first day of euro 2008

[steaner]

Euro 2008 - Czechs edge Swiss in opener


A second-half goal from Vaclav Sverkos earned the Czech Republic a 1-0 victory against co-hosts Switzerland in the opening game of Euro 2008 at the St Jakob-Park stadium in Basel.


Switzerland enjoyed the better of the chances throughout the game, with captain Alexander Frei going close three times in the first half before leaving the pitch in tears after picking up a knee injury that looks to have ruled him out for the rest of the tournament.
They were eventually undone by substitute Sverkos's strike with 20 minutes of the game remaining, moments after Frei's replacement Hakan Yakin had put a free header wide from 10 yards at the other end.
Johan Volanthen wasted Switzerland's best chance to equalise when he fired against the woodwork from close range, and the Czechs held firm to secure an important early win.
The game began at a frenetic pace in front of a raucous crowd, and Frei saw a low right-footed effort from 25 yards whistle just wide of the left-hand post with less than two minutes on the clock.
The Czechs looked to make use of the height of giant striker Jan Koller with a series of crosses from promising wide positions, but Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio was rarely troubled as the 'home' side went on the offensive.
Valon Behrami and Gokhan Inler tested Petr Cech's concentration with a couple of swerving efforts that demonstrated the much-criticised lightness of the balls being used at the tournament, before the Chelsea goalkeeper was forced to race from his line to save at the feet of Frei.
Frei recently became his country's all-time leading scorer and he stang Cech's palms with a fierce effort from 25 yards before being forced to retire with a knee injury after being caught by Czech defender Zdenek Grygera shortly before half-time.
Switzerland continued to press after the break, with Yakin bending a free-kick over the crossbar and then directing a header wide of Cech's left-hand upright when he should have hit the target.
And less than five minutes later the Czechs went ahead, when Sverkos - a surprise second-half replacement for Koller - latched onto a header into the Swiss box before guiding the ball past Benaglio with the outside of his right foot.
Kobi Kuhn's men responded by flooding forward, and with 10 minutes to play they should have equalised when Vonlanthen fired against the crossbar from eight yards after Cech had turned away a low effort from Tranquillo Barnetta.
Switzerland had a strong penalty shout turned down deep into injury time when Tomas Ujfalusi appeared to use his arm to block a flick from substitute Eren Derdiyok, meaning the Swiss were left to reflect on the missed opportunities that mean they are still looking for their first ever win at the European Championships.

Euro 2008 - Slick Portugal put paid to Turkey


Well-crafted second-half goals from Pepe and Raul Meireles earned Portugal a 2-0 victory over Turkey in their opening Euro 2008 match at the Stade de Geneve in Geneva.


Real Madrid centre-half Pepe had a goal ruled out for offside after a quarter of an hour, while Cristiano Ronaldo hit a free-kick against the post shortly before half-time.
Nuno Gomes struck the woodwork minutes before Pepe's opener midway through the second period, and did so again moments after, before substitute Meireles rounded Turkey goalkeeper Volkan Demirel in injury time to seal the victory and claim top spot in Group A for the Portuguese.
Portugal began the game strongly and saw plenty of the ball, with a rather pathetic dive by Tuncay Sanli the only attacking intervention of note from Turkey in the game's opening exchanges.
Pepe thought he had given Portugal the lead when he headed Simao Sabrosa's left-wing cross past Volkan after 17 minutes, but the linesman's flag was correctly raised.
Having been quiet to begin with, man-of-the-moment Ronaldo gave a cameo of his talents on the half-hour mark when he ghosted past three opposition players before dragging a shot wide of the left-hand upright.
Moments later he went even closer with a skidding free-kick from wide on the left that was brilliantly tipped onto the far post by Volkan.
Portugal upped their attacking efforts in the closing minutes of the first period, with Mehmet Aurelio almost flicking Simao's inswinging corner past his own goalkeeper and Joao Moutinho having a shot brilliantly diverted over the crossbar by Gokhan Zan.
The woodwork came to Turkey's rescue again after five minutes of the second half when Nuno Gomes steered a shot against the post from the edge of the box before Ronaldo skipped away from Hamit Altintop on the Portugal left and drew a save from Volkan with a curling effort towards the bottom-right corner.
Turkey were finding it difficult to get out of their half, and minutes later Portugal broke the deadlock in style when Pepe burst forward from the back and exchanged passes with Nuno Gomes before dinking the ball past Volkan via a slight deflection off Turkey substitute Emre Asik.
A header against the crossbar from Nuno Gomes saw Portugal strike the woodwork for the third time in the match, before Emre Asik put a free header wide of Ricardo's goal from a right-wing corner.
Injury time was extended to four minutes after Aurelio caught Portugal substitute Nani with a dangerous high challenge, and Luiz Felipe Scolari's men took full advantage, with Meireles stepping past Volkan and slotting home after being brilliantly set up by Moutinho.