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Sinkiewicz shines for Germany

Lukas Sinkiewicz (right), Carlsberg Man of the Match against Serbia and Montenegro, says football is the common language in Germany's cosmopolitan squad.

Germany moved into pole position in Group A of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship and there was a prominent Polish connection as they overcame Serbia and Montenegro 1-0 in Barcelos.

Polish born
The goal came courtesy of a stunning strike from Eugen Polanski, who was born in Sosnowiec and spent his early years in Poland, while the Carlsberg Man of the Match was towering central defender Lukas Sinkiewicz. The 1. FC Köln player was born in Tychy, Poland and his late father Zbigniew played in the Polish second division.

Senior caps
Now Sinkiewicz, 20, is one of the most accomplished defenders in the Bundesliga. He already has three senior international caps and just missed out on a place in Jürgen Klinsmann's FIFA World Cup squad after being in the initial 30-man selection. And, speaking in the German media on the eve of the tournament, he was well aware of Germany's multi-cultural U21 side. "There is one language for footballers and that is international. We understand each other magnificently and there is a great team spirit in the squad."

Sinkiewicz pride
Certainly, he played with the composure of assured German stoppers of the past - with his strawberry blond hair suggesting more than a hint of Matthias Sammer - as he stifled the highly-rated Serbia and Montenegro striker Mirko Vučinić. And his nomination as Carlsberg Man of the Match by the UEFA Technical Study Group was richly merited. He said: "I'm going to need a big bag for this trophy! We went into this match realising how important it was to get a good start. Now we have the three points, we can go into our next game against France with our heads held up and our confidence high."

Perfect planning
He added: "We were a bit nervous at the start but you have to expect that in a major tournament. The longer it went on, our nerves eased and confidence took over, enabling us to play to our strengths. Serbia and Montenegro started aggressively and finished the first half strongly. We said at half-time that we had to try more shots from distance because they were strong defensively and Eugen's goal was exactly what we had planned."