Thanks to the late-headed goal scored by Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal was able to claim a 1-0 victory against the Czech Republic on Thursday, which in turn sends them into the semifinals of Euro 2012.

The first half of the match was considered disappointing for the first quarterfinal match of the competition. Early chances by the Czech Republic only came from corner kicks, which they were unable to capitalize on due to very poor deliveries.

Portugal seemed to get into the game later in the first half, when Ronaldo fired a beautiful shot that Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech was able to save with an amazing dive. The goal would not have counted if it had gone in, due to referee Howard Webb stopping play mid-pass that was not heard by the Portuguese forward.

In the final minute of the first half, Ronaldo came up again after handling a great cross from Raul Meireles. He gained control of the ball and kicked it straight into the post, the only thing that could stop him from giving Portugal the lead. The chance gave off a strong sense of determination from Portugal, who went into halftime in control of the game even though both teams have not yet scored.

Portugal came out ready to play, with Hugo Almeida missing a header by inches only a couple minutes into the second half. Ronaldo showed up yet again five minutes later with a close chance, taking a bending free-kick that struck the post again instead of hitting the back of the net.

The Czech Republic did not seem as though they were trying to take any offensive chances; Portugal controlled much of the possession throughout the early part of the second half, and the Czech’s seemed to stay on the defensive no matter what. The only real chance for the Czech Republic came in at the 60 minute mark, when Vaclav Pilar managed to speed around the Portuguese defenders with ease, only to give the ball away with a disappointing attempt at a cross.

After several more attempts from Portugal, which were all wide of the net or beautifully saved by Cech, Ronaldo was finally able to capitalize in the 80th minute after a great cross from Joao Moutinho. Ronaldo found room and headed the ball directly into the ground, which in turn ricocheted over the diving Petr Cech and into the top of the goal.

This lone goal was all that was needed in order to send Portugal into the semifinals. For a team that has never won a title at the Euro’s, Portugal heads into the semifinals as an underdog that shows no signs of letting this chance slip through their fingers.

Portugal will play in their semifinal match on June 27 against the winner of the quarterfinal match between Spain and France, which is scheduled for June 23.

Image Courtesy of  Rui Alexandre Araujo / Shutterstock.com

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The Czech Republic, who were humbled in their opening game against Russia, took on Greece at the Municipal Stadium in Wroclaw, Poland in search of their opening win in the tournament.

It did not take long before the Czech fans were celebrating as they took the lead in just the third minute of the game. Veteran player Tomas Hubschman unlocked the Greek defense with a pinpoint pass for Petr Jiracek, and Czech midfielder had little difficulty beating Kostas Chalkias with his left foot.

No sooner than the Czech fans’ cheers had died down, they were once more on their feet celebrating their second goal of the game. A drilled cross from Gebre Selassie was dealt with poorly by Greek goalkeeper Chalkias, who only managed to palm the ball into the path of the arriving Vaclav Pilar and the ball was bundled into the back of the net off of the knee of Pilar.

Chalkias’ nightmare start to the game came to an early end as he walked off with an injury to be replaced by Michalis Sifakis, who was almost immediately called upon to make a good diving save to prevent Tomas Rosicky from extending the Czechs’ lead.

Despite being down 2-0, and in desperate need of at least one goal before half time, the Greece team looked lethargic for the rest of the half, failing to trouble the Czech defense with any meaningful attacks. The closest Greece came to pulling a goal back was through Giorgos Fotakis, who headed the ball in at the far post from a cross, only for the linesman to raise his flag for offside and ensure the score remained unchanged at the interval.

Instead of pressing hard to get back into the game in the second half, Greece was lucky to not be further behind when Selassie’s shot found its way to the feet of Milas Baros but the striker couldn’t connect properly with the ball and wasted a golden opportunity.

A lifeline was gifted the Greeks, however, when a cross was spilled by Czech goalkeeper, Petr Cech, following a mix up with Tomas Sivok, leaving Fanis Gekas with the easiest of finishes to give Greece their first goal.

The goal seemed to spur on Greece who was now in control of the game, but a combination of bad finishing and a lack of a final pass saw the Greeks spurn a host of chances as the game moved into the final 15 minutes.

Despite doing much better in the second half, Greece was unable to find a much needed equalizer, leaving them in the precarious position of needing to beat the strong Russia side in their last group game if they are to have any chance of qualifying for the knockout stages. The Czechs on the other hand are in a much better position going into their last game against Poland and, providing they can replicate their form from the first half of this game, will fancy their chances of qualifying from the group.

Image Courtesy of  photoplanet.am / Shutterstock.com

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According to a report put out by the European Central Bank on Wednesday, May 30, 2012, none of the eight countries that are waiting to join the euro currency are ready. Most countries in the group have only been waiting since 2004 or 2007 but Sweden has been waiting since 1995.

Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Latvia Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Sweden are the eight countries that are members of the European Union but are not a part of the Eurozone – meaning they are not using the euro as their currency. Seventeen countries are currently using the euro, including Greece, although there have been discussions that it may have to leave the Eurozone. Currently the United Kingdom and Denmark are not using the euro either – instead they are using the pound sterling and krone respectively – but the decision to not use the euro was theirs, not the European Central Bank’s.

The United Kingdom opted out of the euro by negotiating an exception within the Maastricht Treaty of 1992. Joining the euro was heavily opposed by most of the United Kingdom, although its close neighbor, the Republic of Ireland, has adopted the euro. Denmark was able to opt out of the euro as one of the four conditions of the Edinburgh Agreement in 1992.

The European Central Bank must report on the progress of these eight countries every two years. So far it appears as if only Latvia will be able to join the euro currency by the next assessment in 2014. According to the bank, “in none of the eight countries examined, [is] the legal framework fully compatible with all requirements for the adoption of the euro.” They also claimed, “incompatibilities remain regarding central bank independence” in all of the countries.

Additionally Latvia and Lithuania are the only two countries of the eight currently taking part in the exchange rate mechanism II for more than two years which is required to be a part of the Eurozone.

Many of the countries’ economies are doing better than current eurozone countries. Seven of the eight countries – the exception being Hungary – have a debt-to-GDP ratio under 60% which is the Eurozone limit. Currently Greece’s ratio of debt-to-GDP is 165.3% and Italy, Ireland, and Portugal had ratios last year above 100%.

According to a statement from Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland earlier this May, Poland is still interested in joining the Eurozone even though the euro has been damaged by the current debt crisis.

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After the drama that came out of Poland and Greece’s opening day match, Russia and the Czech Republic had a lot to measure up to in their first match of Euro 2012. Russia was able to come out on top with a 4-1 thrashing of the Czech Republic, which took them to the top of the group standings after the first day of play in the tournament and sent Czech down to the very bottom.

With rain coming down on the players at the Stadion Miejski, both teams started the game off very lively and positive. The Czech Republic held possession throughout the beginning of the first half, while Russia threw all their effort into set pieces and their counterattack.

It did not take too long for Russia to finally capitalize on the attack. Konstantin Zyryanov crossed the ball into the box in the 15^th minute, which Aleksandr Kerzhakov headed directly into the far post. This then went straight to Alan Dzagoev, who cleaned up the rebound that bounced right to him in front of the Czech Republic goal and gave Russia the 1-0 lead.

Nine minutes later, Russia came again on the counterattack to get their second goal. After Czech player Jaroslav Plasil lost possession in the midfield, Andrei Arshavin placed a perfect pass onto the boot of Roman Shirokov, who easily chipped the ball over the hesitant Czech goalkeeper into the back of the net to increase the score 2-0.

Russia’s deadly counterattack continued to break down the shaky Czech defense throughout the end of the first half; these attacks began with the talented Arshavin, who always seemed to be in control of the situation. However, many of these chances ended at the feet of Kerzhakov, who seemed unable to finish plays the entire match.

The Czech Republic began to show signs of life at the end of the first half; but, just like their opponent, they were unable to capitalize on their chances. This offensive mindset continued for the Czech Republic into the second half, where their efforts finally showed some reward in a goal scored by Vaclav Pilar. Pilar received a beautiful pass from Plasil, and then managed to get around Russian goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev to put the ball into the practically empty net. With the score only 2-1, it seemed as though the game was not going to end as it was expected to.

The goal from Pilar seemed to be a game changer, since the following several minutes played after the goal made Russia appear a very average team. The Czech Republic found their purpose, while the Russians tried to regain their footing.

With Czech beginning to throw almost every man behind the ball on the attack to get the equalizer, Russia was left with even more chances on the counter. However, Kerzhakov broke down his own team’s offense by sending his shots too wide or directly into the goalkeeper’s hands.

Kerzhakov was finally substituted in the minute 73 for Roman Pavlyuchenko, who Russian manager Dick Advocaat hoped would be able to help finish at least one of the many counter attempts that his team kept having. Six minutes later, Pavlyuchenko fed a beautiful pass to Dzagoev, who shot the ball past Petr Cech for his second goal of the night and gave Russia the 3-1 lead. Three minutes later, on another counter, Pavlyuchenko managed his way around four Czech defenders. He shot from 15 yards away, which got by the Czech goalkeeper to increase the lead to the final score of 4-1.

The more times the Czech’s pushed on the offensive, the more opportunities Russia had to capitalize on their deadly counterattack. This somewhat comfortable win brought Russia to the top of the group standings and sent the Czech Republic to the bottom. With the outcomes of the match between Poland and Greece, every team has a chance of surviving the group stages and making it to the quarterfinals.

Russia is set to play against Poland next Tuesday, while the Czech Republic ready to face Greece that same day.

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First of a four part feature as we look at the top young players who will grace the eight stadiums in Poland and Ukraine this summer, some will make the final grade for their countries this year but some may not even make the final squads, going to show the growing competition for places in 23-man squads is ever increasing. First up, Group A, consisting of hosts Poland, 2004 winners Greece, Russia and Czech Republic.

Wojciech Szczesny (Arsenal & Poland)

Ok, so most of you know who Szczesny is, he’s become Arsenal’s No.1 over the past 18 months, and has become one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League. Considering his age, it’s clear to see that Szczesny will be a star for the long-term future, but he’s included in our feature because it will be his first appearance at a major international tournament.

His shot-stopping abilities have kept Arsenal in many games and have saved them many points over the course of the season, and his relaxed personality has even endeared him to fans of other clubs.

Poland face an uphill task to qualify from their group, but not an impossible one. The Czech’s have fallen from grace over time, Russia are unpredictable and Greece do not have much to offer if the World Cup is anything to go by. But if Poland are to qualify from Group A, Szczesny will have a big hand (or two) in whether they do or they don’t.

Robert Lewandowski (Borussia Dortmund & Poland)

At the other end of the pitch, there is a rapidly developing striker who could cause a stir in Europe this summer. Despite being 23, Lewandowski has been around for a few years now and first came to knowledge of the top European teams when at Lech Poznan, scoring 32 goals in 58 games, which was enough for Borussia Dortmund to snap the Pole up in 2010. Since then he’s become a proven goalscorer in the Bundesliga, with 27 goals in just over 60 appearances for Dortmund.

On the international scene, Lewandowski has also impressed, making his Poland debut at just 19 and scoring 13 goals for his country. It is almost certain Lewandowski will lead the line for Poland this summer, and if Szczesny can do the business at one end, Robert could be the man to lead Poland into the knockouts.

Kyriakos Papadopoulos (Schalke 04 & Greece)

It is depressing to think Papadopoulos is younger than me, yet almost certain to play at the European Championships this summer. The defender has impressed many around Europe in the last few years, and whilst at Schalke the 6 foot centre-back has been linked with plenty of top clubs around the continent. He’d only made 12 appearances for Olympiakos when the German side took him on, but Papadopoulos has put in several classy performances for Schalke recently and made his international debut last year.

Despite just seven international caps, Papadopoulos is one of the highest rated defenders in Europe and I’m almost certain he’ll travel to Poland/Ukraine this summer, perhaps his performances will finally guarantee him that move to a bigger club.

Alan Dzagoev (CSKA Moscow & Russia)

Alan Dzagoev is only 21, yet it seems like we’ve heard his name thrown around as a top talent for years. He’s already made over 100 appearances for CSKA Moscow, and wasn’t even 18 when named the best young player of the year in Russia’s top league in 2008. The creative midfielder has been linked with Man United, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Barcelona and almost every other top club in Europe, but he has remained loyal to Moscow for now.

With 18 caps and four goals for Russia, Dzagoev is improving all the time and will no doubt be the cog in Russia’s midfield this summer, with plenty of creativity around him, it could be another successful Euro’s for the Russian side in 2012.

Tomas Necid (CSKA Moscow & Czech Republic)

They must be breeding them well in Moscow, as our final player to watch from Group A also plays for CSKA. Tomas Necid may not be as well known as Dzagoev, but his impact in Russia is just as well-known. The 22-year old started at Slavia Prague and impressed enough for CSKA to buy him in 2009. He has not been prolific in Russia, but 19 goals in 68 games is steady progress for someone who isn’t guaranteed a regular starting place.

He’s got seven in 25 for Czech Republic but has yet to participate in a major tournament, but with Czech Republic struggling for prolific strikers, it would not surprise us to see Necid heavily involved this summer and could be the man to fire his nation to better things in 2012.

Image Courtesy of   Andrey Yurlov / Shutterstock.com

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The Sedlec Ossuary (Kostnice Sedlec) is a catholic chapel with the complex of the Church of All Saints (Hřbitovní kostel Všech Svatých) in Sedlec in the suburb of Kutna Hora city, which is 70 Kilometers (about43.5 miles) from Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.

From outside the chapel there is nothing especially attractive, and you would think that it is a normal church just for religious practices, but those who enter it will discover something strange about this chapel.

The Sedlec Ossuary was completely constructed and decorated by human bones. It contains around 50,000 skeletons, which were artistically arranged to decorate it.

The story behind the construction of the Ossuary begins when the king of Bohemia, Otkar II, sent Abbot Henry in a pilgrimage trip to Palestine -The holy land – in 1278. When the abbot returned back to his town, he brought a jar of soil from the ground of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, and spread it on the ground around the chapel.

After that, Sedlec became a requested place for the people to be buried in because of the presence of the holy soil from Palestine.

The buried bodies increased when the Black Death disease swept through Europe during the 13th century and the Bohemian Wars during the 15th century.

In 1870 The Austrian Duke of Shwartzenberg hired Frantisek Rindt to complete the decoration of the chapel, who was a local wood carver with a wife and two children.

Both Kutna Hora city and Sedlec town are among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, so it would be very worthwhile to visit the other ancient medieval sites while visiting the Ossuary. These sites are the Historical Town Centre with the Church of St Barbara and the Cathedral of Our Lady at Sedlec.

The Ossuary is opened daily year-round for tourists and parishioners, except during the Christmas holidays, when it is completely closed.

In order to get to the Ossuary from Prague, take a one hour train journey to the Kutna Hora city main terminal; after that you can either walk or take a direct taxi to it. Also, the public buses are available. The distance between the terminal and the Ossuary is about 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles).

The admission fee for the Ossuary is 50 Czech Koronas (about $ 2.60) with extra 30 Czech Koronas (about $ 1.60) for a photographing permit.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/carnivillain/

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