EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS - 2014/16 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Eden Arena - Prague Saturday 28 March 2015 18.00CET (18.00 local time) Czech Republic Group A - Matchday -8 Latvia Last updated 12/07/2021 17:26CET Official Partners of UEFA EURO 2020 Previous meetings 2 Match background 3 Squad list 4 Head coach 6 Match officials 7 Competition facts 8 Match-by-match lineups 9 Team facts 11 Legend 13 1 Czech Republic - Latvia Saturday 28 March 2015 - 18.00CET (18.00 local time) Match press kit Eden Arena, Prague Previous meetings Head to Head UEFA EURO 2004 Stage Date Match Result Venue Goalscorers reached Baroš 73, Heinz 85; 15/06/2004 GS-FT Czech Republic - Latvia 2-1 Aveiro Verpakovskis 45+1 Final Qualifying Total tournament Home Away Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA EURO Czech Republic - - - - - - - - 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 Latvia - - - - - - - - 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 2 FIFA* Czech Republic - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Latvia - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Friendlies Czech Republic - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 1 0 0 4 1 Latvia - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 0 0 1 1 4 Total Czech Republic - - - - - - - - 1 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 6 2 Latvia - - - - - - - - 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 2 2 6 * FIFA World Cup/FIFA Confederations Cup 2 Czech Republic - Latvia Saturday 28 March 2015 - 18.00CET (18.00 local time) Match press kit Eden Arena, Prague Match background The Czech Republic are the team to beat in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group A as they take on Latvia, whom they famously encountered for the first time at UEFA EURO 2004. Previous meetings • The sides are meeting for a third time, with the Czechs seeking a third successive win. • They first met at the finals of UEFA EURO 2004, Karel Brückner's Czechs beating Aleksandrs Starkovs' Latvia 2-1 in Aveiro, thanks to a late Marek Heinz goal. • The teams for that game on 15 June 2004 were: Czech Republic: Čech*, Grygera (Heinz 56), Galásek (Šmicer 64), Bolf, Jankulovski, Poborský, Koller, Rosický*. Nedvěd, Baroš (Jiránek 87), Ujfaluši. Latvia: Koļinko*, Stepanovs, Astafjevs, Zemļinskis, Blagonadeždins, Isakovs, Bleidelis, Verpakovskis (Pahars 81), Rubins, Prohorenkovs (Laizāns 72), Lobaņovs (Rimkus 90). • Marians Pahars, a substitute in that game, is now Latvia coach. • More recently, the sides met in a friendly game in Liberec on 11 August 2010, the Czechs winning 4-1 with goals from Roman Bednář, Martin Fenin, Zdeněk Pospěch and Tomáš Necid*, Aleksandrs Cauņa* responding late on for Latvia. *have been selected for UEFA EURO 2016 games. Form guide • The Czech Republic are one of only four teams still boasting a 100% record in UEFA EURO 20126 qualifying, along with Slovakia, Israel and England. The Czechs have won their last six qualifying matches in all competitions. • The Czechs lost their last competitive game at Stadion Eden, 2-1 to Armenia in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying. As yet, they have won only once in three competitive fixtures at the venue. • Latvia are without a victory in four Group A games (D2 L2) and have scored only once in those fixtures – Valērijs Šabala converting a penalty in a 1-1 draw against Turkey in Riga. • Latvia are without a win in seven competitive matches (D3 L4) and have gone eight games without a competitive away success (D2 L6) since a 1-0 triumph in Georgia on 2 September 2011. Trivia and links • Including games played as Czechoslovakia, this is the Czech Republic's 300th competitive outing; their previous 299 UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup fixtures ended W168 D56 L75. • Latvia midfielder Oļegs Laizāns turns 28 on the day of the Czech Republic game. • Czech Republic defender Marek Suchý and goalkeeper Tomáš Vaclík both celebrate birthdays on the day after the Latvia match, turning 27 and 26 respectively. 3 Czech Republic - Latvia Saturday 28 March 2015 - 18.00CET (18.00 local time) Match press kit Eden Arena, Prague Squad list Czech Republic Current season Overall Qual. FT Team No. Player DoB Age Club D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers - Petr Čech 20/05/1982 32 Chelsea - 4 0 0 0 112 - - Tomáš Vaclík 29/03/1989 25 Basel - 0 0 0 0 2 - - Jiří Pavlenka 14/04/1992 22 Baník - 0 0 0 0 - - Defenders - Václav Procházka 08/05/1984 30 Plzeň - 3 0 0 0 8 - - Michal Kadlec 13/12/1984 30 Fenerbahçe - 4 0 0 0 58 8 - Marek Suchý 29/03/1988 26 Basel - 0 0 0 0 19 - - David Limberský 06/10/1983 31 Plzeň - 3 0 0 0 30 - Sparta - Mario Holek 28/10/1986 28 - 0 0 0 0 6 - Praha - Theodor Gebre Selassie 24/12/1986 28 Bremen - 0 0 0 0 28 1 - Filip Novák 26/06/1990 24 Jablonec - 0 0 0 0 - - Midfielders - Tomáš Rosický 04/10/1980 34 Arsenal - 3 0 0 0 98 22 - Jaroslav Plašil 05/01/1982 33 Bordeaux - 2 0 0 0 91 6 Sparta - Bořek Dočkal 30/09/1988 26 - 4 3 0 0 14 5 Praha Sparta - Lukáš Vácha 13/05/1989 25 - 3 0 0 0 6 - Praha - Daniel Kolář 27/10/1985 29 Plzeň - 2 0 0 0 22 2 Sparta - Ladislav Krejčí 05/07/1992 22 - 4 1 0 0 11 2 Praha - Václav Pilař 13/10/1988 26 Plzeň - 4 1 0 0 19 4 - Vladimír Darida 08/08/1990 24 Freiburg - 4 0 0 0 22 - - Martin Pospíšil 26/06/1991 23 Jablonec - 0 0 0 0 1 - Forwards Sparta - David Lafata 18/09/1981 33 - 4 1 0 0 34 8 Praha - Tomáš Necid 13/08/1989 25 Zwolle - 2 1 0 0 28 8 - Adam Hloušek 20/12/1988 26 Stuttgart - 0 0 0 0 6 - Sparta - Václav Kadlec 20/05/1992 22 - 0 0 0 0 9 2 Praha Coach - Pavel Vrba 06/12/1963 51 - 4 0 0 0 8 - 4 Czech Republic - Latvia Saturday 28 March 2015 - 18.00CET (18.00 local time) Match press kit Eden Arena, Prague Latvia Current season Overall Qual. FT Team No. Player DoB Age Club D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers - Aleksandrs Koļinko 18/06/1975 39 Baltika - 4 0 0 0 93 - - Andris Vaņins 30/04/1980 34 Sion - 0 0 0 0 63 - Górnik - Pāvels Šteinbors 21/09/1985 29 - 0 0 0 0 - - Zabrze Defenders - Kaspars Gorkšs 06/11/1981 33 Ergotelis - 4 0 0 0 66 5 - Vladislavs Gabovs 13/07/1987 27 Sokol - 4 0 0 0 14 - - Gints Freimanis 09/05/1985 29 Jelgava - 2 0 0 0 3 - - Antons Kurakins 01/01/1990 25 Ventspils - 2 0 0 0 5 - - Kaspars Dubra 20/12/1990 24 BATE - 3 0 0 0 5 - Spartaks - Nauris Bulvitis 15/03/1987 28 - 2 0 0 0 19 2 Jūrmala Midfielders - Aleksejs Višņakovs 03/02/1984 31 Skonto - 3 0 0 0 55 7 - Jurijs Žigajevs 14/11/1985 29 Ventspils - 0 0 0 0 33 2 - Oļegs Laizāns 28/03/1987 27 Yenisey - 2 0 0 0 23 - - Aleksandrs Fertovs 16/06/1987 27 Korona - 4 0 0 0 32 - - Igors Tarasovs 16/10/1988 26 Neman - 0 0 0 0 4 - - Vitālijs Maksimenko 08/12/1990 24 VVV - 1 0 0 0 12 - - Artūrs Zjuzins 18/06/1991 23 Baltika * 3 0 0 0 19 2 - Alans Siņeļņikovs 14/05/1990 24 Ventspils - 0 0 0 0 10 - - Vitālijs Jagodinskis 28/02/1992 23 Hoverla - 0 0 0 0 1 - - Andrejs Kovaļovs 23/03/1989 26 Dacia - 2 0 0 0 10 - - Jānis Ikaunieks 16/02/1995 20 Metz - 2 0 0 0 2 - Forwards - Eduards Višņakovs 10/05/1990 24 Ruch - 4 0 0 0 9 - - Deniss Rakels 20/08/1992 22 Cracovia - 1 0 0 0 6 - - Valērijs Šabala 12/10/1994 20 Jablonec - 4 1 0 0 15 6 Coach - Marians Pahars 05/08/1976 38 - 4 0 0 0 14 - 5 Czech Republic - Latvia Saturday 28 March 2015 - 18.00CET (18.00 local time) Match press kit Eden Arena, Prague Head coach Pavel Vrba Date of birth: 6 December 1963 Nationality: Czech Playing career: FC Baník Ostrava (twice), TJ Železárny Prostějov, RH Cheb, TJ Baník Havířov, FC Přerov Coaching career: FC Přerov, FC Baník Ostrava (youth, assistant), Czech Republic Under-20, FK Púchov, MŠK Žilina, Slovakia (assistant), FC Viktoria Plzeň, Czech Republic • The defender was part of the Czechoslovakia side that reached the final of the 1982 UEFA European Under-18 Championship and also appeared at the FIFA U-20 World Cup the following year; the Czechs lost in the quarter-finals to a Brazil team including Bebeto and Dunga. • His club career did not hit the same heights, Vrba making a handful of appearances for Cheb and Baník before finishing his playing days in the lower leagues with home-town side Přerov. • Returned to Baník as a youth coach and also went back to the U-20 World Cup, taking charge of the Czech Republic in the 2003 edition. Became assistant at Baník and – despite a 7-0 loss to SK Slavia Praha when he was in temporary control in May 2003 – ended the next season with the league title. • That summer crossed the border into Slovakia, winning a championship as head coach of Žilina in 2007, by which time he was also working as assistant to Ján Kocián with the Slovak national team. • Moved on to Plzeň in 2008, collecting the Czech Cup in his second season – when he was voted the country's coach of the year – and the league in 2011.