EURO2012 Opener: Poland vs Greece live scores, blog
Roar Guru By Matt Bungard, 9 Jun 2012 Matt Bungard is a Roar Guru & Live Blogger
The second biggest football tournament in the world gets underway at 2am on Saturday morning in Australia, as we see the 2012 European Champions begin in Warsaw, with co-hosts Poland taking on Greece in the opening game.
In one of the most memorable underdog stories in sporting history, Greece came from nowhere to win it all (and simultaneously put everyone to sleep) with a series of scrappy results that yielded the ultimate success in the 2004 tournament.
Much of Poland’s success will hinge on Borussia Dortmund’s star marksman (and my sneaky bet for the Golden Boot) Robert Lewandowski, who netted 30 times for the German champions in all competitions.
He will be ably supported by his club teammates Łukasz Piszczek and national team captain Jakub Błaszczykowski and hopefully be aided in goal by Arsenal number one Wojciech Szczęsny.
On the Greek side of things, there’s not a lot expected in terms of flowing, attacking football but they are well known for being able to keep things close and who knows, maybe shock the world by pulling off another deep run.
The drive from midfield will come from skipperGiorgos Karagounis, and if they do jag a goal, look for it to come from Celtic target man Giorgos Samaras. I’m not going to pretend like I know a whole lot about this team apart from remembering a few of the guys from their 2004 run, and watching gorgeous George tear it up at Celtic Park (I apologise if you can smell the cynicism of that last remark)
In any case, there’s never a dull game for football lovers in a tournament like this, and, motivated particularly by my Lewandowski bets, I’ll be glued to the screen. I hope you will be too.
Join us just before 2am for line-ups, formations and team news. (Expect hand cramps after about five minutes of typing all these ridiculously long names)
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The Crowd Says (66) | Page 1 of Comments
The Roar Live Blog: Latest comments displayed at the top of the page | Click here to jump to leave a comment
3:52am
Matt Bungard said | 3:52am | Report comment
FULL TIME
POLAND 1
GREECE 1
3:55am
Matt Bungard said | 3:55am | Report comment
Well, I don’t think anyone saw this coming after what we saw in the opening 45 minutes.
Greece showed remarkable heart to storm right back into this one, and were it not for the heroics of Tyton, the substitute Polish keeper, it could have been even worse for the hosts.
The super-sub Salpingidis was in everything, and surely will earn a start for their next game. Poland had enough chances to put away a hatful of goals but at the end of the day, if you don’t take them when they come, you’re not going to win.
Thanks for following and be sure to tune in again for some other key matches in the tournament…and no blog, but be sure to enjoy Russia v Czech Republic in about 30 minutes time. Be sure to follow us on twitter @TheRoarSports and myself @TheMattBungard
Cheers
3:49am
Matt Bungard said | 3:49am | Report comment
91st min
Błaszczykowski thumps in a cross and it’s cleared away for a corner! Is there time for some late drama?
3:50am
Matt Bungard said | 3:50am | Report comment
Nope – it’s over everyone and out for a goal kick.
3:48am
Matt Bungard said | 3:48am | Report comment
89th min
It opened up suddenly for Lewandowski but he couldn’t beat the one defender between himself and the keeper
3:45am
Matt Bungard said | 3:45am | Report comment
87th min
Samaras cops a push in the back from Perquis and the Greeks will have a free kick about 35m out.
3:46am
Matt Bungard said | 3:46am | Report comment
Poor delivery from Karagounis and it comes to nothing.
3:43am
Matt Bungard said | 3:43am | Report comment
85th min
Highly ambitious from Lewandowski as he takes the shot first time from a tight angle – it’s into the netting, wide of the near post.
3:43am
Matt Bungard said | 3:43am | Report comment
84th min
Karagounis hits one from long range but it’s well off target
3:42am
Matt Bungard said | 3:42am | Report comment
83rd min
Polanski with an angled shot from 20 yards, easily gathered by Chalkias.
3:39am
Matt Bungard said | 3:39am | Report comment
80th min
Samaras spoons it over from the edge of the box. Classic.
3:38am
Matt Bungard said | 3:38am | Report comment
79th min
Beautiful slide rule pass to put Obraniak into the area, he had time to either shoot or square it to Lewandowski but in the end he’s boxed out and takes it over the byline for a goal kick
3:36am
Matt Bungard said | 3:36am | Report comment
77th min
Torosidis with an audacious effort from a long way out. It did not go in.
3:35am
Matt Bungard said | 3:35am | Report comment
15 minutes to go. Is there time for a hero?
3:34am
Matt Bungard said | 3:34am | Report comment
76th min
Błaszczykowski tried to play a one-two with Lewandowski but he was taken down late after giving the pass. Poland free kick.
3:33am
Matt Bungard said | 3:33am | Report comment
74th min
AND SALAPANGIDIS IS IN AGAIN!!! BUT IT’S OFFSIDE IN THE LEADUP!!! Wow. Great call.
3:29am
Matt Bungard said | 3:29am | Report comment
71st min
AND IT’S SAVED!!! WOW!!!
3:30am
Matt Bungard said | 3:30am | Report comment
I had a feeling he was going to save it, to the point I had that comment above typed in as Karagounis was running in – Tytoń dives to his left, palms it away and the score is still 1-1!!! What a moment!!
3:28am
Matt Bungard said | 3:28am | Report comment
69th min
PENALTY TO GREECE!!! AND SZCZESNY IS OFF!!!!
3:29am
Matt Bungard said | 3:29am | Report comment
A lovely ball over the top is latched on to by the super sub Salpangidis, he was rounding Szczęsny when he was taken down, not much the keeper could do to avoid the contact but nevertheless it’s a pen and a red!! Huge swing in this game!!!
Rybus is coming off for the substitute goalie
3:26am
Matt Bungard said | 3:26am | Report comment
68th min
Fortounis on for Greece, Gekas off. That’s their last change – Poland are yet to make one
3:25am
Matt Bungard said | 3:25am | Report comment
67th min
A diving header from Rybus, who has been very quiet, is high and wide.
3:23am
Matt Bungard said | 3:23am | Report comment
65th min
A rocket of a shot from Murawski catches Karagounis in the head but he’s up and running after a few seconds
3:22am
Matt Bungard said | 3:22am | Report comment
63rd min
Samaras on the end of a lovely chipped pass, he couldn’t believe he was onside, too the touch too wide and mishit the finish from a tight angle! Had to do better there
3:20am
Matt Bungard said | 3:20am | Report comment
61st min
Poland starting to get frustrated as Greece look a shade more organised at the back in this second half
3:20am
Matt Bungard said | 3:20am | Report comment
61st min
Poland starting to get frustrated as Greece look a shade more organised at the back in this second half
3:16am
Matt Bungard said | 3:16am | Report comment
57th min
The second Papadopoulos brings Lewandowski down about 30 out, right in front of goal…this is territory for Obraniak to have a dig…
3:16am
Matt Bungard said | 3:16am | Report comment
And he hits it firmly, but about a metre wide of the far post!
3:12am
Matt Bungard said | 3:12am | Report comment
54th min
Karagounis into the book for a deliberate handball.
3:09am
Matt Bungard said | 3:09am | Report comment
51st min
AND IT’S 1-1!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!! THE SUB SALPINGIDIS!!
3:11am
Matt Bungard said | 3:11am | Report comment
Wow. Szesczny came, he fumbled the ball and it was slammed home into the vacant net. An absolute gift for Greece, and absolute gaffe from the Arsenal keeper.
And I think the bus will be parked now..
3:07am
Matt Bungard said | 3:07am | Report comment
47th min
Lewandowski on his weaker foot gets it all wrong from a wide angle. Still, Poland are all over Greece in the early stages of the second half
3:04am
Matt Bungard said | 3:04am | Report comment
Half time sub for Greece: Ninis off, Salpingidis on.
2:49am
Matt Bungard said | 2:49am | Report comment
HALF TIME
POLAND 1
GREECE 0
2:51am
Matt Bungard said | 2:51am | Report comment
Well, that whistle probably couldn’t have come quickly enough for the Greeks – an abject performance from the 2004 champs combined with some lovely play from the host nation and it’s lucky to only be a one goal deficit at the break. A very bad decision to send Papastathopoulous off, yes, but aside from that Greece have looked largely toothless and Samaras aside, have offered very little. Their left back has been given an absolute bath by the Dortmund duo of Piszczek and Błaszczykowski, and it’s their team mate Lewandowski who got the first goal (and hopefully gets a few more).
I’m going to make some tea, I’ll see you all in a few minutes.
2:47am
Matt Bungard said | 2:47am | Report comment
46th min
Greece are appealing for a penalty!!! It’s not given
And in the aftermath the referee has pulled out a yellow on Holebas for dissent – this is decending into farce very quickly.
2:46am
Matt Bungard said | 2:46am | Report comment
44th min
Greece are down to ten men!!! Murawski was through, he was fouled by Papastathopoulous and that seemed a very soft call!! It’s his second yellow and he’s off – neither challenge was worth a booking. Wow.
2:42am
Matt Bungard said | 2:42am | Report comment
41st min
A decent ball in from Maniatis is cleared for a corner by Wasilewski…and again, it comes to nothing!
2:40am
Matt Bungard said | 2:40am | Report comment
40th min
Greece get a corner, it’s headed away for another by Polanski. The second is punched clear by Szczesny and the counter is on! Poland have a corner up the other end. Breathtaking stuff.
2:37am
Matt Bungard said | 2:37am | Report comment
37th min:
What a miss from Perquis!!
2:39am
Matt Bungard said | 2:39am | Report comment
And the Greeks looked a bit unorganised during that sub, it fell to Perquis about 10 yards out and he tried to smash it goalwards with the entire right side of the goal to aim at but he dragged it wide! There was bad bobble and some blockers, but still…he had to score!
2:37am
Matt Bungard said | 2:37am | Report comment
36th min
And finally that change is made, Avraam Papadopoulos is off, Kyriakos (no relation) is on.
2:36am
Matt Bungard said | 2:36am | Report comment
35th min
The first yellow of the tournament!! Papastathopoulos catches Lewandowski with a stray limb and the big Pole goes down. Free kick about 35m out
2:29am
Matt Bungard said | 2:29am | Report comment
28th min
Ninis is hacked down right on the edge of the area by Boenisch, best chance so far coming up for the Greeks…
2:31am
Matt Bungard said | 2:31am | Report comment
cleared away easily, though
2:27am
Matt Bungard said | 2:27am | Report comment
27th min
Obraniak is pulled down by Karagounis in a dangerous area. Free kick to Poland.
2:26am
Matt Bungard said | 2:26am | Report comment
25th min
Corner for Poland…punched away by the keeper
2:20am
Matt Bungard said | 2:20am | Report comment
20th min
Avraam Papadopoulos is down injured. The other Papadopoulos might come on to replace him..
2:17am
Matt Bungard said | 2:17am | Report comment
17th min
LEWANDOWSKIIIIIII!!!!!!
2:19am
Matt Bungard said | 2:19am | Report comment
Błaszczykowski, crosses it, Lewandowski heads it into the ground and the far post and it bounces up and in to the top corner!!! The main man for Poland gets them on the board!!
2:17am
Matt Bungard said | 2:17am | Report comment
15th min
Lewandowski snatches at one from the edge of the box on his left and it’s miles wide.
2:15am
Matt Bungard said | 2:15am | Report comment
14th min
Another big chance!!! Dortmund team mates Piszczek and Lewandowski combine and from inside the 18 yard box, the former drills a ball across goal and it’s just got a bit too much zip for the number 9 to get a head on it! That would certainly have been a goal had their been contact!
2:13am
Matt Bungard said | 2:13am | Report comment
13th
Błaszczykowski (whose name I have copied to clipboard so I can paste it) puts one well over from a decent angle.
2:12am
Matt Bungard said | 2:12am | Report comment
11th min
Another deep set piece for Greece….and it’s nodded just wide from Gekas!
2:08am
Matt Bungard said | 2:08am | Report comment
8th min
Great hold up play from Lewandowski, coming into his own half to win the ball. It results in a free kick near halfway.
2:05am
Matt Bungard said | 2:05am | Report comment
5th min
And a great start for Poland!!! The first shot is blocked, it comes out to the edge of the box for Murawski and it’s tipped over by the keeper for the first corner
2:06am
Matt Bungard said | 2:06am | Report comment
There is a shot at the end of the corner but it’s well wide.
2:03am
Matt Bungard said | 2:03am | Report comment
3rd min
An early free kick for Greece about 40m out…but it comes to nothing.
2:01am
Matt Bungard said | 2:01am | Report comment
I must say, it’s nice to watch an international tournament without vuvuzelas.
2:01am
Johnno said | 2:01am | Report comment
I wonder if Sprio’s watching and having a drink of Ouzo.
2:03am
Matt Bungard said | 2:03am | Report comment
Almost certainly.
2:00am
Matt Bungard said | 2:00am | Report comment
WE ARE UNDERWAY IN EURO 2012!!!
1:55am
Matt Bungard said | 1:55am | Report comment
The teams are out. Just the anthems to come.
1:51am
Matt Bungard said | 1:51am | Report comment
The opening ceremony is well underway – it’s…entertaining to say the least.
not long now. Come on Lewandowski!
1:12am
Johnno said | 1:12am | Report comment
Hellas Hellas Hellas, allt he sydney Olympic and sth melbourne hellas fans will be out in force tonight watching get the Ouzo and Souvlaki out.
12:56am
Matt Bungard said | 12:56am | Report comment
Hey friends,
we’re about an hour away from kick-off but I’ve got some starting line-ups:
Poland: Szczęsny; Piszczek, Wasilewski, Perquis, Boenisch; Błaszczykowski, Polanski, Murawski, Rybus; Obraniak; Lewandowski
Greece: Chalkias; Papastathopoulos, A.Papadopoulos, Torosidis, Holebas; Maniatis, Katsouranis, Karagounis; Ninis, Gekas, Samaras
—
Hopefully we can put this Omani disappointment behind us and enjoy some neutral football!