Euro 2008

Vaclav Sverkos scores for Czech Republic

The home fans were willing the nation on with feisty fanfare but their team failed to respond in kind. Plenty of effort and enterprise was on display but Switzerland offered little in attack against a truly disappointing Czech Republic side.

Limited by their poor crossing and long-range passing, Kobi Kuhn’s team had plenty of possession but failed to consistently trouble the opposition’s defence who dealt masterfully with the majority of what was thrown at them.

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A 0-0 draw looked likely from the opening minutes in a match of low technical quality and few clear-cut opportunities. And one moment of clarity proved to be critical when Vaclav Sverkos beat the offside trap and finished astutely. The Swiss defence failed to pick up Sverkos who turned Ludovic Magnin with ease and slotted in with twenty minutes remaining.

The goal prompted Switzerland into action, and they battered the Czechs for the final quarter of an hour but without reward.

They should have had a penalty when Tomáš Ujfaluši blatantly handled the ball but Italian referee Roberto Rosetti bottled the decision, attempting to cover himself by playing an advantage when the home crowd plead for a penalty. Instead, play went on and Tranquillo Barnetta forced a fine save from Petr Cech only for the ball to fall to Johan Vonlanthen who somehow hit the bar when scoring looked easier. It summed up the quality of attacking play in the entire game.

Further pressure yielded another penalty appeal, as Ujfaluši appeared to handle again, but this time Rosetti was correct to wave away the protests.

With 39 fouls committed and the game rarely flowing, it was an opening encounter to forget. The two veteran coaches were left with much to ponder afterwards: Karel Brückner could be satisfied only with the imperative three points gained but clearly much work needs to be done if Czech Republic are to be considered contenders. For Kobi Khun, the criticism of him and his team in the press will continue but more pressingly, Switzerland need a dramatic reversal of fortune if they are to make the quarter-finals.

Only wins against both Turkey and Portugal will see them progress and the odds of that happening are slim. However, they must avoid complete embarrassment and can do so in four days when they face Turkey.

The vocal support deserved more, but in traditional underdog style, Switzerland huffed and puffed but with no tangible return and were beaten by a rare venture forward from their superior opponents. The hosts looked the two weakest nations, and the early signs suggest that this assumption is entirely valid.

Tags: Czech Republic, Euro 2008, Karel Bruckner, Kobi Kuhn, Switzerland, Switzerland 0-1 Czech Republic, Vaclav Sverkos

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