POGOŃ SZCZECIN 1-2 WISŁA KRAKÓW: The Cup is Ours!

May 2nd held a special place in the hearts of every Wisła Kraków fan. At 4:00 PM, the whistle marked the culmination of the final match of the jubilee 70th edition of the Polish Cup. The White Star faced off against their Ekstraklasa counterpart - Pogoń Szczecin. Wisła Krkaów emerged as the triumphant winner of the Polish Cup, winning 1-2. The history was written. The Cup is back in Kraków after 21 years of anticipation. 

A Start with Impetus

The Wisła players were the first to kick off, and soon the football exchange began. The wingers on both sides made a significant difference, often causing excitement among their fans. However, the most dangerous scoring opportunity in the early minutes largely resulted from chance – Alfaro's cross was unfortunately deflected by one of the defenders, hitting the outer part of the Pogoń's post.

The first fifteen minutes passed within a glimpse of the eye. As predicted by most football experts, Kamil Grosicki stood out as a prominent figure in the Pogoń team. The Polish national team representative frequently changed positions and actively sought quick passing exchanges with his teammates.

The White Star attempted to create threats through long balls towards their strikers. In the 30th minute, Angel Rodado made a good run, but was thwarted by one of the returning defenders in a foot race; otherwise, the Spanish striker would have had a chance to face the goalkeeper. Just 5 minutes later, in similar circumstances on the other side of the field, Wahlqvist found himself in front of the goal. However, Chichkan reacted smartly, deflecting the ball for a corner kick.

The Kraków team created their best chance to take the lead in the 41st minute. A lofted cross into the far post area found Szymon Sobczak's head, but Cojocaru managed to clear it practically from the goal line. The score remained level. Both teams unsuccessfully attempted to score a goal before halftime. The additional minute added by referee Kwiatkowski proved insufficient for either team to break the deadlock, and soon the whistle signalled halftime.

Change of Sides

After the break, the Szczecin players tried to impose their rhythm on the game. In the dressing room, coach Gustafsson encouraged his players to be more daring in attack. Wisła's response was a compact defence and quick transitions to pressing. Kacper Duda played a key role in midfield, often driving the White Star's offence with his interceptions.

The situation on the field after an hour of play was difficult to assess unequivocally. Each finalist fiercely competed, but there were practically no scoring opportunities. Thus, the first goal in the match came at the least expected moment. After a surprising throw-in played directly towards the goal of the blue-and-white-red team, Koulouris appeared. The Greek player's powerful shot found the net, and from the 75th minute onwards, Wisła had to chase a one-goal deficit.

In the 90th minute, the PGE Narodowy stadium fell into an incredible silence. The fans held their breath as the ball found an unmarked Goku in the penalty area. Introduced after conceding a goal, the midfielder only had the Pogoń goalkeeper to beat, who miraculously instinctively prevented his team from conceding a goal.

Seven minutes passed, and just before the final whistle, happened a story that cannot be described. Deep in the Pogoń’s penalty area, Eneko Satrustegui found his way to the ball and he was the one, who scored the long-awaited goal to make it 1:1 and sparked joyous celebrations in the Kraków fan sections! This meant that the battle for the Cup would continue for an additional thirty minutes!

Continuation

Wisła started the extra time with a strong push. Angel Rodado intercepted a pass, once again creating a „one-on-one" situation. However, this time he was fierce and placed the ball into the net with a technical shot. What a change of script – from the 93rd minute, Wisła Kraków led for the first time, and at that moment, they were one step closer to winning the trophy!

As time ticked away, the Pogoń players embarked on an intense chase for the result. A defeat would mean the end of their dreams of winning the Polish Cup for the first time in history. All the on-field forces were shifted towards the Kraków goal, and the players with the white star on their chests were forced to maintain the highest concentration in the defensive third.

In the final moments of the final, it was difficult to keep up with what was happening before our eyes. Each second seemed to drag on mercilessly, but the dream came true, and Wisła... Wisła won the Polish Cup for the fifth time in history!

★ THE CUP IS OURS ★

Pogoń Szczecin - Wisła Kraków 1:2 (0:0, 1:1)

★ 1:0 Koulouris 75’

★ 1:1 Satrustegui 90+9’ 

★ 1:2 Rodado 93'

Pogoń: Cojocaru - Wahlquist (91 Smoliński), Borges, Malec, Koutris (105 Zahović) - Gamboa (57 Biczachczjan) - Ulvestad, Gorgon (86 Zech), Przyborek (82 Wędrychowski), Grosicki - Koulouris.

Wisła: Chichkan - Jaroch (69 Satrustegui), Uryga, Colley, Szot – Duda (84 Gogół), Carbo – Baena (69 Villar), Rodado, Alfaro (77 Goku) – Sobczak (77 Żyro).

Referee(s): Tomasz Kwiatkowski (Warsaw) and Kamil Wójcik (Warsaw) and Tomasz Niemirowski (Płochocin).

Yellow card(s): Gamboa, Koulouris, Wędrychowski, Cojocaru - Jaroch, Uryga, Rodado, Chichkan.

Attendance: 47,506.

Photo gallery: HERE