Matusovic misses Czech cut
Wednesday, June 2, 2004
Article summary
Miroslav Matusovic missed out as Czech coach Karel Brückner named his final UEFA EURO 2004™ squad.
Article body
Miroslav Matusovic was the unfortunate man to miss out as the Czech Republic coach Karel Brückner trimmed his squad to 23 players following the 3-1 victory against fellow UEFA EURO 2004™ finalists Bulgaria in Prague.
Training camp
The 23-year-old forward, who helped FC Baník Ostrava to win the Czech championship with ten goals in his first full season in top flight, was surprisingly called up to last week's training camp in Austria. He scored in Sunday's 6-0 victory against an Austrian lower division team, but was unable to win his first full cap.
Plašil progress
Brückner left Matusovic on the substitutes' bench for the match with Bulgaria, while AS Monaco FC midfield player Jaroslav Plašil – whose place was also thought to be in doubt – scored a brilliant goal four minutes after his introduction as a second-half substitute.
Worries eased
With hospital examinations showing that injured forwards Jan Koller and Vratislav Lokvenc will both be fit in time, Matusovic was surplus to requirements in the party. The striker, who turned down Brückner’s offer to go to Portugal as a spectator, was understandably disappointed with the decision but said: "I have a good feeling that I did all the best I could. I will cross my fingers at home."
Czech Republic squad
Goalkeepers
Jaromír Blazek (AC Sparta Praha)
Petr Cech (Stade Rennais FC)
Antonín Kinský (FC Saturn Moskovskaya Oblast)
Defenders
René Bolf (FC Baník Ostrava)
Zdenek Grygera (AFC Ajax)
Tomáš Hübschmann (AC Sparta Praha)
Marek Jankulovski (Udinese Calcio)
Martin Jiránek (Reggina Calcio)
Pavel Mareš (FC Zenit St. Peterburg)
David Rozehnal (Club Brugge KV)
Tomáš Ujfaluši (Hamburger SV)
Midfield players
Tomáš Galásek (AFC Ajax)
Pavel Nedved (Juventus FC)
Jaroslav Plašil (AS Monaco FC)
Karel Poborský (AC Sparta Praha)
Tomáš Rosický (BV Borussia Dortmund)
Vladimír Šmicer (Liverpool FC)
Roman Týce (TSV 1860 München)
Štepán Vachoušek (Olympique de Marseille)
Forwards
Milan Baroš (Liverpool FC)
Marek Heinz (FC Baník Ostrava)
Jan Koller (BV Borussia Dortmund)
Vratislav Lokvenc (1. FC Kaiserslautern)
