World Soccer takes a closer look at some of the standout stories from March’s international break…
POLAND, UKRAINE AND GEORGIA COMPLETE EURO 2024 LINE-UP
PATH A Not since 1973 have Wales managed to beat Poland on the international stage – a sorry run of ten matches – and true to that half-century trend, Rob Page’s plucky side just came up short in the Path A final in Cardiff, losing 5-4 on penalties to Robert Lewandowski and co. In an encounter which produced zero goals, it was wholly ironic that both teams had their shooting boots on for the tiebreaker exercise, with the Poles netting all five of their efforts and Wales converting their first four kicks.
Something had to give and sadly for the Dragons, substitute Daniel James was the one to err, left dazed and bemused after Poland keeper Wojciech Szczesny dived to his right to parry.
Wales, who crushed Finland 4-1 in the semis, can consider themselves more than a little unfortunate not to be part of the Germany 2024 gala. They arguably were brighter and sharper than the Poles and looked to have the trump card in bustling centre-forward Kieffer Moore, who posed no end of aerial problems for the visitors.
Poland were not able to muster a single shot on target in 120 minutes, though they certainly did up the tempo in the second half and came within a whisker of breaking the deadlock on 100 minutes, when midfielder Jakub Piotrowski thumped a curling longrange shot inches past the post.
All credit to Poland head coach Michal Probierz. Only in the post since September, he has instilled a mental toughness in the group. In the past, they would have folded in Cardiff.
PATH B Through to their fourth consecutive Euros, Ukraine had to do it the hard way in Path B, tapping into the patriotic resilience which the entire country has pumping through its veins in these times of Russian hostilities. Away to Bosnia & Herzegovina in the semis, the Ukrainians were a goal down with the clock ticking, only to spectacularly turn the game on its head in a whirlwind three-minute spell thanks to goals from the Spanish-based frontline pairing of Roman Yaremchuk (Valencia) and Artem Dovbyk (Girona).
In the final, held in the Polish city of Wroclaw, Ukraine again had to come from behind against a surprisingly enterprising Iceland, who took the lead on the halfhour mark with a quite brilliant effort from Genoa frontman Albert Gudmundsson. The scorer of a hat-trick in the 4-1 semifinal win over Israel, the 26-year-old is some talent, and showed quick, dancing feet to work space for a superb longrange finish to stun the Ukrainians.
In the second half, Iceland, intelligently set up by coach Age Hareide, continued to d
