WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The 2012 European Championship kicked off Friday with co-host Poland playing Greece. Later Friday, the Czech Republic plays Russia.
Here's a running account of developments. The times, which indicate when each update was filed, are Polish time, which is two hours ahead of GMT and 7 hours ahead of EDT.
___
GAME OVER: POLAND 1 GREECE 1. Honors even in first game of the Euros. Loads of action, two goals, two red cards and a missed penalty. It's a great start.
___
1944:Lewandowski unleashes a stinging half volley from the right corner of Greece's penalty area. It swerves into the side netting, but signs are there that Poland will try to snatch a goal here. Eugen Polanski tries his luck from 20 yards out, but it is straight at Kostas Chalkias. Six minutes left for Poland or Greece to find a winner. Kostas Fortounis replaced Fanis Gekas moments before the Greece penalty, by the way.
___
1937: Dimitris Salpingidis has been at the heart of everything since he came on at half time. He has a goal ruled out for offside now. He timed his run well, but Kostas Fortounis was ahead of the play before he centered the ball. Greece have the upper hand.
___
1931: Greece missed two penalties in their last warm-up match against Armenia. One was taken by Georgious Samara, the other by Kostas Katsouranis. This time, captain Giorgios Karagounis steps up and brings a fine save from substitute goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton, who dives low to his left and claws the ball away with his first touch of the game.
___
1930: (via Twitter)
PhillipsIan: But advice to the referee: After giving a red card, don't get caught on TV cameras smiling and joking with the opposition.
___
1929: (via Twitter)
PhillipsIan: What a start from the Polish substitute 'keeper , saving penalty with first touch.
___
1927: A ball over the top is taken down by Dimitris Salpingidis, who in the process looks to take it round Szczesny. His stray foot catches Salpingidis though, who goes to ground leaving the referee with no choice but to send Szczesny off and give Greece a penalty.
___
RED CARD: WOJCIECH SZCZESNY, POLAND. GREECE PENALTY SAVED.
___
1924: Chance for Greece. Samaras turns his marker as a ball is chipped over the top. But the ball refuses to sit up for him and in the end Samaras slices high and wide from a tight angle.
___
1918: A second look at Greece's goal shows that Ninis had a header blocked by Szczesny before it dropped to Salpingidis. The Arsenal keeper will feel he could have got back in position quicker for that.
___
1912: Captain of Greece, Giorgos Karagounis is booked for handball moments after the games get underway again. That goal has seen the volume levels drop inside the National Stadium. Poland had rarely been threatened until then.
___
1909: Greece attack down the right this time and deliver a cross into Fanis Gekas, who attacks the ball as Szczesny comes to claim. They clash and the ball is spilt. For a split second nobody realises where it is, except for Dimitris Salpingidis who runs on to the ball and slots home from no more than six yards.
___
GOAL: POLAND 1 GREECE 1
___
1904: The second half is underway and Lewandowski comes close to doubling the lead for Poland and his tally for the match. He pulls away from his marker but blazes over the bar from inside the penalty box. Decent chance.
___
1902: Dimitris Salpingidis replaces Sotiris Ninis for Greece at the start of the second half. No changes for Poland.
___
1900: Poland manager Franciszek Smuda has spoken very highly of his side in the build up to the curtain-raiser of Euro 2012. "This team has convinced me I can rely on them; they have convinced me in every way during the last two and a half years," said Smuda. They have not let him down so far today.
___
1857: The referee today is Carlo Velasco Carballo of Spain. He gave 15 red cards and 141 yellow cards in 19 matches last season.Jose Holebas is booked now for Greece. Defender Perquis loses his footing trying to deal with a ball in and seems to handle on his way down. Holebas is booked for protesting to the referee, who waves the play on. A good thing for Greece that half-time is now as a few players seems close to losing their temper.
___
HALF TIMEPOLAND 1 GREECE 0
___
Papastathopoulos has received the first red card at Euro 2012 after bringing down Rafal Murawski. It seemed harsh as Murawski looked to be on his way down already. The referee thought deeply about sending off Sokratis...
___
1844: Away from events here at the National Stadium for a moment. AP reporter Karl Ritter says Denmark midfielder Niki Zimling left the team's training session in an ambulance today. It is unknown what the problem is at the moment.
___
RED CARD. Sokratis Papastathopoulos picks up a second yellow in a few minutes and it's the first red of the tournament.
___
1840: Poland should be 2-0 up but it is a horrible miss from defender Damien Perquis who drags his shot wide after Greece fail to deal with a set-piece. And the first substitution, too. Avraam Papadopoulos has picked up a knock and Kyriakos Papadopoulos replaces him.
___
1838: Sokratis Papastathopoulos gets the first yellow card of the tournament after a challenge with the lively Lewandowski.
___
1830: Signs in the last few minutes that Greece are getting back into the game but Poland look dangerous and fast on the counter attack. Greece win a free kick just outside the right hand side of the penalty area. Sotiris Ninis, who was fouled, takes it and Poland clear.
___
1826: Kostas Katsouranis tries his luck from 25 yards out for Greece, but his effort bounces tamely wide of Szczeny. The Polish fans are waving their red and white scarves in unison and chanting the name of their team. That goal has seen the atmosphere go up another gear. Poland are looking to get forward at every oppoRtunity.
___
1819: Poland attack down the right once again and this time, they take full advantage of another opportunity. A cross from captain Blaszczykowski finds an unmarked Lewandowski, who dispatches his header with ease and sends the National Stadium into raptures. Minutes earlier Lewandowski was inches away from giving Poland the lead. A neat interchange of passing releases Lukasz Piszczek and his ball across the six yard box is millimetres away from the head of Lewandowski, with goalkeeper Chalkias stranded.
___
1817: Poland 1 Greece 0. Robert Lewandowski scores the first goal of the tournament with a close range header.
___
1807: Greece are looking to keep the ball and take the pace out of Poland's early advances. When Poland win back possesion, Greece are quick to get at least eight men behind the ball. And it is not long until Chalkias is in action again, this time having to tip a shot from Rafal Murawski over the bar from 20 yards. The resulting corner is dealt with by Greece, but Poland have the upper hand in the opening minutes.
___
1805: Lewandowski and Obraniak look to link up in Greece's penalty area, but Lewandowski's overhead flick falls to Kostas Chalkias in the Greek goal. AP reporter Derek Gatopoulos says the majority of Greek fans in Poland are from the immigrant community in Germany. It is Greece who get the game underway. The pitch looks in immaculate condition.
___
1800: The Euros have started. Poland and Greece teams on the field on a hot, humid day in Warsaw.
Today's match will be played at the newly built National Stadium. The first game there for Poland saw them draw 0-0 against Portugal.Stadium looks to be packed with red and white fans of Poland with a handful of Greeks.
Greece will look to Giorgios Samaras for goals today, as he will lead the line for them. They go into today's match on the back of a 1-0 victory over Armenia, where Samaras missed a penalty.Defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos scored for the 2004 champion Greece, who later missed a second penalty through Kostas Katsouranis.
___
1713: No surprises there from Polish manager Franciszek Smuda, as Robert Lewandowski leads the attack for the co-host. Ludovic Obraniak, who normally plays behind Lewandowski, is also one to look out for. He is a Ligue 1 winner with Lille, too.
___
1709: GREECE: Chalkias, Torosidis, Papadopoulos, Papastathopoulos, Holebas, Maniatis, Katsouranis, Karagounis, Ninis, Gekas, Samaras
___
1717: POLAND: Szczesny; Piszczek, Wasilewski, Perquis, Boenisch, Blaszczykowski, Polanski, Murawski, Rybus, Obraniak, Lewandowski.
___
1649: France has revealed that midfielder Yann M'Vila is likely to miss their Group D opener against England.
Arsenal's Wojiech Szczesny is expected to be named goalkeeper for Poland whilst home-fans will have their eyes on Robert Lewandowski, who played a vital role in helping his side Borussia Dortmund win the Bundesliga.