Chess player's master tactics

For the second time in succession at UEFA EURO 2004™, keen chess player Karel Brückner's back-up plan produced a dramatic victory to take the Czech Republic through to the quarter-finals as Group D winners.

Wisdom shown
The Czech coach, nicknamed 'Kleki Petrah' by fans because of his resemblance to a Native American teacher from a popular TV series, demonstrated his tactical wisdom once again. In their opening game against Latvia, his side overturned a 1-0 deficit in the closing minutes and facing the Netherlands at the Estádio Municipal de Aveiro last night the task was even more hazardous.

Tactical switch
After a brilliant opening 20 minutes, the Dutch led 2-0. Brückner knew he had to change tack and readied to replace defender Zdenek Grygera with attacking midfield player Vladimír Šmicer. By the time the switch was made, the Czechs had pulled a goal back, but it took until the 71st minute to equalise through Milan Baroš, a goal created by Pavel Nedved who had been given much more space to attack after the introduction of an extra midfield player.

Dramatic end
With just two minutes remaining, Šmicer then turned in the winner to set up a last-eight meeting with the Group C runners-up in Porto next Sunday, regardless of the result in Wednesday's meeting with Germany. Brückner said that his side's victory was not simply a matter of all-out attack.

Tactics explained
"I did not think that it is the same to lose 2-0 or 5-0," he said. "On the contrary, I was convinced we could achieve something with our offensive style." Brückner added that he had experimented with a three-man defence before - and had taken a pounding in the press after it led to a 1-0 defeat by Japan in April.

Invaluable experiment
He said at the time: "These are not our usual tactics, but it can be useful if you have to come from behind. So we had to test this option." Another much-discussed decision that had paid off was to stick with Jan Koller despite his seven-game international goal drought, as he scored the Czech's first and provided the cushioned assist for the second.

Praise for Koller
"His goal dragged us back into the game," said Brückner. He may also look upon Šmicer's winner as a good omen. The Liverpool FC player's first international goal came in the dying moments of their game with Russia at EURO '96™, a dramatic moment that took the Czechs through to the quarter-finals - en route to the final.