cyclone2k
06-11-2006, 06:54 AM
Match: 6
Group: C
* Kick Off Time: 15:00
* Venue: Zentralstadion
* Referee: MERK Markus
* Temperature: 17°C 63°F
* Conditions: Fair
Match Preview:
Poland's Rasiak ready
Several hundred Polish fans were on hand outside the FIFA World Cup Stadium in Gelsenkirchen for their side’s final training session before opening their Group A account against Ecuador on Friday night.
After a light, one-hour training session on the meticulously kept Gelsenkirchen pitch, most of the Polish squad and their head coach, Pawel Janas, managed to skip past smatterings of gathered media.
However, Southampton striker Grzegorz Rasiak was not quite quick enough to outrun FIFAworldcup.com. We caught up with the towering forward for a brief chat just over 24 hours before the Poles open up with their first test of Germany 2006.
“We know that Ecuador are a very good team,” Rasiak said. “We have prepared very well for the threats they pose and we will not take them lightly. They are technically good and we will need to be at our best to beat them in our first game. They beat Brazil in qualifying, after all, so we must be careful as to how we approach them.”
“We must keep the pressure up on them all the time,” he added under a steady din of “Polska, Polska” chants emanating from the fans camped out and waving flags behind the perimeter fencing.
Many in the Ecuadorian and Polish media are terming this first group match a do-or-die scenario. Rasiak, for one, is not in total agreement. “When you approach any game you have to aim to collect the three points on offer, so we will come out to win as we always do,” he said with a matter-of-fact air. “I am not sure if it is a must-win situation, but I can assure you that we will do our all to start the competition with three points against Ecuador.”
Speed key
Ecuador coach Luis Suarez, though exceedingly calm and cool ahead of the game, was quick to heap praise on the Poland side in a press conference earlier in the day at the same ground. “They are physically strong and very fast,” the coach told members of both the Polish, Ecuadorian and German press. “And they have the capacity to turn defence into attack very quickly. Of this threat, we must be careful.”
Speaking of the Poles' qualities, Rasiak seems in full accord with the opposition coach. “Our main strengths lie in our organisation, we like to play up the wings fast and whip in some good crosses in front of goal,” he said. “If we can employ these tactics to good effect then we should be in good shape. This will be our best bet for success against Ecuador.”
Though both sides are seemingly unwilling to admit the first match’s crucial importance, they will most assuredly be keen to start proceedings off with a win. As the host Germans are heavy favourites to take top spot in the group, a win on the first day of the 2006 finals would no doubt do wonders to settle nerves and give those ever-enthusiastic Polish fans camped out behind the fencing something to really cheer about.
In case the match is draw, all stakes would be returned back!
Group: C
* Kick Off Time: 15:00
* Venue: Zentralstadion
* Referee: MERK Markus
* Temperature: 17°C 63°F
* Conditions: Fair
Match Preview:
Poland's Rasiak ready
Several hundred Polish fans were on hand outside the FIFA World Cup Stadium in Gelsenkirchen for their side’s final training session before opening their Group A account against Ecuador on Friday night.
After a light, one-hour training session on the meticulously kept Gelsenkirchen pitch, most of the Polish squad and their head coach, Pawel Janas, managed to skip past smatterings of gathered media.
However, Southampton striker Grzegorz Rasiak was not quite quick enough to outrun FIFAworldcup.com. We caught up with the towering forward for a brief chat just over 24 hours before the Poles open up with their first test of Germany 2006.
“We know that Ecuador are a very good team,” Rasiak said. “We have prepared very well for the threats they pose and we will not take them lightly. They are technically good and we will need to be at our best to beat them in our first game. They beat Brazil in qualifying, after all, so we must be careful as to how we approach them.”
“We must keep the pressure up on them all the time,” he added under a steady din of “Polska, Polska” chants emanating from the fans camped out and waving flags behind the perimeter fencing.
Many in the Ecuadorian and Polish media are terming this first group match a do-or-die scenario. Rasiak, for one, is not in total agreement. “When you approach any game you have to aim to collect the three points on offer, so we will come out to win as we always do,” he said with a matter-of-fact air. “I am not sure if it is a must-win situation, but I can assure you that we will do our all to start the competition with three points against Ecuador.”
Speed key
Ecuador coach Luis Suarez, though exceedingly calm and cool ahead of the game, was quick to heap praise on the Poland side in a press conference earlier in the day at the same ground. “They are physically strong and very fast,” the coach told members of both the Polish, Ecuadorian and German press. “And they have the capacity to turn defence into attack very quickly. Of this threat, we must be careful.”
Speaking of the Poles' qualities, Rasiak seems in full accord with the opposition coach. “Our main strengths lie in our organisation, we like to play up the wings fast and whip in some good crosses in front of goal,” he said. “If we can employ these tactics to good effect then we should be in good shape. This will be our best bet for success against Ecuador.”
Though both sides are seemingly unwilling to admit the first match’s crucial importance, they will most assuredly be keen to start proceedings off with a win. As the host Germans are heavy favourites to take top spot in the group, a win on the first day of the 2006 finals would no doubt do wonders to settle nerves and give those ever-enthusiastic Polish fans camped out behind the fencing something to really cheer about.
In case the match is draw, all stakes would be returned back!