As Poland’s all-time main scorer, Robert Lewandowski continues to be lacking one thing from his assortment: A objective on the World Cup.
That would change on Tuesday towards Mexico, Poland’s opening opponent in Group C. A prolific scorer who moved to Barcelona after a profitable stint with Bayern Munich, Lewandowski has 18 objectives in all competitions this season. For Poland, he’s scored 76 objectives from 134 appearances.
At 34, the World Cup in Qatar could also be Lewandowski’s final probability for a coveted objective in soccer’s largest occasion.Poland managed solely two objectives 4 years in the past in Russia, from Jan Bednarek and Grzegorz Krychowiak, and the group was eradicated from the group stage with losses to Senegal and Colombia.
Poland, ranked No. 26 on the earth, didn’t even make the 2010 or 2014 World Cups and the group hasn’t superior to the knockout spherical since 1986. Poland’s finest end was third place in West Germany in 1974 and in Spain in 1982.
Lewandowski scored within the 2-0 playoff victory over Sweden in March, giving Poland a spot on the World Cup. He completed with 9 objectives within the qualification marketing campaign. Poland is coming off a 1-0 victory over Chile final week in a closing warmup match earlier than the opener towards Mexico at Stadium 974.
Whereas third-ranked Argentina is the favourite to win Group C, which additionally consists of Saudi Arabia, Tuesday’s match could possibly be indication of the second group that strikes on to the knockout stage. “This is a vital sport for us. It’s necessary that we present confidence. We all know Mexico play prime quality soccer, we all know their potential. We’ll combat to win and we’ll do our greatest,” Lewandowski stated in Doha final week.
“They’ve quite a lot of high quality and tempo, and are dynamic. We’ll must be able to cease them inflicting us issues.” Mexico has been beset by uncertainty and accidents.
Coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino included Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raul Jimenez, who has been dogged by a groin harm however got here off the bench in a 2-1 loss to Sweden final week. It was his first sport since August. Though there have been hopes Sevilla ahead Jesus Corona may get well from a fractured fibula earlier than the World Cup, he was finally left off Mexico’s closing roster.
However there have been a few different notable absences. Martino left off younger ahead Santi Gimenez, who performs for Dutch group Feyenoord, in addition to Mexico’s all-time main scorer, Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, who hasn’t performed for his nationwide group since 2019. Hernandez, who at the moment performs for LA Galaxy, had performed within the final three World Cups.
Martino has confronted criticism for each the group’s current outcomes and his roster choices. “The one factor that may change folks’s opinion are the outcomes and that’s what we’re going to play for,” he stated following the loss to Sweden.
Mexico completed second in CONCACAF qualifying behind Canada — and forward of the US — however Martino’s group scored solely 4 objectives in its closing 5 qualifying matches regardless of having each Jiménez and Corona obtainable. El Tri went winless towards Canada and the US through the closing spherical.
4 years in the past in Russia, Mexico misplaced to Brazil 2-0 within the spherical of 16, marking it the seventh straight time that the group has failed to succeed in the quarterfinals at soccer’s premier match. The failure to advance to the “quinto partido,” or fifth sport, has dogged El Tri.
Mexico has reached the quarterfinals solely twice, first in 1970 and once more in 1986. Mexico hosted each of these tournaments