Poles need a huge win

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-16  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

POLAND needs a big victory against Croatia and a lot of help in today's other Group B match to keep alive its hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals at the European Championship.

Poland must win in Klagenfurt over Croatia, which has secured top spot in the group, by three or four goals, and needs Austria to beat Germany in Vienna to advance.

"The only thing we can do is try to win our match with Croatia, and for the rest we are in the waiting room," Poland coach Leo Beenhakker said.

"I've always learned that you have to put your time and your energy in the things you can manage, what you have in your hands. We don't have the result of Germany-Austria in our hands, we only have more or less the result of our own match in our hands, so we are focused on it."

It's a match that means everything for Poland - and nothing for Croatia.

Coach Slaven Bilic's team has already wrapped up a spot in the knockout stage with wins over Austria and Germany. With that in mind, Bilic has indicated he will likely change his lineup to rest most of his top stars for Croatia's quarterfinal against either the Czech Republic or Turkey.

"We are going to field the strongest team possible, but we are not going to take risks," Bilic said. "The criteria will be yellow cards, those who are injured, and those who are drained."

Five Croatia players, including star midfielder Luka Modric, have yellow cards and are unlikely to play today to prevent the possibility of getting a second yellow and missing the quarterfinals.

Midfielder Darijo Srna, defenders Josip Simunic and Robert Kovac, and strikers Ivica Olic and Mladen Petric will likely join Modric.

Bilic said Dario Simic, who did not take the field for Croatia in its opening two matches, will captain the squad today in what will be his 99th international appearance.

Up front, Ivan Klasnic is expected to lead the Croatia attack, becoming the first player ever to take part at the European Championship after a kidney transplant.

Poland needs to believe that it can win big against Croatia to keep its slim hopes of advancing alive but it has only scored one goal in its first two matches, that too against Austria - considered the weakest team.