Both team’s maintain faint hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals following this draw in the Ernst Happel Stadion thanks to some outstanding goalkeeping from Poland’s Artur Boruc. Austria had the chances to bury the Poles in the opening half an hour but a mixture of woeful inadequacy in front of goal and Boruc’s inspired form kept the Eastern Europeans in the game, Leitgeb wasting the best of those chances, shooting straight at the Pole when rounding the keeper seemed the easier option. Boruc had earlier kept Hamic’s effort out, deflecting his shot wide and the same player shot straight at Boruc after Korkmaz’s pace took him clear of two defenders.

The co-hosts were made to pay for their profligacy when Smolarek crossed from the right to find Roger unmarked and two yards from goal. Offside claims were made but the cross clearly came off an Austrian defender before finding the naturalised Pole.

As time ran out for the Austrians, it seemed that their tournament was coming to an end. Two minutes into injury time, Lewandowski was judged to have pulled Proedl to the ground. Howard Webb, the English referee, pointed to the spot and Vastic buried the chance to salvage a draw.

It leaves the Austrians requiring a victory over Germany to have any chance of qualifying for the next phase. The two countries owe the world a good game following their disgraceful collusion in the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. At least this time, one of them has to win. A draw may yet not be good enough for the Germans to progress for if the Poles beat the Czechs, goal difference comes into the equation.

Tags: Austria, Euro 2008, Football, Poland, Soccer

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