Showing posts with label Szczesny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Szczesny. Show all posts
Co-hosts Poland and Greece fought out a 1-1 draw in a frantic Euro 2012 opener that saw both teams finish with 10 men at Warsaw's Stadion Narodowy.
Poland benefited from a bright opening to the Group A match before a crowd of 56,826 when Robert Lewandowski headed them into the lead on 17 minutes from a lovely Jakub Blaszczykowski cross as Greece goalkeeper Kostas Chalkias paid the price for coming from his goal but failing to collect the ball as it flew across his area.
Greece had managed to upset hosts Portugal in the opening match of the tournament on their way to winning Euro 2004, but their evening was rapidly turning into a nightmare when Sokratis Papastathopoulos was red carded three minutes before half-time for a second yellow card after he was deemed to have fouled Rafel Murawski midway inside his half.
He had been booked moments earlier for a supposedly late challenge on Lewandowski despite replays showing he had won the ball fairly and squarely in the air against the Borussia Dortmund striker.
It was a harsh decision by referee Carlos Velasco Carballo, but perhaps not a major surprise when one learned later that the Spanish official had produced 16 red cards in 19 La Liga matches last season.
Poland looked to be heading for a momentous first win at the European Championships, but were stunned on 51 minutes as Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny missed Vassilis Torosidis's cross ball enabling Greece substitute Dimitrios Salpingidis to stab the ball home from close range.
Szczesny's night went from bad to worse when he was red carded on 68 minutes after felling Salpingidis as he raced in on goal on 68 minutes.
Greece captain Giorgos Karagounis stepped up to take the penalty, but planted his penalty too close to substitute Polish goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton who dived to his left to make the stop and ensure his side a point from a match they might have won given their advantage at the break.
Whether it will prove to be good enough to help Poland reach the last eight of the tournament remains to be seen with Russia and Czech Republic their other opponents in what appears to be the weakest group at the finals.
It was all Poland in the first period with Chalkias forced to swipe an effort by Murawski over his bar on four minutes with Lewandowski just failing to connect with a Lukasz Piszcezk cross eight minutes later.
Damien Perquis smashed a shot wide when he should have hit the target eight minutes before half-time as Poland could and should have finished matters off ahead of the second half.
Greece looked a whole lot more sprightly as they re-emerged with their 10 men as Salpingidis - on for Sotiris Ninis at half-time - made a noticeable difference to their attacking instincts. It was hard to argue they were not worthy of the point.
Newcastle produced the story of the season so far as they came from four goals down at half-time to draw 4-4 with Arsenal in the Premier League at St James' Park.
A rampant Arsenal destroyed Newcastle inside the opening 45 minutes: they were in front after only 42 seconds thanks to Theo Walcott, while before three minutes were up Johan Djourou had made it two. Robin van Persie added further strikes in the 10th and 26th minutes.
In the second period Abou Diaby was sent off following an incident with Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan and the game was less open after that with the Gunners seemingly content to hold on to their four-goal cushion.
However they were unable to do so, Barton sticking away a pair of penalty kicks either side of a Leon Best finish - and Cheik Tiote dramatically sealed the comeback with a stonking volley from almost 30 yards with three minutes of normal time to play.
The result means Manchester United can move seven points clear of the Gunners should they win early this evening against Wolves - and Arsene Wenger's side will not have a game in hand at the end of the day.
From the kick-off Arsenal looked for short, precise passes despite facing a congested Newcastle midfield. They were rewarded almost immediately as Diaby's pass inside to Andrei Arshavin took a deflection to put Walcott through on goal, and he slipped a casual finish into the bottom corner past Steve Harper.
With only 2:45 on the clock it was two. Russian playmaker Arshavin, by his own admission suffering from a crisis of confidence on the field of play, bent a lovely free-kick into the penalty area for Swiss centre-half Djourou to head in off the crossbar.
The Toon showed signs of coming back into the match, with captain Nolan unlucky to see a low cross cleared by Diaby, but conceded a sucker-punch third only 10 minutes in.
Walcott - who caused mayhem down the right flank throughout the opening half - pulled back low for Netherlands striker van Persie, eight yards out, to sweep home halfway up the goal with his right foot.
The waves of attacks kept coming, with Spain star Cesc Fabregas - the orchestrator of so much of Arsenal's best play - forcing a near-post block from Harper after controlling Jack Wilshere's flicked ball inside.
Two minutes later they had their fourth, Bacary Sagna delivering a pin-point cross from close to the right-hand corner flag for Van Persie to nod emphatically inside the near post.
Walcott's damaging runs should have produced further goals, but the home defence managed to keep him at bay despite seeming all at sea. By contrast the away back four looked at ease even when stretching to clear in the box.
Van Persie shot over when a raking Fabregas ball put him through on the left and the Dutchman could have made it five in the dying seconds of the half, Harper turning his effort behind following good work by Wilshere.
To the second act.
In the dressing room Newcastle boss Alan Pardew must surely have pointed to the need to stay tight in the opening moments, and his side did just that. However without the sending off, it would surely have been a case of damage limitation.
An injured Djourou was withdrawn early on for Sebastien Squillaci and moments later came Diaby's moment of madness.
He was caught late by Barton after getting rid of the ball; it was a hard tackle, but did not necessitate the Frenchman's reaction: he got hold of the back of the midfielder's neck and pushed him to the ground before also pushing a furious Nolan in the back. Phil Dowd did not hesitate in brandishing the red card.
The fans - some of whom seemed to exit the ground after the fourth goal went in, although that cannot be said for certain - were galvanised and their side responded.
Best almost hooked home from a few yards out then Danny Simpson raced clear only to see Poland keeper Wojciech Szczesny - so solid in the first half - pull off a reaction save.
Wenger seemed to be having kittens on the touchline: it was almost as if he knew what was coming. However no one in their right mind would have put money on anything but an Arsenal win at 4-0 up with 22 minutes left.
The first penalty was given away by Koscielny, who challenged Best from behind while near the corner of the six-yard box. It looked harsh, but he did try to get to the ball through the striker's legs. Barton stepped up and placed his kick low into the bottom corner.
Szczesny was unfortunate to be booked for holding on to the ball as Nolan and Barton sought to knock it away from him, but far worse was to follow.
Having saved brilliantly from Mike Williamson in the 73rd minute, he was shortly after unable to stop Best firing home on the turn; he was flagged offside despite substitute Tomas Rosicky clearly playing him on from left-back.
The former Coventry striker was not to be denied a minute later, getting a second bite at a Jose Enrique cross and finishing low past the keeper.
Nile Ranger had come on for Peter Lovenkrands and Newcastle, clearly missing Liverpool signing Andy Carroll and the injured Shola Ameobi in an impotent first half, suddenly looked world beaters.
Szczesny saved from Ranger as he drove in from the left and also nicked a ball off his feet as he got in behind again, while Best should have done better than head over while free 10 yards out.
The second penalty arrived with seven minutes left, Rosicky pushing over Williamson as a Barton free-kick arrowed to the far post. The playmaker, brilliant at times and the most instrumental player to their comeback, hit a poor penalty down the middle - Szczesny's trailing foot caught the ball but it found the top of the goal.
Barton was denied a clear free-kick on the right but won one a minute later when Rosicki bundled him over. The Czech hardly covered himself in glory during his 21 minutes on the pitch, especially seeing as they coincided with the start of the home comeback.
The Barton set-piece was headed clear but the danger was not over: Tiote lurked 30 yards out and met the ball on the volley with such force that Szczesny was left floundering as it flew into the corner.
St James' went nuts and was almost treated to a sensational winner when Nolan hit a first-time shot just wide from a Ranger nod back in the first minute of five added on.
There could have been a final twist when Van Persie hit a deflected strike in off the bar in the 94th minute; he was denied by the offside flag despite appearing level when pulling away from the defender.
The most memorable Premier League game for years ended to jubilation in the stands - many of those present will have thought back to those 4-3 clashes with Liverpool in the Nineties and been glad to this time see their team come out of the experience with something to show for it.
Avram Grant edged closer to the West Ham exit door as Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 win at the Premier League’s bottom club, thanks in no small part to a dreadful display by debutant Wayne Bridge.
With reports widely saying the Hammers boss would be replaced by Martin O’Neill whatever the result, a hapless performance from Bridge helped Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott net first-half goals and Van Persie score a late third.
Bridge, who signed from Manchester City days previously after the Hammers agreed to pick up a reported £90,000 wage bill, failed to close down Walcott as he set up Van Persie for a 13th-minute opener, the England winger given time and space to pick out the Dutchman with a low cross that he smashed into the bottom right.
The former Chelsea left-back was twice at fault for the second, playing Van Persie onside as Nasri sent him down the left and failing to stick with Walcott as he finished from close range in a role reversal of the first, the former Southampton trainee hitting double figures in a season for the first time in his career.
With the game won for Arsenal, Bridge then clumsily chopped down Walcott with 15 minutes left, allowing Van Persie to grab his second from the spot.
Things got even worse for poor Bridge as he was injured in the latter stages, completing one of the worst debuts in Premier League history.
The Hammers threatened the Arsenal goal on occasion - Carlton Cole denied by a superb stop from Wojciech Szczesny and seeing a goal-bound header diverted wide by Johan Djourou - but Arsenal could have run up a cricket score in a match they dominated.
The result puts Arsenal a point off second-placed Manchester United and two behind leaders City, although United have games in hand on both clubs.
The Hammers were missing their two best players this season, Scott Parker and Frederic Piquionne - and it showed.
Between the first-half goals - which, poor defending aside, were well-crafted and taken - Walcott finished weakly at Robert Green when clean through, Van Persie hit the post after being teed up by Samir Nasri, who himself fired one just over, while defender Djourou was denied by a brave stop from Green.
The second half was a touch lower key but still controlled by Arsenal, Van Persie embarrassing Bridge by turning him inside and out three times before forcing a near-post save from Green as the Gunners sliced them apart at will.
There was a brief moment of respite for West Ham and Bridge when his curling free-kick was deflected inches wide, while Freddie Sears almost netted a fluke when his cross skewed towards goal and was tipped wide by the young Polish keeper.
Normal service was soon resumed, Walcott putting wide from Nasri’s ball after the hapless Bridge tackled air and, with a quarter of an hour left, the former England defender was late on the current national team winger to give away a penalty that a cool Van Persie drilled beyond Green into the bottom left.
Any vague hope of a comeback was over, as was any realistic chance that Grant would cling on to his job with former Aston Villa, Celtic and Leicester boss O’Neill waiting in the wings.
Our intensity and organisation were at a high level on Monday night but overall I think that Manchester United defended very well.
The technical quality of the game was average on both sides because the pitch was very poor in my opinion. It was bouncy and slippery and the game suffered a lot from it.
Man United played a very simple game but they were efficient at it because they scored a goal and we didn't create enough chances. You have to give them credit because their defence didn't make any mistakes while our passing was not quick or sharp enough.
On reflection both teams played at the top level tactically but we were a bit nervous, especially at the start, and we couldn't get them out of position. All the same you have to give them credit for good defending.
They knew we keep the ball well and their team was built and focused to defend and catch us on the break. In fairness we were not dangerous enough to dominate the game and create chances. In the second half it was all us trying to get them out of position and create chances and them taking advantage of counter-attacks.
It is a big frustration and a big disappointment but what is important is that we bounce back in our next game against Stoke on Saturday. Overall on what I have seen tonight there is no reason not to believe and we know we can play better offensively.
Finally I must say that Wojciech Szczesny put in a good performance. He looked a bit nervous in his kicking in the first half but overall with his hands he didn't make any mistakes.
He came into the side because Lukasz Fabianski had an injury but in this job you don't look at the size of the game. When you have the quality, you play.
Every big goalkeeper has started at 18 or 19 years of age. For example I saw Edwin van der Sar when he was 18 and he played in big games.
