Euro 2012: Poland vs. Greece

Poland backup 'keeper Przemyslaw Tyton saves a PK (AP Photo)

Turns out there was a little bit of everything in the opening match to Euro 2012.  Poland hosted Greece at the Polish national stadium in Warsaw, and both sets of fans had reason to walk away from the match disappointed, but also feeling very fortunate.

Both sides took the pitch to a Thunderous atmosphere after the opening ceremonies, but it was Poland who took charge of the actual football in the first half.   In the 5th minute Rafal Murawski got everyone's attention with a strike on target that the Greek 'keeper managed to tip over the bar.  For the most part the Poles kept applying the pressure in the Greek defensive third and it paid off in the 17th minute.  Jakub Blaszczykowski sent in a cross that found the head of Robert Lewandowski.  The Dortmund connection paid off for Poland as Lewandowski easily headed it into the net to make it 1-0.

There would be other chances for Poland in the first half as well.  Most notably Damien Perquis ended up with what pretty much was a sitter shot in the 37th minute.  Unfortunately for the cohost nation, he somehow put it wide.

However in the minutes leading up to the break, the Spanish referee inserted himself squarely into the match.  In the 44th minute he hit Greece's Sokratis Papastathopoulos with a very soft 2nd yellow card, putting Greece down to ten men.  His first yellow card was very questionable as well, but still Sokratis got an early shower.  Then in the first minute of stoppage time, a Poland defender clearly handled the ball while on the ground in the box.  The Greeks shrieked for a penalty, but none was given and the half ended 1-0 to Poland.

Greece came out totally different in the 2nd half.  There really was nowhere to go but up for them, and up they went.  In the 51st minute Vasilis Torosidis sent a cross into the six, and Poland 'keeper Wojciech Szczesny tried to claim it.  The Arsenal man totally bungled it, and Demitrios Salpingdis was there to slam the ball into the empty net to tie the match at 1-1.

It was not the last error Szczesny would make either.  In the 69th minute he brought down Salpingdis in the box.  He not only conceded the PK but earned himself the red card as well, evening up the sides on 10 men. That one was definitely the correct call.  Backup 'keeper Przemyslaw Tyton stretched and came on to face the penalty.  Giorgos Karagounis took the PK for Greece, but Tyton guessed correctly and dove to his left to make the save.  It wasn't the best PK in the world, but the 'keeper still had to save it.  There will probably be some toasts to Tyton throughout Poland tonight.

That save ended up preserving the draw, as neither side really threatened the goal again.  Greece did have a goal called back for offside, but it was the correct decision as well.  In the final minutes both teams seemed tired from playing with 10 men for an extended stretch and both settled for the 1-1 draw at full time.  Both teams probably could have won, but they'll each walk away with a point which keeps them square in the thick of things after day 1 at Euro 2012.