"Le Monde" after Antonov / AFP
StoryTop 30 matches that marked the Euro. Until 2021, "Le Monde" has classified the matches that made the legend of the tournament. In 19th position, the Czechs playing the all-out attack to counter the Dutch in a magnificent match, in the group stage.
Only one week has passed since the opening match of Euro 2004. However, on this Saturday, June 19, no one imagines that we have already tasted dessert when the Czech Republic overthrows the Netherlands in Aveiro (3-2).
To the discharge of the observers, it is difficult to realize that we have already witnessed the best of the competition when we are facing a second group match, a simple hors d'oeuvre normally. Fifteen days of competition remain, which, moreover, will be marked by the unpredictability of the anesthetic injections that the Greek troops of Otto Rehhagel will administer to their French, Czech and Portuguese patients to seize the trophy on July 4.
But let's go back two weeks. Eternal favorites of the competition, the Dutch of Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf or Ruud van Nistelrooy take the Golden Ball Pavel Nedved and his team mates in the throat. From the 4the minute, left-hander Arjen Robben takes a free kick from the right for Bouma's crossed head. Then, a few minutes later, a class action class allows the left foot of Robben to address an offer to his striker Van Nistelrooy.
Hollywood accents
In a scenario that begins to take on Hollywood accents, the Czechs revive in less than five minutes thanks to an unexpected and ephemeral hero, Milan Baros. The Liverpool player, future Lyonnais, resists the load of the defenders to cleverly shift the giant Jan Koller. Edgar Davids fails to kill the encounter with a tense, low-angle shot that fails on the post.
At this point in the match, instead of opting for a wait-and-see attitude like a good French Ligue 1 coach, Czech coach Karel Brückner begins to take risks. It comes out on the 25e minute a defender for offense Vladimir Smicer. Before squarely blowing the charge of its cavalry at the hour of play. When defender Tomas Galasek is replaced by striker Marek Heinz, the Czech team evolves with three defenders, four attacking midfielders (Nedved, Poborsky, Rosicky and Smicer) and three attackers.
This stroke of poker, which borders on unconsciousness, turns to a daring and victorious maneuver. Nedved delivers an air opening in the opponent's full surface, Jan Koller deflects the ball from the chest towards Milan Baros whose half-volley leaves Edwin van der Sar helpless.
Rain of fire
Insatiable, the Czechs continue their offensive. Crossbar offers Dutch respite from Pavel Nedved's explosive shot before a shot from Marek Heinz, pushed away by Van der Sar, falls to Karel Poborsky, who only has to serve Vladimir Smicer for the third orgiastic goal.
Cite me a better match in the history of # EURO than this Netherlands – Czech Republic in 2004 … It was it … https://t.co/NB5z8RPm4e
Eight years after their epic finalists, the two comrades of Euro 1996 are still green. With their impertinent teammates, they will finish the first phase with three victories, after eliminating Germany (2-1). In the quarter-finals, the Czechs made short work of the Danes (3-0) and embodied as attractive potential winners. Until meeting the semi-final road of the pragmatic Greeks, insensitive to the offensive romanticism of this second new Czech wave.
Find our selection of matches that marked the Euro
