20:15 UTC / 22:15 CET / 10:15 NZST

And that would be it. But the good (for Poland in the context of EURO 2008) news is that Austria finally lost to Netherlands 3-4. Germany won with Switzerland 4-0.

So, I wasn't actually able to do live updates throughout the whole match, but I'll do my best to improve during the next match.

19:58 UTC / 21:58 CET / 9:58 NZST

You've got to be kidding me... 0-3 :( Eddie Lewis...

19:25 UTC / 21:25 CET / 9:25 NZST

19:23 UTC / 21:23 CET / 9:23 NZST

From the other soccer field. Austria is winning with Netherlands

3:1!!!!

19:15 UTC / 21:15 CET / 9:15 NZST

End of the first half. WE ARE NOT HAPPY!

19:05 UTC / 21:05 CET / 9:05 NZST

Oguchi Onyewu and it seems like we're gonna' have a disaster here: 0-2! Again Landon Donovan - he did a corner kick, Marcin Wasilewski was too slow and Onyewu made Artur Boruc capitulate for the second time in this match.

18:58 UTC / 20:58 CET / 8:58 NZST

Really good try by Jacek Krzynowek, but we're still losing...

18:42 UTC / 20:42 CET / 8:42 NZST

12th minute and Poland is losing after the goal of Carlos Bocanegra who scored after free kick made by Landon Donovan

18:35 UTC / 20:35 CET / 8:35 NZST

Leo Beenhakker surprised everyone again. Euzebiusz Smolarek started the match on the substitute bench just like Lukasz Gargula. Defender of Hertha Berlin Lukasz Piszczek plays as a midfielder. Strikers are: Pawel Brozek and Maciej Zurawski.

Polish line-up: Artur Boruc - Marcin Wasilewski, Jacek Bak, Arkadiusz Radomski, Grzegorz Bronowicki - Lukasz Piszczek, Dariusz Dudka, Mariusz Lewandowski, Jacek Krzynowek - Maciej Zurawski, Pawel Brozek
US line-up: Tim Howard - Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Heath Pearce, Steve Cherundolo - Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan, Ricardo Clark - Brian Ching, Eddie Johnson

18:28 UTC / 20:28 CET / 8:28 NZST

"Some players know that they have to prove me something."- said Leo Beenhakker before the match.

18:25 UTC / 20:25 CET / 8:25 NZST

Polish team during the match with Belgium after which we have qualified to UEFA Euro 2008

18:20 UTC / 20:20 CET / 8:20 NZST

USA players before the match

18:15 UTC / 20:15 CET / 8:15 NZST

15 minutes before the match and I'm going to try something new today - I want to update this post throughout the whole game to keep you informed :) Before the match Polish newspapers write mostly about Danny Szetela - USA player with Polish ancestors, who one day could have decided to play for Poland, but he has chosen USA. Also, some ask why Leo Beenhakker is experimenting with only one defensive midfielder. We will see...

Since the last FIFA ranking Poland has worsen its position by four places and currently is on 24. position.

On the first twenty positions only Ghana moved from 14. place to 15. and Colombia took Poland's 20. place.

From Polish rivals in UEFA EURO Cup 2008 ranked the highest is Germany - 5th position. Croatia is 12th and Austria - 88th (was 84th).

FIFA ranking for 13th February 2008 (in brackets previous position):

Leo Beenhakker has announced the list of players for the match with USA on 26th March 2008. The list of players who will go to EURO 2008 is going to be announced right after this match, so we could expect not many changes. Although:

"This is the squad only for the match with USA, we are not closing the door for anyone. The list is not set in stone." - said Dariusz Dziekanowski, Leo Beenhakker's assistant.

But my personal feeling is that changes in this list are going to be done only in the case of injury.

Goalkeepers: Artur Boruc (Celtic Glasgow), Tomasz Kuszczak (Manchester United), Lukasz Fabianski (Arsenal)

No surprises. Artur Boruc's position in the squad is inarguable and these three are simply the best Polish goalkeepers, despite Kuszczak and Fabianski being only reserve goalkeepers in their teams.

Defenders: Marcin Wasilewski (Anderlecht Brussels), Pawel Golanski (Steaua Bucuresti), Mariusz Jop (FK Moscow), Jacek Bak (Austria Wien), Michal Zewlakow (Olympiakos Pireus), Grzegorz Bronowicki (Crvena Zvezda Belgrad), Arkadiusz Radomski (Austria Wien), Marcin Kus (Kolporter Korona Kielce), Adam Kokoszka (Wisla Krakow), Jakub Wawrzyniak (Legia Warszawa)

Arkadiusz Radomski being in the conflict with his coach, will not be able to practice before EURO. But in the past, he and Jacek Bak they were forming our best defense block. I'm also looking forward to see some goals scores by Adam Kokoszka - this guy can be the real threat for unsuspecting opponents. Marcin Kus, Adam Kokoszka and Jakub Wawrzyniak got really big chance to prove themselves worthy in Polish national team.

Midfielders: Mariusz Lewandowski (Shakhtar Donetsk), Dariusz Dudka (Wisla Krakow), Rafał Murawski (Lech Poznan), Michal Pazdan (Gornik Zabrze), Michal Golinski (Zaglebie Lubin), Jakub Blaszczykowski (Borussia Dortmund), Wojciech Lobodzinski (Wisla Krakow), Lukasz Gargula (PGE GKS Belchatow), Jacek Krzynowek (VfL Wolfsburg), Radoslaw Majewski (Groclin Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wlkp.)

Leo Beenhakker has tested many midfielders in the last 6 month, so I'm sure that he has chosen the best of them.

Strikers: Tomasz Zahorski (Gornik Zabrze), Maciej Zurawski (AE Larissa), Euzebiusz Smolarek (Racing Santander), Lukasz Piszczek (Hertha Berlin), Radoslaw Matusiak (Wisla Krakow), Pawel Brozek (Wisla Krakow), Dawid Janczyk (CSKA Moscow).

The most surprising name: Dawid Janczyk. 19 years-old reserve player of CSKA Moscow doesn't seem like having enough experience to be in the squad for European Championships, but we'll see in June.

Several names are missing on this list, mostly Ireneusz Jelen (Auxerre), Artur Wichniarek (Arminia Bielefeld) and Marek Saganowski (Southampton). One of our biggest problems is the lack of classic centre striker and any of these guys could play really well on this position.

Alltogether this squad looks really well and I can't wait to see them in action

So... 84 days left to EURO 2008 and Polish national team loses 2-3 to the team made from foreign players playing in Orange Ekstraklasa. Nothing to be happy about.

For Leo Beenhakker's excuse, the team wasn't actually Polish national team, at least not in the sense of EURO 2008 - from the first squad we could see Jacek Krzynowek, Tomasz Zahorski and Jakub Wawrzyniak. It was a team made from players playing in Polish teams (+Jacek Krzynowek and Lukasz Piszczek). In spite of that, it was clear that the foreigners outclass Polish players technically.

The problem is also (as I've been already writing before) the fact, that key players in possible Polish squad for EURO are not playing in their teams. Jacek Krzynowek and Lukasz Piszczek were playing in this match simply because they haven't played in their teams for weeks. Said that, I can't ignore the form of Krzynowek - even if he's not good enough for his club coach, he's still really good player and he's going to be natural Polish leader in upcoming European Championships.

One of the players, who were really disappointing in this match was Roger - Brazilian player from Legia Warszawa, who is the "hero" of the national debate about giving Polish citizenship to foreing players. He didn't show anything in this match, that would give Leo Beenhakker a reason to actually give him a place in the squad.

Match Info:

Poland: Wojciech Kowalewski (66. Sebastian Przyrowski) - Marcin Kus, Grzegorz Bartczak (66. Adam Danch), Jakub Wawrzyniak, Mariusz Magiera (46. Piotr Kuklis); Michal Pazdan (46. Michal Golinski), Rafal Murawski (40. Lukasz Gargula), Jacek Krzynowek, Robert Kolendowicz (46. Grzegorz Baran); Tomasz Zahorski (46. Grzegorz Bonin), Lukasz Piszczek (66. Radosław Majewski)

Foreigners: Emilian Dolha (46. Jan Mucha) - Radek Mynar (46. Stefano Napoleoni); Pance Kumbev (46. Hernani), Sreten Sretenovic (46. Ivan Djurdjevic), Manuel Arboleda; Miroslav Radovic (46. Edi Andradina), Aleksandar Vukovic (46. Roger Guerreiro), Hermes (46. Inaki Astiz), Edson da Silva (46. Mauro Cantoro); Ilijan Micanski (46. Vuk Sotirovic), Filip Ivanovski (46. Takesure Chinyama)

Goals: Lukasz Gargula (74.), Jakub Wawrzyniak (89.); Arboleda (1.), Ivanovski (40.), Chinyama (78.)

Cards: Marcin Kus - yellow, Arboleda - yellow

Michal Listkiewicz - the president of Polish Football Association said in the interview with Gazeta Wyborcza that Polish Football Association and Legia Warsaw do everything they can to get Polish citizenship for Legia's player - Roger. This Brazilian player supposedly has been noticed by Polish coach - Leo Beenhakker and another rumour states that he would be playing in Polish national team on Euro 2008!

Personally, I have nothing against foreign players playing in Polish national team. On World Cup 2002 in Korea and Japan our main striker was Olisadebe who got Polish citizenship also basically to be able to play in Polish national team. Some people claim that the difference between these two players is significant: Olisadebe had married the Polish girl and he was the lead player in WC 2002 qualifications. He was dedicated to get Polish citizenship, because he felt as being a Pole. Roger, on the other hand, doesn't seem like becoming a Polish citizen would be his dream. I don't want to make any conjectures, but I think that he wouldn't have a slightest chance to play in Brazilian national team, so maybe (maybe!) he's trying to become a part of the national team of the country he's playing in. Although another rumour is that it was directly Leo Beenhakker's idea to include Roger in our team on Euro 2008.

While I don't have anything against foreign players playing in Polish national team, I'm strongly against giving someone the citizenship only to allow him to play in the national team. If someone doesn't feel like a citizen, he shouldn't get the citizenship, right?

Or am I wrong? What are your thoughts in this subject?