Quickfire Czechs get revenge on Greece
Reuters - Tuesday 12 June 2012, 19:07
The Czech Republic kept alive
their hopes of progress at Euro 2012 with an initially
scintillating but ultimately nerve-wracking 2-1 win over Greece
in Group A on Tuesday.
In an enterprising but niggling clash that stirred memories
of the teams' dramatic 2004 semi-final, decided in Greece's
favour by a 'silver' extra time goal, Petr Jiracek and Vaclav
Pilar struck in the opening six minutes for the Czechs.
But despite captain Tomas Rosicky's graceful conducting of
the game from midfield against a shaky Greek defence, the Czechs
failed to add a third and, following the diminutive maestro's
half-time withdrawal with a heel injury, had to ride their luck
in face of a spirited Greek fightback.
When substitute Fanis Gekas capitalised on an error by
goalkeeper Petr Cech to pull one back in the 53rd minute, the
prospect of a draw or worse loomed for the Czechs.
But they dug in, survived some torrid moments and secured a
first victory over Greece in four attempts as an independent
nation.
It was only the Greeks' second defeat in 23 games under
Portuguese coach Fernando Santos, who succeeded 2004 hero Otto
Rehaggel in 2010, but the loss of their first-choice central
defensive pairing, through injury and suspension, left them
vulnerable.
Santos drafted in Kyriakos Papadopoulos, just 19, alongside
midfielder Kostas Katsouranis at the heart of the defence and
the Czechs, thrashed 4-1 by Russia in their opening group game,
smelt blood and produced a high-tempo start.
Tomas Hubschuman created the first with a neat through ball
that Jiracek slotted in with a sharp left-foot shot and Rosicky
made the second, his pass releasing Theodor Gebre Selassie whose
low cross was bundled in by Pilar.
After failing to score in three games against the Greeks,
the Czechs were pinching themselves, but Milan Baros, top-scorer
at Euro 2008 with five goals, is now a pale imitation of his
former pacy self and was unable to add to the opening salvo.
Greece lost their goalkeeper Kostas Halkias, at 38 the
oldest player in the tournament and one of only three squad
survivors from 2004, to injury but the Czechs allowed them back
into the game and were lucky when a Giorgios Fotakis header was
ruled fractionally offside before the interval.
Unperturbed, Greece attempted a repeat of the revival that
brought a 1-1 draw with Poland in their opener, but despite
substitute Gekas's tap-in when Cech floundered dealing with
Giorgios Samaras's low cross, they only created panic on the
pitch and tension around it as the Czechs battled through.
The relief, in a stadium packed with Czech fans, was
overwhelming as the final whistle banished fears of a collapse
to match their 2-3 loss to Turkey four years ago and erased some
of the pain of Traianos Dellas's header in Portugal where the
Greeks went on to become unexpected champions.
The Czechs, level on points with Russia at the top of the
group, face Poland in their final group game in Wroclaw on
Saturday when Greece meet Russia in Warsaw.