Gunners to see more of the same from Rosicky, says Cech
Rosicky turned in one of the finest individual performances in the World Cup so far to inspire the Czech Republic to a handsome win over the United States in Gelsenkirchen.
Taking maximum advantage of the space offered to him by an admittedly poor US outfit, Rosicky scored twice, the first a memorable 30-yard strike which arrowed into the corner, and was only denied a hat-trick when another long-range piledriver came crashing back off the crossbar.
The one-man masterclass proved exactly why Arsene Wenger was so keen to get the 25-year-old’s move from Borussia Dortmund tied up before the tournament began.
“I see Tomas in training all the time, so that kind of performance comes as no surprise to me,” said Cech.
“He is always capable of it. He does it quite regularly for the national team. It was probably important for the Arsenal fans though. Now they realise exactly what he can do. He is a really good player and I am sure he will do well for them.”
The plaudits were not confined to team-mates either.
After spending a fruitless 90 minutes scurrying around trying to stop him, United States skipper Claudio Reyna is equally impressed by Rosicky’s qualities and believes the midfielder has signed for exactly the right club.
“Rosicky will be an instant hit in England,” said Reyna. “He is so quick and fast with the ball. When you consider the way Arsenal play, he is probably joining the perfect club.
“From what I have encountered by playing against him, he will undoubtedly be one of the top players in the Premiership.”
However, before he starts thrilling the fans at Arsenal’s magnificent new Emirates Stadium, Rosicky has more urgent matters to attend to.
Considering the age of their squad, few expect the Czech Republic to emulate their semi-final appearance at Euro 2004.
However, Monday’s impressive display sent out a clear message, even if it came at a cost, with Jan Koller expected to join Milan Baros on the sidelines for Saturday’s clash with Ghana in Cologne.
Thankfully for the Czechs, Koller’s injury is not as bad as it was feared when he collapsed in agony towards the end of the first half, although it could be the knock-out phase at the earliest before he is seen again.
With Brazil the likely last 16 opponents for the side finishing runner-up in Group E, there is an obvious need to finish top.
Having gained so much experience on his own with Chelsea and with the likes of Rosicky, Pavel Nedved and Karel Poborsky among his team-mates, Cech is confident the goal can be achieved.
And he is happy to refute the theory of the Czech squad being too old.
“The USwere younger than us and very athletic but in the last 20 minutes we were the ones doing most of the running,” he said.
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