Matty Cash and Jan Bednarek’s Poland faced Emi Martinez’s Argentina side on the final match day of Group C. Let’s see how things played out in Doha…
Both Emi Martínez and Matty Cash started their third consecutive World Cup game as their sides geared up for a critical contest at Stadium 974. Jan Bednarek was once again named as a substitute.
Prior to kick-off, Poland sat top of Group C and avoiding defeat would have meant guaranteed qualification. As for Argentina, a win for essential. Three points would guarantee progression into the knockout stages.
Therefore, the tempo of the game was predictable – Argentina would give it everything and Poland would sit back and do their all not to concede – and that is exactly how it panned out. During the first-half, Biało-czerwoni (The White-Reds) had all eleven men behind the ball in an attempt to prevent Lionel Messi and co from finding the opener.
Bar a couple of half chances, they did this successfully. However, in the 39th minute, Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina were controversially awarded a penalty after goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny was deemed to impede Messi from a cross. The Juventus shot-stopper kept out PSG’s talisman however with a superb save down to his left. 0-0 was the score at the break.
Matty Cash had a superb first half, keeping both Julian Alvarez and Lionel Messi quiet throughout. Despite his side’s lack of attacking intent, the full back did link up well with Piotr Zieliński down the Poland right too. As for Emi Martínez, the toughest thing he had to do in the opening 45 minutes was to pick out a ball boy in order to restart play from a goal kick.
Poland’s resistant would break instantaneously in the second half when Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister’s scuffed shot bundled in off the post for 1-0. With Mexico leading against Saudi Arabia in the other Group C fixture, tensions were rising and qualification suddenly looks uncertain for Cash and Bednarek’s team.
When Julian Alvarez fired it in for 2-0 in the 67th minute, the Polish worry heightened as news broke that they were qualifying on fair play points – they had less yellow cards (6) than Mexico (7) in the competition. Mirroring that of Unai Emery’s Aston Villa team against Brighton, Czesław Michniewicz deployed a back six to keep La Albiceleste (The White and Sky Blue) from adding a third.
A late Saudi goal settled things in the group and as a result, Argentina finished top with Poland just behind and qualifying ahead of Mexico on goal difference. It may go down as Emi Martinez’s least active match of his career, whilst Matty Cash can hold his head high with an excellent performance against a talented Argentina front line. Jan Bednarek still awaits his first World Cup minutes.
PLAYER RATING
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With both nations through to the knockout stages, there will be at least two more Villa Watch posts!
As Poland finished second in Group C, they will play France who finished top of Group D in the next round. Matty Cash will therefore go from playing against Lionel Messi to Kylian Mbappe in the space of a week. Ouch.
As for Argentina, they will face Australia who dramatically qualified with France after 1-0 wins over Tunisia and Denmark. Emi Martinez will look for a third consecutive clean sheet as his team eye up a spot in the quarter-finals.
GROUP TABLE
Here’s how Group C looks after all games played…
AUTHOR | LIAM DAVIES
Author’s UTV PODCAST archive liamayrtondavies – UTV Podcast | An Aston Villa Blog
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