Group 4: Keeping the dream alive

By Pavle Gognidze

No one would have bet on it 12 months ago but midway through the UEFA EURO 2004™ qualifying campaign, a small Baltic state is leading Sweden, Poland and Hungary and remains the only European side not to have conceded a single goal so far.

Biggest game yet
Latvia lead Group 4 with ten points from four matches - three points clear of Poland and five ahead of Sweden and Hungary, although the Swedes have a game in hand. Hence the feeling among Latvians that Saturday's visit to Hungary represents the biggest game in their country's footballing history.

No relaxing
"The game in Hungary is all-important for us, we're in a situation when no team wants to drop a point," said coach Aleksandrs Starkovs. "Hungarians, Swedes, Poles and us are in desperate fight for a place in Portugal, so we cannot think about relaxing. Hungary are at home, and Latvia are not big enough to feel at ease in Budapest."

Strikers missing
The Latvia coach is without Southampton FC striker Marians Pahars, who has been absent for most of the season with an ankle injury, and Maccabi Tel-Aviv striker Andrejs Prohorenkovs is also missing. "We were braced for Pahars' absence, but the injury to Prohorenkovs was a very bad surprise," said Starkovs. "He has proved himself worthy of a starting place." Better news is the return from injury of wing-back Olegs Blagonadezdins.

Stepanovs hopeful
Starkovs, who believes a point would mark his side out as credible contenders, said victory would "be a difficult task". But his players were less circumspect. Arsenal FC defender Igors Stepanovs said: "I think Latvian fans can hope for a victory in Budapest. I rate our chances as 50-50. We will be playing defensively in Hungary, but our counterattacks can always bear fruit."

Mixed build-up
Experienced defender Mihails Zemlinskis, meanwhile, said it would be "harder than in Warsaw" where Latvia beat Poland 1-0, and added: "The most important thing for us is to hold on in the early stages. If we do that, we will not lose." Defeat for Hungary would almost certainly kill their hopes and they have had a mixed build-up to this match and the visit to San Marino next Wednesday.

Tököli withdraws
Ferencvárosi TC striker Attila Tököli withdrew from the squad after he was struck by a supporter on the pitch following the goalless draw with Debreceni VSC last week that cost his club the title. Tököli has since said he wants to quit Ferencváros to play abroad.

Call to fans
Hungary coach Imre Gellei said: "Of course this conflict has darkened the mood in the Hungarian football family. We ask the supporters to show on Saturday at the Ferenc Puskás stadium that football is not about violence but about humanity and sportsmanship." On the plus side, R. Charleroi SC midfield player Miklós Lendvai is back in the squad after a 12-month injury lay-off.

Ibrahimovic out
In Saturday's other Group 4 game, Sweden visit bottom-placed San Marino without the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In his absence, coaches Lars Lagerbäck and Tommy Söderberg must decide who will partner Marcus Allbäck in attack. AIK Solna's Andreas Andersson is the most experienced option, while Mattias Jonsson has been in good form for Brøndby IF. There is also SC Heerenveen's Stefan Selakovic, called up for the first time in eight months.

Suspension risk
With a home match against Poland four days later, Lagerbäck and Söderberg may yet decide to leave out some of those players one booking away from suspension - Allbäck, Johan Mjällby, Anders Svensson, Fredrik Ljungberg and Kim Källström.

Additional reporting by Márton Dinnyés and Jan Juhlin