The Czech footballers entered the World Cup qualification with a high outdoor win 6: 2 over Estonia. Rauno Sappinen sent a paper E-group outsider in the 12th minute, but coach Jaroslav Šilhavý’s charges soon turned the situation around and decided with a four-goal break. In the next match of the group, Belgium defeated Wales 3: 1.
Tomáš Souček scored the premier national hat-trick, with Patrik Schick, Antonín Barák and Jakub Jankto scoring one goal each. In the end, the alternating Henri Anier reduced.
The match was played on neutral ground in Lublin, Poland, due to stricter measures against coronavirus in Estonia, which do not allow qualifying matches to be held. Due to the pandemic, fans could not enter the auditorium.
The Czech team scored six goals outside the home field for the fourth time in their separate history and for the first time in four years. The record victory since the division of the federation is the 8: 1 win over Andorra in 2005.
The Czech team took advantage of the fact that the Estonians had to change half of the staff at the last minute due to coronavirus quarantine. The national team also won the fourth mutual duel. They entered the world qualification with a victory only for the third time in independent history and for the first time since 2000.
In the next match of Šilhavý, the charges will welcome the group’s favorite Belgium to Prague on Saturday, and on Tuesday they will close the opening block in Wales. The remaining opponent is Belarus. From the group, only the winner will advance to the championship in Qatar next year. Second place teams await the playoffs as well as the two best winners of the League of Nations groups who fail to qualify.
“High win in the first qualifying match, we are of course happy. Even if it is on the ground of an outsider who had even more problems regarding the pandemic. I am glad that we started victorious and have the first step behind. Belgium is the favorite and it will be a strong opponent. We will try to make it uncomfortable for them, “said Šilhavý at the press conference.
As expected, the Czech team included four from the Bundesliga Kadeřábek, Darida, Schick and goalkeeper Pavlenka, who will leave the team after a fight with Estonia due to travel coronavirus restrictions in Germany.
The national team dictated the pace from the beginning, but was the first to collect in the 12th minute. Sappinen ran perpendicular to Vassiljev and crossed Pavlenka with a shot between his legs. The collected goal did not upset the guests and in six minutes he leveled Schick in an acrobatic position around Darid’s center. He scored the tenth goal in the national team “A”.
In the 27th minute, the favorite turned the situation when Barák got the ball into the net close up after the turn. The guests dominated and in the 32nd minute Souček made his head from the corner after Jankt’s center. The recent winner of the poll for the best Czech player of the year also succeeded in the 43rd minute, when he raised with a ground shot to the post.
“It didn’t start well, but if we got a goal, like this at the beginning. We had to react to the whole match and we already made such a good position by half time,” Barák told ČT sport
Souček needed 16 minutes for the premiere national team hat-trick. Three minutes after the break, Souček knocked the ball into the open goal after Kadeřábek passed it in a good shooting position.
The last time Bartrick was played in the national team was Baroš in 2009. “I am very happy that I was able to help the team and that I was able to give a hat-trick in the national team. Thank you guys for preparing it so beautifully. I will never forget it,” said Souček.
In the 56th minute, the Czechs scored again. Darida found Jankt’s center and he slid the ball into the net on the back post. In the 67th minute, the Estonians could have reduced, but Vaštšuk’s shot was pushed out by Pavlenka on the pole. Outsider came close to extending the visitors’ lead when he found himself completely unmarked in front of the goal after a pass through the middle, but he lifted the ball over Anier and it was a little too high and hit the bar.
“I’m a little sorry about the collected goals, especially the second one. We could have added some more goals,” added Šilhavý.
Estonia – Czech Republic 2: 6 (1:4)
Goals: 12. Sappinen, 86. Anier – 32., 43. and 48. Souček, 18. Schick, 27. Barák, 56. Jankto. Judges: Papapetru – Petropulos, Aptosoglu (all Greek). No cards. No spectators.
Estonian: Aksalu – Antonov (75. Puri), Pürg, Paskotši, Lilander – Alliku (73. Kirss), Poom, Vashchuk (82. Frolov), Vassiljev (73. Anier), Oigus – Sappinen (88. Roosnupp). Coach: Reim.
Czech Republic: Pavlenka – Kadeřábek, Kúdela, Čelůstka (85th Winter), Bořil – Darida, Souček – Provod (65th Otter), Barák (65th Pekhart), Jankto (65th Carnival) – Schick (79th Holeš). Coach: Squinting.
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