 Poland, Germany's geographical neighbor to the east, has been drawn in the same group as the hosts which means regional and historical rivalries will be renewed this summer.
The Polish team played surprisingly well. Aside from the two games against England, the Poles could exclusively post wins. But the Polish team was already qualified for the World Cup 2006 prior to the final group game in England. Thanks to the eight matches it won, the team got its ticket to Germany directly as one of the best second-placed sides. |  Stars? Only goalie Jerzy Dudek from last season's Champions League winner FC Liverpool would belong to this category. From the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund's striker Ebi Smolarek and midfielder Jacek Krzynowek from Bayer Leverkusen, among others, are in the extended World Cup contingent. |
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