Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Čech has called on his colleagues to show a greater attacking threat when they take on Portugal in Geneva on Wednesday.

‘Not offensive enough’
Both sides won their opening Group A games against Switzerland and Turkey respectively, but the Czech Republic had their goalkeeper to thank in large part for their success after he made a number of fine saves. Defensively Karel Brückner’s side were again impressive, but they now need to add an attacking edge to their game according to Čech. "We all know we can play better," he said. "The game didn’t go the way we expected, we were not offensive enough. We defended well, we organised ourselves well, but we kept losing the ball which put us under pressure. We know our weakness, we need to go forward more in the next game, but most important for us was to get three points."

‘Precious points’
The Czech Republic also won their opening game at UEFA EURO 2004™ against Latvia, a win that set them en route to the semi-finals. "The first game is always very important," Čech said. "We wanted three points, which is an ideal result to start the tournament. Certainly our confidence increases with every point gained. It’s very positive for us to know that we didn’t play well but still won so those points are even more precious for us."

Portugal threat
The Chelsea FC custodian Čech needs no introduction to Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo – who scored past him in the UEFA Champions League final – but he dismissed suggestions that Portugal were dependent on the Manchester United FC forward up front. "As far as their attacking line is concerned, I think their players are well balanced. The biggest danger obviously comes from Ronaldo who can set it all up for the others, but they cannot be ignored. The Portuguese have great individuals in their attack who can counterattack at every opportunity. We mustn’t give balls away as often as we did against Switzerland. On the other hand, we defended well, our defence is compact, and we won’t make it easy for them."

Winning aim
The 26-year-old is widely considered one of the best goalkeepers in the game, a tag he says "greatly motivates" him. The main motivation now, though, is to pick up the victory that could put the Czechs into the last eight. "If you go to the second match with three points behind you, you know if you win again you have virtually qualified for the quarter-finals, which is our aim. We shall see whether a point is acceptable or the win is necessary, but from the kick-off we will try our best to win and secure qualification as soon as possible."