From our Special Envoy in Doha,

Celebrating a defeat, an oxymoronic situation as sport knows how to offer us.

Wednesday evening at the 974 stadium, there were two winners on the lawn.

A natural, Argentina, who won 2-0 after a football match in which the Poles refused to take part.

And Poland, therefore, winner of Russian roulette.

Everything was decided in the stoppage time of Saudi Arabia - Mexico, the other poster of Group C, where no one was eliminated and everything was allowed at the start of the evening.

By reducing the score in the last moments, the Saudis finished the hopes of the Tricolor (winners 2-1) and sent Poland straight into the arms of France.

Before this twilight token, that's where we were with this group of deglingos.

1) Argentina, 6 pts

2) Poland, 4 pts, +/-0, 2bp, 2bc

3) Mexico, 4pts, +/-0, 2bp, 2bc

4) Saudi Arabia, 3 pts

With perfect equality between Poles and Mexicans, fair play ended up becoming the predominant criterion.

In the press gallery, everyone is agitated and speculating.

“Who has the most cards?

"I would say Mexico, right?"

Indeed, the Mexicans paid a high price for the butchery of the previous match, and had 7 yellow cards against 4 for Czeslaw Michniewicz's men.


Numbers and letters

Having given up on any ambition to reduce the score against the far too strong Argentines, Poland had to make sure to lock up their double-turn goal, pray that Saudi Arabia did not mess up their end of the World Cup and, finally, keep control over the boxes.

This last point almost escaped the Polish coach when Krychowiak conceded a yellow card - the 5th of the team, if you followed correctly - in the 78th.

There is panic on the bench, especially since the ball will not come out for five minutes.

If the former Parisian concedes a second, it's red, and qualify for Mexico.

Small immersion in article 12 of the World Cup regulations to better understand.

  • A yellow card = 1 point

  • A direct red card = 4 points

  • A red card by accumulation of yellows = 3 points

If Krychowiak took a 2nd yellow, the fair play classification would have given:

Poland: 5x1 pt + 3pts =

 8 pts

Mexico: 7x1pt = 

7pts

In other words, game over for Lewandowski and company.

“We knew that yellow cards could count, summed up Czeslaw Michniewicz, aka Laurent Romejko.

We checked what was happening in the other game.

It was hard.

At one point I gave information about the other game to Lewandowski and others.

I told them what was happening.

Krychowiak was warned and my heart was pounding.

We made a change because he was in danger.

We knew that there were only two or three cards difference, it was risky.

»

sweet defeat

We go back in the DeLorean at 88 Mph until the final whistle that seals the Argentine victory.

2-0, the Poles did the job on the cards.

There are 5 minutes of added time left in the other game.

2-0, Mexico pushes.

26 shots, 11 on target, 61% possession.

The Saudi cork threatens to jump.

In the stands, it's a fight to nab a streaming.

Luckily, our neighbor is on the case.

Less lucky, our Polish colleagues are ahead and spoil us the Saudi goal with a furious howl.

On the ground, Robert Lewandowski and his clique take a good breath and congratulate each other shyly.

“It was a sweet defeat, said the Barça striker.

We knew we were playing against Argentina, that it was going to be a very tough game for us.

But on arrival, we can be happy because we are going to play the next round”.

It will be against France.

Michniewicz is already in his game.

“All those who face France have problems, we will have them too.

I would like to see a France-Brazil, but they will already have to beat Poland.

On a regular basis, without any history of cards or small calculations.

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  • Sport

  • World Cup 2022

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  • Mexico

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  • Saudi Arabia