Summary of the Academy weekend: April 20-21

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-14, CLJ U-15, CLJ U-17, CLJ U-19, and the White Star reserves.

U-14: Friendly win against Cracovia

Wisła's U-14 team faced Cracovia on Saturday in a friendly between league matches. Coach Dawid Ślusarczyk's men defeated their local rivals 2-1, with Tymon Wąchocki scoring both goals for the White Star.

The match against Cracovia was a friendly between the league fixtures. From the start, Wisła's strong desire to dominate the pitch was evident. In the opening minutes, Tymon Wąchocki was fouled in the penalty area, but moments later he beat the home goalkeeper from eleven meters. The following minutes saw a clear dominance for the White Star, resulting in another goal. Wąchocki scored again, and Mateusz Surma provided an assist. Shortly after, Cracovia launched a counterattack that made the score 2-1. Wisła dominated the second half, with Alan Pyrczak having a prime opportunity to score a third goal, but the striker unfortunately misplaced the ball and it sailed wide of the Cracovia goal.

"I'm very pleased with the players' mental attitude. Throughout the entire match, we were very active and determined to achieve our goal together. To the players' credit, they have performed at a very good level in both athleticism and volition over the past two weeks of training. We're a little disappointed that we only managed two goals, but this is something we will continue to work on," said U-14 coach Dawid Ślusarczyk.

Cracovia U-14 – Wisla Krakow U-14 1:2 (1:2)
Goals for Wisła: 2x Wąchocki

Wisła Kraków U-14 (starting lineup): Piotr Nowacki (BR) – Igor Zaszczudłowicz, Ignacy Prokurat, Michał Sobociński-Prokop, Mateusz Surma – Kacper Wolańczyk, Michał Kokoszka, Aleksander Wróblewski – Jakub Jałowiecki, Tymon Wąchocki, Aleksander Suchan

Substitutes: Kacper Guzik, Adrian Kuźma, Jakub Witkowski, Franciszek Zych, Alan Pyrczak, Patryk Mróz, Jakub Mężyk

U-15: Convincing victory against Sandecja Nowy Sącz

The CLJ U-15 team hosted Sandecja Nowy Sącz on Saturday afternoon. Coach Krystian Żakowicz's players comfortably defeated the visitors 4-0, with Alan Bąk, Piotr Hejmo, and Michał and Mateusz Pałka sharing the scoring.

From the opening moments of the match, the White Star team clearly dominated, maintaining possession in the opponent's half and forcing them to retreat to a low defense. Wisła played their moves patiently, occasionally creating good scoring opportunities. However, the first goal had to wait until the final minutes of the first half, when Michał Pałka finished off a well-organized move by his team. Wisła extended their lead before the break, thanks to Alan Bąk, who jumped highest to cross and beat the opposing goalkeeper.

A clear advantage

The second half of the match saw renewed dominance by coach Krystian Żakowicz's team. The Kraków team refused to allow their opponents to mount any serious attacks and significantly maintained possession. Just minutes after the referee blew the whistle for the start of the half, Mateusz Pałka found the back of the net for Sandecja, first reaching the rebound and firing a powerful shot just under the crossbar. Piotr Hejmo sealed the score late in the game, finishing the ball after a missed penalty kick.

"I'm proud of my team because the way we played in this match was exactly what we had planned. All the players, both those who started and the substitutes, put in a tremendous amount of effort and commitment. There was a lot of positive energy in the team. I'm pleased that we played with courage. We're happy that we dominated and controlled the match from start to finish. We want to continue this in the next matches," said CLJ U-15 coach Krystian Żakowicz.

In the next round, the U-15 team will play away against Stal Rzeszów. The match is scheduled for Sunday, April 28th at 12:00 noon.

Wisła Kraków U-15 – Sandecja Nowy Sącz U-15 4:0 (2:0)
Goals for Wisła: Michał Pałka, Mateusz Pałka, Bąk, Hejmo

Wisła Kraków U-15 (starting lineup): Szymon Koładka (RB) – Karol Łakomy (C) (74' Kacper Palider), Kacper Kopijka, Radosław Krasek, Przemysław Gołąb (70' Dawid Tracz) – Oliwier Kozak (74' Dominik Mierzwa), Jakub Idziak, Bartosz Wajda – Mateusz Pałka (52' Piotr Hejmo), Alan Bąk (67' Jan Szczepaniak), Michał Pałka (67' Oskar Kukuła)

Substitutes' bench: Jakub Golonka (BR)

U-17: Return from Warsaw without points

Patryk Jałocha's team faced Legia Warsaw away in their 10th round of the Central Junior League. The hosts outperformed the Kraków team, forcing them to lose 5-1. Bruno Skoczek scored the only goal for the visitors.

The Krakow team failed to maintain their winning streak and on Saturday afternoon were forced to concede superiority to Legia Warsaw, who currently sit at the top of the table. The Warsaw team took a two-goal lead in the first half, opening the scoring fifteen minutes before the end of the period, and just five minutes later, after a spectacular dribble, they beat the Wisła goalkeeper for the second time. They also proved effective after the break, when in the 54th minute, one of their players ground a shot that left the White Star goalkeeper with no chance, increasing the score to 3-0. But that wasn't the end of it, as shortly afterwards, the hosts gave the visitors another run for their money, capping the move with a well-placed shot from a tight angle into an empty net. Wisła constantly tried to respond to their opponents and break up their attacks in time, while also creating chances of their own. Five minutes before the end of regulation time, after a miscommunication during the lead, Bruno Skoczek intercepted the ball, resulting in a consolation goal for his team. However, the final say belonged to the locals, who sealed their victory with their fifth goal just before the final whistle.

Legia Warsaw U-17 – Wisła Kraków U-17 5:1 (2:0)
Wisła's goal: Bruno Skoczek 85 '

Wisła Kraków U-17 (starting lineup): Jakub Kowalski – Eryk Daczewski, Dawid Szczepaniak, Kacper Trznadel – Dawid Rataj, Filip Michałowski, Maksym Tsymbaliuk, Aleksy Rokosz – Maciej Szmydt, Szymon Kawała, Jakub Czubernat

Substitutes: Karol Dołkin, Mateusz Kania, Jakub Małek, Milan Olej, Bruno Skoczek, Łukasz Staniów, Szymon Urbanik, Mateusz Wilk

U-19: No points against Widzew Łódź

Wisła's CLJ U-19 team faced Widzew Łódź away on Saturday afternoon in the 24th round of the competition. Coach Karol Nędza's players were forced to concede victory to the hosts, losing 4-2. Maciej Kuziemka and Maciej Pachel were among the top scorers for the Kraków team.

The White Star team could have been ahead after just a few minutes against Łódź, but one of the opponents' defenders cleared the ball off the goal line just in time. Moments later, the home team illegally held a Polish player in the penalty area, and the referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty. Mateusz Stanek stepped up to the plate, but unfortunately, the striker couldn't beat the goalkeeper. However, Maciej Kuziemka brought the victory to Wisła moments later, capitalizing on a good pass from Wiktor Benedyktowicz along the end line and slotting the ball into the net from close range. The opponents quickly recovered from the deficit and quickly equalized. Ten minutes before the end of the first half, Wisła regained the lead when Maciej Pachel delivered a fine individual move. The defender brought the ball into the penalty area and with a well-placed shot, sealed the first-half result.

A painful defeat

Full of confidence in their eventual victory, coach Karol Nędza's players came out for the second half to execute their plan. The opening minutes were once again very optimistic, as the Kraków team created a succession of excellent chances. In quick succession, they terrified the Łódź defense with shots that, unfortunately, only clattered off the post and crossbar. Widzew, on the other hand, capitalized on their opportunities, and moments later, the score was level again. Only a few minutes had passed since conceding that goal, and Łódź were able to celebrate another goal, this time giving them their first lead of the match. Fifteen minutes before the final whistle, the hosts beat Wiktor Sierda for the fourth time, a lead they held until the final whistle.

"We started the match very well, scoring early and creating several excellent opportunities to extend our lead, but due to our lack of effectiveness, we failed to capitalize. Unfortunately, we missed clear-cut opportunities, including a penalty. Later, a bit of nervousness crept into our play, but we held the lead until halftime. At the start of the second half, we again saw some good moments and opportunities that could have given us a two-goal lead. We hit the crossbar in good opportunities, and moments later, the Widzew goalpost. Unfortunately, we made huge mistakes, which allowed our opponents to take the lead and turn the game around," said Karol Nędza, coach of the CLJ U-19 team.

Wisła's oldest team in the Central Junior League will play their next match on Sunday, April 28th at 12:00 noon. The Kraków team will host Sandecja Nowy Sącz on home soil.

Widzew Lodz U-19 – Wisła Krakow U-19 4:2 (1:2)
Goals for Wisła: Kuziemka, Pache l

Wisła Kraków U-19: Wiktor Sierda (RB) – Maciej Pachel, Radosław Skała (C), Marcin Górkiewicz, Maciej Jania (66' Michał Prochwicz) – Filip Baniowski (52' Tomasz Dusik), Bartłomiej Sowa (85' Hugo Woyna-Orlewicz), Karol Dziedzic, Maciej Kuziemka (46' Yehor Khromykh) – Mateusz Stanek, Wiktor Benedyktowicz (73' Dawid Gap)

Substitutes' bench: Kacper Pisarek (BR), Adam Klimczyk, Borys Płotka, Marcin Rapacz

Wisła II: A high victory against Niwa

The White Star reserve team traveled to Nowa Wieś on Saturday to face local side Niwa in the 26th round of the JAKO IV League. The visitors put on a real show of form, ultimately winning 7-1! Dominik Sarga, Karol Tokarczyk, Michał Zimon, Kamil Kaczówka, and Dawid Olejarka all scored three times.

The Kraków team approached the match against Niwa eager to redeem themselves after Wednesday's draw with BKS Bochnia and began to gain an advantage over their opponents from the very first moments. Right after the kick-off, they launched a move, with Kuba Wiśniewski firing in a shot and Karol Sałamaj tapping in the rebound, but the goalkeeper showed quick reflexes. A similar move and a follow-up from Dominik Sarga followed shortly after, but the goalkeeper again managed to save Niwa from conceding. Soon after, Kraków won a corner, from which Michał Zimon crossed directly onto Jakub Niewiadomski's head. Wisła's shot missed the target, but Karol Tokarczyk was on hand to find the back of the net and open the scoring. The home side attempted to fight back against Wisła's onrushing players, while the visitors organized themselves well, quickly gaining possession. The locals first attempted to threaten Kacper Szewczyk in the 26th minute, and over the next ten minutes, they twice fired shots at Wisła's goal, but their precision was lacking. Meanwhile, the White Star players created good opportunities – in one of them, finding themselves one-on-one with the goalkeeper, Karol Tokarczyk shot wide, and moments later Mariusz Kutwa shot, but it was blocked by an opposing defender. The Krakow team continued to push for further attempts, and in the 42nd minute, Dawid Olejarka passed the ball to Michał Zimon, who chipped the ball over the goalkeeper, extending his team's lead.

Phenomenal effectiveness

After the break, the visitors regained the initiative, but Niwa's players showed more courage in their play and, in the 52nd minute, beat Kacper Szewczyk with a spectacular free kick, scoring a goal. The Kraków team wasn't deterred by the goal conceded – in the 58th minute, Dominik Sarga won the ball in the penalty area, tricked his opponent, and then confidently slotted the ball into the net. The visitors' display of skill continued, as the ball fell to Dominik Sarga again, who passed it to Kamil Kaczówka. The player shot at goal, the defender cleared it off his line, but Kaczówka capitalized on the opportunity, scoring from the rebound. The Kraków team's attacks were relentless, and with twenty minutes remaining in regulation time, they again proved their worth, as Dawid Olejarek beat the goalkeeper with a precise free kick. Niwa's players had no room to maneuver, while the White Star players increasingly posed a threat in the Nowa Wieś penalty area. The final moments of the match definitely belonged to Dominik Sarga, who found the net for the second time in the 85th minute and sealed his team's victory with a hat-trick in stoppage time.

Niwa Nowa Wieś - Wisła II Kraków 1:7 (0:2)
Goals for Wisła: Karol Tokarczyk 10', Michał Zimon 42', Dominik Sarga 58', 86', 90+1', Kamil Kaczówka 65', Dawid Olejarka 71'

Wisła II Kraków: Kacper Szewczyk - Kuba Wiśniewski, Maciej Hajdara, Daniel Ramirez, Jakub Niewiadomski (71' Oliwier Micek) - Mariusz Kutwa, Michał Zimon - Karol Tokarczyk (60' Piotr Ćwik), Dawid Olejarka, Karol Sałamaj (46' Kamil Kaczówka) - Dominik Sarga