Group B which features neighbors Croatia, Germany, Austria and Poland was anything but friendly in the second round that took place on Thursday. Croatia stunned Germany with a 2-1 win to take charge of Group B with 6 points and book their place in the quarterfinals. Later in the night, an Ivica Vastic penalty-kick deep in injury time helped keep Austria in contention. The Austrians gave a strong performance against Poland and managed to grab a well-deserved 1-1 draw. Man of the Day: Artur Boruc Poland keeper Artur Boruc gave an exceptional performance that not only frustrated Austria's players, but also their fans in the stands. Boruc produced over six exceptional saves throughout the game to keep Poland in charge. If it wasn't for the last-gasp penalty kick goal, Boruc would have received a perfect score. Goal of the Day: Vastic's equalizer for Austria
Poland's lead didn't last Ivica Vastic is an Austrian veteran who has take part in the 1998 World Cup and was a surprise recall to the national team. Vastic took part in the first game as a substitute, and while he was expected to start the Poland game, he instead came off the bench to make all the difference for Austria. His penalty kick goal might not be the most beautiful, but it was definitely decisive and any player other than Vastic would have crumbled under pressure. "We hadn't decided that Ivica Vastic would be our penalty taker in advance but when it was awarded, it was clear that Vastic would assume the responsibility because he is the most experienced player in the team," Austria coach Josef Hickersberger told reporters. "He has played in big tournaments – he was at the 1998 [FIFA] World Cup in France – and I was 99.9 per cent certain that he would score." Vastic showed no fear as he stepped up to take the spot kick and authoritatively fired home sending Boruc the wrong way and became the oldest man to score in the finals, surpassing the record held by former Portugal player Nene who was 34 when he netted against Romania in 1984. Quote of the Day: Austria coach Josef Hickersberger EURO 2008 is Austria's first appearance in the tournament, and it would have been a real shame if they had lost to Poland and followed in the steps of co-hosts Switzerland who were eliminated only after the second round. "We're all very happy that we finally managed to get the point," Hickersberger said after the game. "It's Austria's first-ever point in the EURO and we are pleased to have got it."
