Czechs far too slick and polished for dazzled Danes
Skill was the essential arbiter as the Czech Republic set up a semi-final with Greece in the same Dragáo Stadium on Thursday. They were altogether too slick and polished for an earnest Denmark.
The Czechs played with little inspiration for 45 minutes and one wondered whether the exertions of having to come from behind three times to overtake and beat Latvia, Netherlands and Germany had taken their toll.
But after a subdued first-half they bestirred themselves to produce the delightful football we have come to expect from them.
In the process the established superstars like Nedved, Poborsky and Rosicky willingly created space on their exalted podium for 23-years-old Milan Baros whose two goals stamped him as a force of real merit.
The eventual superiority of the Czechs came as a minor surprise given the promise shown by Denmark in the first half when they processed an interesting tactical formation with relative success.
Essentially they had a defensive line of three, the fashionable diamond formation of four in central midfield and three front-runners.
Where they differed from other teams attempting to operate from a 'diamond' was their use of Gronkjaer wide right and Jorgensen of the Italian club, Udinese, wide left in front of Bogelund. Occasionally Gronkjaer and Jorgensen switched, but always they stayed wide near the touchlines.
The blond-headed Christian Poulsen was the holding midfielder with support from Gravesen, operating just in front of the defensive line and Claus Jensen was always just a couple of strides behind centre-forward Jon Dahl Tomasson.
Jensen, from Charlton Athletic, was in the team in place of the injured Ebbe Sand (Schalke 04), and the Danes were also short, Dennis Rommedahl (Eindhoven), whose replacement was Bogelund (Eindhoven), and in neither case was the enforced change to their advantage.
Sand whose energetic work as spearhead contributed so much to Tomasson's run of three goals in the tournament was a particular loss. Tomasson was not the same force as he had been when playing as support striker for Jensen was unable to offer him the backing he needed to upset an authoritative defence.
Gronkjaer and Jorgensen stayed so wide they were always available to accept the ball from their defenders and, in consequence, Denmark had much more of the ball first half. The pity of it, from their point of view, was that they achieved so little with it.
The wingers' service was rarely calculated and they wasted so much good approach work it was almost criminal. While the Czechs eased into their attacking mode Denmark had the opportunity to stake their claim to a semi-final place and they spurned it.
The Czechs, so talented individually, so artistic and imaginative in their intricate team play, punished them severely once they hit their stride. It was as if they waited until the burning heat of another steaming day in Porto had cooled before bestirring themselves.
Their second half tempo was so much more dynamic, so full of crisp passing, swift running off the ball and conscientious support of the man in possession, one wondered what transformation had taken place during the interval.
Where earlier they had been indolent and relaxed, now they were suddenly sharp and incisive. There was a pattern and a rhythm to their football that made Denmark's work look laboured and their finishing was devastating.
They were helped, of course, by a goal of incredible simplicity, one that simply should not be tolerated at this level. Poborsky's corner from the right wing in the 49th minute found the giant Koller jumping un-opposed ten yards out to head a goal such as he might expect to score in the kick-about.
From there, however, everything was about Czech style and flair. There was an arrogant swish and swirl to their football that was entertaining and effective. They stepped up the level of their play to create two glorious goals and elevate Milan Baros to the top of the goalscoring league in this championship with an aggregate of five.
Baros scored his first in the 63rd minute with a gesture of extravagance. He took the ball clear after Koller, Galasek and Poborsky had combined to give him a run on goal and he waited for goalkeeper Sorensen to commit himself before gently lifting the ball over his body and into the net.
Within two minutes Baros thrust a devastating dagger to the heart of an out-classed Denmark when he surged onto Nedved's perceptive pass. Baros was running from right to left across the penalty area and he spun and hit a vicious left-foot shot that flew in to kill the tie.
Cech; Jiranek (Grygera 38), Bolf (Rozehnal 65), Ujfalusi, Jankulovski; Poborsky, Rosicky, Galasek, Nedved; Koller, Baros (Heinz 71).
Sorensen; Helveg, Laursen, Henriksen; Claus Jensen (Madsen 71),Poulsen, Gravesen, Bogelund; Gronkjaer (Rommedahl 78), Tomasson, Jorgensen.
Mr V. Ivanov (Russia).
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