In the most stunning game of Euro 2004 so far, the Czechs came from two down to reach the last eight by beating Holland 3-2 and topping Group D in Aveiro.
It was Liverpool pair Milan Baros and Vladimir Smicer who grabbed the second-half goals that turned this dramatic game on its head.
Wilfred Bouma and Ruud van Nistelrooy had grabbed early goals to put Holland in command before Jan Koller started the fightback.
Holland lost defender Johnny Heitinga when he was sent off near the end, and that was the chance the Czechs needed to grab the eventual winner with three minutes left from Smicer.
The Czechs were left to celebrate in front of their delirious fans while the orange hordes melted away in disbelief, knowing their side need to get something from their final game with Latvia and hope the Czechs can also stop the Germans on the same night.
Holland coach Dick Advocaat left out Rafael van der Vaart and Boudewijn Zenden from the team that drew with Germany on Tuesday in their opening Group D match, and brought in Clarence Seedorf and new Chelsea signing Arjen Robben.
Both sides were clearly inspired by the knowledge that Germany had been held by Latvia earlier in the day and the chance to take the initiative in group was obvious.
In a first-half of spellbinding attacking play, the Czechs should have been ahead in the opening minutes when Borussia Dortmund pair, Koller and Tomas Rosicky, combined in the box. Rosicky's cleverly-lifted ball into Koller's path should have been buried, but the giant striker somehow volleyed over.
The Czechs paid for those misses after four minutes when Robben's ball lifted to the far post from the right fell for Wilfred Bouma to head back and across Petr Cech inside the upright to give Holland the lead.
The excitement continued at a tremendous pace and Seedorf curled a free-kick just wide after Ruud van Nistelrooy had been brought down 25 yards out.
Holland could have made it two when Edgar Davids' ball across the face of the area set up Seedorf for an instant drive that just cleared the post while Andy van der Meyde was next to worry the Czechs with a cross-shot that Cech had to fall on smartly.
But the second did arrive for a pulsating Dutch side on 19 minutes when van der Meyde pulled a ball across the box for the unmarked van Nistelrooy to run in unmarked and drive home.
But the Czechs had no intention of capitulating and grabbed a goal back on 23 minutes when Baros surged from deep to attack Jaap Stam, cutting across the big defender before forcing the ball into Koller's path for the big man to drill home from six yards.
The Czechs then took off full-back Zdenek Grygera, who had been badly exposed down the right and sent on Smicer in midfield with Karel Poborsky at wing-back.
Johnny Heitinga was next into the book for a another foul on Nedved, and the same player soon appeared at the other end to force Cech into a stunning flying save to touch over a 30-yard, swerving drive.
The Czechs almost equalised when Nedved produced some magic in the box, allowing Poborsky the space to cross for Koller to have a close-range effort deflected agonisingly wide, while Holland stormed back and Davids struck a fierce cross-shot that cannoned back off the foot of the far post to end a breathtaking half of attacking football.
Both sides continued to fly at each other. Cech needed to hold a van der Meyde cross with van Nistelrooy lurking, while Smicer and Nedved both had good opportunities before Cech made a great instinctive save from van Nistelrooy.
Nedved then found space in the box to set up Smicer, who saw his effort superbly saved by Van der Sar.
Nedved, Seedorf and van der Meyde were almost rivaling each other by now to produce the cleverest tricks and runs as both sides continued all-out attack.
The Czechs levelled with a stunning goal on 71 minutes. Nedved's ball in from the left was nodded back by Koller for Baros to lash into the roof of the net from 15 yards.
Holland's immediate reply was for van der Meyde to get clear in the box only for Cech to make another point-blank save.
David Rozehnal came on for Koller on 74 minutes, a minute before the Dutch had Heitinga sent off for his second yellow card after bringing down Nedved.
The Czechs went for broke now, Nedved hit the bar and Poborsky headed the rebound over before taking the lead when Poborsky squared the ball for Smicer to net with three minutes left.
Ruud van Nistelrooy will lead the Dutch attack in their opening Euro 2004 match against Germany, coach Dick Advocaat said on Thursday.
The choice of Van Nistelrooy as the sole striker in a 4-3-3 formation effectively ends Patrick Kluivert's eight-year reign as Dutch first choice up front.
'I will start with Van Nistelrooy on Tuesday,' Advocaat told a news conference. 'I believe that Van Nistelrooy is the best choice for the team.
'He has proved in the past that he can score at the top level. None of the four strikers really impressed me during the training sessions and the (friendly) matches we played.
'But I believe that Ruud is a real match player and not one that is at his best in training sessions.' The Manchester United player has scored 14 goals in 33 internationals while Kluivert has scored 40 goals in 79.
Advocaat decided to switch from a 4-4-2 system on Wednesday after a discussion with four senior players. The Dutch lost two friendlies in eight days to Belgium and Ireland, both 1-0.
'We tried to play with a diamond in midfield because my wingers (Arjen Robben, Mark Overmars and Andy van der Meyde) joined the squad in bad shape,' the coach said
'But Andy has improved his form a lot since we came together.' Overmars is likely to be the other wide player supplying Van Nistelrooy up front.
The Dutch gathered on May 26 and spent last week in a training camp in Switzerland.
'The first two weeks we worked on our physical condition and that was the reason we disappointed against Belgium and Ireland, but during last night's training match it was obvious that the squad have regained their sharpness.'
Manchester United ace Ruud Van Nistelrooy admits he is raring to go now and it looks certain he has won the battle to lead the Dutch attack.
The Old Trafford hotshot has been involved in a fierce battle with Barcelona's Patrick Kluivert for the main striking role against Germany in their group D opener in Porto next week, now that boss Dick Advocaat has decided on a 4-3-3 formation after trying unsuccessfully to forge a partnership between Holland's two main strikers.
Van Nistelrooy said today: "I'm feeling fine, and I can't wait for the chance to play in a major tournament after missing two previously.
"I actually am surprised how fit I feel, particularly after a long season in England. All I can say is that I'm ready to play."
Advocaat has decided to play with one main striker and claims that Van Nistelrooy is his best bet.
And in a swipe at Kluivert, the Dutch coach added: "I played Kluivert because he was good in practice, but some players are good in practice and not in matches. Van Nistelrooy is certainly good in matches."
Van Nistelrooy's record of 14 goals in 33 internationals is on average roughly the same as Kluivert, who has hit 40 goals in 79 games for his country.
Advocaat adds: "I have a lot of good strikers but I have made my decision. I now expect the other forwards to accept that."
Van Nistelrooy says: "Everyone can see I'm ready to play. I enjoy big matches. I enjoy the Champions League, I enjoy FA Cup finals. It's the atmosphere in such cup tie style games that inspires me."
And Van Nistelrooy brushed aside the constant sniping that has been aimed at Advocaat in an erratic build-up to the finals.
He said: "That will not motivate us and is not important. Our motivation is our own desire to perform, we all want to perform well in these championships. That, and only that, is our biggest motivation."
Ruud van Nistelrooy has played down Holland's shock home defeat against the Republic of Ireland.
Dick Advocaat's side, among the favourites for Euro 2004, were beaten by Robbie Keane's superb long-range strike in Amsterdam, but Van Nistelrooy insists the Dutch need to stay positive.
He said: "It was not what we expected before the game, but we must not get ourselves in a miserable frame of mind just a few days before the game against Germany.
"We must stay positive, we must remain confident, keep on fighting and believe that it [the good form] all will come back to us."
NETHERLANDS 2-3 CZECH REPUBLIC
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