Lithuania had been independent for just over three years; before that, from the end of the Second World War, it had been part of the Soviet Union. Because of that, the Polish and Lithuanian national teams had never met. The Polish FA chose a small town and the stadium on ul. Ofiar Oświęcimia for the historic first fixture.
The arrival of the national team brought most of the town’s residents to the ground. The winter weather did not put fans off, and the snow- and ice-covered pitch had been prepared so carefully that the players themselves praised its condition.
Poland, managed by Andrzej Strejlau, took the lead in the 11th minute. Piotr Świerczewski scored his first goal for the national team – and, as it turned out, his only one in 70 appearances, which included the 2002 World Cup. In the 41st minute Eimantas Poderis followed up a shot by V. Šlekys to equalise.
At half-time Poland made four changes: Aleksander Kłak, Krzysztof Maciejewski, Dariusz Gęsior and Jacek Bednarz came on, with Matysek, Grzesik, Śliwowski and Świerczewski coming off. It was Bednarz’s international debut. The score did not change, and the draw was Poland’s fourth in a row, equalling a record from 1965.
Poland captain Jerzy Brzęczek told TVP that he likes playing in smaller towns, because for the people who turn out for such matches, seeing the national team is something big.
Full report, line-ups and match notes – PZPN Library →
