Wisła Krakow fans cheer on their team last season. Photo Credit: David Shams

Polish Recap: Acosta and Deziel Lead the American Charge in Poland

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Yanks in Poland made their mark across the Ekstraklasa this past matchday, led by standout first 11 performances in key victories and steady contributions off the bench.

Kellyn Acosta continues to establish himself as a vital central presence for Pogoń Szczecin. The USMNT veteran got the start and pulled the strings in Pogoń’s 2-1 road triumph over Piast Gliwice. Acosta made an immediate impact by setting up the club’s opening goal, demonstrating his trademark distribution with a perfect 3-for-3 mark on long balls alongside 21 completed passes to dictate tempo.

In Warsaw, defender Robert Deziel Jr. appears to have cemented his starting spot on the left side of Legia’s backline. Whether deployed in a back three or a back four, Deziel proved indispensable during Legia’s 3-1 victory away to Jagiellonia Białystok. The American played the full 90 minutes and put in an imposing defensive shift, racking up nine defensive contributions—highlighted by three blocks and five clearances—to neutralize the host side.

Rounding out the active Americans, teenage forward Adam Basse logged meaningful minutes off the bench in a pair of high-scoring fixtures for Raków Częstochowa. Basse featured for 12 minutes during a midweek 3-2 home setback against Zagłębie Lubin before getting a 23-minute run-out on the road against Korona Kielce. The young striker brought high energy to his weekend appearance, finishing with three tackles and two completed passes.

Non-Featured Americans Round-Up

  • Maximilian Dietz (Górnik Zabrze): Did not feature off the bench during Górnik’s 2-0 road victory over Korona Kielce on September 15, and was left out of the matchday squad entirely for Saturday’s clash against Motor Lublin.
  • Kahveh Zahiroleslam (KS Cracovia): Remained an unused substitute on the bench during Cracovia’s 3-2 away defeat at GKS Katowice.
author

David Shams

David Shams is an Iranian-American writer and photographer. A former college player and coach at various levels, David has chronicled the game since high school. As a vibes-forward storyteller, he prioritizes the visceral atmosphere of the terrace over the modern game’s heavy reliance on analytics. Whether documenting his groundhopping across Europe and Asia or sharing a match with locals at pubs around the globe, David captures the romance of the beautiful game. His debut novel is set for publication in November. You can find his work on Substack and Instagram.

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