Summary of the Academy weekend: April 13-14

Another league weekend is behind us, with plenty of matches featuring young players from the Wisła Football Academy. Here's a quick summary of the results for the CLJ U-15, CLJ U-17, CLJ U-19, and White Star's reserves.

U-15: Priceless win against Górnik Łęczna

We've been waiting for this breakthrough! Wisła Kraków's U-15 team secured their first full set of points in the spring round of the Central Junior League. Wisła defeated Górnik Łęczna 4-1 at home, with Bartosz Wajda (2x), Alan Bąk, and Oliwier Kozak all scoring.

The Wisła Kraków U-15 team players have been waiting a long time for their first victory in the spring round of the Central Junior League, Group D. In the seventh round, the team led by Krystian Żakowicz finally managed to break through, and in what style.

Wisła comfortably defeated their peers Górnik Łęczna at home, triumphing 4-1. The White Star extended their advantage by scoring two goals before halftime. Oliwier Kozak opened the scoring in the third minute with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, and Bartosz Wajda doubled the lead just before the break. The White Star players capitalized on their opponents' poor positioning and sent a long pass behind the opposition's defense, and Wajda, who had returned to the pitch after being treated by the medical staff, found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper and fired home a powerful shot to give the team a two-goal lead.

After the break, Wisła continued their onslaught. In the 55th minute, Alan Bąk added a third with a ground shot, and five minutes later, Wajda completed the double, effectively joining the action from the second line. The Lublin team only managed to respond with a consolation goal in the 75th minute.

Wisła will begin the second leg of the season with a home match against Sandecja Nowy Sącz, scheduled for Saturday, April 20. The Nowy Sącz team sits just above Biała Gwiazda in the table, in seventh place.

"We're very pleased with this match in terms of determination and attitude. Even in the match in Kielce, we felt we were well prepared for this challenge. Now we fought for each other. Our style of play was evident from the start. It's worth noting that we were able to control the match off the ball and prevented our opponents from having any significant scoring opportunities. Just like in previous matches, we looked good with the ball at our feet, and now we've added to that good control when we don't have it. We're happy with the convincing victory, and I also have to commend the players for their individual performances. However, we must approach this victory with great humility; this is only the first, small step. We want to prove our worth, as we've come up short in previous matches. We have to keep working hard and be prepared, because we know where we stand in the table," concluded coach Krystian Żakowicz.

CLJ U-15: Wisła Kraków - Górnik Łęczna 4:1 (2:0)
Goals for Wisła: Oliwier Kozak (3'), Bartosz Wajda (37', 60'), Alan Bąk (55')

Wisła Kraków U-15: Szymon Koładka (74. Jakub Golonka) - Karol Łakomy, Kacper Kopijka (70. Dominik Mierzwa), Radosław Krasek, Przemysław Gołąb (63. Dawid Tracz) - Oliwier Kozak (70. Wiktor Maziarz), Jakub Idziak, Bartosz Wajda - Mateusz Pałka, Alan Bąk (66. Jan Szczepaniak), Michał Pałka (55. Piotr Hejmo).

U-17: Fifth win in a row. Three points against Escola Varsovia

On Saturday afternoon, Escoli Varsovia arrived at the ORLEN OIL Training Center in Myślenice to face the U-17 team. Coach Patryk Jałocha's players defeated the Warsaw team 3-1 in their 24th round match, with Dawid Szczepaniak, Maciej Szmydt, and Bruno Skoczek all scoring. It was the Wisła team's fifth consecutive victory.

The match against the Warsaw team got off to a fantastic start for Coach Jałocha's team. After just five minutes, Wisła Kraków enjoyed a lead, thanks to the Maksym Tsymbaliuk-Dawid Szczepaniak duo. The former played a superb lofted pass to his partner on the left, who, without hesitation, fired a first-time shot from the air, opening the scoring. The Kraków team wanted to follow up and continued to attack, forcing their opponents onto the defensive. The White Star tried to surprise the capital side with offensive forays into the flanks, but the ball refused to find the back of the net again. After the half-hour mark, Escola stepped up and began creating chances, capitalizing on one of them. The opponents, playing a dynamic attack in midfield, passed the ball to his teammate, who, on the corner of the penalty area, dropped to his left foot and fired a precise shot down the field, which Jakub Kowalski failed to catch out. The excitement in the first half of the match didn't end there. In the final moments of the period, there was confusion in the Warsaw penalty area, where Maciej Szmydt found the best position and beat the goalkeeper from close range.

Another set of points

The beginning of the second half saw the dominance of coach Patryk Jałocha's team. Szmydt first had a chance to equalize, receiving a ground pass from Aleksy Rokosz on the wing, but unfortunately, his finish was off. Moments later, Jakub Czubernat attempted a long-range shot, but his shot sailed over the crossbar. Filip Michałowski almost scored a spectacular goal when he picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty area with his back to goal and, after a quick turn, fired a shot that narrowly missed the target. In between, the match was fiercely contested, and the referee was often forced to stop play. The capital side tried to equalize again, but the Wisła defense held them back. After about an hour, Maciej Szmydt had another chance to add to the scoresheet, but his powerful shot from outside the penalty area was blocked by the crossbar. In the closing stages of the match, the visitors began to attack, but Wisła's well-organized defense continued to ward off any threats. In stoppage time, the Kraków team won the ball in the opponents' half, and it passed to Bruno Skoczek, who had been brought on earlier. He made no mistake in a one-on-one situation and slotted a precise shot past the goalkeeper to seal the victory.

Coach Patryk Jałocha's side face a tough test in the next round. The young Krakow team will face league leaders Legia Warsaw away from home. The match is scheduled for Saturday, April 20th, at 12:00 noon.

Wisła Kraków U-17 – Escola Varsovia U-17 3:1 (2:1)
Goals for Wisła: Szczepaniak, Szmydt, Skoczek

Wisła Kraków U- 17: Jakub Kowalski (RB) – Eryk Daczewski (C), Dawid Szczepaniak, Kacper Symula – Mateusz Kania, Maksym Tsymbaliuk (61' Jakub Małek), Filip Michałowski (82' Kacper Trznadel), Aleksy Rokosz (82' Dawid Rataj) – Maciej Szmydt (88' Milan Olej), Szymon Kawała, Jakub Czubernat (70' Bruno Skoczek) Substitutes: Kacper Pisarek (RB), Piotr Rzońca, Mateusz Wilk

U-19: Division of points in the match against Górnik Zabrze

Wisła's U-19 team faced Górnik Zabrze at home on Saturday afternoon in the 23rd round of the Central Junior League. Coach Karol Nędza's men played to a goalless draw, sharing the points with the Silesian team.

Wisła opened the match against the Silesian side with a powerful attack on their opponents. Moments after the referee's first whistle, the White Star created their first serious opportunity to take the lead, with Bartłomiej Sowa playing a key role. The midfielder received the ball outside the penalty area and decided to shoot, but his shot was blocked. However, the next dozen or so minutes were dictated by Zabrze, who settled into the Kraków half. These opportunities didn't end with shots on goal, but rather with corner kicks, from which the visitors attempted to threaten the Polish team's defense. Wiktor Sierda was alert in goal, but one of his shots found the post. After less than two-quarters of an hour, Wisła regained control, forcing the visiting goalkeeper to make a save with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area. The same player moments later played a brilliant pass to Tomasz Dusik, who was running behind, but was unfortunately held off by a defender. At the end of the first half of the match, Górnik players had their chances, but both of their shots flew over the crossbar of the goal guarded by Sierda.

One point

The second half started promisingly for Wisła. Moments after the restart, Dusik had a chance, but his shot from around the eleven-meter line went wide. A little later, after a corner, Maciej Pachel tried from distance, but the ball still wouldn't find the back of the net. The Śląsk team then won a number of corner kicks, posing a clear threat. After about an hour, Wisła launched a brilliant counterattack, which allowed Mateusz Stanek to open the scoring, but his powerful shot was again blocked by the Zabrze defenders. Moments later, Sowa struck again, exchanging passes with Wiktor Benedyktowicz. However, the ball fell short. With fifteen minutes remaining, Sierda displayed excellent reflexes to parry a powerful shot from one of their opponents. In the final minutes, the visitors were the dominant side, but the well-organized defense of the White Star prevented them from conceding a goal, and the match ended in a goalless draw.

Wisła's young players will face Widzew Łódź in their next away match. The 24th round of the Central Junior League is scheduled for this coming Saturday, April 20th, at 2:00 PM.

Wisła Kraków U-19 – Górnik Zabrze U-19 0:0
Wisła Kraków U-19: Wiktor Sierda (RB) – Maciej Pachel (79' Adam Klimczyk), Radosław Skała (C), Marcin Górkiewicz, Maciej Jania (46' Michał Prochwicz) – Filip Baniowski (64' Yehor Khromykh), Bartłomiej Sowa, Karol Dziedzic, Tomasz Dusik – Mateusz Stanek, Wiktor Benedyktowicz (75' Dawid Gap)

Substitutes' bench: Jakub Kowalski (BR), Kacper Babral, Borys Płotka, Marcin Rapacz

Wisła II: From Kalwaria with three points

The White Star reserve team records another important victory! Wisła defeated Kalwarianka Kalwaria Zebrzydowska 3-2 in their away match thanks to two goals from Karol Tokarczyk and a goal from Kuba Wiśniewski.

The first half began with both teams attempting to gain control. It was clear they wanted to calmly gauge their opponents, then apply pressure and launch a flurry of attacks. Determined to impose their own terms on their opponents, the visitors quickly took matters into their own hands. Less than a few dozen seconds after the referee's first whistle, Karol Tokarczyk passed the ball to Wiktor Szywacz, who fired in from distance, but his shot lacked precision. Shortly after, the Kraków side earned a corner kick, which Michał Zimon stepped up to take. The player crossed directly onto Jakub Niewiadomski's head, but the ball fell just short of the net. The visitors soon achieved their goal – after a free kick and some confusion in the penalty area, Karol Tokarczyk found the back of the net, giving his team the opening goal. Moments later, the on-rush Kraków side came close to extending their lead when Daniel Ramirez headed in a corner, the ball bounced off the pitch, and Karol Tokarczyk then headed it over the crossbar. After numerous attempts, Kalwarianka took the initiative, equalizing with a spectacular free kick. For the remainder of the first half, both teams continued to try to break down the opposition's defense, creating opportunities. After one attack, Karol Tokarczyk shot hard at goal, but the goalkeeper saved, then a loss of possession and Kalwarianka's counterattack culminated in a missed shot.

Three hits and three points

After the break, the teams once again battled for control, and the first few minutes saw the home side gaining control, pressing their opponents harder. However, their attacks proved futile, and once again, Wisła had reason to celebrate. Kraków took the lead in the 51st minute thanks to a well-placed goal from Kuba Wiśniewski, capping a well-executed attack by the visitors. The next attempts were not long in coming, as Karol Sałamaj found himself in a good position, finding himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper. However, the Kalwarianka player managed to catch up with Wisła at the last minute and cleared the ball, knocking it out from under the Wisła player's feet. Meanwhile, the home side attempted to cool down the opposition, creating scoring opportunities, but their finishing was still lacking. Kraków also had no trouble creating chances, and after one of them, Kamil Kaczówka found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the goalkeeper made a decisive save to save his team from conceding. The Krakow team persisted in their attempts, and their patience paid off when Kamil Kaczówka stole the ball from an opponent and then passed it to Karol Tokarczyk, who perfectly placed the ball into the net. Just a few dozen seconds later, Wisła had a chance – Wiktor Szywacz struck a free kick wide of the wall and unfortunately hit the post. A similar situation befell the opposition when a Kalwarianka player attempted to convert a set piece, but luck smiled on the visitors, and the shot also hit the post. The hosts maintained their confidence until the very end, eventually beating Arkadiusz Krzyżanowski to score their second goal in stoppage time. The final moments saw intense work from both teams and further attempts, but the score remained unchanged.

Kalwarianka Kalwaria Zebrzydowska - Wisła II Kraków 2:3 (1:1)
Goals for Wisła: Karol Tokarczyk 18', 74', Kuba Wiśniewski 51'

Wisła II Kraków: Arkadiusz Krzyżanowski - Kuba Wiśniewski, Daniel Ramírez, Jakub Złoch, Jakub Niewiadomski - Wiktor Szywacz, Michał Zimon, Marc Grau, Karol Tokarczyk (80' Piotr Ćwik), Maciej Kuziemka (46' Karol Sałamaj) - Dominik Sarga (63' Kamil Kaczówka)