Czech Republic v Portugal

[Monica-Webmaster]

Czech Republic v Portugal
BBC

Czech Republic striker Milan Baros, the leading goalscorer at Euro 2004, is set to replace midfielder Jaroslave Plasil and partner Jan Koller up front.

Right-back Zdenek Pospech is fit again after flu and Marek Matejovsky could replace David Jarolim in midfield.

Portugal are expected to name the same team that beat Turkey 2-0.

Goalkeeper Nuno Espirito Santo trained with the squad on Monday after being called up to replace Quim, who fractured his wrist on Friday.

Matejovsky, who has been suffering from a abdominal muscle injury, says he is ready to return.

"I am 100% fit and ready," the Reading playmaker said. "The problem has gone.

"I'd be happy to play but it is up to the coach to select the line-up. It is not a fight between me and David - everyone would like to play.

"We are here as a team and we want to succeed."


BIG MATCH STATS
Head-to-heads

Czech Republic (including Czechoslovakia) and Portugal have met on 11 occasions, with the Czechs winning four matches and Portugal winning three times. However, their first ever meeting in January 1926 (1-1) is not recognised as an official international by the Czech Federation.

Their last ever meeting was in the quarter-final of Euro 1996 when the Czechs won 1-0 courtesy of a Karel Poborsky goal.

Head to head records and significant meetings

Team facts - Czech Republic

Deployed their oldest starting line-up in this competition in their opening match against Switzerland. At 29 years and 298 days, their line-up beats the previous oldest starting eleven from 1980 by more than a year.

The win against Switzerland was Karel Bruckner's 50th victory in his 74-match reign as Czech national team boss.

Won their last six competitive matches and are unbeaten in their last eight.

Team facts - Portugal

By beating Turkey in their opening match, Portugal extended their unbeaten streak in competitive matches to 12, their joint second best ever.

Between September 2004 and July 2006, Portugal were unbeaten in 17 competitive matches. Their last defeat in a competitive match was in a Euro 2008 qualifier in Poland (2-1) on 11 October 2006.

Never been awarded a penalty at European Championships. This running streak of 20 matches is a tournament record.

Most consecutive European Championship matches without a penalty

Player facts - Czech Republic

Goalkeeper Petr Cech will meet his Chelsea team mates Paulo Ferreira and Ricardo Carvalho.

Player facts - Portugal

Against Turkey, Nuno Gomes equalled a Portuguese record by appearing in his third European Championship, a total also achieved by Fernando Couto, Luís Figo and Rui Costa.

If Nuno Gomes scores, he will become the third player to score in three different European Championships, joining Jurgen Klinsmann (Germany) and Vladimir Smicer (Czech Republic). Thierry Henry (France) and Henrik Larsson (Sweden) can also achieve this feat at Euro 2008.

Miscellaneous Info

The Czechs have a good record in matches led by referee Kyros Vassaras.

In 2000, they won a 2002 World Cup qualifier against Iceland (4-0) and in September 2007 a Euro 2008 qualifier against the Republic of Ireland (1-0).

Portugal also have fond memories of referee Vassaras. They beat Sweden (2-3) in a friendly in 2002, crushed Russia (7-1) in a World Cup qualifier in 2004 and recorded a 4-0 win against Belgium in a Euro 2008 qualifier in March 2007.

Big Match Stats source: Infostrada Sports

[Monica-Webmaster]

TEAM NEWS Czech Republic v Portugal

Czech Republic: Cech, Grygera, Ujfalusi, Rozehnal, Jankulovski, Galasek, Sionko, Matejovsky, Polak, Plasil, Baros.

Portugal: Ricardo, Bosingwa, Pepe, Carvalho, Ferreira, Petit, Joao Moutinho, Ronaldo, Deco, Simao, Nuno Gomes.


Cesi do toho
Milan, go, go, goal.....

[Monica-Webmaster]

Baros again fails to score in return to Czech team as Portugal wins 3-1 at Euro 2008
The Associated Press

Milan Baros returned to the Czech Republic starting team Wednesday in a match he would probably want to forget.

With the 26-year-old Baros starting as a lone striker, the Czechs lost 3-1 to Portugal at the European championship and will now play Turkey on Sunday with both teams battling to join the Portuguese side and advance to the quarterfinals from Group A.

Baros, who has 31 goals for his country and was leading scorer at Euro 2004, replaced Jan Koller after being a substitute the past two games with coach Karel Bruckner deciding to use his speed against the flying Portuguese team.

The striker has failed to find the net for his club Portsmouth since moving on loan from Lyon this year, and he never really looked like scoring his first goal for the Czechs since hitting the target in a European qualifier in March 2007.

His best chance came in the 62nd minute at Stade Geneve, narrowly failing to connect in front of goal on captain Tomas Ujfalusi's header.

"I needed just 20 centimeters to score," Baros said. "We created a lot of chances, but we lost 3-1 and we have to take it as it is. We have to win the last game to advance."

Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech said Baros worked hard for the team and was unlucky not to convert his solitary chance.

"He played a very good game," Cech said. "He was fighting all the time and it's pity that at one moment, he failed to connect on the ball and score."

One minute later, Portugal took a 2-1 lead on a goal from star winger Cristiano Ronaldo.

Baros, who last scored in December for Lyon, returned to the Premier League in January where he had spells with Liverpool and Aston Villa. He

scored 19 goals in 68 appearances in four seasons at Liverpool, and nine goals in two years at Villa.

Even without scoring, Baros has still made the news.

In November, the flamboyant striker was caught by the French police breaking the speed limit in his Ferrari at 271 kilometers per hour (168 mph), a record for the region.

In May 2007, Baros was suspended for three matches by the French league for making a gesture toward a black opponent that was inappropriate, pinching his nose and moving his hand across his face, as if repelling a bad smell, after a series of rough challenges by Stephane Mbia.