“Break through Hajto“

"Goal getter Olisadebe is a well-known world star. But when the final competition comes, world soccer fans will realize that there is another `wonderful player` of Poland besides Olisadebe."

Jerzy Engel, head coach of Poland National Soccer Team never boasts about his players without naming Emmanuel Olisadebe and Jerzy Dudek who are already well known to the world. But the `hidden card` that Engel takes care in speaking, `not to out the secret`, is none other than Tomasz Hajto (30.Schalke.04) who defends the center field.

When it comes to Polish soccer, scenes of Olisadebe`s fantastic scoring flash into our minds. But Poland is a defensive team. It lost only 11 goals in 10 games in the European Tournament of the World Cup. Furthermore, the 5 goals lost in the last 2 games were simply the result of carelessness after the final 32 entries. In the first 8 games, on which the team concentrated, the team lost only 6 goals. Hajto is in the center of the `tight defense` of Poland.

"Olisadebe is on the attack line of the Poland national team, Hajto on the defense line. Hajto, who plays for Schalke04 in Bundesliga of Deutsch professional as a central defender, depresses opponents with his magnificent build. His 1m 90 cm and 90 kg build is Hajto`s best merit for 1 to 1 defense. He is good at positioning, and his sticking chasing makes attackers awkward. It depends on the defense whether Poland makes a coup in World Cup finals."

It is reasonable that head coach Engel names Hajto for the center of defense rather than central defender Tomasz Waldoch of Schalke04 and goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek of the England Premier League.

Hajto is a rather tough player. He has a reputation of being `the defender followed by yellow card`. In fact, he took 16 record warnings, which is the most in one season of Bundesliga, in the 1998 to 1999 season.

And Hajto is one of the `longest throwers` in Bundesliga. Hajto`s famous throw-in to goal area from the opponent sideline is as powerful as it is precise. Hajto`s throw-in is known reach over 35m, and put Hajto in charge of all the throw-ins in Poland national team.

He is known as a ` fighter` on the field and as the `best dresser` off the field. His fans named him `Gianni` after the fashion designer Gianni Versace when he advanced to Bundesliga.

Hajto is the most troublesome obstacle that the attackers of Korea must overcome. Poland is Korea`s first opponent in World Cup finals.

swon@donga.com