BERLIN, June 22 ― Poland coach Michal Probierz said they had missed their moment when all-time top scorer Robert Lewandowski came on against Austria after the match was already two-thirds over.
A 0-0 draw in today's late game between Netherlands and France saw Poland become the first team eliminated from the tournament, leaving them with only pride to play for when they meet France in their final group game on Tuesday.
“We knew that this would be a highly intensive match, and we decided with the medical team, and Lewandowski himself, that he would not be starting from the first minutes,” Probierz said after Poland's 3-1 loss to Austria on Friday in Berlin.
“We hoped that we could break through the Austrian defence in the second half, it's a pity that we didn't score,” he added.
“We missed that moment.”
Lewandowski, who sat out the 2-1 defeat by the Netherlands in Poland's opener due to an injury, lit up the crowd when he came into the game on the hour to the relief of fans who had wondered if he would spend the full 90 minutes on the sidelines.
However, his presence on the field failed to translate into a winning edge for the team. Poland went in at halftime level with Austria, who had taken the lead with a ninth-minute goal before striker Krzysztof Piatek equalised on the half-hour mark.
It took less than seven minutes after Lewandowski, who boasts 82 goals in more than 150 internationals, came on for Austria's Christoph Baumgartner to net their second goal, followed by a Marko Arnautovic penalty 12 minutes later.
Poland face France, who will be trying to clinch a place in the last 16, in their final group game on Tuesday in Dortmund. ― Reuters
