The shimmering Mediterranean coastline of southern Turkey has provided an idyllic backdrop for Australia's World Cup preparations but coach Bert van Marwijk is far from relaxed as the Socceroos race to be fit for Russia.

Given only months to turn the world's 40th-ranked team into an outfit that can challenge France, Denmark and Peru in the group phase, the Dutchman has tried to fast-track fitness levels with an intense Bootcamp at their Antalya base.

The plans have been thwarted to an extent by late arrivals, however, and the full 27-man squad was not in place until Tuesday when captain Mile Jedinak turned up for a light session and goalkeeper Danny Vukovic finally landed after completing club duties.

Striker Tomi Juric has struggled with a knee injury, prompting the late call-up for the initially snubbed Scotland-based forward Jamie Maclaren, while midfielder Aaron Mooy had to be excused for a period to have a wisdom tooth removed.

The little frustrations have piled up for Van Marwijk, who admitted he was feeling the pressure to get the squad to meet his benchmarks before Russia.

"I am not nervous, but when I started I wanted to start with all players,” he told former Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, now a pundit for local broadcaster Optus Sport.

"The first mission we have is to get them all on the same physical level. That’s not so easy. Because players (are) coming back from injury.

"It’s a very big difference and you want to prepare but you don’t have a lot of time.

"That’s my problem. I knew it before, I knew I can’t change it, I cannot blame anybody, but I’m happy everybody is here and I can train with all players."

Barring a few minutes at the start of sessions, media have been barred from training as Van Marwijk imprints his game plan upon a squad that made hard work of Asian qualifying and struggled to score goals.

The manager has been cagey about his set-up but has shelved his predecessor Ange Postecoglou's 3-2-4-1 formation in favour of four at the back.

Players are still being tested in different roles but defensive midfielder Mark Milligan has been told he will only be used as a central defender, meaning Jedinak is likely to retain his holding midfield role.

"I don’t mind," Milligan told Australian media. "It’s nice to know what position I’m being looked at."

Australia has never lacked for hard-working footballers and their discipline has impressed Van Marwijk, but he is concerned their eagerness to follow his orders has made them reluctant to improvise.

"But what I was a little bit surprised about was they did everything exactly the way I told them," said Van Marwijk.

"In life, you (also) have to take decisions for yourself.

"Sometimes, things change. Sometimes, they are different. Then you have to anticipate that.

"I like discipline, but I also like players who develop themselves and who sometimes take their own decisions."

After a 4-1 loss to Norway and a 0-0 draw against Colombia in March, Van Marwijk will see how far his squad have come in a friendly against the 45th-ranked Czech Republic on Friday in St Polten, Austria.

The little frustrations have piled up for Van Marwijk, who admitted he was feeling the pressure to get the squad to meet his benchmarks before Russia

The shimmering Mediterranean coastline of southern Turkey has provided an idyllic backdrop for Australia's World Cup preparations but coach Bert van Marwijk is far from relaxed as the Socceroos race to be fit for Russia. Given only months to turn the world's 40th-ranked team into an outfit that can challenge France, Denmark and Peru in the group phase, the Dutchman has tried to fast-track fitness levels with an intense Bootcamp at their Antalya base. The plans have been thwarted to an extent by late arrivals, however, and the full 27-man squad was not in place until Tuesday when captain Mile Jedinak turned up for a light session and goalkeeper Danny Vukovic finally landed after completing club duties. Striker Tomi Juric has struggled with a knee injury, prompting the late call-up for the initially snubbed Scotland-based forward Jamie Maclaren, while midfielder Aaron Mooy had to be excused for a period to have a wisdom tooth removed. The little frustrations have piled up for Van Marwijk, who admitted he was feeling the pressure to get the squad to meet his benchmarks before Russia. "I am not nervous, but when I started I wanted to start with all players,” he told former Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, now a pundit for local broadcaster Optus Sport. "The first mission we have is to get them all on the same physical level. That’s not so easy. Because players (are) coming back from injury. "It’s a very big difference and you want to prepare but you don’t have a lot of time. "That’s my problem. I knew it before, I knew I can’t change it, I cannot blame anybody, but I’m happy everybody is here and I can train with all players." Barring a few minutes at the start of sessions, media have been barred from training as Van Marwijk imprints his game plan upon a squad that made hard work of Asian qualifying and struggled to score goals. The manager has been cagey about his set-up but has shelved his predecessor Ange Postecoglou's 3-2-4-1 formation in favour of four at the back. Players are still being tested in different roles but defensive midfielder Mark Milligan has been told he will only be used as a central defender, meaning Jedinak is likely to retain his holding midfield role. "I don’t mind," Milligan told Australian media. "It’s nice to know what position I’m being looked at." Australia has never lacked for hard-working footballers and their discipline has impressed Van Marwijk, but he is concerned their eagerness to follow his orders has made them reluctant to improvise. "But what I was a little bit surprised about was they did everything exactly the way I told them," said Van Marwijk. "In life, you (also) have to take decisions for yourself. "Sometimes, things change. Sometimes, they are different. Then you have to anticipate that. "I like discipline, but I also like players who develop themselves and who sometimes take their own decisions." After a 4-1 loss to Norway and a 0-0 draw against Colombia in March, Van Marwijk will see how far his squad have come in a friendly against the 45th-ranked Czech Republic on Friday in St Polten, Austria.

FIFA World Cup: Australia coach Van Marwijk hears World Cup clock ticking

The Czech Republic on Tuesday reopened its honorary consulate in Jerusalem, the CTK news agency reported, after President Milos Zeman voiced his wish to move the Czech embassy to the city from Tel Aviv.

The CTK named Dan Propper, a 78-year-old Israeli businessman of Czech origin, as the new honorary consul.&nbsp;

"I see my contribution as being especially focused on economic relations because I have links to the local entrepreneurial community," Propper told the CTK.&nbsp;

Opened in the early 1990s, the Czech honorary consulate in Jerusalem was closed in 2016 due to the death of the honorary consul.

The Czech Foreign Ministry vowed in April that the decision to reopen the honorary consulate had "no influence on the final agreement on Jerusalem" adding that Prague "fully respects the common position of the European Union that considers Jerusalem as the future capital of both states, that is to say, the State of Israel and the future state of Palestine."

US President Donald Trump broke with decades of policy, moving the US embassy to Jerusalem on May 14, infuriating Palestinians and intensifying protests on the Gaza border, with 60 killed in clashes with Israeli forces that day.

Trump's move ruptured generations of international consensus that Jerusalem's status should be settled as part of a two-state peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

The Palestinian Authority recalled its envoys to Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria after their ambassadors attended an Israeli reception marking the US embassy's move to Jerusalem.

Czech President Zeman, known for his pro-Israel stance, has repeatedly said he also wants to see his country's embassy transferred to Jerusalem.

The Czech Embassy (of Czechoslovakia then the Czech Republic) has been in Tel Aviv since 1949, except during the interruption of diplomatic relations under the former communist regime in Prague between 1967 and 1990.

Any decision to move the embassy would first need to be approved by the Czech government.

The CTK named Dan Propper, a 78-year-old Israeli businessman of Czech origin, as the new honorary consul

The Czech Republic on Tuesday reopened its honorary consulate in Jerusalem, the CTK news agency reported, after President Milos Zeman voiced his wish to move the Czech embassy to the city from Tel Aviv. The CTK named Dan Propper, a 78-year-old Israeli businessman of Czech origin, as the new honorary consul. "I see my contribution as being especially focused on economic relations because I have links to the local entrepreneurial community," Propper told the CTK. Opened in the early 1990s, the Czech honorary consulate in Jerusalem was closed in 2016 due to the death of the honorary consul. The Czech Foreign Ministry vowed in April that the decision to reopen the honorary consulate had "no influence on the final agreement on Jerusalem" adding that Prague "fully respects the common position of the European Union that considers Jerusalem as the future capital of both states, that is to say, the State of Israel and the future state of Palestine." US President Donald Trump broke with decades of policy, moving the US embassy to Jerusalem on May 14, infuriating Palestinians and intensifying protests on the Gaza border, with 60 killed in clashes with Israeli forces that day. Trump's move ruptured generations of international consensus that Jerusalem's status should be settled as part of a two-state peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority recalled its envoys to Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria after their ambassadors attended an Israeli reception marking the US embassy's move to Jerusalem. Czech President Zeman, known for his pro-Israel stance, has repeatedly said he also wants to see his country's embassy transferred to Jerusalem. The Czech Embassy (of Czechoslovakia then the Czech Republic) has been in Tel Aviv since 1949, except during the interruption of diplomatic relations under the former communist regime in Prague between 1967 and 1990. Any decision to move the embassy would first need to be approved by the Czech government.

Czech Republic re-opens honorary consulate in Jerusalem

Petra Kvitova put Czech Republic into the Fed Cup final with a convincing victory over Angelique Kerber of Germany that gave the 10-time champions an insurmountable 3-1 lead in the tie in Stuttgart on Sunday.

Kvitova, twice Wimbledon champion, struck 24 winners in a 6-2 6-2 victory over Kerber as the Czechs booked their place in the final for the sixth time in eight years.

"I knew I had to start very strong today and continue that throughout the game," the 28-year-old said after recording her 30th Fed Cup victory.&nbsp

"From the beginning of the match I knew I had all the weapons."

Earlier in the day, German number one Julia Goerges had dragged her country back into the tie with a 6-4 6-2 win over Karolina Pliskova.

Goerges needed only 27 minutes to claim the opening set before she took advantage of the first two break opportunities in the second to clinch the victory in under an hour.

But former world number one Kerber struggled to cope with Kvitova`s powerful groundstrokes and was broken five times as the Czechs returned to the final after a one-year absence.

The Czechs are undefeated in their previous five final appearances and will face either France or the U.S. in the final on Nov. 10-11.

Kvitova put Czech Republic into the Fed Cup final with a convincing victory

Petra Kvitova put Czech Republic into the Fed Cup final with a convincing victory over Angelique Kerber of Germany that gave the 10-time champions an insurmountable 3-1 lead in the tie in Stuttgart on Sunday. Kvitova, twice Wimbledon champion, struck 24 winners in a 6-2 6-2 victory over Kerber as the Czechs booked their place in the final for the sixth time in eight years. "I knew I had to start very strong today and continue that throughout the game," the 28-year-old said after recording her 30th Fed Cup victory. "From the beginning of the match I knew I had all the weapons." Earlier in the day, German number one Julia Goerges had dragged her country back into the tie with a 6-4 6-2 win over Karolina Pliskova. Goerges needed only 27 minutes to claim the opening set before she took advantage of the first two break opportunities in the second to clinch the victory in under an hour. But former world number one Kerber struggled to cope with Kvitova`s powerful groundstrokes and was broken five times as the Czechs returned to the final after a one-year absence. The Czechs are undefeated in their previous five final appearances and will face either France or the U.S. in the final on Nov. 10-11.

Petra Kvitova outplays Kerber to send Czechs into Fed Cup final

Former Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna has died at the age of 49.&nbsp;

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Novotna, who won the Wimbledon in 1998, had been suffering from cancer.&nbsp;

&quot;After a long battle with cancer, Jana died peacefully, surrounded by her family in her native Czech Republic,&quot; the World Tennis Association said on its website.

Former Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna has died at the age of 49. Former Czech Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna has passed away at the age of 49. pic.twitter.com/ZrYRznfU8r — ANI (@ANI) November 20, 2017 × Novotna, who won the Wimbledon in 1998, had been suffering from cancer. "After a long battle with cancer, Jana died peacefully, surrounded by her family in her native Czech Republic," the World Tennis Association said on its website.

Former Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna dies at 49

A billionaire populist dubbed the &quot;Czech Trump&quot; vowed a new stage in Czech politics as voters head to the polls&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;in day two of an election expected to sweep him into power.

Betting on his anti-euro, anti-migrant and anti-corruption ticket, ANO (Yes) movement chief Andrej Babis topped opinion polls by a wide margin ahead of the ballot that ends&nbsp;Saturday afternoon.

Babis said he expected his country to &quot;enter a new stage&quot; after voting near Prague&nbsp;on Friday, adding it needed &quot;a government which will really tackle people&#39;s problems.&quot;

Voting at a school in central Prague, pensioner Vaclav Vachel told AFP that Babis&#39; anti-corruption drive was &quot;the key thing,&quot; seemingly unfazed by a fraud indictment Babis faces for alleged abuse of EU subsidies.

&quot;I don&#39;t like the EU at all... They&#39;re incompetent, those people in Brussels... They&#39;re a disaster, this (European Commission chief Jean-Claude) Juncker especially,&quot; he added.

Far-right and far-left anti-EU parties are eyeing strong gains which could lead to a fragmented parliament with up to nine parties and few natural coalition allies. Analysts warn of instability and that the Czech Republic&#39;s system of liberal democracy could be disturbed.

ANO has already held key posts in the outgoing rocky centre-left coalition under Social Democrat Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, with Babis serving as finance minister from 2014 to May this year.

A 63-year-old Slovak-born chemicals, food and media tycoon, Babis captured around 25-30 percent support in recent surveys, putting ANO ahead of a current coalition partner, with the left-wing Social Democrats on just 12.5 percent.

&#39;Deep dissatisfaction&#39;

Parties protesting liberal democracy are poised to win a majority in parliament for the first time since communism fell in 1989, the leading Hospodarske Noviny daily said in a&nbsp;Friday editorial.

&quot;And for the first time we face the threat that an openly xenophobic, extremist movement will earn more than 10 percent&quot; of the vote, it added, pointing to the far-right anti-EU Freedom and Free Democracy (SPD) of Tokyo-born entrepreneur Tomio Okamura who won backing from France&#39;s far-right National Front.

The daily called the elections a &quot;turning point... both for the country&#39;s internal functioning and its anchoring in the European Union.&quot;

Despite their country&#39;s economic success, many Czechs who are heavily in debt or working long hours for low wages feel they have been left behind and are turning to anti-system parties to vent frustration, Hospodarske Noviny added.

With joblessness at 3.8 percent in September, the Czech economy which is heavily reliant on car exports is slated to grow by 3.6 percent this year.&nbsp;

While Babis has vowed to steer clear of the eurozone and echoes other eastern EU leaders who accuse Brussels of attempting to limit national sovereignty by imposing rules like migrant quotas, he favours a united Europe and balks at talk of a &quot;Czexit&quot;.

Le Pen endorsement

Babis&#39;s main rival, Social Democrats leader and Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek, said&nbsp;Friday&nbsp;he hoped that the future government would ensure that the Czech Republic does not drift to the EU&#39;s periphery.

Opinion surveys showed the anti-EU Communists could win 10.5 percent, ahead of Okamura&#39;s SPD with 9.5 percent and the anti-establishment Pirates party with 8.5 percent.

The leader of France&#39;s far-right National Front Marine Le Pen sent Okamura a letter of support, saying that their parties want to create &quot;a Europe of nations and liberties to which we adhere.&quot;

On Saturday, voting for the 200-member lower house of parliament begins at 0600 GMT and ends at 1200 GMT, with no exit polls scheduled and results expected in the evening.

Betting on his anti-euro, anti-migrant, and anti-corruption ticket, ANO (Yes) movement chief Andrej Babis topped opinion polls by a wide margin

A billionaire populist dubbed the "Czech Trump" vowed a new stage in Czech politics as voters head to the polls Saturday in day two of an election expected to sweep him into power. Betting on his anti-euro, anti-migrant and anti-corruption ticket, ANO (Yes) movement chief Andrej Babis topped opinion polls by a wide margin ahead of the ballot that ends Saturday afternoon. Babis said he expected his country to "enter a new stage" after voting near Prague on Friday, adding it needed "a government which will really tackle people's problems." Voting at a school in central Prague, pensioner Vaclav Vachel told AFP that Babis' anti-corruption drive was "the key thing," seemingly unfazed by a fraud indictment Babis faces for alleged abuse of EU subsidies. "I don't like the EU at all... They're incompetent, those people in Brussels... They're a disaster, this (European Commission chief Jean-Claude) Juncker especially," he added. Far-right and far-left anti-EU parties are eyeing strong gains which could lead to a fragmented parliament with up to nine parties and few natural coalition allies. Analysts warn of instability and that the Czech Republic's system of liberal democracy could be disturbed. ANO has already held key posts in the outgoing rocky centre-left coalition under Social Democrat Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, with Babis serving as finance minister from 2014 to May this year. A 63-year-old Slovak-born chemicals, food and media tycoon, Babis captured around 25-30 percent support in recent surveys, putting ANO ahead of a current coalition partner, with the left-wing Social Democrats on just 12.5 percent. 'Deep dissatisfaction' Parties protesting liberal democracy are poised to win a majority in parliament for the first time since communism fell in 1989, the leading Hospodarske Noviny daily said in a Friday editorial. "And for the first time we face the threat that an openly xenophobic, extremist movement will earn more than 10 percent" of the vote, it added, pointing to the far-right anti-EU Freedom and Free Democracy (SPD) of Tokyo-born entrepreneur Tomio Okamura who won backing from France's far-right National Front. The daily called the elections a "turning point... both for the country's internal functioning and its anchoring in the European Union." Despite their country's economic success, many Czechs who are heavily in debt or working long hours for low wages feel they have been left behind and are turning to anti-system parties to vent frustration, Hospodarske Noviny added. With joblessness at 3.8 percent in September, the Czech economy which is heavily reliant on car exports is slated to grow by 3.6 percent this year. While Babis has vowed to steer clear of the eurozone and echoes other eastern EU leaders who accuse Brussels of attempting to limit national sovereignty by imposing rules like migrant quotas, he favours a united Europe and balks at talk of a "Czexit". Le Pen endorsement Babis's main rival, Social Democrats leader and Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek, said Friday he hoped that the future government would ensure that the Czech Republic does not drift to the EU's periphery. Opinion surveys showed the anti-EU Communists could win 10.5 percent, ahead of Okamura's SPD with 9.5 percent and the anti-establishment Pirates party with 8.5 percent. The leader of France's far-right National Front Marine Le Pen sent Okamura a letter of support, saying that their parties want to create "a Europe of nations and liberties to which we adhere." On Saturday, voting for the 200-member lower house of parliament begins at 0600 GMT and ends at 1200 GMT, with no exit polls scheduled and results expected in the evening.

'Czech Trump' expected to win election

World champions&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;pushed Brazil back into second place to&nbsp;return&nbsp;to the&nbsp;top&nbsp;of the&nbsp;FIFA&nbsp;rankings, which was published on Thursday.

Germany&#39;s 2-1 win away to the Czech Republic and their 6-0 drubbing of Norway in the World Cup qualifiers lifted them over the already-qualified Brazil, who dropped points in a draw away to Colombia.

European champions Portugal climbed three places to third -- even though they are second in their World Cup qualifying group behind Switzerland.

In another surprise, Argentina are fourth in the&nbsp;rankings&nbsp;despite struggling to qualify for the World Cup after drawing their last two games - away to Uruguay and at home to Venezuela.

War-torn Syria, who have reached the Asian playoff stage in the World Cup qualifiers despite playing their &#39;home&#39; World Cup qualifiers in Malaysia because of the security situation in the country, rose to their highest-ever ranking of 75.

Three other teams reached their best-ever place - Peru (12th), Northern Ireland (20th) and Luxemburg (101st) after they held France to a 0-0 draw away.

The&nbsp;rankings&nbsp;made disappointing reading for Asia with only three sides in the&nbsp;top&nbsp;50 - Iran, Japan and Australia.

The next&nbsp;FIFA&nbsp;rankings&nbsp;will be announced on Oct. 16 and used to determine the seedings in the draw for the four European playoff ties for next year&#39;s World Cup finals in Russia.

Top&nbsp;10&nbsp;rankings: (previous positions in brackets) 1.&nbsp;Germany&nbsp;(2) 2. Brazil (1) 3. Portugal (6) 4. Argentina (3) 5. Belgium (9) 6. Poland (5) 7. Switzerland (4) 8. France (10) 9. Chile (7) 10. Colombia (8)

Germany's 2-1 win away to the Czech Republic and their 6-0 drubbing of Norway in the World Cup qualifiers lifted them over the already-qualified Brazil, who dropped points in a draw away to Colombia.

World champions Germany pushed Brazil back into second place to return to the top of the FIFA rankings, which was published on Thursday. Germany's 2-1 win away to the Czech Republic and their 6-0 drubbing of Norway in the World Cup qualifiers lifted them over the already-qualified Brazil, who dropped points in a draw away to Colombia. European champions Portugal climbed three places to third -- even though they are second in their World Cup qualifying group behind Switzerland. In another surprise, Argentina are fourth in the rankings despite struggling to qualify for the World Cup after drawing their last two games - away to Uruguay and at home to Venezuela. War-torn Syria, who have reached the Asian playoff stage in the World Cup qualifiers despite playing their 'home' World Cup qualifiers in Malaysia because of the security situation in the country, rose to their highest-ever ranking of 75. Three other teams reached their best-ever place - Peru (12th), Northern Ireland (20th) and Luxemburg (101st) after they held France to a 0-0 draw away. The rankings made disappointing reading for Asia with only three sides in the top 50 - Iran, Japan and Australia. The next FIFA rankings will be announced on Oct. 16 and used to determine the seedings in the draw for the four European playoff ties for next year's World Cup finals in Russia. Top 10 rankings: (previous positions in brackets) 1. Germany (2) 2. Brazil (1) 3. Portugal (6) 4. Argentina (3) 5. Belgium (9) 6. Poland (5) 7. Switzerland (4) 8. France (10) 9. Chile (7) 10. Colombia (8)

FIFA rankings: World Champions Germany on top, Brazil slips

Spain huffed and puffed, making hard work of their Euro 2016 opener before a late Gerard Pique goal blew away the Czech Republic resistance. Yet the win could not conceal the fact that Vicente del Bosque&#39;s champions may be lacking a killer instinct. 
 
Until defender Pique&#39;s crucial late header, the holders were again largely ineffective in front of goal, just as they had been in their 1-0 loss to Georgia in their final warm-up game last week. 
 
Spain had three-quarters of the possession up until the interval and played most of the game in the Czech half, but still did not have the wit or invention to break down their more limited opponents. 
 
By the end, the champions had hit the target just five times in their 17 attempts, with Pique&#39;s 87th-minute header from a superb Andres Iniesta cross eventually sparing them blushes. 
 
It left Spain&#39;s coach Vicente del Bosque with an increasingly familiar headache. &quot;It&#39;s true that we dominate but we still struggle in front of goal,&quot; he sighed afterwards. 
 
The most important thing for the coach was that this was at least an improvement on Spain&#39;s last three opening games at major tournaments: a defeat in the 2014 World Cup by the Netherlands, a draw with Italy in Euro 2012 and a loss in the 2010 World Cup to Switzerland. 
 
They started with a sense of urgency and were most effective when they had David Silva and Jordi Alba stretching the Czech team on the flanks. That enabled them to create the first real opening of the game, with Silva&#39;s cross from the right finding Alvaro Morata in the box but his first-touch shot was kept out by the ever-excellent Petr Cech. 
 
Problems started for Spain when Silva and Alba started drifting inside, flooding the central area of the pitch and making the champions too predictable. 
 
Still, they should have gone into the break ahead but were denied by some terrific work from Cech, who managed to stop Morata twice. 
 
&quot;We would have seen a different game had one of our chances in the opening half gone in,&quot; reckoned Spain captain Sergio Ramos. 
 
Morata was replaced by Aritz Aduriz in the 62nd minute but he could do little with Spain continuing to produce long spells of possession without any incisive intent or penetration. 
 
Eventually, though, one moment of sheer star quality shone through. Andres Iniesta, still a twinkle-toed Fred Astaire of the modern game at 32, unfurled one curling, inch-perfect cross that simply demanded a thumping Pique finish. 
 
&quot;This is who we are,&quot; the Barcelona maestro Iniesta declared afterwards. &quot;We have achieved so much success because of our style of play. We have played games like this one and it&#39;s just a case of trying and trying, until the ball goes in.&quot; 
 
The problem is that the wait for those goals is incerasingly becoming a test of the Spain supporters&#39; nerves and patience.&nbsp;

Gerard Pique ensured a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic

Spain huffed and puffed, making hard work of their Euro 2016 opener before a late Gerard Pique goal blew away the Czech Republic resistance. Yet the win could not conceal the fact that Vicente del Bosque's champions may be lacking a killer instinct. Until defender Pique's crucial late header, the holders were again largely ineffective in front of goal, just as they had been in their 1-0 loss to Georgia in their final warm-up game last week. Spain had three-quarters of the possession up until the interval and played most of the game in the Czech half, but still did not have the wit or invention to break down their more limited opponents. By the end, the champions had hit the target just five times in their 17 attempts, with Pique's 87th-minute header from a superb Andres Iniesta cross eventually sparing them blushes. It left Spain's coach Vicente del Bosque with an increasingly familiar headache. "It's true that we dominate but we still struggle in front of goal," he sighed afterwards. The most important thing for the coach was that this was at least an improvement on Spain's last three opening games at major tournaments: a defeat in the 2014 World Cup by the Netherlands, a draw with Italy in Euro 2012 and a loss in the 2010 World Cup to Switzerland. They started with a sense of urgency and were most effective when they had David Silva and Jordi Alba stretching the Czech team on the flanks. That enabled them to create the first real opening of the game, with Silva's cross from the right finding Alvaro Morata in the box but his first-touch shot was kept out by the ever-excellent Petr Cech. Problems started for Spain when Silva and Alba started drifting inside, flooding the central area of the pitch and making the champions too predictable. Still, they should have gone into the break ahead but were denied by some terrific work from Cech, who managed to stop Morata twice. "We would have seen a different game had one of our chances in the opening half gone in," reckoned Spain captain Sergio Ramos. Morata was replaced by Aritz Aduriz in the 62nd minute but he could do little with Spain continuing to produce long spells of possession without any incisive intent or penetration. Eventually, though, one moment of sheer star quality shone through. Andres Iniesta, still a twinkle-toed Fred Astaire of the modern game at 32, unfurled one curling, inch-perfect cross that simply demanded a thumping Pique finish. "This is who we are," the Barcelona maestro Iniesta declared afterwards. "We have achieved so much success because of our style of play. We have played games like this one and it's just a case of trying and trying, until the ball goes in." The problem is that the wait for those goals is incerasingly becoming a test of the Spain supporters' nerves and patience.

Defending champs Spain seal last-gasp win

Spain&#39;s right back Juanfran says his costly penalty shootout miss in Atletico Madrid&#39;s Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid has made him a better player at Euro 2016. 
 
Less than three weeks have passed since the veteran&#39;s spot kick hit the post and Cristiano Ronaldo converted the winning penalty for Real Madrid. 
 
Juanfran started in Spain&#39;s 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Group D on Monday and is expected to be in the lineup again when the champions take on Turkey on Friday. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve always overcome difficult times,&quot; the 31-year-old told Marca. &quot;I knew this would make me stronger, even from a personal standpoint. I&#39;m better than I was and after that final, I&#39;m ready for anything.&quot; 
 
&quot;I will never forget it but you learn to live with it. Each game represents a re-match and Monday&#39;s game was a new opportunity for me.&quot; 
 
Juanfran says he has received nothing but support since the setback to Real and even the sales of his Atletico jersey have increased. He is convinced the national team has the potential to win a third straight title. 
 
&quot;We are our biggest opponents and it all depends on the hunger we have,&quot; he said. &quot;If we want to reach the final and we are convinced of it and we give all that we have then, we will make it.&nbsp;We need work, show humility and the quality will do the rest.&quot; 
(Reuters)

The Spanish right back is convinced that the national team has potential to win a third straight title

Spain's right back Juanfran says his costly penalty shootout miss in Atletico Madrid's Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid has made him a better player at Euro 2016. Less than three weeks have passed since the veteran's spot kick hit the post and Cristiano Ronaldo converted the winning penalty for Real Madrid. Juanfran started in Spain's 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic in Group D on Monday and is expected to be in the lineup again when the champions take on Turkey on Friday. "I've always overcome difficult times," the 31-year-old told Marca. "I knew this would make me stronger, even from a personal standpoint. I'm better than I was and after that final, I'm ready for anything." "I will never forget it but you learn to live with it. Each game represents a re-match and Monday's game was a new opportunity for me." Juanfran says he has received nothing but support since the setback to Real and even the sales of his Atletico jersey have increased. He is convinced the national team has the potential to win a third straight title. "We are our biggest opponents and it all depends on the hunger we have," he said. "If we want to reach the final and we are convinced of it and we give all that we have then, we will make it. We need work, show humility and the quality will do the rest." (Reuters)

I am ready for anything, says Spain's Juanfran

Hungarian film &quot;It&#39;s Not The Time Of My Life&quot; won the top prize at the Czech Republic&#39;s Karlovy Vary Film Festival&nbsp;on Saturday, the organisers said. 
 
The Crystal Globe award winner directed by Szabolcs Hajdu (&quot;White Palms&quot;, &quot;Bibliotheque Pascal&quot;) is a study of two families forced to share a flat. 
 
American actor Willem Dafoe, the star of &quot;Platoon&quot;, &quot;Shadow of the Vampire&quot; or &quot;The Last Temptation of Christ&quot;, received the Crystal Globe at the festival earlier on for his contribution to world cinematography. 
 
French actor Jean Reno (&quot;Leon&quot;, &quot;Nikita&quot;, &quot;Ronin&quot;) and American screenwriter, director and producer Charlie Kaufman, who won an Oscar for the script for the 2004 film &quot;Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind&quot;, received the Festival President&#39;s Award. 
 
More than 135,000 cinemagoers attended the 51st edition of the festival in the western spa city running from July 1 to July 9. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
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More than 135,000 cinemagoers attended the 51st edition of the festival in Czech Republic between July 1 and July 9

Hungarian film "It's Not The Time Of My Life" won the top prize at the Czech Republic's Karlovy Vary Film Festival on Saturday, the organisers said. The Crystal Globe award winner directed by Szabolcs Hajdu ("White Palms", "Bibliotheque Pascal") is a study of two families forced to share a flat. American actor Willem Dafoe, the star of "Platoon", "Shadow of the Vampire" or "The Last Temptation of Christ", received the Crystal Globe at the festival earlier on for his contribution to world cinematography. French actor Jean Reno ("Leon", "Nikita", "Ronin") and American screenwriter, director and producer Charlie Kaufman, who won an Oscar for the script for the 2004 film "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", received the Festival President's Award. More than 135,000 cinemagoers attended the 51st edition of the festival in the western spa city running from July 1 to July 9. (AFP)

Hungarian movie bags top prize at Karlovy Vary Film Festival

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