Euro 2012: Czech Republic and Greece Moving On

Czech Republic's Petr Jiracek and Poland's Ludovic Obraniak

The nice thing going into the final four days of group stage play at Euro 2012 was that pretty much everything was up for grabs.  Ireland and Sweden had been eliminated in their respective groups, but all the quarter-final spots were still on the line.  It set the table for some mouth watering drama.

The Group A Finale took place on Saturday with the Czech Republic against Poland and Greece against Russia.  In Wroclaw, the Czechs needed a win over cohost Poland to advance.  They were able to deliver, but looked a little nervy out of the gate.  The first 25 minutes were pretty much all Poland.  The opening minutes saw efforts from Dariusz Dudka and Robert Lewandowski hit the side netting, and Sebastian Boenisch forced a great save out of Petr Cech on 22 minutes.

The first half ended scoreless, but it was the Czechs who came out on fire in the second half.  They were eating possession and minutes on the clock, but had a hard time carving out great chances.  They finally got their breakthrough in the 72nd minute. Milan Baros ran into the top of the area, then expertly dished to Petr Jiracek, who easily slotted the ball into the Poland net to make it 1-0.  The lone goal would be all the Czechs would need to see off Poland punch their ticket into the quarter-finals.

Giorgos Karagounis scored the Greeks' game winner. (AP Images)

The other simultaneous Group A fixture featured Greece going up against heavily favored Russia, who had been in command of the group since opening day.  The Greeks needed a win and help from the Czechs, and they got both.

Greece came out on the offensive, forcing a flurry of early corner kicks.  However Russia denied them a goal through a nice save by Vyacheslav Malafeev.  Kostas Katsouranis also sent an effort just wide of the Russian net in the early sequences of play. 

After that the Russians pretty much took over for most of the rest of the half.  Andrey Arshavin had a shot saved, Aleksandr Kerzhakov and Yuri Zhirkov would also have good looks, but would fail to penetrate the Greek goal.  On the stroke of half time, the Greeks would make them pay for being wasteful.

Greek Captain Giorgos Karagounis seized control of loose ball just outside of the Russian penalty in the 45th minute.  He ran unchallenged into the area and coolly eased the ball through the Russian 'keeper to make it 1-0 to the Greeks at halftime.

The Russians would continue to push for a goal in the second half, but there was not one to be found.  Unfortunately for the Greeks, Karagounis was booked for diving in the box late in the match. It was actually a pretty clear penalty, but the yellow will mean the Greek captain will miss their quarterfinal match.  In the end, it didn't dampen the Greek spirits as they held on and celebrated a famous victory, sending them through and sending the Russians home early.

Euro 2012: Greece vs Czech Republic and Poland vs. Russia

Czech Republic's Petr Jiracek celebrates his opening goal (Getty Images)

The players of the Czech Republic were looking for a good dose of redemption coming into the second day of Group A play.  Sitting on zero points after a day 1 drubbing by Russia, they faced being the first team to be eliminated if they lost.  However, they came out of the gates on fire to make sure that didn't happen.  The Greeks, on the other hand, turned in another nightmare first half effort from which they could not recover this time.

The Czechs opened the scoring in just the third minute when Petr Jiracek took a through ball and slashed open the Greek defense.  He snuck into the six yard box and slapped the ball past a helpless Greek 'keeper to make it 0-1.Then just three minutes later they capitalized on more lackluster Greek defense to double the lead.  Theodor Gabre Selasssie got behind the Greek back line and fired a centering pass to Vaclav Pilar, who poked home another goal to make it 0-2 to the Czechs after just six minutes.

In the end it would be all the Czechs would need, but the Greeks did get one back in half number two.  In the 53rd minute Petr Cech, who hasn't had a great tournament so far, tried to claim a ball in the box but ran into one of his defenders.  He couldn't hang on, and the ball fell to Greece's Theofanis Gekas who blasted the ball into the empty net to make it 1-2.  However, they never really threatened again and the Czechs held onto the win 2-1.

Poland's Jakub Blaszczykowski after equalizing against Russia

Meanwhile, the day's second match took place in Warsaw between Poland and Russia.  Unfortunately, the match was preceded by a march to the stadium by Russian fans celebrating a national holiday.  The Russians had cleared it with the local authorities, but it ended up leading to violence between the Russians and Polish Ultras that resulted in some injuries.

As for the match itself, Russia could punch it's ticket to the knockout stage with a win over the co-hosts, but found that the Polish football team was just as up for the fight as their fans were.  Still, the Russians controlled much of the of the first half and got on the board first in the 37th minute.  Andrei Arshavin sent a free kick into the box that found Alan Dzagoev unmarked.  The hero of the first match for Russia calmly flicked a header into the goal to make it 0-1 Russia.

The Poles were not about to roll over though, and they fought back hard in the second half.  The pressure paid off in the 57th minute when Arshavin reverted to Arsenal form and passed the ball right to a Polish defender.  In the end, Jakub Blaszczykowski ended up smashing an equalizer into the Russian net to make it 1-1.  That score would hold through full time as both teams seemed to come up a little weary toward the end.

The day's results did little to clarify the Group A situation.  Greece's lone point against Poland keeps them alive, and the Poles sit one point behind the Czechs, 2 vs 3.  Russia still tops the group on four, but they are not through yet.  That means both of Saturday's games will figure into the group scenario.

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.