Saturday June 7, 2008 Finished St. Jakob-Park
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Czechs edge Swiss in opener
A second-half goal from Vaclav Sverkos earned the Czech Republic a 1-0 victory against co-hosts Switzerland in the opening game of Euro 2008 at the St Jakob-Park stadium in Basel. More
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Live Commentary
Time:90'- Switzerland
- Czech Republic
90+5' And the final whistle goes! Great action here in the opening game of the tournament. The Czechs take the early initiative in Group A, but Switzerland can count themselves unlucky not to have claimed at least a point.
90+4' PENALTY SHOUT FOR SWITZERLAND! Derdiyok flicks the ball forward on the edge of the box and Ujfalusi appears to move his arm forward to block it, but the ref says play on! Incidentally, Barnetta was booked for that foul on Sverkos.- 90+2' Switzerland win a free-kick about 35 yards from goal and Barnetta clips it into the box but it's headed clear. Barnetta then collides with Sverkos, and the Czech medical staff run on to attend to him. Looks like he's just been winded though.
- 90+1' Cech flaps at Magnin's cross from the left and concedes a corner. Yakin's corner from the right is headed clear. Constant Swiss pressure now! Derdiyok heads the ball across goal from the back post but Kovac hacks it clear!
- 89' Magnin swings a cross into the Czech box from the left and substitute Derdiyok rises highest to send a header over the bar!
87' Another substitution for the Czech Republic. Radoslav Kovac comes on for David Jarolim.- 84' Inler fires a shot across goal and wide from the Swiss right.
- 83' Changes for both sides. Stanislav Vlcek replaces Libor Sionko for the Czech Republic, while 19-year-old striker Eren Derdiyok comes on for Valon Behrami for the Swiss.
- 81' Barnetta cuts into the Czech box from the left but slips as he's about to shoot and the Czechs clear. We're all set for a grandstand finish here!
- 80' SWITZERLAND HIT THE CROSSBAR! Barnetta has a fierce shot turned away by Cech and Vonlanthen half-volleys the rebound against the crossbar from eight yards!
- 78' Great play from Sverkos! The goalscorer wins a free-kick deep inside his own half after some tigrish defensive work.
76' And Vonlanthen's first involvement is a trip on Jarolim that earns him a booking.- 75' Switzerland coach Kobi Kuhn responds with a change, and Johan Vonlanthen comes on for Stephan Lichtsteiner.
- 72' Barnetta's inswinging cross from the Swiss left is headed clear by Ujfalusi.
70' GOAL! 1-0 Czech Republic! Switzerland don't properly clear the ball after a corner, it's headed back into the box from deep and the substitute Sverkos holds his nerve to divert the ball past Benaglio with the outside of his right foot!- 69' Yakin's rather disappointing cross is headed clear at the near post.
- 68' Jarolim is penalised for a foul wide on the Swiss right.
- 67' The Czech Republic win a corner on the right but Benaglio sprints from his line assertively to claim it.
- 66' Great chance for Switzerland! Lichtsteiner crosses from the right and Yakin puts a free header wide of the right-hand post from 10 yards! He should have done better, and he knows it.
- 64' Jankulovski curls the ball up over the wall but also up over the crossbar.
- 63' Plasil wins a free-kick in a threatening position after being caught by a sliding challenge from Barnetta. Jankulovski looks like he fancies it.
- 62' Sight of goal for the Swiss! Lichtsteiner whips in a cross from the right and Barnetta crashes a right-footed volley well over the crossbar from just inside the penalty area.
- 61' Switzerland win a corner on the left but Barnetta's cross is headed away by Ujfalusi.
- 60' Jankulovski curls in a brilliant inswinging cross from the ensuing free-kick and Sionko somehow can't get his head to it! Delightful ball.
- 59' Magnin is booked for going in firmly on Sionko wide on the Czech right flank.
- 58' Ujfalusi steps forward impressively to get to the ball ahead of Yakin.
- 56' An interesting change by Czech coach Karel Bruckner. Jan Koller has been taken off, with Vaclav Sverkos coming on to replace him. Looks like they've given up on the aerial approach.
- 55' Inler jinks into space on the edge of the Czech box before seeing his right-footed shot blocked at close range. Behrami then puts a cross to the back post from the right that is headed back across goal by Streller, but the Czech Republic clear!
- 53' Sionko wins a free-kick for the Czech Republic about 35 yards from goal, ever so slightly to the right of centre. Jankulovski flights the ball straight at Benaglio. A disappointing delivery from the Milan man.
52' Gelson is picked out by a pass from deep, but the flag goes up.- 50' Yakin wins a free-kick in a central position 25 yards from goal after being tripped by Galasek and he gets up to bend a left-footed effort just over the crossbar!
- 49' Magnin gets forward down the Swiss left and wins a corner off Grygera. Senderos and Muller come up from the back. The corner is played to the edge of the box and Magnin curls in a cross-cum-shot that Cech gathers at the second attempt!
- 48' Cech does well to claim an inswinging free-kick from deep on the Swiss right by Yakin.
- 47' Behrami is penalised for a hand-ball midway inside the Czech half. Switzerland are attacking the left-hand goal in the second period.
46' The second half gets under way, and Frei has been replaced by Young Boys Berne attacking midfielder Hakan Yakin.- 45+1' The half-time whistle goes. It's been entertaining stuff, but the departure of Alexander Frei is a real blow for the co-hosts.
- 45' Cech almost makes a complete hash of a back-pass, but just about manages to get the ball clear to Jankulovski on the left.
- 44' Frei is attended to by the Swiss medical staff before hobbling off. It doesn't look good. There are tears in his eyes, which suggests his tournament could be over after less than 45 minutes of football.
43' Grygera catches Frei with a bracing challenge from behind, and the Swiss captain stays down. Looks like he may have jarred his knee.- 42' Jankulovski steps up... and swings the ball straight into the arms of Benaglio.
- 41' The Czechs win a free-kick in a deep position on the right.
- 39' Plasil finds Sionko haring into the Swiss penalty area from deep with a pass from the left, but he gets the ball under his feet and is eventually crowded out.
- 38' An intriguing first half so far. The Czechs have seen more of the ball, and had better territory, but the Swiss look very dangerous on the break.
- 36' Chance for Switzerland! Barnetta pounces on a loose ball in midfield and tees up Frei, and he cracks in a stinging drive that is pushed out by Cech! The ball falls kindly for Barnetta, but he's offside.
- 35' Plasil curls in a nice-looking cross from the left and Koller is about a foot away from getting his head to it! The Czechs are growing into this match.
- 34' Jankulovski swings in another inviting cross from the Czech left, but none of his team-mates can get on the end of it.
- 33' Referee Rosetti has a quiet word with Gelson after another late challenge, this time on Jarolim.
- 32' Sionko is rather harshly penalised for a shoulder-barge on Gelson in an advanced position on the Czech right.
- 31' Jan Polak goes down and stays down after being caught on the top of the foot by Gelson, but the Manchester City man avoids punishment.
- 30' We're half an hour in and the game is just starting to settle down ever so slightly. The Czechs are quite content to mass men behind the ball when their opponents are in possession.
- 29' Koller shows lovely control to chest down a cross from deep on the Czech left at the back post, but he's a good few yards offside.
- 28' Gelson Fernandes is penalised for holding back Jarolim on the halfway line.
- 27' Magnin wins a free-kick for a high foot by Sionko. Slight over-reaction from the Swiss left-back there.
- 26' Grygera curls in another dangerous cross from the Czech right but Plasil can't get on the end of it and it goes behind for a goal kick.
- 24' Tremendous stuff in the opening stages of this game. Let's hope this kind of attacking intent will prove contagious.
- 22' Jankulovski swings in a dangerous cross from the Czech Republic left and Philippe Senderos doesn't really deal with it, but his central defensive partner Patrick Muller is on hand to tidy up.
- 21' Chance for Switzerland! Frei gets on the end of a high ball down the inside-right channel that takes out a couple of Czech defenders but Cech races out and spreads himself to make the save!
- 20' Benaglio does well to claim a high right-wing cross from Grygera with Koller closing in.
- 19' The free-kick is headed clear at the near post but Switzerland are quickly back on the attack down the right, with Gokhan Inler tucking the ball onto his left foot before driving in a low shot that's straight at Cech.
- 18' Barnetta wins a free-kick wide on the Swiss left after being muscled off the ball by Ujfalusi.
- 17' Frei tries to get on the end of a pass down the inside-right channel but can't prevent the ball going out for a goal kick.
- 15' Much has been made of the lightness of the balls being used in this tournament, and Behrami fires in a rising right-footed drive from the edge of the Czech box that wiggles a fair bit before being caught by Cech.
- 13' Benaglio has to tip away a deflected cross from the right by Jarolim with Jaroslav Plasil loitering at the back post!
- 12' Magnin is penalised for going in on Sionko with his foot raised.
- 11' Behrami gets away from his man down the Swiss right and drives in a low cross that is cleared at full stretch by Zdenek Grygera.
- 9' This game has started at a furious pace! And it's really got the crowd going.
- 8' Sionko plays the corner short, and his low cross is cut out at the near post by Barnetta. Jankulovski is then penalised for catching Valon Behrami on the Czech left.
- 7' Ujfalusi heads the corner clear, but the Czechs are then forced to repel a dangerous cross from Barnetta before breaking down the right through Libor Sionko, and Magnin gets his toe on the ball to concede a corner on the Czech right.
- 6' Switzerland win a free-kick wide on the right. Left-back Ludovic Magnin swings it in towards the near post, but Tomas Galasek puts it behind for a corner.
- 5' A first touch for Cech, as he comes to the edge of his box to field a long ball. The Chelsea man is in yellow, still sporting his trademark skull cap.
- 4' A lively start here! Petr Cech was sent scrambling across his line by that shot from Frei, but it ended up going a couple of yards wide.
- 3' David Jarolim concedes a free-kick midway inside the Switzerland half.
- 2' Early chance for Switzerland! The Czechs give the ball away in midfield, Marco Streller slips the ball to Alexander Frei and the Borussia Dortmund man flashes a right-footed effort wide of the left-hand post from 25 yards.
1' Here we go! Marek Jankulovski looks for Koller with a high ball straight from kick-off, but the Swiss defence manages to smuggle the ball away. The home side are attacking from left to right in the first half. Our referee is Roberto Rosetti of Italy.- 17:00 The national anthems and the handshakes are out of the way. Ladies and gentlemen, Euro 2008 is upon us!
16:55 And here are the teams, led out by the match officials; Switzerland in all red, the Czech Republic in all white. It's an overcast late afternoon in Basel, and there looks to be a little bit of moisture in the pitch.- 16:53 And now for the obligatory flag-bearers, led onto the pitch by the reigning Miss Switzerland who, it just so happens, is half-Swiss and half-Czech. And then the finale - hundreds of green balloons are released into the air while fireworks go off around the roof of the stadium. Not bad. Better than World Cup USA '94, at any rate. Now for the football!
- 16:50 Some kids with huge boxes on their heads are standing together to form an Alpine landscape which is then graced by a couple of papier-mache 'skiers'. And now for some breakdancing! UEFA president Michel Platini is talking to the man sitting next to him and doesn't look quite as enthralled by proceedings on the pitch as the choreographers might have hoped. The red-shirted Swiss fans, on the other hand, are loving it.
- 16:45 The opening ceremony is under way here at a packed St-Jakob Park. A lady dressed as a giant farmer is chasing some giants cows across the pitch at the moment, which probably has some deep symbolic meaning that is not immediately apparent.
- 16:40 So who's your tip? The Czechs were finalists in 1996 - when they lost to a heart-breakingly soft golden goal by Germany's Oliver Bierhoff - and were the best team at the tournament in 2004 until they ran into Otto Rehhagel's Greece. But home advantage counts for a great deal in European Championships, and the stingy Swiss didn't concede a single goal at the last World Cup, before being eliminated on penalties by the Ukraine at the last-16 stage.
- 16:30 The teams are in (see below)! Bad news for Liverpool fans hoping to catch a glimpse of new signing Philipp Degen - he starts on the bench for Switzerland, with Lille man Stephan Lichtsteiner given the nod at right-back. Former Reds striker Milan Baros doesn't start for the Czechs, with FC Copenhagen midfielder Libor Sionko chosen to provide support for giant striker Jan Koller.
- 16:20 As far as team news is concerned, Switzerland have been boosted by the news that key attacking midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta has overcome an ankle injury and should start. Second-choice right-back Zdenek Pospech will miss out for the Czechs with 'flu, but captain and key defender Tomas Ujfalusi has shaken off a stomach muscle problem.
- 16:15 Since the format of the tournament expanded in 1980, Belgium - co-hosts in 2000 - are the only host nation not to have made it to the knockout rounds. Austria will certainly have their work cut out in Group B, with Germany, Croatia and Poland to contend with, but there is a real feeling that if the Swiss can start with a win today they could just sneak their way out of a group which also contains heavily fancied Portugal and Turkey.
- 16:10 So, here we are. After weeks of speculation and anticipation, kick-off in the 13th European Championships is less than an hour away. It's been slow in coming, but football fever is finally starting to take hold here in Switzerland, and the home fans are hoping for a positive start against the ever-dangerous Czechs.
- 16:00 Good afternoon and welcome to eurosport.yahoo.co.uk's LIVE coverage of the opening match of Euro 2008 between co-hosts Switzerland and perennial 'dark horses' Czech Republic from St Jakob-Park in Basel. Switzerland are looking for their first ever European Championship finals win, while the Czechs will hope to improve on their semi-final showing at Euro 2004. Kick-off is at 17:00 BST.
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Team Stats
Switzerland Stats Czech Republic 54% Possession 45% 13 Shots 4 5 Shots on target 1 0 Saves 2 6 Corners 3 21 Fouls 19 2 Offsides 3 3 Yellow cards 0 0 Red cards 0 12 Tackles 18 343 Accurate passes 277 44 Bad passes 40 -
Player Stats
- G =
- Goals
- S =
- Shots
- SoT =
- Shot on Target
- F =
- Fouls
- FW =
- Fouls Won
- O =
- Offsides
- A =
- Assists
- AP =
- Accurate Passes
- BP =
- Bad Passes
- T =
- Tackles
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Switzerland G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T 1 Diego Benaglio 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 2 0 20 Patrick Müller 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 54 0 0 3 Ludovic Magnin 0 0 0 4 4 0 0 33 13 3 5 Stephan Lichtsteiner 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 0 1 4 Philippe Senderos 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 47 10 1 8 Gökhan Inler 0 2 1 2 4 0 0 53 7 1 15 Gelson Fernandes 0 0 0 3 2 1 0 42 3 2 19 Valon Behrami 0 1 1 1 3 0 0 19 0 1 16 Tranquillo Barnetta 0 3 1 2 2 0 0 30 5 2 9 Alexander Frei 0 3 2 0 1 0 0 9 1 0 11 Marco Streller 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 6 2 0 17 Christoph Spycher 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 Ricardo Cabanas 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 Philipp Degen 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 Daniel Gygax 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 Benjamin Huggel 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 22 Johann Vonlanthen 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 13 Stephane Grichting 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 Johan Djourou 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 Eldin Jakupovic 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 Eren Derdiyok 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 18 Pascal Zuberbühler 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 Hakan Yakin 0 2 0 2 2 0 0 14 1 1 -
Czech Republic G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T 1 Petr Cech 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 1 0 21 Tomas Ujfalusi 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 30 1 2 6 Marek Jankulovski 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 26 5 4 2 Zdenek Grygera 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 28 0 2 22 David Rozehnal 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 40 6 0 4 Tomas Galásek 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 26 6 4 3 Jan Polak 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 36 6 1 14 David Jarolim 0 1 0 5 4 0 0 31 7 2 7 Libor Sionko 0 0 0 3 3 1 0 17 1 1 20 Jaroslav Plasil 0 1 0 2 2 0 0 17 5 2 9 Jan Koller 0 0 0 2 1 2 0 14 1 0 17 Marek Matejovsky 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 Vaclav Sverkos 1 1 1 2 4 0 0 1 1 0 16 Jaromír Blazek 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 Martin Fenin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 Daniel Zitka 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 Milan Baros 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 Radoslav Kovac 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 19 Rudolf Skacel 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 Michal Kadlec 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 Tomas Sivok 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 Stanislav Vlcek 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0
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Summary
- 90+4' PENALTY SHOUT FOR SWITZERLAND! Derdiyok flicks the ball forward on the edge of the box and Ujfalusi appears to move his arm forward to block it, but the ref says play on! Incidentally, Barnetta was booked for that foul on Sverkos.
- 89' Magnin swings a cross into the Czech box from the left and substitute Derdiyok rises highest to send a header over the bar!
- 80' SWITZERLAND HIT THE CROSSBAR! Barnetta has a fierce shot turned away by Cech and Vonlanthen half-volleys the rebound against the crossbar from eight yards!
- 70' GOAL! 1-0 Czech Republic! Switzerland don't properly clear the ball after a corner, it's headed back into the box from deep and the substitute Sverkos holds his nerve to divert the ball past Benaglio with the outside of his right foot!
- 66' Great chance for Switzerland! Lichtsteiner crosses from the right and Yakin puts a free header wide of the right-hand post from 10 yards! He should have done better, and he knows it.
- 62' Sight of goal for the Swiss! Lichtsteiner whips in a cross from the right and Barnetta crashes a right-footed volley well over the crossbar from just inside the penalty area.
- 60' Jankulovski curls in a brilliant inswinging cross from the ensuing free-kick and Sionko somehow can't get his head to it! Delightful ball.
- 50' Yakin wins a free-kick in a central position 25 yards from goal after being tripped by Galasek and he gets up to bend a left-footed effort just over the crossbar!
- 49' Magnin gets forward down the Swiss left and wins a corner off Grygera. Senderos and Muller come up from the back. The corner is played to the edge of the box and Magnin curls in a cross-cum-shot that Cech gathers at the second attempt!
- 39' Plasil finds Sionko haring into the Swiss penalty area from deep with a pass from the left, but he gets the ball under his feet and is eventually crowded out.
- 21' Chance for Switzerland! Frei gets on the end of a high ball down the inside-right channel that takes out a couple of Czech defenders but Cech races out and spreads himself to make the save!
- 19' The free-kick is headed clear at the near post but Switzerland are quickly back on the attack down the right, with Gokhan Inler tucking the ball onto his left foot before driving in a low shot that's straight at Cech.
- 15' Much has been made of the lightness of the balls being used in this tournament, and Behrami fires in a rising right-footed drive from the edge of the Czech box that wiggles a fair bit before being caught by Cech.
- 13' Benaglio has to tip away a deflected cross from the right by Jarolim with Jaroslav Plasil loitering at the back post!
- 2' Early chance for Switzerland! The Czechs give the ball away in midfield, Marco Streller slips the ball to Alexander Frei and the Borussia Dortmund man flashes a right-footed effort wide of the left-hand post from 25 yards.
Live Team Line-Up
- Referee: Roberto Rosetti
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SwitzerlandManager: Köbi Kuhn
Captain: Alexander Frei
Starting line-up
- D. Benaglio
- S. Lichtsteiner
- P. Senderos
- P. Müller
- L. Magnin
- V. Behrami
- G. Fernandes
- G. Inler
- T. Barnetta
- M. Streller
- A. Frei
Subs
- P. Zuberbühler
- B. Huggel
- P. Degen
- R. Cabanas
- C. Spycher
- S. Grichting
- J. Vonlanthen
75′ - H. Yakin 46′
- D. Gygax
- J. Djourou
- E. Jakupovic
- E. Derdiyok 83′
Injured
None
Suspended
None
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Czech RepublicManager: Karel Bruckner
Captain: Tomas Ujfalusi
Starting line-up
- P. Cech
- Z. Grygera
- T. Ujfalusi
- D. Rozehnal
- M. Jankulovski
- D. Jarolim
- J. Polak
- T. Galasek
- J. Plasil
- J. Koller
- L. Sionko
Subs
- J. Blazek
- R. Skacel
- M. Baros
- D. Zitka
- V. Sverkos 56′
- T. Sivok
- Z. Pospech
- M. Kadlec
- M. Matejovsky
- R. Kovac
- M. Fenin
- S. Vlcek 83′
Injured
None
Suspended
None
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