WARSAW, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Legia Warsaw claimed the Polish Cup after a thrilling 4-3 victory over Pogon Szczecin at the National Stadium here on Friday.
Legia made a strong start, launching an aggressive attack from the very first whistle. In the 13th minute, Ryoya Morishita dribbled past two opponents on the right wing and delivered a precise pass to Luquinhas, who tapped the ball into the net from close range to put his team ahead.
Led by coach Goncalo Feio, the players did not slow down. In the 25th minute, they had a perfect opportunity to double their lead when the referee pointed to the penalty spot after goalkeeper Valentin Cojocaru fouled Radovan Pankov. However, the 29-year-old goalkeeper redeemed himself by saving Marc Gual's penalty effort.
Pogon responded with a shot from Rafal Kurzawa in the 32nd minute, which hit the crossbar from long range. Four minutes before the break, Robert Kolendowicz's team equalized after a stunning cross from Kamil Grosicki allowed Danijel Loncar to score with a well-placed header, making it 1-1.
The second half began in the best possible way for Legia. In the 46th minute, Pawel Wszolek's shot was blocked, but Morishita found the rebound and powered a shot past Cojocaru to restore the lead for Legia.
In the 64th minute, Feio's team showcased its quality once again. After a brilliant through pass from Morishita, Ilya Shkurin dribbled past Cojocaru and scored into the empty net to give Legia a two-goal advantage.
Pogon fought relentlessly to score its second goal just three minutes later through Efthymis Koulouris, whose shot deflected off Ruben Vinagre and into the net after a low pass from the left wing.
In the 85th minute, Vinagre made amends as he confidently curled a precise shot into the far post to make the score 4-2.
Despite Kacper Smolinski giving Pogon some hope of a comeback as he collected a rebound to score during stoppage time, Legia secured a 4-3 victory.
This victory marked Legia Warsaw's 21st Polish Cup triumph in the club's history, while Pogon suffered its second consecutive final defeat after having lost to Wisla Krakow in the previous edition. ■
