Poland edge Croatia

ByEurosport

Published 03/06/2006 at 17:39 GMT

A second half header from Ebi Smolarek gave Poland a 1-0 home win over fellow World Cup hopefuls Croatia on Saturday. He nodded home from a corner after 53 minutes, although Croatia went close when Dario Srna sent a first-half free-kick against the crossb

A second half header from Borussia Dortmund striker Ebi Smolarek gave Poland a 1-0 win over Croatia in their final World Cup warm-up in Wolfsburg on Saturday.

Smolarek found space in the box to head home a Maciej Zurawski corner in the 54th minute after an otherwise dominant Croatia had struggled to create clear openings against a defensive Polish formation in the first half.

Following Saturday's loss to Columbia, Polish coach Pawel Janas dropped one striker in favour of a second holding player in a five-man midfield, with Smolarek and winger Jacek Krzynowek pushing up on the flanks.

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The Croatians' best chance fell to midfielder Dario Srna, who hit the crossbar with a 30-metre free-kick in 42 minutes.

Ivan Bosnjak also pushed a shot just wide of Polish keeper Artur Boruc's post after being put clean through just after the break.

"For us this was a very important game and it's good we won," assistant coach Maciej Skorza told Polish public TV, adding that Boruc was now almost certain to start in goal at the finals ahead of rival Tomasz Kuszczak.

FOOTBALL 2005-2006 Friendly Match Poland Poland-Croatia

Image credit: Reuters

Asked if the Poles would play the same formation in the team's Group A game against Germany, he added: "For the time being we're not going to say. It is a more defensive variant. We'll calmly analyse things and see how it all comes out."

Poland also face Ecuador and Costa Rica in Group A. Croatia open their finals campaign against defending champions Brazil in Group F, where they also face Australia and Japan.

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