Full quota for Czechs
Sunday, June 13, 2004
Article summary
The Czech Republic will travel north from Sintra to Aveiro on Monday free of injury concerns.
Article body
The Czech Republic players had their last training session in Sintra today before they travel north to Aveiro ahead of their opening UEFA EURO 2004™ match against Latvia on Tuesday.
Dead-ball work
The morning session took place behind closed doors as coach Karel Brückner refined the dead-ball routines that proved such a dangerous weapon for the Czechs in qualifying. With no injury concerns, the whole squad took part and save for any last-minute mishaps, Brückner will have a full quota of players to pick from.
Attacking duo
The Czech coach already seems to have his starting lineup firmly in mind, though he refused to clear up the question mark surrounding their formation. He is expected to retain the same shape from the last friendly against Estonia, with Milan Baroš joining Jan Koller in the forward line.
Big warning
Looking ahead to the match against Latvia, playmaker Tomáš Rosický said it was vital not to take their unfancied opponents lightly. "Portugal's defeat [against Greece] must be a warning to us. They played too much as individuals and we must not do likewise because all the teams considered to be underdogs here are likely to be well-organised too," he said.