Czechia against Latvia

In the end, the free-kick lands straight in the grateful Cech's arms

Free-kick to Latvis from the restart, halfway inside the Czech half. Before it can be taken, Milan Baros, scorer of the Czech equaliser, goes off for Martin Jiranek

...he takes one touch to control, and then fires the ball into the top corner. The Czechs have turned it around to lead 2-1!

Latvia get into all sorts of confusion inside their own penalty area, and the ball reaches Heinz on the edge of the box...

Pahars looks to have found space on the right - not for long, though, as an offside flag stops him in his tracks

Back to the other end - Heinz hits an excellent shot from outside the area, and it clips the top of the bar on its way over. Couldn't get much closer

Petr Cech comes a long way to meet him, and Pahars is penalised for handball when - just for a second - it looked as though he had got away with play going on

...he can't control the ball, and it goes out. Marian Pahars comes on, and Verpakovskis makes way. Soon, Pahars is chasing into the Czech half...

Heinz plays the ball into the area - it's half-cleared and Podborsky is waiting...

Rosicky is sent crashing inside his own half - the free-kick is fed out to Smicer, but good closing down by Latvia ends the danger for now

Now it's a Czech free-kick, Heinz held inside the centre circle. It comes to nothing, however

A rare Latvian foray forward gives them the chance to attack the right side of the Czech defence - it breaks down, but Stepanovs is there. Not for the first time

Nedved races down the right and crosses for Smicer, who steers his header into the side netting

Smicer gets the ball to Nedved, whose cross is disappointing and is cleared by Rubins. Suddenly, Latvia face a long, long last 15 minutes. Can they hold on for a point?

Forward come the Czechs again - substitute Heinz gets a shot in, which is deflected over the top for a corner...

...he takes the ball down and, this time, gets his close-range effort on target. Undisguised relief for the Czechs - it's 1-1

Podborsky gets to the byline ... he just about gets a cross in after some great control. Kolinko can't get there, and Baros is lurking...

That's a move that could result in even more frustration for the Czechs

Latvian change - Juris Laizans, a midfielder, is on for the dangerous Prohorenkovs

...it comes out to Nedved, who fires in a stunning shot. Kolinko meets it with an equally stunning save, tipping the ball away at full stretch

Seconds later, Verpakovskis is only narrowly off-target with a fierce drive from the edge of the area. The Czechs break to win a corner...

...Verpakovskis is on the prowl again, but this time the Czechs - increasingly committed to attack - crowd him out

Blagonadezdins does well to thwart Podborsky inside the area, and here come Latvia...

Nedved crosses for Koller, but the big striker can't get anything on target. Czech frustration is mounting, and even all the good beer in the world won't be of any comfort to those fans watching back home

Prohorenkovs gets free down the left, but balloons a poor cross when he had the time and space to have done something better

Vladimir Smicer is on, with Tomas Galasek making way. Koller tries a volley from outside the area, which is well struck, but too close to Kolinko

...unbelievably, he prods the ball wide. The best Czech chance of the game goes begging

Podborsky crosses, Koller can't get there, but Baros is all alone six yards out...

It's hard to see what the Czechs can do to escape from their rut - Latvia have looked unlikely to even threaten since the break but, as long as they remain comfortable in defence, they won't mind that

...he takes the ball on his chest, but blazes the effort over the bar

Podborsky looks for Baros inside the area - it's a good run...

Latvia try to get the ball forward down the left, but it curves into the path of Cech, who collects under no pressure

Another Podborsky cross - and another desperate one. It drifts out of play and, even with half an hour still to go, it's hard to see the Czechs equalising if things continue like this

Podborsky then tries a chip into the area - easy as can be for Kolinko. It's got to be better than that...

It's cleared, and hammered back in by Podborksy from distance. It's a fantastic shot, but it comes back off the outside of the post

... and he'll be replacing defender Zdenek Grygera. The Czechs win another corner...

Still few signs of the Czechs springing to life, so they're making a change - striker Marek Heinz is coming on...

Corner to the Czechs - Nedved and Rosicki try to work it short, but the former crosses too long and sees the ball float out for a goal-kick

...Nedved tries a shot, which is deflected and stopped by Kolinko

Verpakovskis makes a nuisance of himself down the right - but the Czechs break forward...

Nedved's chasing around in midfield - he, in particular, needs to try to find something to lift his team's game

Podborsky crosses - straight at Kolinko. In the middle of all that, Zemlinskis has gone down in some pain, and gets gingerly to his feet ... he should be OK to carry on

Jankulovski gets into the area down the left and crosses low - it's cleared, and the Czechs are still struggling to look genuinely dangerous...

Baros gets the ball 30 yards out and has a go - the superb Stepanovs is there again, producing yet another effective block

Rubins looks for Verpakovskis inside the area - but that's Cech's ball all the way

Koller finds Nedved, who falls on the edge of the area - no free-kick, says the referee

Verpakovskis, Latvia's hero of the hour, gets the ball on halfway but can't do anything with it

They win a throw midway inside the Latvia half - Nedved flicks towards Koller, but the giant striker can't get on the end of that one

The Czechs get the second half under way - surely they can't produce the same levels of inertia in the second half as they did over the latter stages of the first

The half-time whistle goes, and Latvia leave the pitch with a lead that nobody - but nobody - could have predicted. 1-0 to them at the break

A stunning blow for the Czechs, who have struggled to live up to their billing as one of the tournament favourites so far

It's a great pass, and a great cross - Verpakovskis turns it into the net and Latvia, astonishingly, have the lead here!

Latvia get a corner and make a mess of it - Baros takes it on, but Stepanovs beats him and finds Prohorenkovs down the left...

Stepanovs makes a fine block as a mistake by Rubins allows Poborsky to whip an effort goalwards - the Latvia defender is having an excellent game

Free-kick to the Czechs in midfield - Rosicky gathers possession. Can the Czechs find a late flurry?

Meanwhile, Latvia are beginning to enjoy themselves - they're putting some neat moves together in midfield

Long ball down the middle from the Latvians - good jump by Bolf for the Czechs. The purpose has gone out of the favourites, who will probably be quite glad to take a break

Nedved tries to stab the ball out wide, but Latvia deal with that and then move forward into midfield and win a free-kick thanks to a foul by Tomas Galusek

At the other end, a deep cross finds Koller offside, and there are growing signs that the Czechs need to find one or two more intelligent attacking ideas

...Rubins swirls the ball in, but it's too high for the striker

Rubins is on the attack once again, and again Verpakovskis is the man in the middle...

Galasek tries a long-ranger, but it's dragged woefully wide to sum up current Czech frustrations. Prague's superlative bars may well be full of people feeling that their team should be doing a bit more than they currently are

The more this game has gone on, the more Latvia are beginning to lose that over-awed look, and the crisper their challenges have become

He's sharp out of the blocks again when a misjudgment looks to have let Koller through, swiping the ball out of harm's way

Good confidence from Kolinko, who steams off his line to gather a cross

Baros runs at the Latvian defence, but is crowded out and then Latvia come forward via sweeping long ball, which is flicked across goal and gathered by Cech

Nedved, seemingly hemmed in on the left, finds space to cross ... Podborsky tries to play the ball back in, but it's too long and goes out for a goal kick

Rubins plays a teasing cross in, aiming for Prohorenkovs but - narrowly - failing to find him

...but Koller can't make anything of the attempted pass to him

Astafjevs almost trips over his own feet for Latvia as he tries to move down the right - the Czechs move forward once more...

That comes to nothing - but, once again, Latvia lose possession cheaply. Bolf tries to find Koller, but he can't find a colleague

Latvia are making life tough for themselves in midfield by giving the ball away much too easily. Nedved takes advantage to have a go at goal, and it's blocked for a corner

At the other end, Bolf is adjudged to have conceded a corner. He looks astonished by the decision, but needn't worry as Petr Cech claims confidently

Great run by Podborsky, carving his way through from halfway after a neat Koller touch. He unleashes a long-range effort, which skims the roof of the net - great strike

...he hits it all wrong, and the wall does its job with a minimum of fuss

Jankulovski is fouled seconds later, in a central position not far outside the Latvian area. Surely one for Nedved to have a go at...

Czech free-kick, on the right of the Latvia area. It's in by Podborsky, and out by Bleidelis

...Zemlinskis clears, and Latvia are beginning to look a little more settled in defence

Corner to the Czechs, which Nedved is masterminding...

Rosicky makes a busy run along the edge of the Latvian penalty area, firing in a powerful shot which Kolinko stops well

Nothing comes of that, however. Podborsky tries another cross for the Czechs, which produces another firm clearing header in the Latvian penalty area

...and the Czech defence scrambles it away for a Latvian throw

Verpakovskis looks lively for Latvia, and earns his side a dangerous free-kick on the right of the area. Rubins takes...

At the other end, Rubins attacks a cross on the edge of the Czech area, but his attempted header is neither flick on nor effort on goal, and Cech gets there easily

Podborksy tries another cross, which falls to Rosicky on the edge of the area. he slices his effort harmlessly wide

Podborsky runs on, and clips a cross in from the left. Latvia clear, and it's a corner...

The Czechs are soon back in possession, though, switching the ball from left to right in midfield

Better from Latvia, who used their wide players intelligently and nearly earned an unexpected reward

Rubins tries to sweep in a cross from the Latvia left, but it's cleared. Back they come, and Verpakovskis only just fails to get on the end of a teasing cross from the opposite flank

Baros is having a good game - he finds Nedved, who nearly finds Koller at the far post, but keeper Kolinko gets a crucial touch to divert the ball away from the number nine

Plenty of early attacking intent from the Czech Republic, but Latvia are holding firm at the back so far

Nedved hits a shot from the edge of the area - Stepanovs is there to block. Nedved then finds Jankulovski who, seven yards out at an angle, can only bend his effort wide

...and Podborsky's attempted cross is cleared. Koller tries another flick when the ball is played back in, but nobody's anywhere near getting on the end of that

Podborsky looks for the giant figure of Koller - Stepanovs puts it away for a corner...

Forward come this game's red-hot favourites - Baros finds some space towards the edge of the Latvian area, but his effort is dragged harmlessly wide of the far post

The Czechs clear the corner with almost disadainful ease - but the cross that earned it was a good one, and an encouraging moment for Latvia

Prohorenskovs tries to flip a ball into the Czech penalty area - it's cleared, but when it comes back in from the same player, Jankulovski has to put it behind for a corner

Grygera finds Podborsky again - same side of the pitch, same intent to cross - but he overruns it and the ball's behind for a goal-kick to Latvia

Baros finds Podborski, wide on the right. He crosses towards Nedved, but the Juve midfielder won't get to that one

Verpakouskis is fouled by Tomas Vjifalusi, but the free-kick - taken from midway inside the Czech half - poses no problems whatseoever for Petr Cech

Latvia's Imants Bleidelis tries an optimistic shot, but it flies harmlessly out of harm's way

A couple of very early warning shots from the Czech Republic, who were so impressive in qualifying

He plays a cross in towards the far post, but it's a little too long. From the goal-kick, the Czechs move the ball through to Baros, but the flag is up

The Latvians get the game under way, and play an early long ball forward - it's cleared and Czech superstar Nedved is in possession...

Latvia are only minutes away from kick-off in a fixture few would have expected them to even have reached ... how will they cope against one of the tournament favourites?

...he takes the ball down and, this time, gets his close-range effort on target. Undisguised relief for the Czechs - it's 1-1

Podborsky gets to the byline ... he just about gets a cross in after some great control. Kolinko can't get there, and Baros is lurking...

That's a move that could result in even more frustration for the Czechs

Latvian change - Juris Laizans, a midfielder, is on for the dangerous Prohorenkovs

...it comes out to Nedved, who fires in a stunning shot. Kolinko meets it with an equally stunning save, tipping the ball away at full stretch

Seconds later, Verpakovskis is only narrowly off-target with a fierce drive from the edge of the area. The Czechs break to win a corner...

...Verpakovskis is on the prowl again, but this time the Czechs - increasingly committed to attack - crowd him out

Blagonadezdins does well to thwart Podborsky inside the area, and here come Latvia...

Nedved crosses for Koller, but the big striker can't get anything on target. Czech frustration is mounting, and even all the good beer in the world won't be of any comfort to those fans watching back home

Prohorenkovs gets free down the left, but balloons a poor cross when he had the time and space to have done something better

Vladimir Smicer is on, with Tomas Galasek making way. Koller tries a volley from outside the area, which is well struck, but too close to Kolinko

...unbelievably, he prods the ball wide. The best Czech chance of the game goes begging

Podborsky crosses, Koller can't get there, but Baros is all alone six yards out...

It's hard to see what the Czechs can do to escape from their rut - Latvia have looked unlikely to even threaten since the break but, as long as they remain comfortable in defence, they won't mind that

...he takes the ball on his chest, but blazes the effort over the bar

Podborsky looks for Baros inside the area - it's a good run...

Latvia try to get the ball forward down the left, but it curves into the path of Cech, who collects under no pressure

Another Podborsky cross - and another desperate one. It drifts out of play and, even with half an hour still to go, it's hard to see the Czechs equalising if things continue like this

Podborsky then tries a chip into the area - easy as can be for Kolinko. It's got to be better than that...

It's cleared, and hammered back in by Podborksy from distance. It's a fantastic shot, but it comes back off the outside of the post

... and he'll be replacing defender Zdenek Grygera. The Czechs win another corner...

Still few signs of the Czechs springing to life, so they're making a change - striker Marek Heinz is coming on...

Corner to the Czechs - Nedved and Rosicki try to work it short, but the former crosses too long and sees the ball float out for a goal-kick

...Nedved tries a shot, which is deflected and stopped by Kolinko

Verpakovskis makes a nuisance of himself down the right - but the Czechs break forward...

Nedved's chasing around in midfield - he, in particular, needs to try to find something to lift his team's game

Podborsky crosses - straight at Kolinko. In the middle of all that, Zemlinskis has gone down in some pain, and gets gingerly to his feet ... he should be OK to carry on

Jankulovski gets into the area down the left and crosses low - it's cleared, and the Czechs are still struggling to look genuinely dangerous...

Baros gets the ball 30 yards out and has a go - the superb Stepanovs is there again, producing yet another effective block

Rubins looks for Verpakovskis inside the area - but that's Cech's ball all the way

Koller finds Nedved, who falls on the edge of the area - no free-kick, says the referee

Verpakovskis, Latvia's hero of the hour, gets the ball on halfway but can't do anything with it

They win a throw midway inside the Latvia half - Nedved flicks towards Koller, but the giant striker can't get on the end of that one

The Czechs get the second half under way - surely they can't produce the same levels of inertia in the second half as they did over the latter stages of the first

The half-time whistle goes, and Latvia leave the pitch with a lead that nobody - but nobody - could have predicted. 1-0 to them at the break

A stunning blow for the Czechs, who have struggled to live up to their billing as one of the tournament favourites so far

It's a great pass, and a great cross - Verpakovskis turns it into the net and Latvia, astonishingly, have the lead here!

Latvia get a corner and make a mess of it - Baros takes it on, but Stepanovs beats him and finds Prohorenkovs down the left...

Stepanovs makes a fine block as a mistake by Rubins allows Poborsky to whip an effort goalwards - the Latvia defender is having an excellent game

Free-kick to the Czechs in midfield - Rosicky gathers possession. Can the Czechs find a late flurry?

Meanwhile, Latvia are beginning to enjoy themselves - they're putting some neat moves together in midfield

Long ball down the middle from the Latvians - good jump by Bolf for the Czechs. The purpose has gone out of the favourites, who will probably be quite glad to take a break

Nedved tries to stab the ball out wide, but Latvia deal with that and then move forward into midfield and win a free-kick thanks to a foul by Tomas Galusek

At the other end, a deep cross finds Koller offside, and there are growing signs that the Czechs need to find one or two more intelligent attacking ideas

...Rubins swirls the ball in, but it's too high for the striker

Rubins is on the attack once again, and again Verpakovskis is the man in the middle...

Galasek tries a long-ranger, but it's dragged woefully wide to sum up current Czech frustrations. Prague's superlative bars may well be full of people feeling that their team should be doing a bit more than they currently are

The more this game has gone on, the more Latvia are beginning to lose that over-awed look, and the crisper their challenges have become

He's sharp out of the blocks again when a misjudgment looks to have let Koller through, swiping the ball out of harm's way

Good confidence from Kolinko, who steams off his line to gather a cross

Baros runs at the Latvian defence, but is crowded out and then Latvia come forward via sweeping long ball, which is flicked across goal and gathered by Cech

Nedved, seemingly hemmed in on the left, finds space to cross ... Podborsky tries to play the ball back in, but it's too long and goes out for a goal kick

Rubins plays a teasing cross in, aiming for Prohorenkovs but - narrowly - failing to find him

...but Koller can't make anything of the attempted pass to him

Astafjevs almost trips over his own feet for Latvia as he tries to move down the right - the Czechs move forward once more...

That comes to nothing - but, once again, Latvia lose possession cheaply. Bolf tries to find Koller, but he can't find a colleague

Latvia are making life tough for themselves in midfield by giving the ball away much too easily. Nedved takes advantage to have a go at goal, and it's blocked for a corner

At the other end, Bolf is adjudged to have conceded a corner. He looks astonished by the decision, but needn't worry as Petr Cech claims confidently

Great run by Podborsky, carving his way through from halfway after a neat Koller touch. He unleashes a long-range effort, which skims the roof of the net - great strike

...he hits it all wrong, and the wall does its job with a minimum of fuss

Jankulovski is fouled seconds later, in a central position not far outside the Latvian area. Surely one for Nedved to have a go at...

Czech free-kick, on the right of the Latvia area. It's in by Podborsky, and out by Bleidelis

...Zemlinskis clears, and Latvia are beginning to look a little more settled in defence

Corner to the Czechs, which Nedved is masterminding...

Rosicky makes a busy run along the edge of the Latvian penalty area, firing in a powerful shot which Kolinko stops well

Nothing comes of that, however. Podborsky tries another cross for the Czechs, which produces another firm clearing header in the Latvian penalty area

...and the Czech defence scrambles it away for a Latvian throw

Verpakovskis looks lively for Latvia, and earns his side a dangerous free-kick on the right of the area. Rubins takes...

At the other end, Rubins attacks a cross on the edge of the Czech area, but his attempted header is neither flick on nor effort on goal, and Cech gets there easily

Podborksy tries another cross, which falls to Rosicky on the edge of the area. he slices his effort harmlessly wide

Podborsky runs on, and clips a cross in from the left. Latvia clear, and it's a corner...

The Czechs are soon back in possession, though, switching the ball from left to right in midfield

Better from Latvia, who used their wide players intelligently and nearly earned an unexpected reward

Rubins tries to sweep in a cross from the Latvia left, but it's cleared. Back they come, and Verpakovskis only just fails to get on the end of a teasing cross from the opposite flank

Baros is having a good game - he finds Nedved, who nearly finds Koller at the far post, but keeper Kolinko gets a crucial touch to divert the ball away from the number nine

Plenty of early attacking intent from the Czech Republic, but Latvia are holding firm at the back so far

Nedved hits a shot from the edge of the area - Stepanovs is there to block. Nedved then finds Jankulovski who, seven yards out at an angle, can only bend his effort wide

...and Podborsky's attempted cross is cleared. Koller tries another flick when the ball is played back in, but nobody's anywhere near getting on the end of that

Podborsky looks for the giant figure of Koller - Stepanovs puts it away for a corner...

Forward come this game's red-hot favourites - Baros finds some space towards the edge of the Latvian area, but his effort is dragged harmlessly wide of the far post

The Czechs clear the corner with almost disadainful ease - but the cross that earned it was a good one, and an encouraging moment for Latvia

Prohorenskovs tries to flip a ball into the Czech penalty area - it's cleared, but when it comes back in from the same player, Jankulovski has to put it behind for a corner

Grygera finds Podborsky again - same side of the pitch, same intent to cross - but he overruns it and the ball's behind for a goal-kick to Latvia

Baros finds Podborski, wide on the right. He crosses towards Nedved, but the Juve midfielder won't get to that one

Verpakouskis is fouled by Tomas Vjifalusi, but the free-kick - taken from midway inside the Czech half - poses no problems whatseoever for Petr Cech

Latvia's Imants Bleidelis tries an optimistic shot, but it flies harmlessly out of harm's way

A couple of very early warning shots from the Czech Republic, who were so impressive in qualifying

He plays a cross in towards the far post, but it's a little too long. From the goal-kick, the Czechs move the ball through to Baros, but the flag is up

The Latvians get the game under way, and play an early long ball forward - it's cleared and Czech superstar Nedved is in possession...

Latvia are only minutes away from kick-off in a fixture few would have expected them to even have reached ... how will they cope against one of the tournament favourites?