Czech Republic Schedule & Results | Scouting Report | Road to Euro 2004

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Style of Play:
After failing to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, coach Karel Brueckner has rebuilt the Czech team into a stylish, yet hard-working and resilient squad that plays an attacking style of soccer. The Czechs switch between an attacking 4-4-2 (which they tend to use more often) and a more defensive 4-5-1 setup, depending on the game situation and the opponent. It's in the centre of the field where the magic happens for the Czechs, launching their attack through the industrious play of the midfielders. The four midfielders are constantly chasing the ball, making tackles, and carrying the action forward as they make the transition from defence to attack. The two wide midfielders (Pavel Nedved on the left and Karel Poborsky on the right) are the fulcrum of the attack, given license to drift from their flank positions to roam all over the pitch in order to make their special brand of playmaking magic happen. They're supported by a holding midfielder (Tomas Galasek) who plays in front of the defence and a playmaking midfielder (Tomas Rosicky) who supports the attack by pressing forward up the middle. One forward (Milan Baros) plays a slightly withdrawn role behind the main attacker (Jan Koller) who acts as the lone target-man up front, charged with the responsibility of chasing down balls played up to him and hammering them into the net.

Strengths:
Midfield - The Czech Republic's midfield is stacked with world-class players, led by Pavel Nedved. Considered by many to be the best player in the game, Nedved can single-handedly change the course of a game with his visionary play. The young Tomas Rosicky gives the Czechs a touch of speed, elder statesman Karel Poborsky inspires all those around him with his tenacious runs, and Vladimir Smicer is renowned for his toughness and fearless approach to the game.

Work ethic - The Czech Republic is a hard-working, physical team. They never give up, and every player - from veterans Nedved and Poborsky to exciting youngsters Petr Cech and Milan Baros - gives maximum effort every time out. This is a team of tireless workers, and after failing to qualify for the 2002 World Cup the Czechs are determined to prove they belong to be ranked amongst the best soccer nations in the world.

Momentum - The Czechs were the best team in the qualifying round (next to France) with an undefeated record - sevens wins and one draw. Coach Brueckner's side scored 23 times in eight games, and edged out the Netherlands to win the group by virtue of an impressive 3-1 win over the Dutch. The Czechs are ready to make amends for their first-round exit at Euro 2000.

Weaknesses:
Defence - Although it only gave up five goals in the qualifying round, the Czech Republic defence is young and inexperienced. Marek Jankulovski is the only defender with any kind of reputation; the rest are players with only a handful of international games under their belt. It'll be interesting to see how this group of green defenders face the challenge of going up against the best strikers in the world.

Inconsistency - The Czechs can prove to be a frustrating side to peg. After going on an unbeaten streak of 20 consecutive games and winning its qualifying group in style, they followed that up by losses to the Republic of Ireland on the road and a shocking loss to Japan on home soil. The Czechs can't afford that kind of inconsistency in a group that includes the Netherlands and Germany.

Tough group - Lightweights Latvia aside, Group D is the strongest group of the four at Euro 2004. Germany is a perennial world soccer power and has won this tournament more than any other country (three times), while the Netherlands is loaded with world-class players and is looking to improve on its semifinal showing of four years ago at Euro 2000. This won't be an easy group to qualify from.

Key Players to watch:
Pavel Nedved - One of the best players in the world, Nedved is an industrious midfielder and brilliant playmaker that can totally dictate the pace of a game. Posing a real presence on the field with his physical style and never-say-die attitude, Nedved won the Ballon D'Or as European Player of the Year for 2003. Skill, speed, vision and a blistering shot, Nedved has it all, including an unequalled work ethic.

Jan Koller - The giant forward leads the attacking line for the Czechs. Using his height to his advantage, Koller has superb aerial skills but it also equally adept with his feet, as the nimble giant holds the ball up quite well. With almost 30 goals in close to 50 national team appearances, he's the Czech's most dangerous scoring weapon.

Petr Cech - Although only 22, Petr Cech plays with the maturity and experience of a veteran. Cech is a classy goalkeeper who is a commanding figure in his penalty area and has a booming kick. He's also very confident with the ball at his feet, giving defenders little to worry about when they play it back to him.

Key injuries/squad omissions:
Striker Miroslav Matusovic did not make the final cut after being named to the team's provisional 24-member team. Midfielder Tomas Rosicky recently returned to action after missing several weeks of action with a broken arm. Defender Pavel Mares received a call-up after being out of the national team setup for over two years. Among those overlooked by coach Karel Brueckner were ball-winning midfielder Patrik Gedeon, defensive midfielder Jiri Jarosik, attacking midfielder Libor Sionko and forward Jiri Stajner.

Prognosis:
The Czech Republic is one of the favourites at Euro 2004 for good reason. They have a team full of players who are regular starters for some of the top clubs in European soccer. Topping that list is the mercurial Pavel Nedved - the hard-working midfielder for Italian giants Juventus and the reigning European Player of the Year. The Czech Republic has a great deal of pedigree: competing as the former Czechoslovakia, it won Euro 1976 and appeared in the final of the 1934 and 1962 World Cup. Being grouped together with perennial European soccer powers Germany and the Netherlands makes this the toughest of the four groups, but the Czechs have a more well-rounded starting squad than the Germans and the Dutch, and are the favourites to finish first in Group D. The Czechs were the surprise team of Euro '96, bowing out in the final to Germany in extra time. Eight years later, they have the skill and talent to make in to the final again - and win it.

Current FIFA Ranking: #11

First-round matches:
June 15 vs. Latvia (Aveiro)
June 19 vs. Netherlands (Aveiro)
June 23 vs. Germany (Lisbon)

Euro 2004 qualification route:
Finished 1st in qualifying Group 3 (22 points) record ahead of second-place Netherlands (19 points).

Record in qualifying: 7 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses
Goals for: 23 Goals against: 5

Qualifying results:
10.12.2002 - Czech Republic 2 Moldova 0
10.16.2002 - Czech Republic 2 Belarus 0
03.29.2003 - Czech Republic 1 Netherlands 1
04.02.2003 - Czech Republic 4 Austria 0
06.11.2003 - Czech Republic 5 Moldova 0
09.06.2003 - Czech Republic 3 Belarus 1
09.10.2003 - Czech Republic 3 Netherlands 1
10.11.2003 - Czech Republic 3 Austria 2

Number of Previous Euro Appearances: 5
All-time record: 19 GP -- 10 W, 3 D, 6 L
Goals for: 31 Goals against: 18
Biggest defeat: 0-3 vs. Russia in 1960
Biggest victory: 3-0 vs. Romania in 1960

Euro History:
1960 - semifinals
1964 - did not qualify
1968 - did not qualify
1972 - did not qualify
1976 - CHAMPIONS
1980 - first round
1984 - did not qualify
1988 - did not qualify
1992 - did not qualify
1996 - finalists
2000 - first round

Other Achievements:
World Cup finalists: 1934 in Italy and 1962 in Chile
Olympic Gold Medal: 1980 in Moscow
Olympic Silver Medal: 1964 in Tokyo
Under-21 Euro champions: 2002

Greatest Players:
Josef Masopust: Considered as the elite Czechoslovak player of his generation, Josef Masopust was a brilliant midfielder who originally started as a left defender. He won eight league titles with army club VTJ Dukla Praha and led Czechoslovakia to the finals of the 1962 World Cup against Brazil.

Antonin Panenka: An influential midfielder during the 1970s, Antonin Panenka played for Czech side CU Bohemians Praha before moving onto Austrian powerhouse SK Rapid Wien. He was the hero of the 1976 Euro in Yugoslavia, scoring the decisive goal in a penalty shoot-out victory over the Germans in the final.