(Updates after news conference)
By Sonia Oxley
SEEFELD, Austria, June 16 (Reuters) - Czech Republic leave
Euro 2008 feeling shell-shocked and bemused at how they let a
quarter-final place slip through their fingers in a final few
minutes of madness.
Leading 2-0 with 15 minutes to go, they had a last-eight
place firmly within their grasp on Sunday before Turkey stunned
them with three quick goals that left their dreams in tatters
and their coach lost for an explanation.
"There was a mistake, a collapse and then a third goal,"
Karel Brueckner told a news conference the day after what was
long known as his last match in charge before retiring.
"I will not forget this for a very long time," he said
earlier.
The absence of injured playmaker Tomas Rosicky had already
knocked the team before the championship had even started and
Brueckner admitted they had found it hard to plug the gap.
"Because of Rosicky's injury we didn't have the same
quality," said Brueckner.
The Czechs had refused all along to dwell on the absence of
their captain and instead took comfort from the fact that in
Petr Cech they had one of the world's best goalkeepers.
All the more shocking, then, that the man who had saved them
on so many other occasions should make a rare blunder that
handed Turkey an equaliser three minutes from time and gave them
the momentum to score another to send the Czechs home.
"I am going to be upset about this for a long time,
especially because it was my mistake that decided the match,"
newspaper Blesk quoted Cech as saying after he inexplicably
dropped the ball at Nihat Kahveci's feet.
DISAPPOINTING SHOWING
Living up to the pulsating performances that took them to
the semi-finals of Euro 2004 was always going to be hard when
the core of the magical midfield -- Pavel Nedved, Karel Poborsky
and Vladimir Smicer -- had all retired.
Some fans, and several newspaper columnists, would argue the
writing was already on the wall for a disappointing showing this
time round after an up-and-down qualifying campaign.
The fact that Milan Baros, winner of the golden boot four
years ago, had forgotten how to locate the back of the net left
Brueckner relying on 35-year-old Jan Koller as the lone striker.
The tall Koller was ineffective in the lucky 1-0 win over
co-hosts Switzerland in the first Group A match, prompting
Brueckner to make the surprise move of reinstating Baros in the
starting XI for the match against Portugal.
Although they lost that match 3-1, they were buoyed by a
much-improved performance that showed the beginnings of a
coherent attack, thanks to an injection of pace from Baros and
some creative thinking from midfielder Marek Matejovsky.
Brueckner brought back Koller for the final match and he
paid his coach back with his 55th goal in 90 appearances, but
along with defensive midfielder Tomas Galasek, the striker has
hung up his international boots on a heart-breaking note.
It is still unclear who will succeed Brueckner but Czech FA
deputy head Vlastimil Kostal said there could be a decision by
the end of the month.
Kostal said he had resigned as team manager although was
staying on in his other post.
(Editing by Jon Bramley)
