Górnik Zabrze didn't start the season in the best possible way, but they are slowly bouncing back. They ended a four-game winless streak at the weekend, which allowed them to escape the relegation zone and land in the middle of the table. Fans expected the Zabrze team to follow up their win over GKS Katowice with a victory over Radomiak Radom, but they lost in incredible circumstances.
Urban angry after Polish Cup match
It was the 95th minute of the match, with added time coming to an end. Górnik Zabrze was carrying out an action that could have secured promotion to the second round of the Polish Cup. Taofeek Ismaheel released Norbert Wojtuszek on the right, who crossed perfectly to Lukas Ambros, who was unmarked in the penalty area, and he scored. However, the referees saw on replays that Wojtuszek was slightly burning the action at the moment of the pass from the Nigerian, leaving his leg behind the defense line. The main referee had to cancel the Czech's goal.
At the beginning of extra time, Radomiak took the lead with a goal by Robert Alves. In the 111th minute, Lukas Podolski equalized, but his goal was also canceled by VAR. Here, too, an offside position was caught. Ultimately, the team from Radom won 1-0 and advanced to the second round of the Polish Cup.
Zabrze coach Jan Urban did not hide his bitterness after the match. From the very first words at the post-match press conference, it was clear that he could not believe that Górnik had lost the match in such circumstances. He did not focus on evaluating the game or showing a tactical plan. For him, offside in Ambrose's situation was debatable.
– I have no comment. I'm pissed… Pissed… You know what. Also at the referees' decision. When I see how offsides there are… No way… If it's supposed to be, it is. If it's not supposed to be, it's not. That's how I interpret it. Here the heel is sticking out, there the ball isn't leaving the foot yet. You don't know at what point… – Urban lamented.
The Górnik coach regrets that it was not possible to force a penalty shootout. – It could have been a normal game until the end, a penalty shootout. I congratulate the team, because they played until the end. There was not only ambition and fight, but also playing the ball, looking for a goal situation. I would like to go in that direction, because there are matches where there is a lot of chaos and little precision. Today we were unlucky, even though in my opinion we deserved to advance – he stated.
Górnik is left to fight in the PKO Ekstraklasa. After nine rounds, it is in ninth place with 11 points. On Saturday, it will face Legia Warsaw away.