Koller doubtful until quarters

WESTERBURG, Germany (AP) -- The Czech Republic trained without its top two strikers Tuesday, and Jan Koller, who scored in the opener against the United States, is doubtful for the rest of the World Cup's first round.

Koller injured his right thigh in the 43rd minute of Monday's 3-0 win over the United States in Gelsenkirchen. He was taken to a Dortmund hospital to be examined by his former doctor from Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, a Czech team physician said.

Koller had "a strained hamstring with several fibers ruptured," Jiri Fousek said. It was likely to force Koller out until the quarterfinals, if the Czechs advance that far.

"To cure such an injury can take between 10 days and six weeks," Fousek said. "I can rule out he could be available in the group stage. It's a painful injury and we hope he'll be able to play in the quarterfinals."

Before he was taken off on a stretcher, the towering 6-foot-71/2 striker headed in the first goal. He is his country's all-time leading scorer with 43 goals in 69 internationals.

Milan Baros missed the U.S. game with a foot injury he suffered in the final warmup against Trinidad and Tobago on June 3.

"His recovery is not taking an expected course," Fousek said. "He still feels pain when he's running."

Baros was taken with Koller to Dortmund for examination, Fousek said. "We've tried everything."

Coach Karel Bruckner said "there's still hope" that Baros might play in the game against Ghana on Saturday.

"We're unlikely to have an ideal lineup," he said. "We have to cope with that."

Rude awakening

U.S. squad stomped by Czech Republic in Cup opener

	Tomas Rosicky scored the first two World Cup goals of his career against the U.S. Christof Koepsel/Getty Images
	RELATED • United States-Czech Republic Box Score

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) -- The United States looked like a bewildered World Cup newcomer again.

The Americans didn't just lose Monday night, they were routed, roughed up and run over by the Czech Republic, a 3-0 crusher that put the Americans in danger of first-round elimination.

"I think the players as well as coaches are a bit shocked right now," defender Eddie Lewis said.

Jan Koller, the Czech Republic's 6-foot-71/2 forward, scored just five minutes in, and Tomas Rosicky added goals in the 36th and 76th minutes.

The United States managed just one shot on goal and showed little of the spark that earned it an opening 3-2 upset over Portugal four years ago, when it advanced to the quarterfinals in America's best showing since 1930.

"We didn't play well. We didn't compete. We didn't make the plays," said goalkeeper Kasey Keller said, one of many U.S. players criticized by coach Bruce Arena. "It was just a shame. We definitely gave the game away, and that's what we're frustrated about."

Landon Donovan and Brian McBride, the two U.S. forwards, didn't even have any shots at all, and DaMarcus Beasley managed just one.

Arena rarely criticizes players publicly, but with a look of exasperation on his face, he didn't hold back.

"Landon showed no aggressiveness tonight," Arena said. "We got nothing out of Beasley on the night."

He said Bobby Convey, who made his World Cup debut, was one of the few Americans who had "the courage" to attack.

Donovan and Beasley were surprise sensations four years ago, when they were just 20, but they were marked men.

"They swarmed them," U.S. captain Claudio Reyna said.

The Americans got a pregame pep talk from President Bush, who called from Camp David and wished them well. But they undoubtedly disappointed millions back home and certainly the 5,000 or so fans who made the trek overseas, falling to 0-8 in Europe in World Cup play, getting outscored 24-4.

It could get worse. The Americans next play Saturday against three-time champion Italy, which opened with a 2-0 win over Ghana.

"We all have to learn quick, especially the young guys," Reyna said. "We can't wait months or years to get better. We have to get better quickly, and I think we can do that."

In the last two World Cups, the only team to advance from the first round after losing its opener was Turkey, in 2002.

"It's going to be hard, but it's not over," said Donovan, whose scoreless streak for the national team reached 16 games.

Reyna said the mind-set must change.

"Everyone has to be brave and want the ball," he said. "We didn't have guys aggressive enough."

Four years ago, the United States broke on top in its opener against Portugal in the fourth minute. This time, it was the Americans who fell behind quickly.

Keller sent a goal kick downfield, and the Czechs countered, with David Rozehnal playing the ball to the right flank for Zdenek Grygera and catching Lewis upfield. Grygera crossed, and the 6-foot-71/2-inch Koller, who returned only last month from knee surgery, positioned himself between Oguchi Onyewu and Eddie Pope.

"He shoved me a little bit in back, created space for himself," Pope said.

Rising above the defense like a redwood towering over shrubs, Koller easily bent his bald head to meet the cross and put the ball past Keller for his 43rd goal in 69 international appearances, a Czech record.

"Kasey, for whatever reason, puts it up the middle where we have nobody," a bewildered Arena said.

Keller was trying to find Convey for a quick attack.

Reyna, who hasn't scored for the national team since 2000, nearly tied the score in the 28th, curling a 25-yard shot that got by a diving Petr Cech in goal. Reyna had a hopeful look on his face, but his expression quickly changed to disgust when the ball clanked off the far post.

Just as the United States was starting to establish some offensive rhythm, the Czechs showed more of why they were a European Championship semifinalist two years ago and are the world's second-ranked team.

Pavel Nedved, Europe's player of the year in 2003, crossed and Onyewu headed the ball out. But it went to Rosicky, who settled it and sent a spectacular right-footed shot into the top corner to Keller's left, above the goalkeeper's raised right hand.

Koller injured his right thigh battling Onyewu for a ball on the flank in the 43rd minute, and was taken off on a stretcher, one hand behind his head, the other covering his face. He was taken to a hospital to be examined.

"I felt a strong pain, and I thought it was torn. I said to myself that all my efforts were just gone," Koller said. "I definitely won't be available for the next match."

Rosicky hit the crossbar in the 68th minute and added his second goal in the 76th, getting past the defense off a through pass from Nedved and chipping over Keller on a breakaway. Rosicky and Nedved pretty much ran through the midfield at will.

Eddie Johnson, who entered at halftime when the United States switched to a three-forward formation, missed just wide in the 70th minute and was high in the 76th.

"I was just trying to make something happen," he said.

When the Americans returned to the World Cup in 1990 after a 40-year absence, they were embarrassed 5-1 by Czechoslovakia in their opener, getting outshot 24-7. Arena, who sat in the seats that day as a fan, didn't think this was as bad -- they were only outshot 10-6 in this one.

"Believe me, this wasn't 1990," Arena said.

The BBC's Rob Cameron in Prague says the political atmosphere is poisonous and Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek, leader of the Social Democrats, has said his party should now go into opposition.

They won 74 seats and their Communist allies took 26, giving them a combined total of 100, or exactly half the seats in the lower chamber.

The Social Democrats have dominated the government for the past eight years, steering the Czech Republic into the EU in 2004.

The opposition Civic Democrats won the largest share of the seats - 81.

Their centrist allies, the Christian Democrats and Greens, won 13 and six seats respectively in the 2-3 June election.

There were hopes the election would end four years of political instability, but the Czechs could be in for four more, our correspondent reports.

Last Updated: Saturday, 3 June 2006, 23:24 GMT 00:24 UK E-mail this to a friend Printable version Czech election ends in deadlock It is unclear what kind of government will emerge The Czech general election has ended in deadlock with the conservative opposition slightly ahead but with no clear prospect of forming a government. Exit polls suggested a decisive victory for the Civic Democrats over the Social Democrats after they promised to cut tax and fight corruption. But according to the full preliminary results, they and their allies won only half the seats in parliament. Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek has refused to admit defeat. He said he might challenge the result in the supreme court because of what he called slanderous attacks on him days before the voting. His Social Democrats won 74 seats while fellow leftists the Communist allies took 26, giving them a combined total of 100 or exactly half the seats in the lower chamber. However, as the party with the largest share of the seats - 81 - the Civic Democrats would normally be asked first to try to form a government. The election had been supposed to put an end to four years of political instability, the BBC's Rob Cameron reports from Prague, but the Czechs could be in for four more. Bitter campaign An initial mood of celebration at the campaign headquarters of Miroslav Topolanek's Civic Democrats in Prague turned into one of nervous anticipation, our correspondent notes. The punch-up made headlines all over the world In the event, their centrist allies, the Christian Democrats and Greens, won 13 and six seats respectively. The Social Democrats have dominated the government for the past eight years, steering the Czech Republic into the EU in 2004. Health care, pensions and taxes dominated the campaign but it was also marked by scandals and, on one occasion, a physical clash. Last month, a punch-up between the health minister, David Rath, and a former Civic Democrat deputy leader, Miroslav Macek, was shown on television and later made its way round the world. Earlier this week, the head of a police unit claimed that senior Social Democrats - including Mr Paroubek - had interfered in investigations into organised crime. Mr Paroubek dismissed the claims as a Civic Democrat smear campaign. Observers had predicted a low turnout and a strong protest vote for the Communists and the Greens.

Q&A: Czech election

The two main parties are neck-and-neck in the polls Czechs have gone to the polls to elect deputies to the lower house of parliament, the Chamber of Deputies. How is the Czech parliament organised? There are two chambers - the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, or upper house. The Chamber of Deputies is made up of 200 deputies elected for a four-year term on the basis of proportional representation. The Senate has 81 members elected for a six-year term on the basis of a two-round majority system. Every two years, one-third of the Senate's seats come up for re-election. The next Senate election will be held this autumn. How did things stand in the Chamber of Deputies before the vote? The current elections to the Chamber of Deputies are the fourth since the Czechs' velvet divorce from Slovakia in 1993. In the last election, held in 2002, the centre-left Social Democrats (CSSD) won 70 seats, the centre-right Civic Democrats (ODS) 58, the Communists (KSCM) 41, the centrist Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) 21, and the centre-right Freedom Union (US-DEU) 10. After the election, the Social Democrats, Christian Democrats, and Freedom Union formed a coalition government based on the slimmest possible parliamentary majority of 101 seats. The opposition consists of the Civic Democrats and the Communists, who together have 99 seats. Who are the main contenders? The election campaign has been fought mainly as a battle between the Social Democrats and the Civic Democrats. The Social Democrats - who have been in power for the last eight years - stand for traditional Social Democratic values and have made the preservation of the welfare state the main plank of their election platform. They have pledged to raise pensions and the minimum wage, and to close the gap with EU living standards by 2013. The Social Democrats are strongly pro-European, are in favour of the European Constitution and aim to introduce the euro in 2010. Mr Paroubek is known for his abrasive campaigning style They are led by Czech Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek. He was appointed to the premiership in April 2005 after former prime minister and party leader Stanislav Gross stepped down over allegations of financial impropriety. The opposition Civic Democrats are a centre-right conservative party that advocates a liberal economy without major state intervention. They have promised to introduce a 15% flat income tax, a single 15% VAT rate, and to abolish all other taxes. They favour a more cautious approach to the adoption of the euro than the Social Democrats. The Civic Democratic Party was founded by the current Czech President, Vaclav Klaus, who led it for 11 years. Mr Klaus only stood down from the post of party leader when he decided to run for the presidency in 2002, and his successor, Mirek Topolanek, is thus only the second ODS leader in the party's history. What were the main issues? The election campaign focused mainly on the economy, the future of the Czech Republic's generous welfare system, and allegations of sleaze in high places. How did the results turn out? Deadlock! The results were so close that they leave the Chamber of Deputies neatly spilt down the middle. The Civic Democratic Party has won 81 seats, and its Christian Democrat allies picked up another 13. With support from the Green Party, which won six seats, they could just reach 100. But the Social Democrats are equally stymied, winning 74 seats, with the Communists on 26. Turnout was 65%, compared to 58% four years ago. What happens next? The Civic Democrats polled the biggest share of the vote - just - with 35.4% to the Social Democrats 32.3%. So Mr Topolanek will get the first shot at forming a workable coalition. But it is hard to see how he can gain a majority. It was a good election for the Greens, who polled 6.3% and so for the first time crossed the 5% threshold needed to gain parliamentary seats. But their six seats won't be the pivotal force that the party had hoped. The Greens have already said they wouldn't enter a coalition with the Communists. And both the main parties have ruled out a grand left-right coalition. Mr Topolanek has a hard task ahead.