Thursday, May 29, 2008

UEFA Euro 2008: Poland Team Preview

The squad: Poland's qualifying campaign saw them top Group A ahead of Portugal, qualifying for the Euros for the first time. World Cup appearances in 2002 and 2006 ended at the group stages. As they were two years ago, Poland will be paired in a group with arch rivals Germany.

The players: Polish fans will be hoping for magic at Euro '08 in the form of lead striker Maciej "Magic" Zurawski. Zurawski netted the lone goal in Poland's tune-up win over Albania Tuesday. Zurawski started the '07-'08 season at Celtic, which is the club home of Polish goalkeeper Artur Boruc. Boruc posted seven clean sheets to help Celtic win a third-straight Scottish Premier League. A late addition to the roster is Brazilian-born midfielder Roger Guerreiro, who was recently granted Polish citizenship.

The schedule: vs. Germany (6/8); vs. Austria (6/12); vs. Croatia (6/16)

The prediction: Poland's third game against Croatia should be for second place in Group B. They'll have a better chance to progress in four years when they co-host the 2012 tournament with Ukraine.

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