Poland 0, Portugal 0: Match Highlights

Poland vs. Portugal: Player Ratings

Frank Smuda could definitely take out some positive notes from this game, after a 0-0 draw with Portugal. Poland were shaky at times but stepped up and created chances to score.

Here are Polish Player Rating according to PolandSoccerBlog:

STARTERS (Rating Scale: 1-10; 10 bring the best)

Wojciech Szczesny (8). Made handful of huge saves to keep Portugal of the scoreboard. Once again, he showed Smuda why he deserves to be Poland's starting goalkeeper when June comes. Best Pole on the field.

Lukasz Piszczek (6.5). Solid defensive performance, but is still missing something that he has with Borussia Dorrmund.

Marcin Wasilewski (6). Central defense is not his natural position but he is slowly becoming a favorite to take over that position for Euro 2012. Played a good game without making any key mistakes. His partnership with Perquis is slowly developing as each game progresses.

Damien Perquis (6.5). Played his best game since debuting for the Polish national team. Just like Wasilewski, he did not commit any key mistakes.

Jakub Wawrzyniak (5.5). He let Nani dribble him to easily in the first half. However, he played much better in the second half. Was kind of invisible in offense and gives up the ball too easily at defense.

Jakub Błaszczykowski (6). As a leader of the team, he needs to get more involved in these kinds of matches. He tried to do something, make some runs, but Portugal is too good of a team to allow him easily. Just like, Piszczek, something was missing that he has with Borussia.

Eugen Polanski (5.5). Needs to play more aggressive on the defensive side. However, he was active on the offensive side but needs to get involved more.

Dariusz Dudka (6).Was invisible but effective. Controlled the center part of midfield for Poland.

Maciej Rybus (6). Had a decent game. Played well on the left side, created chances by crossing in but still needs to work on taking a shot from distance.

Ludovic Obraniak (7.5). The second best player only behind Szczesny for Poland. Create chances by opening up the field for his teammates. Played one of his best matches. Was not scared to attack and launched two long shots that could have ended in the back of the net.

Ireneusz Jelen (2). The worst player on the field for Poland. Missed a huge chance to score just before halftime. Was invisible and lost throughout the whole match. Definitely failed his return to the natioanl team exam.

SUBS

Kamil Grosicki (5). Came on for Jelen in the 67th minute and played pretty well. Tired to do too much but iy didn't work out. He was playing as a lone striker, which is not his favorite position. 

Slawomir Peszko (4). Could have been the hero but his shot was too weak and too low to beat the Portuguese keeper in the dying moments of the match.

Adrian Mierzejewski (6.5). Played really short but was active most of the time he spend on the field. Created to dangerous chances that could have landed in the back of the net.

Adam Matuszczyk, Sebastian Boenisch, Sebastian Mila. Played too short to be graded

Who was your Polish Player of the Match?

Poland-Portugal open National Stadium with a scoreless draw

The Polish national team was held to scoreless draw against Portugal at the grand-opening of the new National Stadium in Warszawa.

With the new, beautiful stadium being opened, both sides came out energized with scoring chances up their sleeves, but could not find the back of the net. Goalkeepers from both sides were standing on their heads, preventing the scoreline from changing.

Poland's best chance came in the 45th minute when Robert Lewandowski's replacement Ireneusz Jelen come out one-on-one with Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio, but his shot missed wide. Poland created couple more decent chances, but their final touch was too weak.

Right after Jelen's miss, Portugal came out with a 4-on-3 counter attack, but Nani's low shot from the right side of the penlaty kick was pushed way by Wojeoch Szczesny's diving save.

Poland's best player was goalkeeper Wojcoech Szczesny, who made four huge saves to keep Poland in the match. Ludovic Obraniak also played decent match, creating space and chances for his teammates, and also took two dangerous shots that could have changed the score.

Ireneusz Jelen, who returned to the national team after being out for almost an year, had a poor performance. He missed a crucial chance for Poland and was invisible most of the time he spend on the field.

Poland: Wojciech Szczesny - Lukasz Piszczek, Marcin Wasilewski, Damien Perquis, Jakub Wawrzyniak (84. Sebastian Boenisch) - Dariusz Dudka, Eugen Polanski (81. Adam Matuszczyk) - Jakub Blaszczykowski (87. Sebastian Mila), Ludovic Obraniak (81. Adrian Mierzejewski), Maciej Rybus (76. Slawomir Peszko) - Ireneusz Jelen (67. Kamil Grosicki).

Portugal: Rui Patricio - Joao Pereira, Pepe (67. Rolando), Bruno Alves, Fabio Coentrao (21. Nelson) - Cristiano Ronaldo (74. Ricardo Quaresma), Joao Moutinho, Miguel Veloso, Raul Meireles, Nani (82. Nelson Oliveira) - Hugo Almeida (66. Helder Postiga).

What did you think of this match? Share your thought below!

Gameday: Poland vs. Portugal

The Polish national team returns to action and will face a dangerous Portuguese side at the grand-opening of the new National Stadium in Warszawa.

Game-time is set for 2:45 pm est.

Here are some news and notes from Poland's camp:

- Robert Lewandowski will not play on Wednesday night. He is ruled out with an knee injury that he suffered during Borussia Dortmund's training session last week.

- After missing Monday's training session with a light injury, Marcin Wasilewski is 100 percent and ready to play on Wednesday.

-Here is Poland's expected starting lineup: Szczesny - Piszczek, Perquis, Wasilewski, Wawrzyniak - Polanski, Dudka - Blaszczykowski, Obraniak, Rybus - Jelen.

Here are some news and notes from Portugal's camp:

- Here is Portugal's expected starting lineup:  Rui Patricio - Joao Pereira, Bruno Alves, Pepe, Fabio Coentrao - Raul Meireles - Joao Moutinho, Manuel Fernandes - Nani, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Both sides have met 9 times before, with Poland winning three times, Portugal winning four times and two draws falling down. Last time these two sides met was during the Euro 2008 qualifications. Poland took the first match 2-1 and then both sides drew 2-2.

Any scoreline predictions?

Who should Smuda start vs. Portugal?

The Polish national team is getting ready to play their first match of the new year. Couple new faces are returning to the team as one major star will be sitting out due to an injury.

Frank Smuda is set to take on his first real tests of the new year, the same year Euro 2012 will be played. With little than 3 months until Euro 2012, Smuda needs to gather up the pieces and put them together. Time is running out and a test against Portugal will be a key factor to check where Poland stands.

Here is a projected starting lineup vs. Portugal:
---------------------Jelen-----------------------

Rybus------------Obraniak---------Blaszczykowski

-----------Dudka-------------Polanski----------

Wawrzyniak----Wasilewski----Perquis----Piszczek

---------------------Szczesny----------------------

With Robert Lewandowski being injured, Ireneusz Jelen will most likely take over as the lone striker. It will be a big test for Jelen, who is returning to the national team after being absence for almost an year. There is also Kamil Grosicki who can play as a striker, but he is not a clear striker, more as a winger. 

The attacking part of the midfield should look like always, with Jakub Blaszczykowski at right and Ludovic Obraniak in the middle. As for the left side, Smuda used Maciej Rybus in the last friendly against Hungary and Slawomir Peszko in the Italy friendly. Smuda used Rybus in a scrimmage during training session on Tuesday, so it looks like Rybus will get the right light at left.

With Rafal Murawski being out with an injury, Smuda will most likely go with Euegn Polanski and Dariusz Dudka in the defensive part of the midfield. Smuda used Adam Matuszczyk and Dudka in the last friendly but also tried Polanski and Murawski in the Italy friendly. Dudka plays regularly as left defender for Auxerre but Smuda likes to use him in the midfield. As for Matuszczyk, he has been having some trouble with finding playing minutes and usually find the bench.

The search for the perfect defense is still on. Sebastian Boenisch returns to the national team after being out for almost two years. Doubt he will start after almost missing the match with an another injury he picked up during training. He has yet to play for Werder Bremen this season. Marcin Kaminski was also called up, but Smuda would like to use him as a left defender.

What do you think of the above lineup? What players would you like to see in the starting XI?

Ekstraklasa Notes: Lech name new coach, Malecki finds new club and more

• Mariusz Rumak has been named the new manager of Lech Poznan, the club announced on Monday. Rumak replaces Jose Mari Bakero, who was fired on Friday. The 35-year-old has been an assistant under Bakero and has been with Lech since 2000.

• Patryk Malecki has been loaned from Wisla Krakw to relegation-threated LKS Lodz. The 23-year-old winger will spend the rest of the season with the struggling LKS Lodz. Malecki has been suspended for teh rest of the season by Wisla after a conflict with head coach Kazimierz Moskal.  

• Former Poland national team striker Radoslaw Matusiak has joined his former club Widzew Lodz. Matusiak has been a free-agent since January 10th, when Greek side Asteras Tripolis decided to terminated his contract. The 30-year-old played for Widzew in 2009. 

• Legia Warszawa are looking to secure one more player before the transfer windows closes. Brazilian midfielder Eli Marques is being targeted by the Polish club. The 29-year-old is currently playing for Bulgarian side Slavia Sofia, but is looking to terminated his contract. 

Poland NT Practice Report: Day 1

The Polish national team began its pre-Portugal friendly training camp today at the Polonia Warszawa stadium. The session was held for 40 minutes.

Here are some news and notes from Poland's camp:

• Robert Lewandowski and Marcin Wasilewski were held out of practice today. Lewandowski suffered a knee injury and is not expected to practice with the national team at all. Wasilewski is suffering from a thigh injury but is expected to return for tomorrow's session. 

• Adam Matuszczyk is the only player that did not arrive in Warszawa on time. This team, Fortuna Duesseldorf played a league match on Monday and were held to a scoreless draw by Aachen. Matuszczyk spend the whole match on the bench.  

• Everyone else is healthy and took part in the 40 minutes session.

Right after Poland's practice session ended, the Portuguese national team rolled in and took over the Polonia Warszawa stadium with their own practice session. Portugal's training session was open for the pubic. Many fans rolled in to watch Cristiano Ronaldo and others as they practice.

Poland and Portugal play on Wednesday, February 29th at 2:45 pm est.

Lewandowski doubtful for Portugal game

Poland national team striker Robert Lewandowski picked up a minor knee injury during Borussia Dortmund's training session last week and is doubtful to participate in Wednesday's friendly against Portugal.

Lewandowski suffered the injury in a training session last week but started and played 77 minutes in Borussia Dortmund's 3-1 over Hannover on Sunday. He also netted two goals in that game.

Lewandowski arrived in Warszawa on Monday morning. He drove straight to the doctor from the airport to undergo x-rays. He did not participate in Poland's training session on Monday and plans not to train at all with the national team before Wednesday's friendly.

If Lewandowski can not go against Portugal, Frank Smuda will most likely start Ireneusz Jelen as the lone striker.

Malecki close to joining LKS Lodz

Wisla Krakow winger Patryk Malecki is close to joining fellow-Ekstraklasa side LKS Lodz, according to Canal+ Sport.

Wisla Krakow and LKS Lodz came to agreement that would send Malecki to LKS on a deal loan for the rest of the season. Malecko needs to agree to personal terms to finalize the deal.

Malecki has been suspended for the rest of the season by Wisla Krakow and is not allowed to by around the team. He has been training individually.

Malecki has been a member of Wisla since 2006. He is known for causing problems, but it looks like struggling LKS Lodz will take a look at Malecki.

Weekend Review: Kuszczak's Watford debut

Polish keeper Tomasz Kuszczak made his Watford debut on Saturday. His side fell down 3-0 to leaders Southampton. Here is a short video of all the goals Watford scored:

Lewandowski scores twice in Borussia win

Robert Lewandowski scored twice, adding up to 16 totals goals in the Bunesdliga this season in Borussia Dortmund's 3-1 win over Hannover 96.

Lewandowski netted the first goal of the game in the 27th minute. He received a nice pass from Lukasz Piszczek, who got the ball from Jakub Blaszczykowski. Lewandowski made it 2-0 in the 54th minute, after Blaszczykowski controlled the ball nicely after receiving a long pass.

Ivan Perisic made it 3-1 in the 90th minute, and once again, it was Blaszczykowski who recorded the assist.

So, Lewandowski ended the night with two goals. Now, he sits third of the Bundesliga Top Scorer list. He is behind Mario Gomez and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who both have 18 goals.

Blaszczykowski and Piszczek both played the full 90 minutes, while Lewandowski played 77 minutes. On the other side, Artur Sobiech did not dress for Hannover.

Here are all the goals and assists:

Komorowski replaces Wojtkowiak on Poland NT roster

Terek Grozny defender Marcin Komorowski has been called up to the Poland national team to replace Grzegorz Wojtkowiak, who suffered an injury in Lech Poznan's league match against Ruch Chorzow on Friday.

Komorowski, who was part of the national team's last two training camps and appeared in a friendlies against South Korea and Hungary, has just moved to Russian side Terek Grozny. He made his final Legia Warszawa appearance against Sporting CP in the Europa League on Thursday.

Wojtkowiak suffered a muscle strain and was forced to leave in the 52nd minute in Lech Poznan's 3-0 loss to Ruch Chorzow on Friday. He will not take part in Poland's training camp and friendly against Portugal.

The Polish national team will begin their training camp on Monday. They play Portugal on Wednesday.

Must-See Goal: Marek Zienczuk

Bakero fired as Lech Poznan coach

Jose Mari Bakero has been fired as head coach of Lech Poznan, announced the club's management on Friday.

No replacement has been announced yet but it looks like former Aris Thessaloniki head coach Michal Probierz will take over. Probierz is a free-agent after leaving the Greek club at the beginning of January. 

Bakero leaves Lech after 15-months in charge. He took the job in November of 2010 and his debut came against Manchester City in the Europa League. Lech shocked the English club 3-1 in Poznan. However, Lech finished 5th place in the league standings that season and failed to qualify for any European competitions.

This season, Lech have lost seven matches and sit 5th in the league standings. Lech are riding a two-game losing streak since coming off the winter break. They lost 1-0 to GKS Belchatow and 3-0 to Ruch Chorzow on Friday.

Ismael Blanco signs with Legia Warszawa

Argentinian striker Ismael Blanco has signed a six-month contract with Legia Warszawa.

Blanco arrived in Warszawa on Thursday night. He underwent a physical and signed the contract on Friday morning. He practiced for the first time with his new teammates on Friday afternoon.

"When I received an offer from Legia, I talked to Roger Guerreiro, who told me that Legia is a big and important club in Poland," Blanco said.

Blanco will wear the number 22 on the back of his jersey. He is the third player Legia signed this winter. Last week, Spanish striker Nacho Novo signed a contract with Legia. Before Novo, Legia signed Ghanaian midfielder Albert Bruce.

Legia Warszawa's head coach Maciej Skorza believes Blanco and Novo will make their debut against Slask Wroclaw on Sunday (8:30 am est).

Zurawski announces his retirement

Former Poland national team captain Maciej Zurawski announced on Friday that he will officially retire from professional football on March 1st and will become ambassador of Wisla Krakow.

Over the course of his 17-year professional career, Zurawski appeared in two World Cups and one Euro for Poland while playing in professional leagues in Scotland, Greece, Cyprus and of course Poland.

Zurawski is one of Poland's most decorated and liked players. He began his career with Warta Poznan in 1994. After three years, he joined cross-town rival Lech Poznan. After two season in Poznan, Zurawski left and joined Wisla Krakow. There, Zurawski became of one Poland's best players during the early 2000s. He helped Wisla win five league titles and two Polish Cups.

In 2005, Zurawski joined Scottish side Celtic. There, Zurawski won two league titles and one Scottish Cup. After three season in Scotland, Zurawski joined Greek side Larissa. He spend one season in Greece before joining Cypriot club Omonia Nicosia. After one season there, Zurawski decided to return to Poland and joined his former club Wisla Krakow.

Zurawski made 72 national team appearances, scoring 17 goals. He recorded his first national team cap in 1998. He scored his first national team goal against Faroe Islands in 2002.  He captained the Polish national team during their first ever Euro appearance in 2008.

What is your favorite moment from Zurawski's career?

Ronaldo, Nani, Coentrao highlight Portugal roster for Poland friendly

Superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Fabio Coentrao and Pepe are among the 23-man that were called up by head coach Paulo Bento for friendly match against Poland. 

The match will be played on Wednesday, February 29th at 2:45 pm est. This match will mark the grand-opening of the National Stadium in Warszawa. 

Here is Portugal's roster for the friendly:

Goalkeepers: Beto (CFR Cluj), Eduardo (Benfica), Rui Patricio (Sporting).

Defenders: Bruno Alves (Zenit Saint Petersburg), Pepe (Real Madrid), Fabio Coentrao (Real Madrid), Joao Pereira (Sporting), Nelson (Real Betis), Ricardo Costa (Valencia), Rolando (FC Porto).

Midfielders: Carlos Martins (Granada), Joao Moutinho (FC Porto), Manuel Fernandes (Besiktas), Miguel Veloso (Genoa), Raul Meireles (Chelsea), Ruben Micael (Real Zaragoza), Nani (Manchester United).

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Hugo Almeida (Besiktas), Helder Postiga (Real Zaragoza), Nelson Oliveira (Benfica), Silvestre Varela (FC Porto), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas).

What do you think of the roster? How do you see the friendly unfolding?

Legia Warszawa eliminated from Europa League

Couple hours after Wisla Krakow saw their Europa League campaign come to an end, Legia Warszawa saw its own run come to an end after a 1-0 lose to Sporting CP.

Just like Wisla, Legia needed to score at least one goal if they wanted to have chance to qualify for the Round of 16. However, it was Matias Fernandez's late free-kick that spoiled the deal and saw Legia go down 1-0.

Legia had their chances to scored but failed. Their best chance came in the 15th minute when Danijel Ljuboja headed just wide of the goal, being one on one with the keeper.

So Legia's run comes to an end. We will not see any Polish clubs in the Round of 16 after both Wisla and Legia failed to defeat their rivals.

Legia: Dusan Kuciak - Artur Jedrzejczyk, Michal Zewlakow, Marcin Komorowski, Jakub Wawrzyniak - Michal Zyro (59. Michal Kucharczyk), Ivica Vrdoljak, Jakub Rzezniczak (69. Rafal Wolski), Janusz Gol (88. Michal Hubnik), Maciej Rybus - Danijel Ljuboja.

Wisla Krakow eliminated from Europa League after draw with Standard

Wisla Krakow's Europa League run has finally came to an end after a scoreless draw in the second leg with Standard Liege.

After a 1-1 draw in the first leg, Wisla needed to score at least one goal to have a chance to advance to the Round of 16. Standard had an advantage with the away goal that they scored in the first leg in Krakow.

The match was evened out throughout the whole 90 minutes. However, in the 63rd minute, Wisla, for the second straight match, were forced to play with 10-man after Gervasio Nunez saw a second yellow card and was send off.

Wisla recorded zero shots on goal but their best chance of the match came in the 78th minute when Moar Melikosn's cross was missed by Andraz Kirm and Dudu Biton inside the penlaty box.

Wisla: Sergei Pareiko - Marko Jovanovic (76. Dudu Biton), Kew Jaliens, Osman Chavez, Junior Diaz - Ivica Iliev (67. Andraz Kirm), Cezary Wilk (87. Tomas Jirsak), Gervasio Nunez, Lukasz Gargula, Maor Melikson - Tzvetan Genkov.

Which Polish team has a better chance to advance to the next round?

Both Polish teams are still hanging on for a chance to advance to the Round of 16 but they both need to score at least one goal if they want to move on. Wisla Krakow play Standard Liege at 1:00 pm est. Legia Warszawa take on Sporting CP at 3:05 pm est.

poll by twiigs.com

Wisla Notebook: Europa League Preview

After a 1-1 draw in the first leg, Wisla Krakow and Standard Liege will battle out for a place in the Round of 16 within 90 minutes or more in Belgium.

Here are some news and notes from Wisla's camp:

- Michal Czekaj, who received a red card in the first leg, is of course suspended and will not be available to play in the second leg.

- Patryk Malecki played 57 minutes in the first leg, but will not play in the second leg after Wisla Krakow officials decided to suspend him for the rest of the season.

- Everyone else is healthy and ready to go for Wisla. Only three Polish players are in Wisla's 19-man roster for this match (Daniel Brud, Lukasz Gargula, Cezary Wilk)

- Wisla must score at least one goal if they want to advance to the next round.


Here are some news and notes from Standard 's camp:


- Standard will be without starting defender Kanu and starting midfielder William Vainqueur. Both players will be serving a one-match ban for too many yellow cards. 


- Starting goalkeeper Sinan Bolat is a game-time decision due to a injury.

- Starting midfielder Luis Manuel Seijas and reserve midfielder Geoffrey Mujangi Bia are both injured and will be game-time decisions.

The winner of this tie will play either either Hannover or Club Brugge. (Hannover have a 2-1 lead after the first leg)


Game-time is set for 1:00 pm est.

Legia Notebook: Europa League Preview

Legia Warszawa travel to Portugal to take on Sporting CP in the deciding match of their two-legged Europa League clash. The first leg ended 2-2.

Here are some news and notes from Legia's camp:

- Legia will be without midfielder Miroslav Radovic, who is still out with a rib injury. Radovic also missed the first leg.

- Maciej Rybus and Marcin Komorowski will both be making their final appearances for Legia Warszawa. Both players will be leaving for Russian side Terek Grozny on February 24th.

- Everyone else, except for Radovic will be available to play.

Here are some news and notes from Sporting's camp:

- Sporting will be missing starting defender Oguchi Onyewu and starting midfielder Fito Rinaudo. Both players will be unavailable due to injuries.

- Winger Jeffren Suarez also will be out for the second leg. He also missed the first leg. However, winger Diego Capel will be available to play after missing the first leg.

The winner of this match-up will face Manchester City in the Round of 16. Manchester City defeated FC Porto 6-1 on aggregates.

Game-time is set for 3:05 pm est.

Ismael Blanco set to sign with Legia

Former AEK Athens standout Ismael Blanco is close to signing a record contract with Legia Warszawa.

The 29-year-old striker has agreed to personal terms and will soon arrive in Warszawa. He will make 600 thousands euros for an year, which will break the Ekstraklasa record.

The only problem holding back the deal from becoming finalized is Blanco needs to terminate his contract with Mexican side San Luis. That is not a problem as Blanco did not play in San Luis' last league match and recently has only been a reserve player.

If Blanco joins Legia before Friday, he will be available to play against Slask Wroclaw on Sunday, according to Legia's head coach Maciej Skorza.

Malecki suspended for rest of the season

Patryk Malecki has been removed from Wisła Krakow's first team for the rest of the season following his outburst during Wisla Krakow's Europa League clash against Standard Liege.

Malecki is not allowed to train with the first team, or any other Wisla side until the end of the season.

The 23-year old midfielder has two-and-a-half years left on his Wisla contract. However, Wisla Krakow's sporting director Stan Valckx believes Malecki could still leave the club this winter transfer window.

Malecki has been punished after telling head coach Kazimierz Moskal that he does not want to play or train while Moskal is in charge of the club. This incident happened before Wisla Krakow's league match against Zaglebie Lubin on Sunday.

Malecki has been unhappy with Moskal after the 45-year-old coach took him out in the 57th minute in Wisla Krakow's Europa League match against Standard Liege. Malecki refused take shake Moskal's hand while leaving the field and headed right towards the locker room. Malecki left the stadium even before the match was over.

What do you think of the punishment?

Kuszczak joins Watford on loan

Former Poland national team goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak has joined Championship side Watford on emergency loan for the rest of the season.

Kuszczak has made 61 appearances for the Manchester United since arriving in summer 2006 but has not played for the first team this season. His role has been taken over by David de Gea, Anders Lindegaard and Ben Amos.

Kuszczak, who will wear the number 35 shirt for Watford, will battle for the starting job with former England Under-21 keeper Scott Loach, who has played in 31 of Watford's 35 games so far this season.

Watford currently sit 19th in the English Championship. They are 11 points out of the final playoff spot.

Boenisch questionable for Portugal clash

Poland national team defender Sebastian Boenisch's status for the friendly match against Portugal is up in the air after injuring his ankle during training.

Due to the injury, Boenisch did not dress for Werder Bremen's league match against Hamburger SV on Saturday. He will also miss Werder's next league match against FC Nuernberg.

However, Boenisch plans on arriving in Warszawa on Sunday, where Poland will begin their camp before playing Portugal on February 29th. Boenisch's status for the match is questionable. 

Boenisch is slowly getting back to form after missing one-and-a-half year with knee injuries.

Nacho Novo introduced by Legia

Spanish striker Nacho Novo was officially introduced by Legia Warszawa on Friday in a press conference where he showed off his new No. 9 jersey.

Novo signed a 6-month contract with Legia on Thursday. He was also given the option to resign for another year when the contract expires this summer.

"I am very happy to be in Poland and soon, I will meet my new teammates," Novo said during the press conference. "Legia is a big club and they are doing really well in the Europa League this season."

Just a few weeks ago, Novo was training with his former club Glasgow Rangers. He hoped for a return to Scotland, but the Scottish club was facing financial problems and had no money to spend.

"It didn't take me too long to make a decision to join Legia. I received an offer a week ago. I thought about it for maybe two or three days and I think I made the right decision," Novo said.

Novo will not make his Legia debut against Gornik Zabrze on Sunday. He will most likely debut in an important match against Ekstraklasa leaders Slask Wroclaw on February 26th.

Komorowski set to sign with Terek Grozny

Legia Warszawa defender Marcin Komorowski will sign a contract with Russian club Terek Grozny.

Komorowski flew to Russia to undergo a medical test on Friday after playing 90 minutes in Legia's 2-2 draw with Sporting CP in the Europa League on Thursday. Terek will pay 450 thousands euros for Komorowski.

Komorowski becomes the second player to leave Legia for Terek this week. Maciej Rybus signed with the Russian club four days ago. However, just like Rybus, Komorowski will leave for Terek after Legia's second leg match against Sporting on February 23rd.

It was just a week ago when Komorowski signed a three-year contract extension with Legia.

Sobiech scores in Hannover's Europa League win

Artur Sobiech has once again delivered in the late stages of the match.

Sobiech came on in the 68th minutes and scored the equalizing goal in the 73rd minute in Hannover's 2-1 win over Club Brugge. Sobiech also won the penalty kick, which resulted in the game-winning by Jan Schlaudraff.

Sobiech's goal was his second Europa League this season. He also scored against Vorskla in the group stage. Sobiech now has two goals in his last two games. He scored a late equalizer against Mainz on Sunday.

Here is Sobiech goal vs. Club Brugge:

Late Genkov goal saves Wisla Krakow

Tsvetan Genkov's late goal in the dying moments of the match saw 10-man Wisla Krakow draw 1-1 with Standard Liege in the first leg of the Europa League Round of 32.

With heavy snow falling and low temperatures, Wisla Krakow, without a question, was the better side during the game. In the early minutes of the match, Lukasz Gargula missed a one-on-one with the opponent's goalkeeper. His shot went wide. Couple minutes later, Gargula hit the crossbar from a free-kick.

Wisla went down to 10-man when Mchal Czekaj saw a red card in the 26th minuet for fouling Yoni Buyens inside the penalty box area. Czekaj was sent off and Standard were awarded a penalty kick. Gohi Bi Cyriac scored from the spot to give Standard a 1-0 lead.

However, even with 10-man, Wisla managed to keep pressure coming and showed heavy heart throughout the match. Wisla had their chances but none could have reached the back of the net.

In the 88th minute, Wisla pulled back when Maor Melikson crossed in a perfect ball, which bounced couple times right before the goal and later hit Genkov in the chest and flew into the back of the net.

Wisla: Sergei Pareiko - Milan Jovanovic, Osman Chavez, Michal Czekaj, Junior Diaz - Patryk Malecki (57. Ivica Iliev), Gervasio Nunez, Lukasz Gargula (78. Andraz Kirm), Cezary Wilk, Maor Melikson - Genkov

Match Highlights after the jump:

Legia held to draw after a late equalizer

Legia Warszawa were just a few minutes away from taking a 2-1 lead to Portugal for next week's second leg, but Andre Santos had other plans. The Portuguese midfielder scored a late equalizer to tie up the match at 2-2.

The first 15 minutes of the match belonged to the visitors. Sporting came out in freezing temperatures and pressured Legia, but could not find the back of the net. Legia had a chance of their own to score when Michal Zyro took over a defensive mistake committed by Sporting and had a one-on-one with Rui Patricio, but shot straight at the Portuguese goalkeeper.

The first goal of the game came in the 37th minute when a cross from a free-kick of the leg of Maciej Rybus was send into the penalty kick area and after a scramble, Jakub Wawrzyniak found a way to poke the ball into the back of the net.

Sporting tied up the match in the 60th minute when Daniel Carrico scored with a header of a Matias Fernandez free-kick. However, 20 minutes later, Legia retook the lead when Janusz Gol scored on a open net after a pass from Rafal Wolski.

It looked like Legia were going to win and take a 2-1 aggregate lead to Lisbon, but Andre Santos scored a beautiful goal in the 88th minute.

Legia: Dusan Kuciak - Jakub Wawrzyniak, Marcin Komorowski, Michal Zew;akow, Artur Jedrzejczyk - Ivica Vrdoljak, Janusz Gol, Jakub Rzezniczak (71. Rafal Wolski), Maciej Rybus (61. Jakub Kosecki), Michal Zyro - Danijel Ljuboja (81. Michal Hubnik)

Match highlights after the jump.

Legia signs Spanish striker Nacho Novo

Spanish striker Nacho Novo has signed a 6-month contract with Legia Warszawa.

The well-known striker last played for Spanish side Sporting Gijon. Before joining Sporting in 2010, he spend six years with Scottish side Rangers.

After selling Ariel Borysiuk and Maciej Rybus, Legia have completed their first transfer of the winter market. But Legia may not be done adding new players. According to sources, Legia officials are talking with Argentinian striker Ismael Blanco.

 The 32-year old Novo will be a key addition to Legia's offense which already has Danijel Ljuboja.

Which Polish team has a better chance to win their first leg match?

The Europa League returns on Thursday featuring two Polish clubs. Legia Warszawa will play Portuguese side Sporting CP, while Wisla Krakow take on Belgian side Standard Liege.

poll by twiigs.com

Legia Warszawa vs. Sporting CP Preview

Portuguese side Sporting CP visit the Polish capital for a Europa League clash against Legia Warszawa.

After collecting nine points in the first four matches, which guaranteed them a spot in the Round of 32, Legia dropped their final two matches, losing 3-0 to PSV Eindhoven and 2-0 to Hapoel Tel Aviv. However, Legia still managed to quailfy for the next round.

Legia's next opponent, Sporting CP, finished first in their group, collecting 12 points. Their only losses came to Vaslui and Lazio. However, after poor performances in the league, Sporting decided to fire their head coach Domingos Paciencia, just four days before their clash with Legia.

Legia Warszawa made some major changes during their winter break. The Warszawa club decided to sell two of their young stars. Ariel Borysiuk left for German side Kaiserslautern and Maciej Rybus agreed to join Russian side Terek Grozny. However, Rybus will be available to play on Thursday.

Legia's squad is healthy expect for their biggest star in the Europa League so far, Miroslav Radovic. The Serbian will be a game-time decision.

Like in Krakow, the weathers condition are set to be poor with snow and low temperatures.

Game-time is set for 1:00 pm est.

Any scoreline predictions?

Wisla Krakow vs. Standard Liege Preview

Wisla Krakow welcome an unbeaten in the Europa League side Standard Liege for the first leg of the Europa League Round of 32.

As mentioned, Standard are unbeaten in the Europa League this season, winning six and drawing two of their eight matches. As for Wisla Krakow, they play their first competitive match since their remarkable Europa League progress.

After an incredible ending to their Group Stage run, Wisla have now won a date with a dangerous Belgian side. Standard finished first in their respective group, collecting 14 out of the possible 18 points. Wisla finished second in their group with three wins and three losses. 

Wisla played a handful of friendlies during the Polish winter break and were supposed to play in the Polish SuperCup with Legia Warszawa on Saturday but the match was called off due to security concerns. To get ready for the Europa League clash, Wisla played in six friendlies, winning three times, losing two and tying once.

Wisla's transfer market was inactive, being neither buyers or sellers. As for Standard, they upgraded their squad  with a duo of midfielders. 23-year-old Birkir Bjarnason signed from Bodo/Glimt and 24-year-old Serge Gakpe came over from FC Nantes.

Both sides will be ready to play with their strongest squads as both teams appear to be injury-free.

Weather conditions are supposed to be poor with snow and low temperature.

Game-time is set for 3:05 pm est.

What is your scoreline prediction?

Lewandowski close to contract extension

Poland national team striker Robert Lewandowski is close to signing a contract extension that will keep him with Borussia Dortmund through 2016.

Lewandowski's current contract expires in 2014. His new contract reads that he is worth 12 million euros. Lewandowski's agent Cezary Kucharski confimred that the current Borussia Dortmund striker is ready to sign a contract extension.

There were some rumors flying around that English sides Liverpool and Chelsea had an eye on Lewandowski. There was also a rumor lately that Borussia's rival Bayern Munich were interested in the Polish national team star.

So far this season, Lewandowski is enjoying a fun ride with the current German league champions. The 23-year old has scored 14 goals and recorded 6 assist this season. Since joining Borussia in 2010, Lewnadowski has made 75 appearances, scoring 28 goals.

Grosicki, Jelen and Boenisch among Poland call-ups vs. Portugal

Poland national team head coach Frank Smuda has called up 22 men for February 29th's friendly against Portugal.

Kamil Grosicki, Ireneusz Jelen and  Sebastian Boenisch are among the selections..

Here is the full squad:

Goalkeepers: Wojciech Szczesny, Lukasz Fabianski

Defenders: Lukasz, Piszczek, Marcin Wasilewski, Damien Perquis, Jakub Wawrzyniak, Marcin Kaminski, Grzegorz Wojtkowiak, Tomasz Jodlowiec, Sebastian Boenisch

Midfielders: Eugen Polanski, Dariusz Dudka, Adam Matuszczyk, Adrian Mierzejewski, Jakub Blaszczykowski, Kamil Grosicki, Ludovic Obraniak, Sebastian Mila, Maciej Rybus, Slawomir Peszko

Forwards: Robert Lewandowski, Ireneusz Jelen

What do you think of the roster? A breakdown of the roster will be posted later in the day.

Smuda to call up Jelen

Poland national team head coach Frank Smuda is planning on calling up Lille striker Ireneusz Jelen to the Polish national team squad for friendly against Portugal.

It has been almost an year since Jelen last played for the Polish national team. His last outing was against Norway on February 9, 2011. He started and played 64 minutes, but since then, Jelen has been going through some tough times.

At first, Jelen began struggling with injuries and then he had a tough time finding a new club after his contract expired with Auxerre during the summer. Jelen decided to stay in France and signed with Lille, but his playing minutes have been cut as he only started three league matches this season.

"I realize that Irek (Jelen) has a tough time finding playing time minute at Lille, but we all know what he can do," Smuda said. "I want him to convince me that he is still a valuable player for the national team, and that his problems at his club are temporary. I will take a closer look at him during our training camp, while we prepare for Portugal."

Frank Smuda will announce call ups for friendly against Portugal on Wednesday, so stay in touch with PolandSoccerBlog throughout the day.

Smuda to call up Kaminski and Boenisch

Poland national team head coach Frank Smuda is once again thinking outside the box on how to construct a new defense in time for Euro 2012.

With injuries and poor performances, Smuda is forced to change up and try a different defensive-style. This time around, Smuda will call up Lech Poznan defender Marcin Kaminski and Werder Bremen defender Sebastian Boenisch.

"I am going to call up Marcin Kaminski for friendly against Portugal," said Smuda.

However, Smuda plans on using Kaminski as a left defender, and not central-back, which is his natural position. Kaminski plays central-back and even defensive midfielder for Lech Poznan, but Smuda already used him as a left defender during Poland's December friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Kaminski convinced me during our training camp in Turkey. He first caught my eye during the Ekstraklasa season, but then, I got the opportunity to take a closer took at him. I like that he can play with his left leg," Smuda continued.

Smuda will also call up Sebastian Boenisch, who has not played for more than a year-and-a-half, but is slowly trying to regain his old form. Since returning from two terrible injuries, Boenisch has played 173 minutes for Werder Bremen's reserve team in the German Third Division.

"I talked to Smuda and he said that he will call me up for frienldy against Portugal," said Boenisch.

Since the Argentina friendly last June, Smuda has been frequently Jakub Wawrzyniak as Poland's starting left-defender. Wawrzyniak has faired pretty well and will be a strong candidate to obtain the left-back position during Euro 2012. Before Wawrzyniak, Smuda tried Maciej Sadlok, who also transformed from a center-back to left-defender by Smuda.

Trialing Janczyk scores for Limerick FC

Dawid Janczyk, who began a three-day trial with Irish Second Division side Limerick FC today, scored a goal in today's friendly against Sligo Rovers.

Janczyk's team Limerick FC lost by the final score of 3-2. The former Poland national team prospect scored in the 62nd minute to cut Sligo Rovers' lead to 3-2.

Janczyk will continue to train with the Irish side until Wednesday. Then, a decision will be made if Janczyk is going to stay with the Second Division side. Janczyk last played for Ukrainian club PFK Oleksandria.

German TV to show Ekstraklasa

German sports-oriented channel Sportdigital will start to regularly show Ekstraklasa matches.

Ekstraklasa SA and Sportdigital came to an agreement on Monday, but contract details were not released. The German channel will show three Ekstraklasa matches each weekend.

The matches on the German channel will be televised live on Fridays, Sundays and Mondays. The first live match will be broadcast this upcoming Sunday when Legia Warszawa play Gornik Zabrze. On Monday, Sportdigital will show Jagiellonia Bialystok play Korona Kielce.  

Sportdigital is not the first sports channel in Europe to show Ekstraklasa matches. Every Monday, Eurosport 2 shows one Ekstraklasa match around some European countries. Also, Israeli Sport 5+ Live has bought Ekstraklasa rights to show the Polish league in Israel. 

What do you think about Ekstraklasa matches being shown in Germany?

Janczyk on trial with Limerick FC

Former Polish national team prospect Dawid Janczyk will begin a trial with Irish second division side Limerick FC.

Janczyk arrived in Ireland on Sunday and will play in a friendly match against Sligo Rovers today. He will continue to train with the team on Wednesday, before a decide will be made about his stay.

Janczyk spent last season on loan with PFK Oleksandria in the Ukranian First Division. He was loaned from CSKA Moscow. Since joining the Russian side in 2007, Janczyk has been on loan at Lokeren, Germinal Beerschot, Korona Kielce and now PFK Oleksandria.

His loan spell with the Ukrainian side ended with only appearing in three matches.

Rybus joins Russian side Terek Grozny

Poland national team midfielder Maciej Rybus has signed a 3,5-year contract with Russian club Terek Grozny.

Rybus will join the Russian side after Legia Warszawa's Europa League match with Sporting Lisbon on Thursday. The Russian side will pay 2,7 million euros for Rybus.

"The 22-year old Rybus was a leader at Legia and Polish national team. He well-established himself in the Polish League and in Europe. Our choice is not random, we followed him for a long period of time, especially when Legia played Spartak Moscow and when the Polish national team played in Turkey," said Magomed Daudov, President of  Terek Grozny.

Rybus leaves Legia Warszawa after five years. He joined Legia in 2007 from MSP Szamotuly. Rybus will become teammates with former Ekstraklasa veteran Piotr Polczak.

"Maciej will play in the first leg against Sporting. I am not sure if he will play in the second leg or in the next Ekstraklasa match. It all depends on Legia's coaching staff," said Mariusz Piekarski, Rybus' agent.

Legia have now collect around 5 million euros for selling the duo of Rybus and Ariel Borysiuk.

Reports: Rybus close to Terek Grozny

Poland national team winger Maciej Rybus could soon leave Legia Warszawa.

According to reports, Rybus and his agent Mariusz Piekarski have flew to Turkey where Russian club Terek Grozny are undergoing their training camp. Rybus and Piekarski are scheduled to negotiate a personal contract for Rybus.

If the transfer gets complete, the Russian side will pay 3 million euros to Legia Warszawa. The Polish club continues to collect money for sold players but have yet to improve their team before the spring round of the Ekstraklasa and the Europa League. Legia sold Ariel Borysiuk to German side Kaiserslautern couple of weeks ago.

Terek Grozny finished 11th in the Russian Premier League standings last season. The league will switch to an autumn-spring rhythm rather than spring-summer.

Poles Abroad: Sunday

German Bundesliga

• Slawomir Peszko played 90 minutes in FC Koln's 1-0 loss to Hamburger SV.

German 2. Bundesliga

• Tomasz Zahorski started and played 79 minutes in Duisburg's 4-2 loss to Hansa Rostock.

French Ligue 1

• Ludovic Obraniak played 90 minutes, scored two goals and recorded an assist in Bordeaux's 5-4 win over Lille.

• Ireneusz Jelen spend the whole match on the bench in Lille's 5-4 loss to Bordeaux 

Italian Serie B

• Blazej Augustyn started but received a red card in the 89th minute in Vicenza's 1-1 draw with Livorno.

Dutch Eredivisie

• Przemyslaw Tyton spend the whole match on the bench in PSV's 4-1 win over De Graafschap.

Ebi Smolarek came off the bench in the 85th minute in Den Haag's 1-1 draw with Utrech.

Belgian Jupiler League

• Marcin Wasilewski did not play due to suspension in Anderlecht's 2-1 win over Standard Liege.

Dutch Eerste Divisie

• Michal Janota spend the whole match on the bench in Go Ahead Eagles' scoreless draw with Zwolle.

Obraniak scores twice, including game-winner

Poland national team midfielder Ludovic Obranaik scored twice as one was the game-winner in the last seconds of the match in Bordeaux's 5-4 win over his former club Lille.

Obraniak's name first appeared on the score-sheet in the 17th minute, giving Bordeaux a 2-1 lead. Bordeaux held a 4-1 lead until the 60th minute. Since then, Lille managed to score three goals to pull back to 4-4.

However, in the 93rd minute, Obraniak scored his score goal of the game to give Bordeaux the win and three important points. The Polish international has now three goals in three games since joining Bordeaux.

Obraniak, who joined Bordeaux from Lille this winter, also added an assist to the Nicolas Maurice-Belay's goal in the 2nd minute.

Here is Obraniak's first goal:

Poles Abroad: Saturday

English Premier League
Wojciech Szczesny played 90 minutes in Arsenal's 2-1 win over Sunderland.
Lukasz Fabianski spend the whole match on the bench in Arsenal's 2-1 win over Sunderland.
Tomasz Kuszczak did not dress in Manchester United's 2-1 win over Liverpool.

English Championship
Radoslaw Majewski did not dress in Nottingham Forest's 1-1 draw with Watford.
Tomasz Cywka came off the bench in the 76th minute in Reading's 2-0 win over Coventry.

German Bundesliga
Ariel Borysiuk did not play due to suspension in Kaiserslautern's 2-0 loss to Bayern Munich.
Jakub Swierczok spend the whole match on the bench in Kaiserslautern's 2-0 loss to Bayern Munich.
Sebastian Boenisch spend the whole match on the bench in Werder Bremen's 1-1 draw with Hoffenheim.
Robert Lewandowski started and played 77 minutes in Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.
Jakub Blaszczykowski started, played 87 minutes and recorded an assist in Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.
Lukasz Piszczek played 90 minutes in Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.
Eugen Polanski played 90 minutes and recorded an assist in Mainz's 1-1 draw with Hannover.
Artur Sobiech came off the bench in the 85th minute and scored a goal in Hannover's 1-1 draw with Mainz.

Scottish Premier League
Pawel Brozek spend the whole match on the bench in Celtic's 1-0 win over Inverness.
Lukasz Zaluska spend the whole match on the bench in Celtic's 1-0 win over Inverness. 
Adrian Mrowiec started and played 83 minutes in Hearts' 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock.

Italian Serie B
Bartosz Salamon spend the whole match on the bench in Brescia's 2-0 win over Cittadella.
Kamil Glik played 90 minutes in Torino's 3-1 win over Nocerina.

French Ligue 1
Dariusz Dudka played 90 minutes in Auxerre's 1-1 draw with Lorient.
Damien Perquis played 90 minutes in Sochaux's 1-0 loss to Rennes.

Dutch Eredivisie
Pawel Kieszek played 90 minutes in Roda's 1-0 win over NEC Nijmegen.
Mateusz Prus spend the whole match on the bench in Roda's 1-0 win over NEC Nijmegen.
Mikolaj Lebedynski spend the whole match on the bench in Roda's 1-0 win over NEC Nijmegen.

Polanski assists as Mainz draw

Poland national team midfielder Eugen Polanski recorded an assist in Mainz's 1-1 draw with Hannover.

After being scoreless and assist-less for the first 9 matches of the season, Polanski has now two goals and two assist since the Bundesliga resumed from its winter break (that is 5 matches).

Polanski recorded his second assist of the season by assisting on Mohamed Zidan's 7th minute goal.

Here is Polanski's assist:

Blaszczykowski assists in Borussia's win

Jakub Blaszczykowski recorded an assist in Borussia Dortmund's 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.

Blaszczykowski's assist to Shinji Kagawa's goal came in the 45th minute. This assist now gives Kuba six assists for the season.

All three Poles started in the match but only Lukasz Piszczek lasted the full 90 minutes. Robert Lewandowski came off in the 77th minute, and Blaszczykowski came off in the 87th minute.

Here is Blaszczykowski's assist:

Sobiech scores first career Bundesliga goal

Artur Sobiech scored his first career Bundesliga in Hannover's 1-1 draw with Mainz.

The unlikely hero Sobiech started the match on the bench but came on with five minutes remaining. With Hannover being down 1-0, Sobiech scored in the 90th minute to equalize the scoreline.

Sobiech was right in front of the goal after a weird bounce on an opponent player came right to him. Without a problem, Sobiech finished off easily, being one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

Here is Sobiech's goal:

Who should Smuda call up for Portugal friendly?

The Polish national team will plays its first game of the new calender on its brand new home stadium against the Portuguese national team.

The tune up will give Smuda another chance to take a closer look at what he has right now as Portugal is a tough rival. The match will be played on February 29th.

So who will Smuda call up for the Portugal friendly? Here is one projected roster:

PROJECTED POLAND NT ROSTER:

GK- Wojciech Szczesny, Lukasz Fabianski

D- Marcin Wasilewski, Lukasz Piszczek, Damien Perquis, Jakub Wawrzyniak, Dariusz Dudka, Tomasz Jodlowiec, Grzegorz Wojtkowiak, Sebastian Boenisch

M- Ludovic Obraniak, Jakub Blaszczykowski, Slawomir Peszko, Adrian Mierzejewski, Sebastian Mila, Maciej Rybus, Eugen Polanski, Adam Matuszczyk

F- Robert Lewandowski, Pawel Brozek, Kamil Grosicki, Ireneusz Jelen

Just a remainder, this is PSB's projected roster and Frank Smuda will announce the real call ups on February 15th.
-----------------------

Some thoughts

-Tell you the truth, I don't even know who are our back-up goalkeepers anymore. I decided to go with Fabianski beacuse he was called up for Poland's last pair of friendlies and started against Hungary. Grzegorz Sandomierski spend the last half of year sitting on the bench and finally decided to move back to Jagiellonia. Przemyslaw Tyton just retunred from an injury and is a back-up at PSV and Artur Boruc is unwanted by Smuda.

-Time is running out and Smuda still does not have Poland's starting defense organized. He tried going with Arkadiusz Glowacki but he is always injured. Damien Perquis has disappointed since making his debut but he is still Poland's strongest center-back.

-I am not sure what Smuda will do with Sebastian Boenisch but he said he will call him up as soon as possible and even for the Portuguese friendly. Boenisch has yet to play a league match since his return from a long injury.

-Euro 2012 is fast approaching and and I believe it is time for Frank Smuda to call up Ireneusz Jelen. Last time Jelen played for Poland was against Norway on February 9, 2011. Despite being a bench warmer for Lille, Jelen could still be an important figure for Poland during Euro. It is important for Jelen to get use to Poland's tactics and plays.

What do you think of this group? What names are you glad to see on this list? Who is missing that you would like to see get a look from Smuda?

LKS looking to improve by signing Szamotulski, Iwanski, Gancarczyk

Heading into the Spring Round of the Ekstraklasa, LKS Lodz have problems -- big problems, but they are looking to improve by signing three veteran players.

Maciej Iwanski, Grzegorz Szamotulski and Seweryn Gancarczyk are the three veteran players that are practicing with LKS and are looking to secure contracts. All three players are free-agents.

Iwanski last played for Turkish side Manisaspor but had his contract terminated after only one year with the club. He played 13 matches for them, but spend most of time on the sidelines, battling injuries. Iwanski would bring Ekstraklasa experience to LKS after being one of the best players in Poland during his time with Zaglebie Lubin and Legia Warszawa.

Gancarczyk has been laid off for almost half an year after his contract terminated with Lech Poznan back in September. Before joining Lech, Gancarczyk played for Ukrainian sides Metalist Kharkiv, Arsenal Kyiv and Volyn Lutsk. In 2007, he was voted the best left-back in Ukrainian Premier League.

Since leaving Amica Wronki in 2004, goalkeeper Grzegorz Szamotulski has been changing teams like people change socks. Since that time, the now 35-year old has played for 10 different clubs. His last club was Polish First Division side Warta Poznan.

If the three players land contracts with LKS Lodz, they will join Grzegorz Bonin and Wojciech Lobodzinski, who have already signed with the club.

LKS currently sits 14th in the Ekstraklasa standings and are going through some tough times. First, the club was close to bankruptcy and was almost forced to forfeit the entire rest of the season. Now, the club which has no money to buy any new players, saw its head coach Ryszard Tarasiewicz leave the team.

Cierzniak signs with Dundee United

Former Korona Kielce goalkeeper Radoslaw Cierzniak has signed a a pre-contract agreement with Scottish side Dundee United.

The 28-year-old goalkeeper, who last played for Cypriot side Alki Larnaca, signed a two-year deal, with the option of a third.

Cierzniak will join Dundee in the summer after impressing head coach Peter Houston during a trial period at the club.

"I liked what I saw of Radoslaw during his time at the club and Steve Banks worked very closely with him for a week," said Peter Houston. " He showed good hands, he was comfortable with the ball at his feet, proved to be a strong communicator and above all looks an excellent shot-stopper."

Cierzniak played for Korona Kielce from 2007-2010. In 2009, he made his debut for the Polish national team. He started and played 45 minutes against Lithuania.

Smolarek quiet in Den Haag debut

Former Poland national team striker Ebi Smolarek made his debut in Den Haag's 6-0 loss to AZ Alkmaar.

Smolarek started the match on the bench, but came on in the 68th minute, replacing Kevin Visser. When Smolarek entered, Den Haag was only down 2-0. A minute after Smolarek's entrance, AZ made it 3-0.  Than, AZ scored in the 73rd, 85th, and 88th, to rout Den Haag 6-0.

Smolarek had a chance of his own to put his name on the score sheet. Smolarek had a gorgeous chance to score when his teammate crossed in a perfect ball from the left-hand side, only for Smolarek to one-time the ball straight at the keeper.

With the loss, Den Haag do not collect any points and remain 14th in the Eredivisie standings.

Ekstraklasa cancels SuperCup match

Ekstraklasa SA has canceled Saturday's Polish SuperCup match between Wisla Krakow and Legia Warszawa due to security concerns.

"With a heavy heart but with the security of fans in mind, we have decided to cancel the Super Cup match after taking advice from the police," said Andrzej Rusko, President of Ekstraklasa SA.

The SuperCup match was supposed to be the first match on the new National Stadium in Warszawa. Now, it looks like the Poland-Portugal friendly, scheduled for February 29th, will be the first match on the new stadium.

"I can guarantee that the Portugal game will definitely take place there (in Warszawa)," said Grzegorz Lato, President of the Polish football association.

Ekstraklasa officials are now trying to change the venue to the PGE Arena in Gdansk. The match would be played in March or April, depending on both teams Europa League schedules.