GROUP D / POLAND

*--* World Cup record: Played 25 (13-7-5); goals for: 39; goals against: 29 Best finish: Third in 1974, 1982 1998 showing: Did not qualify Coach: Jerzy Engel. Running battles with the highly critical Polish media only motivate him more. “Life in the media and in a squad are two different things,” he said Players to watch: Jerzy Dudek, Tomasz Klos, Emmanuel Olisadebe In brief: The Poles were regarded as a stronger threat before they lost warmup games to Japan and Romania. Much depends on naturalized Nigerian striker Olisadebe at one end and Liverpool goalkeeper Dudek at the other. Dudek says he has recovered from a knee injury and is ready to go for the opener Quick quote: “World football has moved forward so much since Poland’s glory days. Still, I would be extremely happy to repeat those results.”-- Engel Forecast: The Poles are physically imposing enough to bulldoze their way to second place in the group, but internal strife and unfamiliar conditions could see them lose their way

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