Mexico hold Poland in Warsaw
Friday, September 2, 2011
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Poland 1-1 Mexico
The UEFA EURO 2012 co-hosts were pegged back by Javier Hernández and had to hold on after losing Ludovic Obraniak to a red card.
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Poland's friendly preparations as UEFA EURO 2012 co-hosts continued with a 1-1 draw against Mexico in Warsaw, Franciszek Smuda's side ending the game with ten men following the 70th-minute dismissal of Ludovic Obraniak.
Both teams made a cagey start but it was Poland who first found a route to goal as Paweł Brożek fired under the crossbar from close range after 27 minutes. The lead did not last for long, however, as Mexico struck back just seven minutes later, Javier Hernández shooting low past Przemysław Tytoń.
The Manchester United FC striker had earlier missed the opening chance of the match when he headed wide, and next it fell to Brożek to miss the target when his shot failed to trouble Alfredo Talavera. The game was beginning to pick up in intensity, though, and Tytoń did well to keep out a Pablo Barrera attempt from the right, before Brożek gave Poland the lead courtesy of an excellent pass from his Trabzonspor AŞ team-mate Adrian Mierzejewski.
Mexico's response was not long in coming and it was Hernández who delivered it, slotting the ball in after receiving possession in the area. Talavera denied Mierzejewski in a one-on-one situation seconds after the break, but Poland faded as an attacking force once Obraniak had picked up a red card for his challenge on Héctor Moreno. Indeed, Tytoń needed to tip a Barrera shot over the bar to keep his team on level terms. The UEFA EURO 2012 co-hosts can now look forward to meeting newly qualified Germany in Gdansk on Tuesday.