With the UEFA EURO 2008 tournament from Austria-Switzerland just days away, the Sportable staff will bring you team previews leading up to the opening match. Group by group, we will discuss team rosters, flaws. and chances of being crowned European Champions.

Group A Matches:
June 7th: vs. Switzerland (St. Jakob Park- Basel)
June 11th: vs. Portugal (Stade de Geneve - Geneva)
June 15th: vs. Turkey (Stade de Geneve - Geneva)

No Nedved, No Rosicky, No Hope?
The Czech Republic may have had the quietest qualifying campaign out all 14 qualifiers. Finishing in front of Germany by two points, the Czech Republic will enter this summer’s tourney without the services of Golden Ball winner Pavel Nedved and injured Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky. Is all lost? I think not. With a strong two-headed attack up front and a defense that has made a name for itself, look for the Czechs to make some noise in Group A.

Attack
The Czech Republic has a bit of a balance issue up front. While Milan Baros is probably the best option for the eastern European side I hope that head coach Karel Brückner puts the massive Jan Koller alongside him. Problem is, Koller is like a massive tree stump waiting for the ball. He wont dribble, he won’t move, and he won’t put himself in the optimal scoring positions. With that said, Milan Baros will have to put the nation on his back if they want to advance. With Nedved and Rosicky out, the midfield won’t be in tip-top shape. Libor Sionko and David Jarolim will have full duties in the midfield. But with little help on either side of them, it’s a mystery as to who will feed Baros and Koller the ball. I’m also wondering why David Lafata wasn’t called up to the squad. Lafata, who currently plays for FK Austria Vienna, is a rising star in the Czech Republic and I felt the 27-year-old should have been called up for his striking abilities.

Defense
The Czech Republic’s back line may rank among the top five in the tournament. The defense only allowed five goals in 12 qualifying matches, with one of the goals being an own goal. Petr Cech stands behind a line of credentialed, experienced defenders. Zdenek Grygera, Marek Jankulovski, David Rozehnal and Tomáš Ujfaluši all offer experience and ability. Jankulovski is a beast on the wings and can easily move up field to help out. I would classify him as a player of Gianluca Zambrotta’s quality. Grygera stepped in to fill the shoes of Jorge Andrade during the recent Juventus campaign and played excellent in central defense. As Grygera and Jankulovski hold it down, the experience of Rozehnal and Ujfaluši will make the Czech defense very hard to beat with the elite Cech in goal.

Outlook
I really like what the Czechs have going for them. Their defense is exciting to watch, but I feel that the midfield and Jan Koller’s performance will be the real question. The defense will keep them in games, but how many times can Milan Baros get around opposing defenders to make a difference on the scoreboard? The Czechs have the ability to take down a big squad, as they murdered the Germans 3-0 at Allianz Arena last year, but the chances of repeating a magical effort at the European Championships are slim without the presence of Tomas Rosicky. Without his brilliance in the midfield, I can’t see the Czechs improving on 2004’s trip to the semifinals.

Prediction:
-5 points in Group A.
-A loss to Germany in the Quarterfinals.