WESTERBURG, Germany _ Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved, who came out of international retirement to help the Czechs qualify for the World Cup in the playoffs, said Tuesday he enjoyed his return to action in a performance against the United States that has drawn praise for one of soccer's leading playmakers.

Coach Karel Bruckner was one of the first to pay tribute to the 34-year-old, who has yet to decide if he will retire from all soccer after the World Cup .

"His play speaks for him. He's still one of the best European players," Bruckner said.

Nedved said: "The atmosphere (in Gelsenkirchen) was great with many Czech fans there. These are the nicest games anyone can play," said the European player of the year with Juventus in 2003.

"As I'm almost 34 it's hard for me to keep playing at this level and it takes a lot of energy but I'm happy I can be useful and I'll help till I am able to though my days are coming to an end," said Nedved, who turns 34 in August. He has scored 18 goals in 88 appearances for the national team.

For Nedved, more hurdles remain to be cleared by the Czechs to advance from Group E despite its 3-0 victory in Gelsenkirchen on Monday over the United States.

Nedved said after light training in the Czech Republic's base in the central German town of Westerburg that he was satisfied with the team's performance Monday but said there was no place for complacency.

"I'm proud of our first World Cup match and I think we did a good job. The result was good, our performance very good, now we need more points. We have to stay with the feet on the ground."

On Monday Nedved and Thomas Rosicky linked up as a powerful midfield combination.

Nedved moved to Lazio from Sparta Prague in 1996 in a transfer that elevated him to star status in European soccer. He helped the Rome-based club to victories in the Italian Cup in 1998 and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1999.

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