Poland vs Romania

On a busy day of international football in Europe, it was the beginning of a new era for Poland.

Franciszek Smuda debuted as the new permanent coach for the Polish national team.

The atmosphere in Warsaw was not very welcoming however.

Plenty of empty seats and a pitch with many of the same qualities as a minefield immediately set a sour tone for the match.

Both teams found themselves in similar circumstances coming into this friendly, having been recently eliminated from World Cup qualifying.

The match was rather uneventful in the first half, with Poland’s best chance coming in the 27th minute from their best player, Irenseusz Jelen.

Jelen received a pass from behind and released a hard first time shot from just inside the box, but Romanian keeper
Costel Pantilimon dove low to block the effort.

Three minutes later and Jelen’s deep cross almost found a Pole by the goal, but it was intercepted at the last moment by the tall figure of Pantilimon climbing high.

Two more wonderful opportunities for the Poles came in the first half on the right side of the Romanian penalty area for Jakub Blaszczykowski.

Unfortunately Blaszczykowski completely massacred the chances and kept Poland scoreless at the interval.

After the break in the 54th minute, Polish keeper Tomasz Kuszczak did well to dive and save a Romanian blast from distance.

However five minutes later and Kuszczak was beaten.

With Romania scrambling around in the Polish area, a last ditch pass by a Romanian falling from a trip in the minefield – aka the pitch – found a compatriat.

His shot instantly deflected off a defender and looped ever so gently over an outstretched Kuszczak and into goal.

In the 66th minute, Romania should have doubled their lead when the ball was loose multiple times in front of the Polish goal line.

Kuszczak was unable to make the grab and Romanians were everywhere.

Somehow Poland escaped the danger.

A minute later and Jelen was the recipient of a nice cross from Kamil Kosowski – who served up many on the night – but it was headed too weakly and right at the keeper Pantilimon.

The end of the game became rather dramatic for Poland for all the wrong reasons.

Five minutes from time and a routine shot from Romania was caught by Kuszczak.

But somehow Kuszczak lost the ball, which then rolled behind him and toward goal.

With the ball rolling just wide of the post, it was met at the end line by a Romanian player who fired a shot into the side netting, narrowly missing the target.

Kuszczak — the number two behind Edwin van der Sar at Manchester United — will forever be immortalized on YouTube as the goalie who allowed one of the longest range goals in the history of football.

It was scored by the opposing goalie off a goal kick the entire length of the field (LINK: Colombian keeper Luis Martinez beats Tomasz Kuszak in 2006).

85th minute and a couple nifty passes found newly substituted Slawomir Peszko with only the Romanian keeper to beat.

But Peszko made a complete mess of it and his weak effort was no challenge at all for Pantilimon in goal.

It was Peszko again in the 93rd minute, this time with the ball and only an empty goal in front of him.

But just like a few minutes earlier, he turned a gift into an utter disaster, managing to somehow lose the ball, and thus the match.