Czechs can erase bad memories

Four years after having their hopes shattered at Euro 2000 the Czech Republic once again arrive at a major finals with an outside chance of success.

If they are to claim their first silverware since winning the 1976 European Championship in the former Yugoslavia, however, they will first have to pick a path through a treacherous looking Group D.

At the last European Championship they were grouped with eventual winners France, the Netherlands and Denmark. This time they must face the Dutch again, three-times winners Germany and rank outsiders Latvia.

It is a formidable test but at least the Czechs, who drew with and then beat the Dutch in qualifying, have the chance to erase some recent bad memories from the finals.

At Euro 2000 they outplayed co-hosts the Netherlands, twice hitting the woodwork only to lose 1-0 to a last-minute penalty, a result that paved the way to an early exit.

Four years earlier they unexpectedly reached the final at Wembley but were struck down in the final by Oliver Bierhoff's golden goal for Germany.

Form can be misleading in the build-up to major tournaments but if it can be used in making predictions then the Czechs should progress to the quarter-finals.

DESPERATE NEDVED

With just two defeats in 24 matches since 64-year-old Karel Brueckner took charge and with former European Footballer of the Year Pavel Nedved pulling the strings in midfield, the Czechs should outclass Latvia in their June 19 opener in Aveiro.

Nedved is desperate to succeed, especially after being vilified when the Czechs failed to reach the 2002 World Cup finals. At 31, the Juventus player knows he is running out of time to reward his talent on the international stage.

After Nedved attempts to dismantle Latvia the focus will turn to Tuesday's other Group D match between Germany and the Netherlands in Porto -- one of the true heavyweight fixtures of world football.

Defeat for either team will fuel the criticism spread by woeful friendly results in the weeks leading up to Euro 2004.

Germany suffered a humiliating 5-1 loss in Romania and were jeered off the pitch after a 2-0 home defeat by Hungary while the Netherlands lost to Belgium and Ireland.

The Germans, though, have an uncanny ability to rise to the big occasion and goalkeeper and captain Oliver Kahn, in top form during their journey to the last World Cup final, expects it to be no different this time.

"You will see a totally different Germany," said the inspirational 34-year-old, aiming to help his country to a first victory over the Dutch since a friendly in 1996.

BALLACK FLAIR

Germany's hopes will rest on the shoulders of their one world-class flair player Michael Ballack.

The Dutch are blessed with an abundance of talent but forging it into a functioning unit has been beyond most previous coaches, barring Rinus Michels who steered them to European glory in 1988, their only title to date.

Dick Advocaat is charged with that task this time and he will probably be relieved when the first game kicks off after a build-up marred by poor performances and injury worries.

Experienced midfielder Clarence Seedorf is a definite non-starter against Germany after injuring a hamstring in the 1-0 defeat by Ireland -- a result that has prompted Advocaat to opt for an attacking 4-3-3 system.

Andy van der Meyde, Marc Overmars and Arjen Robben will provide the width, though all three have minor injury worries.

Latvia coach Aleksandrs Starkovs has no such pressure with most people expecting the small Baltic state to return home pointless after he labelled their qualification "a miracle".

Nevertheless, the three big guns will be fearful of becoming the fall guys for one of the freakish results often thrown up in the group stages.

Indeed, Latvia's results could be the decisive factor in a group that is too close to call.