Bouncing Czechs and the Legend of Rehhacles

With their free-flowing football and even freer-flowing hair, the Czech Republic are the dark horses with luscious manes that are taking the European Championships by storm. The only team to get to the semi-finals with a perfect record of four wins so far, the Czechs are looking to maintain their momentum all the way to the final on Sunday.

However, what looks increasingly like one man's unlikely destiny seems to stand between them and the Henri Delauney trophy. That man is the Greek god they call "Rehhacles."

Neither the Czech Republic nor Otto Rehhagel's Greece were among the favourites at the start of the tournament. While the Greeks were rank outsiders, the Czechs were at least spoken of in hushed tones as the possible usurpers of the French throne. As fate would have it, it was the Greek team that put an end to that particular dynasty and set themselves for a battle against the Czech Republic.

No complacency against Greece, warns Cech

Despite their record in the championships to date, the Czech's are preparing for Thursday's semi-final with the Greeks as if they were taking on one of the big guns. Goalkeeper Petr Cech, the man who will act as the last defense, has warned his team against complacency when they face the team formerly known as the minnows of Euro 2004.

"They are well organised, good in defence and not easy to score against," Cech told the team press conference after the Czech Republic ousted Denmark 3-0 in their quarter-final. "Greece are quick on the break. They are a dangerous team but I think we can beat them."

"We have played well at Euro 2004 and in our country everyone is very happy with our performances."

Midfield maestros

While the Czechs have caught the eye with their attacking flair, the creative midfield have been the driving force behind the tournament's leading scorer Milan Baros and fellow striker Jan Koller. Tomas Rosicky, one of the integral cogs in the midfield machine, expects Greece to pose different problems than the Denmark team he helped eliminate on Sunday night.

"It will be a much different game," he said. "They are defensively very good and play on the counter attack so we must be very careful. Denmark combined very well. I thought they played well against us. Greece stay behind and play on counter attacks."

Attacking flair in spades

The Czech Republic scored three times in a 16-minute spell in the second-half of their match with Denmark to seal their place in Thursday's semi-final in Porto. Liverpool striker Milan Baros scored a double in the space of two minutes after Jan Koller had opened the scoring after a dismal first half where the Czechs failed to bounce.

The 22-year-old Baros has been a revelation in Portugal with five goals in four games and has struck up an awesome partnership with the giant Koller and flourished from some excellent service provided by a brilliant midfield which boasts Rosicky, Karel Poborsky and the luminous Pavel Nedved.

"We are very effective at scoring goals," Rosicky told reporters. "But we know that we can play much better. I have played with Milan at various levels in the national team since I was 14 and I know him very well. We have two very good strikers in Milan and Jan Koller. When you have strikers like these it is easier for the rest of the team."

In addition to the abundance of attacking talent, the flamboyant Czechs are also very well drilled at the back. Cech is a remarkable young goalkeeper while defensive midfielder Tomas Galasek superbly shields the back four when his more attacking colleagues go marauding forward. The belief is there for this Czech side to emulate the one that won the European title in 1976.

But they must first beat the Greeks.

Greek warriors fear no-one

Angelos Charisteas, the Werder Bremen striker who home the second-half winner against reigning champions France to book the Greeks a place in the last four, believes his side can reach the final after their sensational 1-0 over Zidane, Henry and team mates.

"Anything can happen now. We must try and play as well as we can and hope for the best," said the current hero in a team full of them. "But certainly the conditions are there for us to go further. I'm pleased to have scored but it's more important we have got into the semi-finals."

Model of play fits to perfection

His team mate Trianos Dellas admitted the Greek's surprise success in Portugal was down to teamwork and preparation. "The beauty of football is that things like this can always happen," said defender Dellas. "The team played the game to perfection and we can only hope that we can produce more performances like this."

Greece coach Otto Rehhagel added: "We do not have Brazilian or English characteristics so my job has been to produce a model that the Greek players are comfortable with."

The Greeks will have Stelios Giannakopoulos available for selection after the midfielder recovered from a niggling calf injury which forced him out of the shock elimination of favourites France. Giannakopoulos should be fit for the semi-final and trained on Sunday for the first time since limping out of Greece's draw with Spain.

Influential midfielder set to return

One of the coaching staff told reporters that his recovery was going well. "The doctor told us he is doing a lot better and is expected to be ready on time."

"On Monday I will start playing with the team for the whole training session and I will be ready for the game," Giannakopoulos said. "I am again playing with the ball, not just jogging, and the leg feels much better so I hope I will be fit to play."

"Every game is tough but at this stage our dream has come true. So now we are dreaming of the final and lifting the cup. All four teams in the semi-finals will have an equal chance. Anything can happen now."

Probable Czech Republic team: Cech, Grygera, Ujfalusi, Bolf, Jankulovski, Poborsky, Galasek, Rosicky, Nedved, Koller, Baros.

Probable Greece team: Nikopolidis, Seitaridis, Dellas, Kapsis, Fyssas, Giannakopoulos, Karagounis, Zagorakis, Katsouranis, Charisteas, Vryzas.