Courtesy: UEFA.com

Mares pair give Czechs chance

Tuesday, 20 February 2007

by Ladislav Josef & Paul Saffer

Brothers Roman and Michal Mareš are the key as the Czech Republic aim to return to the UEFA European Futsal Championship finals two years after staging the event.

Vital inclusions
The Czechs just missed out on the semi-finals in Ostrava, defeating former finalists Ukraine but then losing to Russia and the Netherlands. This time they are in Split for qualifying round Group E from Thursday, with hosts Croatia, ambitious Kazakhstan and Bosnia-Herzegovina also involved. And the inclusion of the brothers Mareš, in the opinion of coach Tomáš Neumann, makes the Czechs 30 per cent stronger.

Comebacks
Free-scoring Roman, 31, was the focal point of the national team for many years but after the 2005 finals, when he appeared only against Ukraine, he quit to concentrate on his club career with Russian giants MFK Dina Moskva along with Michal, 30 last week. But the pair have now returned home to play for second division Pramen Havlíèkuv Brod, and are back in the fold, hoping to recapture the form of 2003 when they helped the Czechs to the semi-finals. Also making a comeback is former top-flight footballer Jaroslav Kamenický, while another player from the large-sided game, Tomáš Sluka, has got last-minute permission to compete from his club SFC Opava. Two ex-football internationals, Horst Siegl and Jiøí Novotný, signed for futsal team Benago Praha last week but, in their late 30s, are not in contention for this squad.

Italian reverse
The presence of Mareš, Mareš and Co will be welcome as the Czechs' most recent friendly result was a 7-1 defeat last month in Italy, a day after a 3-0 reverse. Last October they held Italy 4-4 in a tournament in Brazil, but a day later suffered an inauspicious 2-0 loss to Croatia. However, the final-day showdown of this mini-tournament will be special for Czech captain captain Lukáš Rešetár, who has recently signed for Croatian champions MNK Split.

Useful results
Croatia themselves have not qualified since 2001, the Czechs having barred their way to the 2003 edition before Hungary denied them two years ago. They too have suffered heavy friendly defeats by Italy recently, but sharpened up with two January wins against F.Y.R. Macedonia and in the Caxias Do Sul in Brazil, where they overcame Croatia. They also beat Argentina on penalties for third place behind the hosts and the Azzurri after a 0-0 draw.

Kazakh potential
Kazakhstan may not be able to call on the Brazilians that have made Kairat Almaty such a force in the UEFA Futsal Cup, but their spectacular performance in the preliminary round, where they defeated Georgia, Malta and Cyprus with ease, has made them potential dangers. Last weekend they continued that winning form against AFC Asian Futsal Championship semi-finalists Kyrgyzstan with 5-3 and 3-0 friendly victories in Almaty.

Bosnian form
Bosnia-Herzegovina have not been in action for a year, but in those friendlies last January they twice beat Croatia, and their previous results were a win and draw against the Czech Republic. Only a loss to holders Italy denied them a place in Ostrava two years ago, and just before that they came close to FIFA Futsal World Cup qualification, knocking out Russia before a defeat over two legs to the Czechs. However, their opening schedule of games against Croatia then the Czech Republic may not be a good omen - in their first two 2003 qualifiers they lost to those nations in that order.



Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com