The Czechs have sobered up from World Cup euphoria following the national team's 2–0 loss to Italy June 22 in Hamburg, scotching their chances of advancing to the tournament's second round.

In the last first-round match in Germany, the second loss in three games became the last nail in the Czechs' World Cup coffin.

Three minutes before the end of the game, Italian striker Filippo Inzaghi stole the ball from Czech defenders in the middle of the pitch and ran alone against Czech goalie Petr Čech. At the time, about 15,000 Czech fans packed the AOL Arena in Hamburg and millions of soccer supporters were glued to television screens all over the country, waiting for a mercy killing.

With the ease of a ballet dancer, Inzaghi ran toward the powerless Čech and booted in the second goal.

"Technically, that moment was the ultimate end of hope for us," head coach Karel Brückner said after the game. "In fact, however, we had lost our chance much earlier.

Indeed, for the Czechs, the FIFA World Cup was largely about losses.

Despite storming into the tournament with an impressive 3–0 win over the United States June 12, the Czechs lost key player striker Jan Koller in the first half of that game. Koller suffered a thigh strain that sidelined him from any further action.

In the next game June 17, the underestimated Ghana shockingly shellacked the Czechs. The 2–0 loss turned fatal for the team's chances of further progress.

The return of another injured striker to the pitch just before the do-or-die contest against Italy — Milan Baroš — was expected to increase the fire power of the Czech team.

"Normally, I would've sat out of the game," said Baroš moments after the game, "but this was the World Cup and I wanted to help in a critical situation." The skilled kicker said he had struggled for the previous three weeks with a foot injury.

But it took only 43 minutes before the Czechs lost another player: Midfielder Jan Polák was sent off due to repeated fouls. It was the second time the Czechs played as 10 men in Germany. Earlier, defender Tomáš Ujfaluši was red-carded in the game against Ghana.

"Soccer is about finding extraordinary solutions in critical situations," Brückner reflected. "Unfortunately, we failed in critical times."

No room for tears

Despite advancing to the World Cup after 16 years, the Czech appearance in Germany raised huge expectations among fans and soccer experts before the tournament's kickoff. The Czechs entered as the team ranked second highest in FIFA, the world's soccer governing body. Only two years before, the same Czech team won bronze medals at the European Championship in Portugal.

The country's "best-ever soccer selection," as they were repeatedly labeled in local media, further boosted optimism after they swept away the U.S. squad in the first game.

But, surprisingly, that was it for stunning performances.

Instead of celebrating advancement to the playoff stage, the Czech players fell on their knees after the game against Italy.

This time, there was no room for tears, said team leader Pavel Nedvěd.

"We've realized that this time there were better teams than us," Nedvěd admitted. "We could compete only if we were at full power and in top form, which was not the case."

Given the age of some key players, including Koller, Nedvěd and Karel Poborský, the national team is expected to undergo a change of generations soon.

Still, Nedvěd has been reluctant to say whether he will continue on the national team or not. "We need to make the decision when heads are cool, and it's certainly not at this time," he said.

Back to normal

The team's early exit has disappointed many businesses that were profiting handily from beer parties and record levels of wagering by local fans.

"Although the World Cup will still draw major attention, it's true the Czech team's exit will lower interest to some extent and this could affect beer sales, too," said Jan Veselý, president of the Czech Federation of Breweries and Malt Houses.

Similarly, representatives of betting chains — who expected a record 1 billion Kč ($44.4 million) turnover from World Cup betting — admitted that the end of the Czech team's campaign will decrease their take.