Disappointment abounded for yours truly last night as the Czechs fell mightily to the favoured Portugese 3-1 and the Swiss lost in the last minute to the Turks 2-1 in Group A.


Portugal were ahead 1-0 on Deco's goal before the first 10 minutes had transpired

Whilst the loss is not disasterous for the Czechs, who can still make it to the quarterfinals if they beat Turkey, the Swiss are unofficially out of the tournament becoming the first team since the Belgians in 2000 to fail as a host team to qualify to the next round. The Portugese guaranteed themselves first place and will face the 2nd place team of Group B.

The Czechs played rather brilliantly at times with the slow and tree-like striker 6'8Jan Koller on the bench for the first half. Libor Sionko, who scored the equaliser in the first half and Milan Baros, who seems a different player in international tournaments, played wonderfully together for naught. The Portugese were fluid at all times although their back line and indeed their keeper have been in part, exposed as a potential flaw in the later rounds.

After falling behind early 1-0, the Czechs attacked and threatened and pressured until Sionka's equaliser. But the second half was a bit gloomier and the Portugese seemed their goal would come inevitably as it did. And just when the Czechs seemed on the very precipice of equalising, the Portugese counter-attacked and only because he passed off to his teammate was Ronaldo deprived a 2nd match goal.



The Turks, well, they made it past the Swiss on a last minute goal by Arda and did it in a rain so intense there was serious contemplation of postponement.

Either due to the rain or the inept offense the game had all the charm of the recent France-Romania tie but you at least got the feeling these two were trying.