Wales loses close match to Poland

In a well played friendly Wales lost to Poland in Vila Real, Portugal on the strength of Legia Warsaw's Roger Guerreiro goal with ten minutes remaining.

As a friendly both Wales' John Toshack and Poland's Leo Beenhakker used the match as an opportunity to experiment with the lineup.

Wales enjoyed most of the first half possession, but could not find a way through a resolute Polish defence. Both Craig Bellamy and Ched Evans had chances, but could not the ball in the net. Ingoal, Wayne Hennessey was not troubled and the half time score of 0-0 was perhaps fortunate for the Poles.

Both sides made changes at half time, John Toshack introducing five substitutes, Poland four.

The changes made the game far more even, as players tried to come to terms with a dry, uneven surface at the Santo Antonio Sports Complex.

The game looked to be heading for a draw when Polish substitute Roger Guerreiro spotted replacement Wales goalie, Boaz Myhill off his line and lobbed the ball over hos head from some twenty yards out.

There was no way back for Wales, though the defeat was a little harsh on a night when both sides were keen on experimentation rather than the result. For Wales the opportunity was clear, to blend in younger players such as Chris Gunter (Tottenham), Gareth Bale (Tottenham), Jack Collison (West Ham) and Ched Evans (Manchester City) with veterans Sam Ricketts (Hull City) and Craig Bellamy (Manchester City).

After a strong start by the sturdy Polish side in-which they came close to opening the scoring, Wales slowly gained confidence and through the attacking spirit of skipper Craig Bellamy, seemingly re-invigorated by Mark Hughes of Manchester City, they started to threaten the Poland's 'keeper Łukasz Fabiański(Arsenal). By the half hour mark the young Welsh side was brimming with attacking spirit with Cardiff City's Joe Ledley and another of Mark Hughes protege's Ched Evans, showing strong intent but the match went to the break without a score.

At the break Wales called upon Sam Vokes (Wolverhampton), Boaz Myhill (Hull City),Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal),Carl Fletcher and David Cotterill entered for Craig Bellamy, Wayne Hennessey,Jack Collison,Joe Ledley and Ched Evans. Without surprise young Mr. Ramsey showed a cutting edge and vision to the attack from the get-go. However they couldn't find a way past Polish 'keeper extraodinaire Artur Boruc (Celtic) who had entered at the break. Finally with ten minutes remaining, São Paulo native and former Corinthians man chipped a perfect shot from the edged of the area that faded over Boaz Myhill and into the goal to give Poland the 1-0 victory.

injury update for Arminia Bielefeld

Heading into this weekends clash against Arminia Bielefeld, BVB got a bit of bad news as Nelson Valdez will miss out due to an injury and both Jakub Błaszczykowski and Sebastian Kehl is highly questionable.

Unfortunately Valdez, the Paraguayan international, said in coming back against Eintracht Frankfurt:

“I gave 200 percent again too soon. I was over-motivated and wanted to make the Wolfsburg match no matter what. I will now be more patient and try to be fit for the Gladbach match.”

Sebastian Kehl’s ankle is still causing him problems and isn’t looking very likely. He said of the injury:

“I would truly like to be in the lineup at Bielefeld, but I still have pain.”

Jakub Błaszczykowski has been listed questionable because of a bad cold and failing it be a strain of Bubonic plague, I expect the tough-as-nails Polish marksman to be on the pitch.

the noble Kuba

Jakub Blaszczykowski spoke on the club web-site and gave a great deal of insight into his personal expectations:

did you have to order a new passport?
Kuba: "Why?"

Well, your passport photo should be outdated. In the home match against Hertha you got hit on the nose and coach Jürgen Klopp said after the match that your nose "went in all directions".

Kuba (laughing): "After the surgery everything is back to normal now. I don´t have any problems with my nose anymore."

You are the most fouled BVB player and many opponents´ yellow and red cards are issued for fouls against you. Is that a tribute to your speed?

Kuba: "It isn´t easy for me that I am fouled constantly. But I have to play this way, because it´s my style. I play fast at and with the ball. And when the defenders don´t see a chance to win the battle, they take you down. This is normal, it is football."

I'm going to interject my opinion on this because I feel he is fouled because he is known to be a tough-player who won't "flop." That will annoy some but as players drop so easily defenders know you have to be careful particularly in the Bundesliga where cards are shown far too easily. Some of the clubs are worse than others where it is a tactic. Watching Wolfsburg's Grafite is simply annoying as he falls to pitch with a subtle breeze.

Despite the broken nose, the season is going really well for you. You are about to become "Player of the Month" on the bvb.de website and you are also the top-ranked BVB player with more than three Bundesliga appearances in "Kicker" sports magazine. What has changed?

Kuba: "I think that one of the reasons is the new coach. I get along great with Jürgen Klopp. I enjoy the speed and the system he lets us play with. But it´s not only me - the entire team is better than last season."

In your first season in Dortmund you had your ups and downs. Only one goal and four assists in twenty-four matches did not fulfill the high expectations the club had when they signed you.

Kuba: "I don´t know why I played so inconsistently last season. Maybe it was because I was injured for a while and then had to play right outside defender for seven or eight matches, although that´s not really my position. But of course, I do what the coach tells me to do. Maybe it is also normal that you need some time in your first season. The Bundesliga is very different from the Polish league and I had to learn a lot. But now things are getting better and better."

What did you have to learn?
Kuba: "Of course, the pace is much higher here, as are the technical standards."

Poland´s national football hero Zbigniew Boniek used to call you "Little Figo". Do you still like that comparison?

Kuba: "I think I have heard it a hundred times now. When one of the best Polish players ever says that, it´s good and makes me proud. But I know that I still have a lot to learn. I want to develop and play to my full potential. I don´t want to stall."

Michael Zorc said before the start of the season: "Kuba will show his potential much more often now?" How did he know?

Kuba: "You have to ask him, not me. Before I came here, he did some scouting and watched me play several times. Maybe he knew that after the first year in Dortmund, there´s more to come. But I still have to live up to my potential much more. You always have to learn in football. You can never be the perfect player."

What potential you really have became obvious in the past few weeks. You have moved up from midfield into a very offensive position. Did Jürgen Klopp realize that you are actually a striker?

Kuba: "I don´t see myself as a striker, but rather as an offensive midfielder. But it is not so important where you play, it is important that you play well. Of course I want to do more in offense, but I also have my defensive tasks. I have played pretty much every single position in Dortmund except for goalkeeper. The coach knows my strengths and he knows I am better in offense than on defense."

Sounds like offense is much closer to your heart than defense...

Kuba: "Sure thing! I think no player enjoys just running and playing without the ball. To play with the ball helps in football."

So in the next BVB yearbook you still want to be considered a midfielder?
Kuba: "Yes, but it´s also no problem for me to play some other position. I play wherever the coach tells me to play."

You also seem to have changed your attitude toward the media. You seem more open and communicative.

Kuba: "I was also communicative last season, that´s a misconception. It´s just that I didn´t speak German that well and didn´t want to say something after a match or a practice session that would then look completely different in the papers. That wasn´t easy for me. I wanted to learn German first, everything else would then follow. In general, I like talking to journalists."

You speak German pretty well now. How did you pick up up so quickly?

Kuba: "I have been here for a year and four months now and I only went to a teacher once for an hour. I also didn´t use a language book. I just talked with people, with my teammates, with the coaches. Of course I still have my problems with grammar and I also don´t write German that well, but I understand quite a lot now. Nelson Valdez also helps me a lot. He corrects my mistakes and tells me how to speak better German. But you have to make an effort after all, you don´t just learn a language like that."

And for the rest, how do you like in Dortmund?

Kuba: "I like it. My fiancee and I feel very well here. The stadium is always packed, that´s what counts in football. It is very important that so many people come to the games. If you only play in front of empty seats, it wouldn´t be so easy. But here, you know the stadium will always be full of supporters. And that´s super!"

Do you still think a lot of the unlucky UEFA Cup run? Tamas Hajnal and you were the best Dortmund players and then you both missed your penalties in Udine that night...

Kuba: "Of course. That was the most important match this season. But that´s football. You play well and then you miss the penalty - first you are up and then you´re down. The missed penalty still hurts me and I am very sorry about it. However, we have to keep our heads high and ensure we reach the UEFA Cup again next season. Then we´ll have a better run."

You have already dropped a lot of points this season and have been quite unlucky in the process...

Kuba: "Unfortunately we have drawn too many matches at home and have won more points on the road. In nearly every match we were the better team, had more ball possession and more chances, but didn´t score enough goals to win. Also, the referee disallowed a good goal against Hannover. However, if we continue to play like this, we will win some matches and get ourselves into a good position for the second half of the season. The win against Frankfurt was a good start in that respect."

BVB injury update

Die Schwarzgelben injury situation has taken a turn for the worse.

Team physician Dr. Markus Braun, confirmed that Mats Hummels will be out for four weeks with a torn ligament in his right ankle. The nineteen year-old German U-21 defender started the Vfl match but was replaced by Robert Kovac at the break after suffering the injury. Unfortunately BVB will additionally be without Alexander Frei for two weeks with a similar injury. Like Mats Hummels, the Swiss international started the Vfl match but was substituted with nineteen minutes remaining.

If their is a reason for optimism, it is that Jakub Blaszczykowski's surgery to repair a broken nose was successful. The tough-as-nails Polish international hasn't missed anytime and Jürgen Klopp is hopeful that he will be available for the weekends tilt against Hamburger SV. Given Kuba's past history is dealing with pain it will take quite an effort to keep him out of the lineup.