U.S. fights off Poland, snow

***image1***Swirling snow and sub-freezing temperatures didn’t deter a raucous crowd of nearly 14,000 people from turning up Wednesday night to watch the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team defeat Poland 1-0.

After a sluggish first half that saw several Poland strikes turned away by goalkeeper Kasey Keller, the U.S. finally found their stride shortly after the break, when a freshly-shorn Clint Dempsey headed in a cross by Eddie Lewis.  Poland worked hard to equalize throughout the rest of the second half, but a stifling U.S. defense and a few strong saves by keeper Tim Howard turned away the challenge.

It turned out that the players on the pitch weren’t the only ones pushing the action in the latter part of the game.  Mother Nature showed up in earnest, as thick snowflakes swirled madly around the stadium lights before drifting to the field below.  

The snow was so thick, in fact, that play was stopped momentarily midway through the second half so the white game ball could be replaced by a more visible yellow one.

After the victory, the U.S. team applauded the crowd, thanking them for their support.

The U.S. Men’s National Team returns to Dortmund March 22 for a friendly match against Germany.  More information is available on www.ussoccer.com.