“Shágr kola? The course corresponded more to a battle between a contender for the title and a team from the lower half of the table, which happens to be in the lead,” former Czech national team member Milan Fukal says in a commentary on the football Fortuna: League for Aktuálně.cz.
The expected hit, the fight between the first and the second, the vice-champion and the defending champion, i.e. Slavia and Pilsen, I probably wouldn’t call it a celebration of football, but it was certainly interesting.
Personally, I thought that after the first half, when Pilsen was leading and Slavia fought in vain in front of their goal, it would end in a draw at most, or rather, Viktorka would handle the well-started match.
However, Slavia turned the game around. She equalized after a set piece, that can happen, but the question is why she dominated so clearly, why the visitors could not effectively counter her pressure.
The course corresponded more to a battle between a contender for the title and a team from the lower half of the table, which happens to be leading and then just waits for it to succumb to pressure and the score turns. At the same time, Viktorka players got to know difficult matches and were able to prepare for them.
Even after some spring losses, I believed Pilsen could defend the title, and I still say that the team has quality. But after the match at Slavia, I am more cautious in this opinion after all.
Baník Ostrava did not do very well in the last duels, he did not have results. The game was also bad, the players – including the experienced goalkeeper Jan Laštůvka – made fatal mistakes.
That’s why I don’t understand why they put themselves under pressure with even stronger statements. That it is a match where it will be shown how the team can stand up to a dangerous opponent, how they are not afraid of a contender for the title, who has caught a great form.
Rather, it would be better to be quiet, humble, honestly wait out the match and then you would see what the team’s condition is.
I don’t think it could have turned out otherwise. From Baník’s side, there was nothing, in terms of defensive activity, to make things uncomfortable for Sparta. Zero!
And it’s not just about the defenders, the whole team has to defend. The home team made terrible mistakes, which Sparta immediately punished. It was a big disappointment for me.
The Spartan offensive trident of Čvančara-Haraslín-Kuchta, which is now unwatchable, is being talked about enthusiastically.
The Slovak legionnaire Haraslín, who came with great potential, but was very tight and inconspicuous last year, rose a lot. At first he had some signs, then he fell below average. Now he is driving, he is helped a lot by Kuchta, who was coping with certain difficulties after his arrival, and Čvančara complements them well.
But if the Spartan trio is so excellent and unsustainable, Baník did not check it at all. He has to prove that against stronger opponents.
Similar to Ostrava, Liberec gave a completely committed performance in Mladá Boleslav, again a big disappointment. I don’t want to diminish the skill of the home team: Ladra scored a beautiful free kick, Jawo is now in shooting form, Fulnek scored a great goal. But Liberec did not defend, rather shadowed. What a difference to the home team’s fresh performance.
Perhaps it contradicts the interpretation of the rules somewhat, but as a player I am ingrained that the penalty must be 100%, as it is a major interference in the game. And especially at the set time. That wasn’t the one from Brno in Teplice!
There was some pushing or lying down, but no distinct holding or pulling down. An offensive foul could also have been whistled just before that, more of those questionable previews came together.
I think that originally the referee did not correctly order the penalty kick in the spirit of the game, because it was not a clear foul. The verdict was changed only after the intervention of the VAR, which only confirmed that the situation under consideration was complex and ambiguous. And once again, we will be left wondering if video technology helps or harms football in our country.
On the other hand, it should be emphasized that such a situation should not have occurred at all. The Teplice defender should have tripped the ball on the stands, not allowed a collision in the goal, not to complicate things. Important points were at stake. He wished the home team success under the new coach, even though the club’s management did not behave well towards the fired Jirko Jarošík.
But when it comes to saving, that’s how it goes. It doesn’t work out, everything conspires against. Zlín is also a proof. I am convinced that the club is healthy, well managed, has a capable and respected coach, a quality staff that should move it much higher in the table. And yet he’s floundering in it.
It’s very tight at the bottom, I wonder if in the next rounds some team will collect more points and jump out of this group.
