Swiss and Czechs meet in opener

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-7  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

EURO 2008 gets underway today with co-hosts Switzerland pitting its promising young team against an experienced Czech Republic side keen to prove its best days is not behind them.

Koebi Kuhn's Swiss squad is one of the youngest at these finals but include several players who have already experienced two major tournaments.

"Our players have developed and ripened since the 2006 World Cup," captain Alex Frei told reporters.

"I believe in the quality of the team and I know it is hungry for success. We want to write history and now have the chance to do so in our own country."

The former Czechoslovakia won Euro 1976 and recent successes for the side include an appearance in the 1996 final and a run to the 2004 semifinals. But the international retirements of Karel Poborsky and Pavel Nedved along with the loss through injury of captain Tomas Rosicky have raised doubts over the pedigree of this squad.

"I don't know why people would say we are not as good as we were before," midfielder David Jarolim said at the team's training ground in Seefeld, Austria.

"We have qualified for the last three tournaments in a row. That shows how strong we are and we will prove it again at Euro 2008."

Neutral fans will hope to see plenty of goals with the Group A game bringing together two of the tournament's most prolific strikers.

Frei has scored 35 times in 59 matches for Switzerland while towering Czech forward Jan Koller boasts a record of 54 goals in 87 internationals.

Switzerland will struggle to contain the 2.02-metre tall Koller, particularly with regular central defender Patrick Mueller yet to prove his match fitness after missing the majority of the season through injury.

"We won't be man-marking Koller," said Swiss assistant coach Michel Pont. "Our team has coped with Zinedine Zidane (of France) and plenty of other great players in the past without assigning defenders to particular players."

"We won't start doing so now against the Czechs, not least because they have plenty of other attacking options."

Czech coach Karel Brueckner did not give any hints as to which of those options he would exercise but has faced repeated calls from the media to drop Milan Baros and play Koller alone up front. Baros was Euro 2004's top scorer but has failed to find the net for his country since 2007.

In another late game, Portugal and Turkey will be trying to prove their worth.

While Portugal is hoping to repeat the successful campaigns of the last Euro tournament and the World Cup, Turkey is looking to show it's back in form after missing the two competitions.

Led by winger Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal wants another good showing this month to solidify its spot in the elite of European football. It is coming off a runner-up finish at Euro 2004 and a semifinal appearance in the 2006 World Cup.

But to stay on track, Portugal hopes to get off to a good start against the Turks in Geneva in Group A.

"It's always fundamental to win the first match," Portugal midfielder Armando Petit said. "Not only because of the win, but because of the motivation that it gives to the players. It's determinant for the rest of the tournament."

Portugal twice beat Turkey in the Europe, first in the group stage in 1996 and then in the quarterfinals four years later. They know what to expect from the Turks.

Turkey coach Fatih Terim has been saying all along that he wants a good performance to put his nation back on the map in world football.

"We have not attended any tournament since 2002," he said. "We are going to Switzerland to make the world remember us."