Switzerland v Czech Republic, 07 June 2008

Score1-0 to Czech Republic
RefereeRoberto Rosetti
CompetitionUEFA European Championship Finals Group A
VenueSt Jakob Park, Basel
Attendance39,730
Kick-off: 6:00pm local Assistant referees: Alessandro Griselli (Italy) Paolo Calcagno (Italy) Fourth official: Stéphane Lannoy (France) Man of the Match: Tomáš Ujfaluši (Czech Republic) Czech Republic substitute Václav Svěrkoš crashed the party for co-hosts Switzerland by scoring the only goal of the UEFA EURO 2008 curtain-raiser in Basel. Svěrkoš struck after 71 minutes to defeat a home side already deflated by a knee injury to forward Alexander Frei. The closest the Swiss came to rescuing a Group A point was a late Johan Vonlanthen shot off the underside of the crossbar. If the opening ceremony did the traditional job of canning the host countries' best characteristics in an attractive package, the opening match started as anything but the typical cagey affair. There was a roar of anticipation when Switzerland captain Frei fired wide. Then Tranquillo Barnetta whipped in a cross to continue the frenzy. Valon Behrami was next to impress, outwitting Jaroslav Plašil and Marek Jankulovski before twice testing the Czech Republic's air defences. But this was no siege. David Jarolím caused anxiety among the predominantly partisan home crowd with a cross-shot that back-tracking Diego Bengalio touched to safety. Jarolím's next act, however, was to lose a challenge to Behrami, providing the springboard for the midfielder to let fly a shot which Petr Čech parried. The deeper-lying Gökhan Inler took that as his cue to sidestep a defender and strike, albeit into Čech's arms. It was a less intricate movement – a long thump forward unattended by Czech Republic centre-backs David Rozehnal and Tomáš Ujfaluši – which resulted in Switzerland's most incisive moment of the first half. Frei, his country's 35-goal leading scorer, darted between defenders and Čech but flicked his shot against the goalkeeper's legs. Jan Koller has long been to the Czechs what Frei is to the Swiss. The St. Jakob-Park crowd got a reminder of the totem's menace when he escaped markers Philippe Senderos and Patrick Müller and narrowly failed to connect with Plašil's dangerous delivery. Back at the other end, Frei stung the hands of Čech from 20 metres after a loose ball had undone Karel Brückner's side. But when Frei's left knee was caught in a tangle with Zdeněk Grygera close to half-time, the effect to the co-hosts was a far greater body blow than the challenge itself. The 28-year-old Borussia Dortmund player left the field in tears. Just what home coach Köbi Kuhn did not need. The beginning of the second period brought some cheer. Hakan Yakin, on for Frei, announced his arrival by turning his markers and earning a free-kick which Barnetta placed centimetres too high. Then the ball just would not drop right for the No16 as he chested down Yakin's cross inside the area. Swiss passions stirred anew: Ludovic Magnin looped in a shot before Barnetta volleyed over from Stephan Lichtsteiner's inviting centre. But after Magnin was booked for a foul on Libor Sionko, the Czech Republic forward should have scored from Jankulovski's perfectly flighted free-kick. Yakin was no less guilty with a free header as he attempted to enhance his reputation as an impact substitute. Instead, Svěrkoš took on the role with 19 minutes remaining. Following a period of Czech pressure prompted by Sionko and Plašil, the striker latched on to Zdeněk Grygera's forward header to direct a cool, low finish to Benaglio's left – the 24-year-old's first international goal. A player from FC Baník Ostrava had just ruined Switzerland's big day.

0  Switzerland

Manager: Kobi Kuhn

1  Czech Republic

Manager: Karel Bruckner

Goals:

Goals:

Vaclav Sverkos 70 G

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Diego Benaglio
Defender/Centre back Philippe Senderos
Defender/Midfielder Valon Behrami
Midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta
Midfielder Gelson Fernandes
Midfielder Gokhan Inler
Midfielder Ludovic Magnin
Midfielder Patrick Müller
Forward Alexandre Frei (captain)
Forward Marco Streller

Starting lineup:

Petr Čech Goalkeeper
Zdeněk Grygera Defender
David Rozehnal Defender
Tomáš Ujfaluši Defender (captain)
Tomáš Galásek Midfielder
David Jarolím Midfielder
Jaroslav Plašil Midfielder
Jan Polák Midfielder
Libor Sionko Midfielder
Jan Koller Forward

Substitutions:

Hakan Yakin for Alexandre Frei 46
Johann Vonlanthen for Stefan Lichtsteiner 75
Eren Derdiyok for Valon Behrami 83

Substitutions:

Stanislav Vlček for Libor Sionko 56
Vaclav Sverkos for Jan Koller 56
Radoslav Kováč for David Jarolím 87

Cards:

Ludovic Magnin 59 Y
Johann Vonlanthen 76 Y
Tranquillo Barnetta 90 Y

Cards:

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović
Goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler
Defender Philipp Degen
Defender Johann Djourou
Midfielder Ricardo Cabanas
Midfielder Daniel Gygax
Midfielder Benjamin Huggel
Midfielder Hakan Yakin
Midfielder/Forward Johann Vonlanthen
Forward Eren Derdiyok

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Jaromir Blažek
Goalkeeper Daniel Zitka
Defender Michal Kadlec
Defender Radoslav Kováč
Defender Tomáš Sivok
Midfielder Marek Matějovský
Midfielder Rudi Skacel
Forward Milan Baroš
Forward Martin Fenin
Forward Vaclav Sverkos

Comments:

- At 25 years and 193 days, Switzerland fielded their youngest ever starting line-up in a European Championship match. Their former record dated back to the Euro 96 match against Holland. - The defeat means that Switzerland remain winless after seven matches at European Championships, the longest current run of that kind in the competition. It also marks the fourth defeat of a host nation in the opening match of a European Championship following 1960, 1972 and 2004.

Comments:

- The Czech Republic deployed their oldest starting line-up in this competition. At 29 years and 298 days, their line-up beats the previous oldest starting eleven from 1980 by more than a year. - Jan Koller and Marek Jankulovski equalled the Czech record for most European Championship participations (three), a mark that had previously been recorded by Vladimir Smicer, Karel Poborsky and Pavel Nedved. - Karel Bruckner led his side to the 50th victory in his 74-match reign as Czech national team boss.

0  Switzerland

Manager: Kobi Kuhn

Goals:

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Diego Benaglio
Defender/Centre back Philippe Senderos
Defender/Midfielder Valon Behrami
Midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta
Midfielder Gelson Fernandes
Midfielder Gokhan Inler
Midfielder Ludovic Magnin
Midfielder Patrick Müller
Forward Alexandre Frei (captain)
Forward Marco Streller

Substitutions:

Hakan Yakin for Alexandre Frei 46
Johann Vonlanthen for Stefan Lichtsteiner 75
Eren Derdiyok for Valon Behrami 83

Cards:

Ludovic Magnin 59 Y
Johann Vonlanthen 76 Y
Tranquillo Barnetta 90 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović
Goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbühler
Defender Philipp Degen
Defender Johann Djourou
Midfielder Ricardo Cabanas
Midfielder Daniel Gygax
Midfielder Benjamin Huggel
Midfielder Hakan Yakin
Midfielder/Forward Johann Vonlanthen
Forward Eren Derdiyok

Comments:

- At 25 years and 193 days, Switzerland fielded their youngest ever starting line-up in a European Championship match. Their former record dated back to the Euro 96 match against Holland. - The defeat means that Switzerland remain winless after seven matches at European Championships, the longest current run of that kind in the competition. It also marks the fourth defeat of a host nation in the opening match of a European Championship following 1960, 1972 and 2004.

1  Czech Republic

Manager: Karel Bruckner

Goals:

Vaclav Sverkos 70 G

Starting lineup:

Petr Čech Goalkeeper
Zdeněk Grygera Defender
David Rozehnal Defender
Tomáš Ujfaluši Defender (captain)
Tomáš Galásek Midfielder
David Jarolím Midfielder
Jaroslav Plašil Midfielder
Jan Polák Midfielder
Libor Sionko Midfielder
Jan Koller Forward

Substitutions:

Stanislav Vlček for Libor Sionko 56
Vaclav Sverkos for Jan Koller 56
Radoslav Kováč for David Jarolím 87

Cards:

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Jaromir Blažek
Goalkeeper Daniel Zitka
Defender Michal Kadlec
Defender Radoslav Kováč
Defender Tomáš Sivok
Midfielder Marek Matějovský
Midfielder Rudi Skacel
Forward Milan Baroš
Forward Martin Fenin
Forward Vaclav Sverkos

Comments:

- The Czech Republic deployed their oldest starting line-up in this competition. At 29 years and 298 days, their line-up beats the previous oldest starting eleven from 1980 by more than a year. - Jan Koller and Marek Jankulovski equalled the Czech record for most European Championship participations (three), a mark that had previously been recorded by Vladimir Smicer, Karel Poborsky and Pavel Nedved. - Karel Bruckner led his side to the 50th victory in his 74-match reign as Czech national team boss.