It was hardly the most exciting football we've seen but, having yawned through the build-up, it was good to get the action started. I've never been able to see the point of opening ceremonies. After all the excitement of the big race at Epsom, I just wanted to get down to the fitba, instead of watching dancers poncing about on the pitch symbolizing one thing or another. If it was up to me, I would've had Sydney Devine yodelling a version of Edelweiss, a couple of Tartan Army tossers belting out Doh A Deer, then get the feckin game going. Mind you, the bird singing the Swiss national anthem looked kinda tasty.
Having fancied the Czechs to win the opener comfortably, I was encouraged to hear Strap-on and O'Kneel talking up Switzerland . What do they know about it? But for all the Czech Republic's superior skills and organization, it was the Swiss who were getting shots on target in the first half and Petr Cech made a couple of good saves from Alexander Frei. Just as he was in the warm-up game against Scotland eight days ago, Libor Sionko was the Czechs' most dangerous attacker and once or twice he threatened to get in behind the defence.
Switzerland were dealt a blow when Frei limped off just before half-time and the Czechs changed the shape of their side when Vaclav Sverkos replaced the ineffective Jan Koller early in the second half. It proved to be a telling substitution when Sverkos beat the offside trap to score the first goal of the competition after 70 minutes and, with Cech playing behind a back four who ply their trade in Serie A, the home team was always going to struggle to get back into the game. Yet they had a couple of chances, when the ref turned a blind eye to an Ujfalusi hand ball, Cech saved a Barnetta shot and Vonlanthen battered the rebound off the crossbar, then Ujfalusi got out of jail again when the ball once more appeared to strike his arm in injury time.
Perhaps a wee bit lucky to get their tournament off to a winning start, the Czechs can only get better. They will have to improve if they are to beat Portugal in Geneva on Wednesday. The Portuguese certainly turned in a much more impressive performance against Turkey although they took a while to break them down. After dominating a first half in which a Pepe header was disallowed and a Christiano Ronaldo free-kick smashed off the inside of the post, then Nuno Gomes also hit the post early in the second half, they finally opened the scoring after an hour with a well crafted goal from Pepe.
The goal came at a very important point in the game. Having survived a few close calls, the Turks were beginning to believe they could take something from this match and there was always the possibility of Portugal being mugged. But once in front, there was only ever going to be one winner, although a late fresh air shot from Tuncay gave them a wee fright. The woodwork had earlier saved Turkey when a Nuno Gomes header clipped the crossbar and the Portuguese wrapped up the three points right at the death thanks to Raul Meireles.
By the way, I was well pissed off when, having been led to believe I wouldn't have to suffer Ian Wright's idiotic drivel on the box this summer, the clown popped up in the Ladbrokes advert at half-time. God, I wish Coisty would ram than spanner down his throat!!! Bit I digress, having tipped both of the opening day's winners, I headed off to the pub to give myself a big pat on the back and toast my success in Budvar and Super Bock. Heres hoping tomorrow's action isn't clouded by too painful a hangover.
LITTLE BOY BLUE