Czech Republic (Group A)
Squad | Scouting Report | Road to Euro 2008 | Euro History
| Squad | ||
| Player | Position | Club |
| Jaromir Blazek | Goalkeeper | Nurnberg (Germany) |
| Petr Cech | Goalkeeper | Chelsea (England) |
| Daniel Zitka | Goalkeeper | Anderlecht (Belgium) |
| Zdenek Grygera | Defender | Juventus (Italy) |
| Marek Jankulovski | Defender | AC Milan (Italy) |
| Michal Kadlec | Defender | Sparta Prague |
| Radoslav Kovac | Defender | Spartak Moscow (Russia) |
| Zdenek Pospech | Defender | Copenhagen (Denmark) |
| David Rozenhal | Defender | Lazio (Italy) |
| Tomas Sivok | Defender | Sparta Prague |
| Tomas Ujfalusi | Defender | Fiorentina (Italy) |
| Tomas Galasek | Midfielder | Nurnberg (Germany) |
| David Jarolim | Midfielder | Hamburg SV (Germany) |
| Marek Matejovsky | Midfielder | Reading (England) |
| Jaroslav Plasil | Midfielder | Osasuna (Spain) |
| Jan Polak | Midfielder | Anderlecht (Belgium) |
| Libor Sionko | Midfielder | Copenhagen (Denmark) |
| Rudi Skacel | Midfielder | Hertha Berlin (Germany) |
| Stanislav Vlcek | Midfielder | Anderlecht (Belgium) |
| Milan Baros | Forward | Portsmouth (England) |
| Martin Fenin | Forward | Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) |
| Jan Koller | Forward | Nurnberg (Germany) |
| Vaclav Sverkos | Forward | Ostrava |
| Head Coach: | Karel Bruckner | |
Scouting Report
Style of play: The Czech team is a hard-working and resilient squad that is committed to playing attacking soccer at an up-temp pace, with players making dangerous runs off the ball to try to get open. Coach Karel Bruckner switches between an offensive 4-4-2 (which he tends to use more often) and a more defensive 4-5-1 setup, depending on the situation. All 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, Jan Polak and Libor Sionko, are the fulcrum of the attack, given license to drift from their flank positions to roam all over the field. They're supported by defensive stopper Tomas Galasek, who plays in front of the defence. Forward Milan Baros plays a slightly withdrawn role behind the main attacker, Jan Koller, who acts as the lone target man up front.
Probable starting formation (4-4-2): (GK) Cech - (D) Jankulovski, Rozehnal, Ujfalusi, Radoslav Grygera - (M) Galasek, Plasil, Polak, Sionko - (F) Baros, Koller
Strengths
Defence – Five goals conceded and eight shutouts in 12 qualifying games tells you all you need to know about the Czech defence. The back four of Marek Jankulovski, David Rozehnal, Tomas Ujfalusi, Zdenek Grygera have well over 150 caps between them. And should of any of them falter, Zdenek Pospech, Michal Kadlec and Radoslav Kovac can come off the bench and deputize.
Goalkeeping – Chelsea's Petr Cech, renowned as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, is a classy shot stopper and a commanding figure in his penalty area. He's also very confident with the ball at his feet, and uses his impeccable distributions skills to launch the counter-attack. The Czechs have nothing to worry about between the posts.
Work ethic – What the Czechs lack in style, they more than make up for with hard work. The Czech Republic is an industrious, physical team; they never give up, and every player gives maximum effort every time out. This is a roster of tireless workers, who play with pride and the belief that they're always in the game, even when things look bleak.
Weaknesses
Rosicky factor – Arsenal playmaker and Czech captain Tomas Rosicky suffered a knee injury back in January and recently underwent surgery, ruling him out for Euro 2008. The loss of the talismanic Rosicky is a big blow for a Czech team short on quality attacking midfielders who can make things happen. The Czechs don't have another midfielder even close to matching Rosicky's brilliance.
Midfield – The loss of Rosicky leaves a gaping hole in the Czech lineup, as the Arsenal star was the only playmaking midfielder of real quality the team could rely call upon. Pavel Nedved and Karel Poborsky, for a long time the creative midfield duo who gave the team its creative thrust, retired from international competition in 2006, and the Czechs have been unable to find suitable successors.
Team leaders – Not only does Rosicky's absence rob the Czechs of its best player, but also its captain. The team lacks bona fide team leaders, so much so that coach Karel Bruckner tried to convince former captain Pavel Nedved to come out of international retirement. It's hard to see who will lead the Czech charge in place of Rosicky.
Players to watch
Petr Cech – Voted Czech Republic player of the year from 2005-07, Peter Cech is, with the exception of Italy's Gianluigi Buffon, the best goalkeeper in the world. Rarely caught out of position, the Czech Republic shot stopper uses his height to make brilliant and athletic saves, routinely thwarts opponents from the penalty spot and is fearless inside his penalty area.
Jan Koller – Top scorer for his country in the qualifiers with six goals, Koller combines power, strength, durability and a deft scoring touch. His play is far from pretty, but it is effective: Koller has over 50 goals and ranks as his country's all-time leading scorer.
Jan Polak – The Anderlecht star is the typical box-to-box player – a central midfielder who acts as a crucial link between the defence and the attack. Possessing stamina and a tireless work ethic, Polak is a versatile midfielder who is a skilled tackler and hard to knock off the ball.
Key injuries/sqaud omissions: The Czechs are without playmaker and captain Tomas Rosicky. The Arsenal star recently underwent surgery on his left knee and is still recovering. A broken bone in his right hand prevented midfielder Daniel Pudil from earning a selection.
Road to Euro 2008
1st round matches:
June 7 vs. Switzerland (Basel)
June 11 vs. Portugal (Geneva)
June 15 vs. Turkey (Geneva)
Euro 2008 qualification route
Finished first in qualifying Group 4 (29 points) ahead of second-place Germany (27 points).
Record in qualifying: 9 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss
Goals for: 27
Goals against: 5
Top goal-scorer in qualifying: Jan Koller (6)
Qualifying results:
09.02.2006: Czech Republic 2 - Wales 1
09.06.2006: Czech Republic 3 - Slovakia 0
10.07.2006: Czech Republic 7 – San Marino 0
10.11.2006: Czech Republic 1 – Ireland 1
03.24.2007: Czech Republic 1 – Germany 2
03.28.2007: Czech Republic 1 – Cyprus 0
06.02.2007: Czech Republic 0 – Wales 0
09.09.2007: Czech Republic 3 – San Marino 0
09.12.2007: Czech Republic 1 – Ireland 0
10.17.2007: Czech Republic 3 – Germany 0
11.17.2007: Czech Republic 3 – Slovakia 1
11.21.2007: Czech Republic 2 – Cyprus 0
Euro History
Number of Previous Euro Appearances: 6
All-time record: 22 GP - 10 W, 5 T, 7 L
Goals for: 31
Goals against: 26
Most goals: Milan Baros (5)
Most appearances: Karel Poborsky (14)
Biggest win: 3-0 vs. Denmark in 2004
Biggest loss: 0-3 vs. Soviet Union in 1960
Euro results:
(1960 - 1992 competed as Czechoslovakia)
1960 - semifinals
1964 - did not qualify
1968 - did not qualify
1972 - did not qualify
1976 - CHAMPIONS
1980 - semifinals
1984 - did not qualify
1988 - did not qualify
1992 - did not qualify
1996 - finalists
2000 - first round
2004 - semifinals
Legends from the past
Josef Masopust: Hard-working midfielder who rose to fame in the 1960s with Czechoslovakia. Masopust scored 10 goals in 63 games for his country, saving his best performances for the 1962 World Cup in Chile when he led a talented Czechoslovakian team to the finals against Brazil. Voted European player of the year in 1962 and considered by many as the best Czechoslovakian player of his generation.
Oldrich Nejedly: One of the most explosive forwards on the pre-war era, Nejedly played in two World Cups and finished as the tournament's top scorer (five goals) when he led Czechoslovakia to the finals in 1934 against Italy. Scored 28 goals in 42 games for his country from 1931-38 and would have played more but he was never the same player after breaking his leg at the 1938 World Cup.