nunes@utai.UUCP (Joe Nunes) (02/11/86)
*** Poland, football that affirms itself ... every 4 years.
*** (Boniek, a vagabond that adds creativity to solidity)
We don't have the least predilection for those extremist theories that state
that Polish football is now passing through a grave crisis, caused in equal
parts by the decline and death of the "golden generation" of the 1970's and by
the emigration of its most brilliant stars. An emigration first of the
"Glorious Past" and now of the "Promising Present", whose primary figure is the
charismatic Zbgigniev Boniek, a few years ago "conquered" by calcium build-up.
These negative theories stem not so much from the degradation in the football
quality exhibited in national competition (where it is said the football is
bad, bad, bad) but primarily by the horrible campaign realized this season by
Polish representatives in UEFA competition. In the European Cup, Cup Winner's
Cup, and UEFA Cup all Polish teams (4 teams in total) were quickly eliminated
(all but one in the first round).
Without placing too much significance in these competitions, in which the
luck of the draw is so crucial, it is important to stress one fact. At the
national level, where all the football potential of a nation is concentrated
(emigrants included), a lot of worth is placed in a nationalistic football
spirit which can guarantee a performance of quality every 4 years, often
well above the quality of day-to-day play. We can establish a parallel with
the Portuguese case: after the difficulty of a problematic, tortuous
qualification a final phase of quality can follow. This due to the fact that
the qualification itself is gratifying and ego-building, and because the
final round is free of the tensions of a packed season, when the player is
dragged from national-level games, to european-level games, to international-
level games, sometimes to "dollar-hunting" exhibition games of no
significance, being asked nothing except to win, win, win.
Let us not delude ourselves because, by our calculations, Poland doesn't
have at this time a squad of the caliber of the great team of 1974. Poland can
still present itself in Mexico with a highly competitive team, and primarily
with a team with solutions, since it possesses a skeleton based on a 4-4-2
which on defense is solid, tough, granite-hard, and on midfield is as
hard-working as it is ingenious, and one of whose players (Boniek) is capable
of guiding a team in a very special way. Boniek a player who is somewhat
truculent, mercenary, and pedantic but whose talent simply has no limits.
Things being this way, coach Anton Piechniczek can, with a certain
naturality and ease, impose these guidelines:
1. Give Boniek full liberty. This will result in a kind of vagabond style
always compensating, sometimes offensively, sometimes defensively. A
style which makes the 4-4-2 explode, injecting it with creativity and
sometimes transforming it into a 4-3-3 with all its inherent dangers to
the adversary.
2. Fine tune, in front of a highly efficient goalkeeper (Mlynarczyk), a
defense of giants (Wojciki (1.92m), Pawlac (1.82m), Przybys (1.85m),
Ostrovsky (1.73m)) which guarantees a huge capacity to struggle, since
it is formed by solid athletes of great physical toughness, decisiveness,
valour and without scruples about resorting to illegalities
whenever necessary.
3. To encounter in the trio of Matysik-Komornicki-Urban (Boniek appears
there but is, as we've said, from another galaxy) the kind of
ingenious/hard-working, hard-working/ingenious midfield which
guarantees, at the same time, technical aid to the "boss" of the group
(Urban and, primarily, the elegant and classic Komornicki) and
the capacity to play a defensive style (Matysik) so necessary whenever
a game changes its flow.
4. To guarantee, via adequate preparation, the movement (lateral and
longitudinal) of the two strikers who will be Smolarek, a rapid player
always in motion, or the young Dziekanowski (23), a kind of Polish
golden-boy, or Palasz, less pretty to watch but more constant in
production.
Don't tell us that given these realities Poland, with a mixture of
veterans (few) and young players (many), is prevented from being a competitive
team of good technical skills, capable of exerting the force and rhythm
necessary to contest the final phase of the World Cup.
While insisting that it is too early to enter into complex analyses as
to what the Portuguese attitude to such an adversary (at heart an
Eastern European team which Boniek "sweetens", adding creativity to the
traditional solidity of this football region of the continent) should be,
one thing seems necessary to note. The Portuguese team must explore a
style of contrast, without being awed by the physical strength of the
opposition, and fully utilize the cleverness of Portuguese football.
If at that time we have the kind of competitiveness that won't vanish at
the first blow, but rather can attain a natural status quo, we must become
like the little mice in the cartoons which are able to drive big, powerful,
but unimaginative cats insane. We must use our style (lazy, French-like)
which can leave a "bully" sweating and short of breath. Of our three
adversaries, Poland seems to be the most vulnerable to this style of play.
More so than a rigorous England with much "schooling" and, hence, much
cleverness, or (we beg forgiveness to all Poles) Morocco which adds Arabian
spices to an essentially French (hence Latin) cuisine.
To analyze the possibilities of Poland/Portugal we should note the
following:
1. Because Poland is Group F's leader it has several advantages:
a) Poland always plays in Monterrey unlike Morocco and Portugal
(the "orphans" of the group) which must play in Guadalajara
(1025 metres higher).
b) Poland has a better progression of quality in their games:
Morocco then Portugal then England.
2. Poland is at a big disadvantage in regards to the climate due to the
heat. This has already been evident (after taking into consideration
altitude problems) in games played during 1985 in Mexico and Colombia.
Poland is not just any team but it is also not a frightening team.