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Munich push

With a win in Germany, national team would secure spot in Euro 2008

By František Bouc
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
October 10th, 2007 issue

ISIFA/FILIP SINGER
Coach Karel Brückner, right, congratulates Marek Jankulovski for his goal against Ireland Sept. 12.
When the national soccer team steps on Munich’s pitch Oct. 17 to take on Germany in a Euro 2008 qualifier, there will be only 233 days left until the kickoff of the tournament’s final round, set to begin in Austria and Switzerland next summer.
“We’re hoping this game will start a day-by-day countdown to playing in the tournament for us,” said goalie Petr Čech, considered one of Europe’s best goalkeepers.
The team enters the game as an underdog against the German squad. But if the Czechs are able to eke out a win, they could secure their place in next summer’s finals with only two qualifying matches to go.
“We know we have to win at least one of the last three games,” said team captain Tomáš Rosický. “We’ll fight hard in Germany.”
Indeed, a 1–0 win against Ireland in Prague this September gave the national team a promising six-point lead over that country, which is currently ranked third in the round-robin qualifying group; Germany leads the group, two points ahead of the Czech Republic.
A loss against Germany wouldn’t be the end of the team’s hopes, however. Should the team win either of its final matches against Slovakia (Nov. 17) or Cyprus (Nov. 21), they’ll clinch a place in the Euro 2008 finals, Europe’s most prestigious national soccer tournament.
“It seems the best opportunity to secure our advancement will be in the home game against Slovakia,” Čech said. “But it’d be great to have the job finished in Germany.”
Treading water
Securing advancement to Euro 2008 against Germany would be fitting for the team, as Germany has figured prominently in the Czech Republic’s fortunes over the past two seasons.
Last summer, the national team advanced — for the first time in 16 years — to the World Cup finals in Germany. The team, built around star midfielder Pavel Nedvěd, had been considered a dark horse to win the tournament, but it did not even leave the cup’s group phase. After that disappointment, some of the country’s well-known stars, such as Nedvěd and midfielder Karel Poborský, retired from national play.
The team’s gradual recovery from these retirements was abruptly halted a year later, this time by the German national team. In late March this year the Czechs lost their home qualifying game against Germany for Euro 2008, with the Germans winning 2–1.
But the frustration from that loss could not match the scandal that erupted afterward, as several of the national team’s players were photographed by a tabloid newspaper soliciting what appeared to be a group of prostitutes at the team’s hotel in Prague after the game. The players said they had gathered to celebrate the 29th birthday of defender Tomáš Ujfaluši.
When faced with the scandal, the Czech Football Association (ČMFS) stuck its head in the sand: Rather than sanctioning particular players or calling on head coach Karel Brückner to resign, the team’s general manager, Vlastimil Košťál, issued a general fine of 1 million Kč ($51,000) to the team.
After disillusioning its fans following the tough German loss, the national team treaded water throughout most of the year’s Euro 2008 qualifiers. The Czechs narrowly beat Cyprus 1–0 in a home game in March and then only tied underdog Wales 0–0 in May. Not even a 3–0 victory against lowly San Marino in early September sparked much excitement in soccer circles.
This summer, Košťál said Brückner could be replaced if the team failed to win its crucial match against Ireland. The subsequent 1–0 win not only provided the Czech Republic with a major push to the Euro 2008 finals, but it also silenced the mounting criticism.
“We showed that we can still succeed in crucial games,” Brückner said.
Defender Marek Jankulovski said the team would welcome an early advancement to the finals, providing a much needed boost after all it has gone through over the past year.
“We went through a major crisis in the qualification round, but we still kept our chances of advancement alive,” Jankulovski said. “Now, it would be great if we could finish our job in this rollercoaster qualifier in Germany.”

František Bouc can be reached at fbouc@praguepost.com


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