Czech Republic

www.czech-republic.com

World Ranking 6

Squad

Team Review

The Czech republic have a solid squad going into euro 2008 with some key players that could really light up the tournament for example Galasek, Rosicky and the new starlet of Czech football Martin Fenin to name a few, but what really excites me is that the bookies have rated them as under dogs which is a betting mans dream as you can still get around 15/1 odds on them winning the tournament which is brilliant when looking at their current team. In my view a cheeky bet on the Czechs lifting the trophy in the summer could prove to be a great bit of business.

Star Man

Jan koller, Often criticised but still doing his job well on both the club and international stage. The huge striker has scored six and set up four goals in the qualification stage.

Also check out who we think will be the 'players to watch' in the tournament

Tournament History

Match Reports

Switzerland 0 - 1 Czech Republic

(Sverkos 70)

The Euro 2008 co-hosts Switzerland went down fighting in the opening match of the tournament, losing by a solitary goal to the 2004 semi-finalists Czech Republic in the Group A game at St Jakob Park in Basel on Saturday afternoon.
Substitute Vaclav Sverkos’ late goal proved to be the winner for the Czechs who, were second-best during the game compared to the spirited hosts.
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech made some important saves to carry his side to a perfect start, as he repeatedly foiled all attempts by the Swiss, who lost their best player of the first half - Alexander Frei - just before half-time to a serious knee injury.
The Czech team managed to muster another a clear chance which went begging for Karel Bruckner’s side when giant striker Jan Koller failed to get his head onto a cross from Jaroslav Plasil from the left flank.
Kuhn in an effort to induce more cutting edge an attack into the side, sent on Johan Vonlanthen in the 75th minute taking off defender Stephan Lichtsteiner and going with just 3 men in defence.
The hosts were unlucky not to have equalised in the 80th minute when a fierce low shot by Tranquillo Barnetta was parried only as far as Vonlanthen, who then struck the frame of the goal with the rebound. In a frantic finale, Switzerland nearly snatched a late equaliser when Derdiyok sent a header just over the cross bar, and to make matter worse for the host nation referee Roberto Rosetti disregarded protests from Swiss team over a handball in the closing seconds.
All in all Switzerland had the chances to get something from this game but failed to do so and let an average Czech performance beat them in the opening game in front of thousands of eager fans. The one thing they can take from the game is that they never gave up and in doing so showed real resilience in game that really in all honesty could have gone either way.

Czech Republic 1 - 3 Portugal

(Sionko 17) (Deco 8, Ronaldo 63, Quaresma 90)

The game started at a blistering pace with it taking just 8 minutes for Cristiano Ronaldo to open up the Czech defence by playing a one two with Gomes and shooting, Cech was able to save the effort but it rebounded to Deco who slotted home at the second attempt. It took just 10 minutes for the Czechs to get themselves back into the game as winger Sionko exposed Portugal’s inability to deal with high balls into the box by scoring with his head from a corner.

For a while after that it looked as though the game had turned into a duel between Ronaldo and Cech as the Portuguese winger was shooting from all angles with Cech being equal to each effort.

Into the second half and Portugal were lucky to escape when Ujfalusi just missed with a header grazing the post ad then as so often happens Portugal went up the other end and made it 2-1 with Ronaldo this time placing the ball past Cech just inside the penalty area. After that the Czechs once again had a chance to go level but again they came up short with Baros going agonisingly close with a headed effort. The game then drifted into added time without too much happening when Portugal received a free kick which deco took quickly a passed to Ronaldo who unselfishly laid it off to Quaresma who rolled the ball into the back of the net, and that was the end of the game for The Czechs with Portugal booking their place in the next round.

Turkey 3 - 2 Czech Republic

(Turan 75, Nihat 87, 89) (Koller 34, Plasil 62)

This was one of those games that will go down in European history for the way that the Turkish team came back from a two nil deficit with only 15 minutes remaining to knock the Czechs out of the tournament. The Czechs dominated the first half scoring the opener from a cross from the flank which was met by a thundering header from Jan Koller.

The second half came with the Czechs leading one nil and they carried on in the same vein as in the first half by threatening the Turkish back line. They scored a second from a well struck shot from Plasil and with only 15 minutes to go the Turks must of thought the game was over but then from a slick Turkish counter attack a brilliant low range effort from Arda Turan beat Cech at his near post to pull one back. The Czechs tried to hide it but it was clear for all to see that nerves were setting in and the Turks took advantage of it by keeping the play deep in the Czech half and it was to pay off with less than 5 minutes left on the clock as a cross came in from the right which was caught by Cech who then made an uncharacteristic error and dropped the ball on to the trailing leg of Nihat who watched the ball trickle into the back of the net. 2-2, and game on!

The game kicked off again with the ball being hoofed up the field but was intercepted by one of the Turkish defence who replied by doing the same out to Kazim on the wing who played the ball into Nihats feet just outside the area and with 2 Czech defenders charging towards him and Cech coming out to tighten the angle for him to score with he opened up his body a struck an extraordinary effort which hit the angle and thumped into the back of the net in the 92nd minute!

The Turks were ecstatic and looked like to be heading into the last eight but the game didn’t finish their as there was a chance for an equaliser in the dying moments which the Czech missed but then all hell broke lose with the Turkish Goal keeper Demirel being sent off for pushing Koller who made a meal out of it and with Turkey already making 3 substitutes Tuncay had to go in goal for the last couple of minutes but he wasn’t troubled and it was over a brilliant game and a hard earned victory for the Turks who deserved it for their attacking prowess and their never say die attitude.