Hamburg, Germany – A 6-foot-8 striker who is the top scorer in his country’s history. A goalkeeper among the best three in the world. A fan base that is pouring over the border for its biggest night in eight years while Americans are more jacked up about the NBA Finals.
If U.S. Soccer is going to continue its climb up the international ladder, this is what it faces at 10 a.m. MDT today in its World Cup opener in Gelsenkirchen. The Americans’ killer Group E consists of Italy, considered a top challenger to Brazil’s reign, and Ghana, talented and mysterious. But today the U.S. may face the toughest of them all in the Czech Republic, angry it missed the 2002 Cup and determined to prove its No. 2 world ranking is not inflated.
With powerful Italy awaiting the U.S. on Saturday, the importance of not losing today can’t be overstated. In the World Cup, history proves it. Of the 23 teams that lost their first game in the past two World Cups, only Turkey advanced. That’s a .043 batting average. That won’t play in Berlin. However, of the other 23 teams that won their first game, 20 advanced. Eighteen tied, and 11 moved to the next round of 16.
U.S. coach Bruce Arena is hoping his players aren’t buying into the widely held belief across Germany that a loss to the Czech Republic would end the Americans’ World Cup chances.
“I really believe it’ll go down to Game 3. I don’t think after two games the group is going to be decided,” Arena said. “Teams are even in a lot of ways.”
These two are, but the Czech Republic has some big advantages, like 6-8 big. Forward Jan Koller is the tallest player in this tournament. The player closest to his size is England’s 6-6 Peter Crouch. But Crouch merely is holding down the spot until Wayne Rooney’s foot heals, and Koller is one of the best goal scorers in Europe.
His 42 goals in 68 caps is a Czech record, and he’s one of the top snipers in the Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund.
He missed almost his entire club season after suffering a knee injury in September, but has shown top form in the Czechs’ friendlies and has left the Americans with a dilemma.
“We’ve got a guy who wears stilts in practice,” Arena said jokingly.
The assignment of marking Koller goes to Oguchi Onyewu. He is 6-4 and held down Mexico star Jared Borgetti in the qualifying campaign.
“We have a center back who can match up with him in the air, although Koller’s qualities are more than being a big guy in front of the goal,” Arena said. “He’s a guy with big feet and presents a lot of other issues. But Gootch is getting experience. He still has a ways to go as well.”
Offensively, the U.S. could arguably face the world’s two top goalies in its first two games. But before getting Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon, who probably would win a poll for No. 1, the Czechs’ Petr Cech would get many votes, too. In fact, Cech, only 24, topped Buffon for last year’s world goalkeeper of the year award and led Chelsea to the past two English Premiership titles.
However, U.S. players Steve Cherundolo, Kasey Keller and Gregg Berhalter play in Germany and know Koller and Cech well.
“He’s a great goalkeeper,” Berhalter said of Cech. “Whether playing against him or watching him on TV, his position seems to be right. He’s a very confident goalkeeper. He doesn’t do anything dramatic. He always makes the big save.”
The Americans are healthier than the Czechs. Claudio Reyna, in his fourth World Cup, apparently is healthy from a nagging groin injury, and John O’Brien says his hamstring no longer is a problem.
Meanwhile, Czech forward Milan Baros couldn’t jog Saturday after getting hurt Friday, and midfielder Vladimir Smicer has been out since February with a leg injury.
Staff writer John Henderson can be reached at 303-820-1299 or jhenderson@denverpost.com.
