Polish players began participation in the third edition of the League of Nations with a 2:1 victory against Wales. In the second half, the white and reds lost in Wroclaw after a shot by Jonathan Williams, but the goals for the victory were scored by the reserves Jakub Kamiński and Karol Świderski.
Poland could have made a strong start against Wales, but Piotr Zielinski’s headshot was off target in a perfect situation. In the first half of the match played in Wroclaw, Robert Lewandowski also showed off with a spectacular rally, unfortunately, his strike was stopped by a nice block of Danny Ward.
Adam Buksa also had a good chance to open the scoring before the break. The New England Revolution striker, however, failed to reach the ball centred by Tymoteusz Puchacz. Their rivals, who are primarily focused on Sunday’s World Cup qualifier against either Ukraine or Scotland, also had a handful of opportunities. Kamil Grabara, making his debut in goal for Poland, proved to be a reliable point for the team, while the Welsh players were not particularly precise in their aiming.
Grabara’s good run ended soon after the start of the second half. The visitors took the initiative and it culminated with a powerful strike from Jonathan Williams. The Swindon Town midfielder first blasted over from outside the penalty area before grinning from ear to ear as his teammates congratulated him.
It seemed that Poland will start its participation in the League of Nations from a false start. However, the selector introduced Jakub Kamiński on the pitch and the 19-year-old made a good change just seven minutes after entering the field, he calmly controlled the ball in the penalty area and led to the equalizer. The shooting didn’t stop there for Wroclaw, as Karol Świderski also proved to be a strong joker in Michniewicz’s deck. Buksa’s substitute struck a blocked shot from Lewandowski and the Poles claimed their first set of points of the competition.
The Poles are about to play a whole series of games in the League of Nations. The next two games of Group 4 Division A will be played away – on June 8 against Belgium in Brussels and on June 11 against the Netherlands in Rotterdam. On June 14 they will face Belgium in Warsaw.
Poland – Wales 2:1
Goals: J. Kamiński 72′, K. Świderski 85′ – J. Williams 52′