  A simple derivation of the free energy and expectation values of
Polyakov-loops in $QCD_2$ via path integral methods is given. In the chosen
gauge (which can be generalized to 4 dimensions) without Gribov-copies the
Fadeev-Popov determinant and the integration over the space component of the
gauge field cancel exactly and we are left only with an integration over the
zero components of the gauge field in the Cartan sub-algebra. This way the
Polyakov-loop operators become Vertex-operators in a simple quantum mechanical
model. The number of fermionic zero modes is related to the winding-numbers of
$A_0$ in this gauge.
