Lewandowski Breaks World Cup Goal Drought... Poland's First Victory

First World Cup Goal Against Saudi Arabia
Poland 2-0 'Complete Victory'

Poland's Robert Lewandowski is celebrating after scoring a goal against Saudi Arabia. Photo by Yonhap AP

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] It finally happened. 'Goal machine' Robert Lewandowski (34, Barcelona) shed tears as he scored his first World Cup goal. Riding this momentum, the 'Eastern European powerhouse' Poland defeated the rising challenge of Saudi Arabia.

On the 26th (KST), Poland won 2-0 against Saudi Arabia in the second match of Group C in the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup group stage held at Al Rayyan Education City Stadium in Qatar.

After a 0-0 draw with Mexico in the first match, Poland moved one step closer to the round of 16 with this victory over Saudi Arabia.

Poland responded to Saudi Arabia's early possession dominance with an opening goal. In the 39th minute of the first half, Lewandowski passed the ball inside the penalty box, which Piotr Zieli?ski followed up with a powerful shot that shook the Saudi goal net.

Saudi Arabia also launched a counterattack but it was insufficient. In the 43rd minute of the first half, Saudi earned a penalty kick, but goalkeeper Szcz?sny blocked the shot by Al-Breikhan, who took the kick, missing the chance to equalize.

The fierce competition between the two teams to gain the upper hand continued into the second half. After intense exchanges, in the 37th minute of the second half, Poland secured the winning momentum with an additional goal thanks to Lewandowski's interception of a defensive mistake.

Poland recorded their first win in this tournament, moving one step closer to advancing to the round of 16.

In particular, this victory is significant because of the shining performance of Poland's 'main gun.' Despite being one of the world's best forwards, Lewandowski had been criticized for his lack of impact in the World Cup. However, in this match, he recorded one assist and one goal. Through his debut goal, he erased the stigma and proved his skill.