Baros thrives for irresistible Czechs against bewildered Dutch

Czech Republic 3 Holland 2

The Czech Republic reached the last eight of Euro 2004 in a bewildering 90 minutes of attacking football on Saturday night.

The 22-year-old Liverpool striker fired in the Czechs' equalising goal as they staged a remarkable comeback to beat Holland and become the first country to make it to the quarter-finals.

"I am happy, we have shown our character and shown everyone that we can overcome problems. I hope that we keep playing as well and that my personal form continues like this."

Baros was keener to discuss the Czechs' outstanding contribution to the tournament and the all-out attacking style that is winning them so many friends.

"It was a great game and we knew exactly what we wanted before the game. We knew that three points would put us into the quarter-finals and we went for it. It is a great feeling for us now, but it was not exactly how we planned it, going 2-0 down like that at the beginning.

"Just like against Latvia when we were behind, we had to make a comeback."

The whole essence of the Czech approach was summed up when coach Karel Bruckner made a telling substitution after they had conceded twice in the first 23 minutes.

Before the restart, struggling full-back Zdenek Grygera was taken off, attacking midfielder Vladimir Smicer was put on to partner the excellent Pavel Nedved and Karel Poborsky was asked to be an attacking wing back.

Foolhardy or genius, it rocked Holland on their heels and the Czechs never looked back, with Nedved, Baros, Tomas Rosicky and Smicer running riot against an increasingly flustered Dutch side.

Baros said: "The turning point for us was scoring a goal so quickly after Holland had gone two up, if it had gone on too long like that it could have been a different story. But Jan 9Koller) finished off my cross and we were right back in it."

He added: "From that point we started to play better football and changed the game around. How far can we go? I do not know, we must approach it game by game and then we will see where we are."

Netherlands striker Ruud van Nistelrooy said he could not fathom how his side threw away a two-goal lead to leave the 1988 champions teetering on the brink of elimination.

"We have to get this heartache out of our system," declared 27-year-old van Nistelrooy.

Dutch coach Dick Advocaat came under fire for his substitutions, notably the removal of Arjen Robben, and elimination would almost certainly spell the end of his reign as Netherlands coach.

CZECH REPUBLIC: Cech, Grygera (Smicer 24), Ujfalusi, Jiranek, Jankulovski, Galasek (Heinz 62), Poborsky, Rosicky, Nedved, Baros, Koller (Rozehnal 75).

HOLLAND: Van der Sar, Heitinga, Stam, Bouma, Van Bronckhorst, Seedorf (Van der Vaart 86), Cocu, Davids, Van der Meyde (Reiziger 79), van Nistelrooy, Robben (Bosvelt 58).

Referee: Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain).