Classy Portugal edge out Czechs in Geneva thriller
Portugal maintained their 100 per cent record at Euro 2008
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Wednesday, 11, Jun 2008 07:04
Portugal have maintained their 100 per cent record at Euro 2008 with a 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic in group A.
A superbly entertaining and enthralling game in Geneva was decided by second-half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and a late, breakaway third from Ricardo Quaresma.
Deco had given the Euro 2004 losing finalists the lead early on before Libor Sionko equalised.
But the group favourites finished the stronger and now look favourites to progress as section winners.
The Czechs started the brighter but it was Portugal who took the lead with the first real chance of the game - Deco scrambling the ball home after an untidy scene in the penalty area, although the one-two move leading up to the chance was pleasing on the eye.
The Portuguese looked to be settling into their stride with full-backs Jose Bosingwa, who appears to be a strong and powerful acquisition for Chelsea, and Paolo Ferreira both getting forward at every opportunity and stretching the Czechs' midfield.
But just as control of the game appeared to be slipping away from Karel Bruckner's team, they were level.
Poor marking from a corner allowed Sionko to ghost in between the Portuguese centre-backs and power a header past Ricardo's outstretched right hand for 1-1.
The game was characterised by the contrasting styles of the two sides, with the patient, almost pedestrian, Portuguese build-up juxtaposed against the incisive and direct Czechs.
A combative and entertaining game also saw several fouls and some heated confrontations throughout the first period, with Reading's Marek Matejovsky constantly involved.
But it was Ronaldo, who was relatively quiet in his first-half role as a creative central midfielder, that had the last word for the Portuguese before the break - Cech proving equal to the Manchester United man's stinging 30-yard effort.
The second half continued in the same balanced vein as both sides created decent chances.
Within a few minutes of the restart Sionko found space down the right but the Czech goalscorer's dangerous cross into the six-yard box failed to find the slightest of touches that would have forced it home.
Clever feet from Nuno Gomes on the edge of the penalty area after 52 minutes created space for a snap-shot but it went straight at Cech, before the same player broke free in the box - only to see his run and shot blocked off by former Newcastle United defender David Rozenhal.
Portugal continued to look vulnerable from set-pieces, and Sionko and Baros - the Czech Republic's biggest threats going forward - just missed out on connecting with a flicked header from the near post just after the hour mark.
From that missed chance, though, Portugal ran the ball up the other end and retook the lead.
Deco was the architect this time, sneaking the ball across the 18-yard area for Cristiano Ronaldo to scuff a shot through a crowd of defenders and wide of the sprawling Cech to open his Euro 2008 account.
The Czechs pressed in the final 25 minutes to try to force a second equaliser.
Sionko had a late chance with a free header eight yards out, but his rather tame effort was easily tipped over by Ricardo.
As the game entered injury time and the Czechs committed more men forward, they left gaps at the back.
And with just minutes remaining, Ronaldo broke the offside trap and unselfishly squared for substitute Quaresma to slide the ball home from ten yards - virtually guarantee his side's progress to the knockout rounds.