chance to breathe life into Poland’s World Cup dreams, a chance to score his first World Cup goal, a chance to show that it doesn’t matter what matches look like – skip the gluten- and lactose-free back and forth we go!
But then Memo Ochoa slipped towards the left post, and for the seventh time in a row Poland failed to win the opening match. Now they will face Saudi Arabia in a match that has changed in nature compared to what it was hours ago. They will need more ideas than Lewandowski at the time.
Tata Martino will face his old mentor Lionel Messi, their history has not been without conflict and now more than ever is at stake. Mexico was fine in the match against Poland, but they still looked like the World Cup team they usually are. You kind of know what you’re getting. Those who never give up In the stands, saludo a la bandera gesture at the national anthem, tears and technology – and a place in the Round of 16 before they immediately went home.
But we’ll have fun along the way, and we’ll see the best version of Memo Ochoa.