Preview >> USA Women vs. Czech Republic

USA (0-0)
Czech Republic (0-0)

TV: Live, Aug. 9, 8:00 a.m. on USA, USA HD
*All times listed are Eastern Daylight Time

A Little History
The Czech Republic, fifth-place finisher at the 2007 FIBA Europe Championship, earned its berth into the Beijing Olympic Games at the 2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, contested June 9-15 in Madrid, Spain. The Czechs topped Argentina 77-55 and Angola 86-54 to advance to the Quarterfinals, where they beat Japan 76-64 to secure an Olympic berth. Hana Machova averaged 18.7 points and 3.67 steals in the qualifying tournament's three games, followed by Eva Viteckova with 15.0 points. Additionally, Petra Kulichova collected an average of 9.0 rebounds per game.

The USA has faced the Czech Republic once previously in Olympic play, and the former Czechoslovakia, which encompassed both the Czech and Slovak Republics, three times. The USA dispatched the Czech Republic, who went on to finish fifth, 80-61 in the 2004 Olympics in Athens Greece; and topped Czechoslovakia in the 1976, 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games. Including its history as part of Czechoslovakia, the Czech Republic owns a 7-15 record in Olympic play, with its best finish coming in 1976 when the country placed fourth.

The USA last faced the Czech Republic in 2006, when the country competed under its own flag for the first time ever in FIBA World Championship play. The USA earned a 63-50 victory over the eventual seventh-place finishers.

The Scouting Report
USA assistant coach Mike Thibault
What do we know about the 2008 Czech Republic Team?
Czech played well, first of all, in the Olympic qualifier in Madrid to get here. And we played them in the World Championship in Brazil and had a pretty good game with them. It was a three-point game at half time. They are very, very big. They're are one of the biggest teams we will play. Their smallest starter is a point guard at 5'11', and after that they are like 6'3', 6'3', 6'4', 6'5' in their starting line up.

They are big. Are they also athletic?
Their wing players are very athletic. They have people who are 6'3' but play like guards, can shoot the three and put the ball on the floor. Their bigs aren't particularly quick but are pretty good shooters. I think their two wing players are what we need to stop on the perimeter, Eva Vitechkova and Jana Vesela. They are muli-talented players. Those two have been their most consistent offensive threats, but their post player Petra Kulichova is on one of the best teams in Europe, and she's left handed. It's a little bit different guarding a left-handed post who has some length, has a little bit of range and is very good around the basket. She has strength on the boards, and she is so long she gets her shot off over people. That will be a key, how we handle her. And if we can get one of those post players in foul trouble, that will work to our advantage.

What does the USA need to do to win?
A focus for us will be rebounding to start with. They're a very, very good offensive rebounding team, and we are going to have to keep them off the boards. We can't give them extra possessions. They are only about eight or nine players deep, and I think our depth can wear them down. We're going to have to keep the pace of the game at a high speed. Getting them into a running game will play to our strengths and their weaknesses. That will keep them from packing it in defensively in the half court. They like to switch and use their length to bother you in the lane, so if we can get the tempo quick it will be to our advantage.