MOLDOVA MANAGE DRAW

Moldova managed to surprise everyone by managing a 1-1 draw with Poland in a World Cup qualifying match. Moldova came into the encounter as the team sitting just above the bottom of the table. They had taken four points from the six matches they have played so far.

The team has almost no hope of qualifying for the World Cup. They are playing in the group stages only for pride. They achieved it exactly following a 1-1 draw with Poland. This result has left it extremely difficult for the Polish also to think about qualifying for the World Cup.

There are on nine points after having played six matches. They still have to make up a three-point difference between them and second placed England, who sit in the final qualification spot. Only the top team will be able to qualify directly for the World Cup, while the second placed team has to go through a play-off against a team from Europe. Poland came into the match as the favourites and it was not surprising to see them take the lead through Jakub Blaszczykowski after just 6 min on the clock. However, the away team were left surprised after Moldova equalised in the 37th minute through a goal from Eugen Sidorenco.

From then on, it was about Poland trying to break down Moldova and the home team resisting it with some stern defending. Despite being the home team, Moldova sat back for most of the match and frustrated their opponents. Despite having the likes of Robert Lewandowski on their books, Poland were unable to find the crucial goal that would have put them closer to England and in with a chance of qualifying for the World Cup. As it stands, it is now extremely difficult for the Polish to think about World Cup qualification.