Coach Karel Brückner said on Monday that Tomáš Rosický’s injury-enforced absence from UEFA EURO 2008™ was a major factor in the Czech Republic’s first-round exit.

Sorely missed
Rosický was in the stands at the Stade de Genève to witness Brückner’s team squander a two-goal lead as they were beaten 3-2 by Turkey to miss out on a place in the quarter-finals. Though the veteran coach praised his strikers, he admitted Rosický’s invention behind them had been sorely missed. “[Jan] Koller, [Milan] Baroš and [Václav] Svěrkoš played very well when they were on the pitch, and did all that I asked of them,” said the 68-year-old. “But there were other parts of the team that were weaker, especially in terms of creativity, and we were weak on the wings. You can’t replace Rosický. We knew that before the tournament. There are only a few teams that can replace a player like that.”

Collapse
After Koller and Jaroslav Plašil had put their side within touching distance of the last eight, Brückner joined Rosický as a helpless spectator as Arda Turan reduced the deficit before Petr Čech dropped a routine ball at Nihat Kahveci’s feet to gift the Turkey captain an 87th-minute equaliser. With the Czechs in disarray, Nihat then added a third in the final minute. Brückner refused to name names, but made it clear where he felt the blame for the defeat lay. “The 2-1 goal brought them back into the match, and our defence wasn’t good enough in that situation,” said the 68-year-old coach. “In general, the defenders were too far away from the strikers and that led to the chances they had. Then there was the final mistake and the collapse and everyone saw the outcome. All that means that we’ve been knocked out of the tournament.”

‘Painful defeat’
It was a disappointing end to Brückner’s six-and-a-half year reign in charge of the senior side, and he admitted that the steely expression seen by millions around the world come the final whistle masked a maelstrom of emotions inside. “Of course, the feelings after a match like this are very different from those after a victory, but I try to hide my feelings on the pitch, as I am part of the team,” he said. “But this is football and there can’t be great victories without painful defeats, and sometimes it’s just a matter of centimetres between the two.”

Tomáš Rosický told euro2008.com the Czech Republic were “heartbroken” after their dramatic elimination from UEFA EURO 2008™ by Turkey on Sunday.

‘Hard to take’
The Czechs led 2-0 midway through the second half of their winner-takes-all final group game in Geneva, but a frenetic last 15 minutes saw Turkey score three times to secure a place in the quarter-finals and leave Karel Brückner’s men devastated. “I have just left a dressing room which is heartbroken,” said Rosický, who would have captained the side in the tournament only for injury to rule him out. “It was difficult to deal with such an ordeal from the bench and I am sure it was even harder on the pitch. We were dominant in the first half and Turkey never seemed to be in the game at all.”

Remarkable
Currently working his way back to fitness in his native country, Rosický had travelled to Switzerland from Prague to encourage his team-mates at the Stade de Genève. The Arsenal FC midfielder saw first Jan Koller and then Jaroslav Plašil give the Czechs a commanding lead only for them to crumble as Arda Turan pulled one back with a Nihat Kahveci double – his first coming from an uncharacteristic error from Petr Čech – helping Turkey complete a remarkable turnaround.

‘Out of character’
“We thought picking Jan Koller was a good tactic and they struggled to deal with his height and physical presence but suddenly it all changed,” Rosický said. “Nihat was a real hero for Turkey, but we would normally never play a final ten minutes like that. It was very out of character but it is something we must learn from and we’ll become stronger because of it.”

Sad end
The game marked the end of Brückner’s six-and-a-half tenure as coach of the national side, while his likely successor, the current assistant coach Petr Rada, will be deprived of two key pillars of the team, Koller and Tomáš Galásek, who are also ending their international careers. Rosický, however, insisted the Czech Republic will remain a force to be reckoned with. “The future of Czech football is still in safe hands,” said the 27-year-old. “But we must rebuild because Koller and Tomáš Galásek are now retiring after this tournament, so we must find some new leaders and heroes.”

Petr Čech said the Czech Republic’s elimination from UEFA EURO 2008™ “summed up his season” as he struggled to come to terms with a remarkable final group match against Turkey, who shattered the Czechs’ hopes of a quarter-final place with two moments of wonderful opportunism from forward Nihat Kahveci.

Absolutely devastated
Čech, who was at fault for Nihat’s first goal but had no chance with his spectacular second, admitted it would take a while to recover from the 3-2 defeat which not only ended the Czechs’ interest in the EURO but also ended his hopes of winning a trophy this season. “We are absolutely devastated,” he told euro2008.com. “It’s hard to believe what just happened. We felt we played very well in the first half and were in control of the game. Jan [Koller] gave us the lead and when we went two goals up there did not seem any way back for Turkey.

‘No chance’
“However, they got the first and their tails seemed to go up and then I made a mistake for the second and suddenly they were back in the game. At least at that point it seemed like penalties and we were still in with a chance but then Nihat broke clear and scored an incredible goal. I had no chance. That game really sums up my season, especially after losing out on three trophies for Chelsea [FC] in the final games. We came so close but blew it in the end.” Asked how he would deal with his error for the second goal, he said: “It’s just one of those things. Everybody makes mistakes and I am a human being. I tried my best but there was a lot of water on the ball and it slipped from my grasp.”

‘Cruel end’
Czech Republic captain Tomáš Ujfaluši added: “It was a cruel way to end our participation in this tournament. We felt we deserved to reach the last eight and were very much in control of the match until the last ten minutes. Then suddenly we made some mistakes which are very uncharacteristic of our team and our defence and we now find ourselves eliminated. It’s awful but we must deal with it and accept that Turkey beat us.”

From the moment it became clear that second place in UEFA EURO 2008™ Group A could be decided by a penalty shoot-out between Turkey and the Czech Republic, most neutrals were willing the fixture in Geneva to be drawn, if only for the sheer novelty value. But who knew that regulation time would provide a marathon of drama that made the sprint of spot-kicks superfluous?

Improbable conclusion
It was exciting enough when Arda Turan pulled a goal back not long after the Czech Republic had doubled the lead. Then, when Nihat Kahveci took advantage of a real rarity, a Petr Čech fumble, in the 87th minute, penalties were somehow back on and in circumstances of heightened excitement. Except that Nihat struck again to make it 3-2 with one minute of normal time remaining, for Turkey’s second consecutive late winner. Yet even that was not the end of it, as Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel was dismissed for a push on Jan Koller when the ball was out of play – that last detail meaning makeshift replacement Tuncay Şanlı did not have to face an immediate spot-kick and then perhaps several more.

Czech dominance
It all seemed a long time since half-time, when a Turkey victory looked an outside bet. The Czech Republic players were in no mood to put their perfect penalty shoot-out record on the line, judging by their blistering start. The height of Koller and the foraging four-man support of Libor Sionko, Jan Polák, Marek Matějovský and Jaroslav Plašil proved a real handful for a Turkey defence missing the tall Gökhan Zan, not to mention the experience of Emre Belözoğlu in midfield. At this stage, there was no question of Volkan being able to save himself for penalties with Koller, Matějovský and Sionko shooting and crossing from all angles.

Koller threat
It was no surprise when Koller rose high to head in Zdeněk Grygera’s cross on 34 minutes for his 55th and, though he did not know it at the time, final international goal – he had said he would retire after the finals. Not long afterwards Matějovský was taken off with an injury, but David Jarolím proved an able understudy. Koller remained a constant threat, no doubt having been champing at the bit after spending most of Wednesday’s loss here against Portugal on the bench.

Terim switch
Penalties at that point would have been a more than acceptable outcome for Turkey. The supersub against Switzerland, Semih Şentürk, had started but, in an intriguing move, the striker was replaced at the break by Sabri Sarıoğlu, not usually an attacking player. However, although the rain began to pelt down – the harbinger of Turkey’s difficult first-half spell against Switzerland – it was clear Fatih Terim’s switch was just as canny as the one four days earlier in Basel, Sabri proving a tricky right-sided winger.

Unexpected emotions
As time flew by, a shoot-out appeared a possibility, then became a seeming improbability when the sliding Plašil turned in Sionko’s cross. Freed from spot-kick concerns, the Czech Republic fans launched a Mexican wave which would be rudely halted by Arda’s strike. A quarter-hour later and it was the Turkey supporters celebrating. Expect emotions? No one could have predicted this.

Two late Nihat Kahveci strikes booked ten-man Turkey a place in the quarter-finals of UEFA EURO 2008™ in an exhilarating finish to their Group A match against Czech Republic in Geneva.

Gripping finale
Jan Koller gave the Czechs a 34th-minute advantage with a thumping header before Jaroslav Plašil turned in Libor Sionko’s cross to double their lead two minutes past the hour. Turkey gave themselves a fighting chance thanks to Arda Turan’s low effort with 15 minutes left and Nihat capitalised on a Petr Čech error to level with three minutes left. With a penalty shoot-out looming Nihat galloped clear to send Turkey through with a spectacular finish, although there was still time for Volkan Demirel to be sent off for shoving Koller, Tuncay Şanlı taking over in goal as Turkey held on in a frantic finale to set up a quarter-final against Croatia.

Koller in
The two teams kicked off with identical records and a draw would have meant a quarter-final berth being decided by penalties, an outcome both coaches were anxious to avoid. Karel Brückner opted to start with Koller up front, and his height ensured the Czechs had the better of the opening period, Tomáš Ujfaluši launching long passes forward for him to knock down to Libor Sonko and Plašil. Such direct tactics nearly paid early dividends, Sionko heading Marek Jankulovski’s free-kick wide.

Tuncay shot
Koller was causing havoc every time the Czechs pushed forward, steering one header narrowly over before finding Marek Matejovský for a shot which was well dealt with by Volkan. Turkey were struggling to get into the game but finally registered their first effort on goal when a Tuncay strike fizzed wide of Čech’s upright, although it was the Czechs who continued to look the more likely to make the crucial breakthrough.

Perfect delivery
That opening goal eventually arrived in the 34th minute from a predictable source as Zdeněk Grygera escaped down the right to deliver a perfect cross for Koller head his 55th international goal beyond the despairing dive of Volkan and give the Czechs a richly-deserved lead. If their first-half travails were not worrying enough for Turkey, they also had the knowledge that the Czechs had never lost a competitive game in which Koller had scored.

Czechs in control
That statistic looked ever more relevant in the 62nd minute, Plašil meeting another fine cross, this time from Sionko, with a first-time volley that Volkan could not keep out. Despite the increased deficit there had been hope for Turkey, Nihat and Tuncay both going close in the early stages of the second period as Fatih Terim’s side finally began to find their feet on an increasingly slippery surface. In the teams’ previous meeting Turkey had scored twice in the final two minutes to earn a draw but such a scenario looked a long way off as the Czechs threatened again, Jan Polák crashing a shot against the post.

Nihat impact
Suddenly, however, Turkey had hope as Hamit Altintop cut in from the right for a cross that found Arda – the hero against Switzerland – at the far post to halve the deficit. The Czechs still looked like holding on, until an uncharacteristic mistake from Čech shattered their chances, the goalkeeper dropping another Altintop centre at the feet of Nihat, who duly prodded in. Two minutes later, Altintop’s pass set Nihat through and the Turkey captain produced a stunning finish under extreme pressure, curling into the top corner to take his team through to meet Group B winners Croatia in Vienna on Friday, when Mehmet Aurélio will also be suspended.

“We’re not infallible…” Those were the words of Ricardo when the Portugal goalkeeper was asked about marking lapses in his defence during Wednesday’s 3-1 win against the Czech Republic.

Near misses
Those marking lapses could have proved costly, with Milan Baroš alone narrowly failing to capitalise on set pieces on two occasions. In the end, only Libor Sionko was able to take advantage of these difficulties, heading in a corner for the Czechs’ first half equaliser; the only goal that Ricardo has conceded in the two games thus far.

Left exposed
However, the Real Betis Balompié goalkeeper may be concerned about the amount of times he was left exposed in dead ball situations. These doubts may been forced into the background by Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco’s brilliant attacking contributions, but any of Portugal’s potential quarter-final opponents – Croatia, Germany or Austria – are likely to ask Luiz Felipe Scolari’s men questions from free-kicks and corners.

Areas of concern
Is there a point where Portugal’s weakness in this area will see them come unstuck? What other areas do Scolari’s side need to improve on? Let us know your views.

If Turkey and the Czech Republic draw their final Group A match in Geneva on Sunday, second place and a quarter-final berth will be decided on penalties.

Shoot-out chance
The Czech Republic lost 3-1 to Portugal on Wednesday evening and then Turkey beat Switzerland 2-1 – both after added-time goals. That leaves the Czech Republic and Turkey level on points, goal difference and goals scored, and according to Article 7.08 in the official 2008 UEFA European Championship regulations, in that instance, if the two equal teams are playing in the last game, their match is decided by spot-kicks after 90 minutes should it finish level.

Regulations
Article 7.08 reads: “If two teams which have the same number of points, the same number of goals scored and conceded play their last group match against each other and are still equal at the end of that match, the ranking of the two teams in question will be determined by kicks from the penalty mark, provided no other teams within the group have the same number of points on completion of all group matches.” The full regulations can be read by clicking here. Whoever finishes second in Group A will play the winners of Group B in Vienna on 20 June. Portugal, as Group A winners, face the Group B runners-up in Basel the night before.

Precedent
The situation has arisen before in a UEFA final tournament. In the 2002/03 UEFA European Women’s Under-19 Championship in Germany, Italy and Sweden went into their last group game exactly level. A last-gasp Italy goal made the score 3-3, and Sweden won the shoot-out 4-1, though they were to lose to Norway on penalties in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, while Turkey have never been in a major penalty shoot-out, the Czech Republic beat France 6-5 to reach the 1996 UEFA European Championship semi-finals and Czechoslovakia defeated West Germany 5-3 in the 1976 final and France 9-8 in the 1980 third-place match, giving the nation a major tourmament record of three wins out of three with all 20 attempts converted.

Experience
Meanwhile, both likely goalkeepers on Sunday have recent experience of major penalty shoot-outs. Turkey’s Volkan Demirel saved three spot-kicks as Fenerbahçe SK defeated Sevilla FC 3-2 on penalties in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round in February. Fenerbahçe then lost to Chelsea FC, who reached the final only to be beaten 6-5 in a penalty competition by Manchester United FC in Moscow, Petr Čech saving from Cristiano Ronaldo.