In the most stunning game of Euro 2004 so far, the Czechs came from two down
to reach the last eight by topping Group D in Aveiro.
It was Liverpool pair Milan Baros and Vladimir Smicer who grabbed the
second-half goals that turned this dramatic game on its head.
Wilfred Bouma and Ruud van Nistelrooy had grabbed early goals to put Holland
in command before Jan Koller started the fightback.
Holland lost defender Johnny Heitinga when he was sent off near the end, and
that was the chance the Czechs needed to grab the eventual winner with three
minutes left from Smicer.
The Czechs were left to celebrate in front of their delirious fans while the
orange hordes melted away in disbelief, knowing their side need to get something
from their final game with Latvia and hope the Czechs can also stop the Germans
on the same night.
Holland coach Dick Advocaat left out Rafael van der Vaart and Boudewijn Zenden
from the team that drew with Germany on Tuesday in their opening Group D match,
and brought in Clarence Seedorf and new Chelsea signing Arjen Robben.
Both sides were clearly inspired by the knowledge that Germany had been held
by Latvia earlier in the day and the chance to take the initiative in group was
obvious.
In a first-half of spellbinding attacking play, the Czechs should have been
ahead in the opening minutes when Borussia Dortmund pair, Koller and Tomas
Rosicky, combined in the box. Rosicky's cleverly-lifted ball into Koller's path
should have been buried, but the giant striker somehow volleyed over.
The Czechs paid for those misses after four minutes when Robben's ball lifted
to the far post from the right fell for Wilfred Bouma to head back and across
Petr Cech inside the upright to give Holland the lead.
The excitement continued at a tremendous pace and Seedorf curled a free-kick
just wide after Ruud van Nistelrooy had been brought down 25 yards out.
Holland could have made it two when Edgar Davids' ball across the face of the
area set up Seedorf for an instant drive that just cleared the post while Andy
van der Meyde was next to worry the Czechs with a cross-shot that Cech had to
fall on smartly.
But the second did arrive for a pulsating Dutch side on 19 minutes when van
der Meyde pulled a ball across the box for the unmarked van Nistelrooy to run in
unmarked and drive home.
But the Czechs had no intention of capitulating and grabbed a goal back on 23
minutes when Baros surged from deep to attack Jaap Stam, cutting across the big
defender before forcing the ball into Koller's path for the big man to drill
home from six yards.
The Czechs then took off full-back Zdenek Grygera, who had been badly exposed
down the right and sent on Smicer in midfield with Karel Poborsky at wing-back.
Johnny Heitinga was next into the book for a another foul on Nedved, and the
same player soon appeared at the other end to force Cech into a stunning flying
save to touch over a 30-yard, swerving drive.
The Czechs almost equalised when Nedved produced some magic in the box,
allowing Poborsky the space to cross for Koller to have a close-range effort
deflected agonisingly wide, while Holland stormed back and Davids struck a
fierce cross-shot that cannoned back off the foot of the far post to end a
breathtaking half of attacking football.
Both sides continued to fly at each other. Cech needed to hold a van der Meyde
cross with van Nistelrooy lurking, while Smicer and Nedved both had good
opportunities before Cech made a great instinctive save from van Nistelrooy.
Nedved then found space in the box to set up Smicer, who saw his effort
superbly saved by Van der Sar.
Nedved, Seedorf and van der Meyde were almost rivalling each other by now to
produce the cleverest tricks and runs as both sides continued all-out attack.
The Czechs levelled with a stunning goal on 71 minutes. Nedved's ball in from
the left was nodded back by Koller for Baros to lash into the roof of the net
from 15 yards.
Holland's immediate reply was for van der Meyde to get clear in the box only
for Cech to make another point-blank save.
David Rozehnal came on for Koller on 74 minutes, a minute before the Dutch had
Heitinga sent off for his second yellow card after bringing down Nedved.
The Czechs went for broke now, Nedved hit the bar and Poborsky headed the
rebound over before taking the lead when Poborsky squared the ball for Smicer to
net with three minutes left.
Teams
Holland Van der Sar, Heitinga, Stam, Bouma, Van Bronckhorst,
Seedorf (Van der Vaart 86), Cocu, Davids,
Van der Meyde (Reiziger 79), van Nistelrooy,
Robben (Bosvelt 58).
Subs Not Used: Westerveld, Waterreus, Kluivert, de Boer,
Makaay, Overmars, Sneijder, Van Hooijdonk, Zenden.
Sent Off: Heitinga (75).
Booked: Seedorf, Heitinga.
Goals: Bouma 4, van Nistelrooy 19.
Czech Republic Cech, Grygera (Smicer 24), Ujfalusi, Jiranek,
Jankulovski, Galasek (Heinz 62), Poborsky, Rosicky, Nedved,
Baros, Koller (Rozehnal 75).
Subs Not Used: Blazek, Kinsky, Mares, Lokvenc, Vachousek,
Hubschman, Tyce, Plasil.
Booked: Galasek.
Goals: Koller 23, Baros 71, Smicer 88.
Att: 30,000
Ref: Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain).
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