Euro 2016: Poland has proven that the team is more than just Robert Lewandowski

It seems a long time ago, but Poland came into Euro 2016 seeking their first ever win in the tournament’s history. They had qualified only once before, been given an automatic berth as hosts in 2012, before making it to this edition. Twice, they finished rock bottom in their group, coming across as a team that had forgotten how to turn up at big tournaments. In their home edition in 2012, the hype, as you would expect, was palpable, and for fans, it was a gradually inflated bubble bursting all too soon on their face. In the end, there was nothing to cheer about, leave alone prospects of a fairy-tale in front of partisan crowds. [caption id=“attachment_2848844” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The tireless Grzegorz Krychowiak is a pivotal a box-to-box midfielder. Reuters[/caption] In this edition, most of these aberrations have been corrected – Poland have had not one win but two, would have finished top of the table if not for Germany’s superior goal difference, and go into their Round of 16 fixture against Switzerland as firm favourites. On first glance, the score lines might not tell the full story – with just two goals, it has not exactly been a glut, especially with Robert Lewandowski, the continent’s top scorer in the qualifying phase, in their line-up. Yet, that is exactly where Poland have been different from a number of other sides in this tournament. Over 270 minutes, they have proven that they are much more than their celebrated front man. A superstar striker playing up top is always talked up in the build up to any tournament, and looking at the likes of Sweden and Portugal so far, that has not exactly been of much use without a working system. As the group stage draws to a close, Poland are the only side apart from Germany in the 24 team field, to have not conceded a single goal after three completed games. While a few, countable shots have been missed from point blank range by Poland’s opponents, it should not take away anything from stellar performances from their central defence and defensive midfield. Kamil Glik, dropped from the squad for Euro 2012, has improved through the group stages, producing his best performance against Ukraine last night. At the heart of Poland’s defence, his positioning and the ability to control large swathes of opposition territory, occasionally even drifting to the right, has meant even attack-minded sides like Germany have struggled against them. In front of him is the tireless Grzegorz Krychowiak, as pivotal a box-to-box midfielder as any in the tournament so far. Putting in last ditch sliding tackles in the penalty area, finding open spaces with decisive passes for Lewandowski and Milik to take forward, feeding swift counterattacks through the nimble feet of his wingmen, his form has been crucial in shielding his back four and nipping attacking runs in the bud. It is credit to Adam Nawalka’s setup, that it is unfair to even call anyone the “support cast” - Michal Pazdan, Lukasz Piszczek and Thiago Conek have all impressed at different points of time, with the former particularly standing out. Pazdan is, in many ways, the perfect pairing for Glik – a mobile, if adventurous centre-back who doesn’t mind the occasional dribble up the field. Piszczek, once part of the Polonia triumvirate at Borussia Dortmund, has worked back the clock to those years under Jurgen Klopp, with thundering runs up the flank, delivering searching balls into the box. Overall, they have come across as a team whose individuals, while not the most flexible or multi-faceted, know exactly what their roles are, to make things work. 270 minutes and three clean sheets later, Poland have buried the ghosts of Euros past, playing well-drilled football that stresses on working moves patiently from the back. Switzerland await, and in all probability, so do Croatia, and without the cushion of the league phase, strikers and goals will gain greater focus. For now, the defenders have got them out of the rut, with performances that would make their fans and manager proud.