Pavel Šustr is the fourth Zbrojovka head coach in 13 months. Photo credit: FC Zborjovka Brno.
Brno, Aug 29 (BD) — Magera scores in sixth consecutive game for Zbrojovka, Draci host Hroši Thursday as regular season winds down, Lokomotiva women win at Dukla, and the Brno sports schedule.
MEN’S FOOTBALL
Pivarnik Fired after Last-minute Loss at Prostějov
Losing to a team from a small town in Moravia was too much for the management of FC Zbrojovka Brno.
Roman Pivarnik is out. Pavel Šustr is in as the new head coach.
“The main reason for the change is that the results were not what we expected,” said Zbrojovka sports manager Tomáš Požár. “The season did not go the way we wanted, so we have reached this step.”
Šustr has been with Zbrojovka as a player and a youth coach for many years. He will take the field as head coach for the first time Thursday in Ústí nad Labem. The 6 p.m. game will be on Czech TV.
The next home game is in the middle weekend of September when Táborsko comes to Brno.
“I have always said to everyone that I was a Zbrojovak and that I have always been,” Šustr said after his first full practice in charge. “It is an honor for me to train the A team for Zbrojovka.”
Perhaps the move had been in the offing for a while, but when Zbrojovka lost in Prostějov on Saturday the team fell to 2-1-3 and into ninth place in the Fortuna: Narodni Liga.
The winning goal was allowed in the fourth minute of extra time. It was a direct kick that started far to the left of the goal, and curled perfectly into the corner of the goal. It was impossible for Dušan Melichárek to stop.
Earlier in the game, the teams had traded penalty-kick goals. Lukáš Magera scored the Brno penalty kick to continue his goal-scoring streak through the sixth game of the season. He leads the league in scoring.
“We are not changing goals,” Požár said. “We still want to win first. At the same time, we have young players on the team with whom we want to continue working and send the signal to other talents that we are serious about it and that we will have space for them.”
Šustr is the fourth head coach for the team in 13 months. After Svatopluk Habanec was fired and then Richard Dostálek was let go, Pivarník arrived to beat 1. FC Slovácko in October 2017. For the final six games before the winter break, he seemed to give the team a solid foundation. Then the wheels came off again in the second half and, even through six games of this second-league season, Pivarník has not been able to inspire consistency.
Šustr started his playing career in Horní Heršpice. He then moved into the Zbrojovka system where he played 118 games and scored nine goals. He began training youth before he finished his professional playing career. He took over the Zbrojovka U17 team in January 2016 and led them to third place last season.
Petr Maléř and Martin Dolezal, both former Zborjovka players, will serve as top assistants.
“My idea is to play offensive football,” Šustr said, “and I’m convinced that it is in the strength of this group.”
Young Guns Lead to MOL Cup Win
Zbrojovka advanced in the MOL Cup with a 2-0 win last Wednesday when 18-year-old Dan Jambor and 19-year-old Antonín Růsek scored at Žďár n. Sázavou.
The second round will be Wednesday, Sept. 5 in Rosice. The game starts at 5 p.m.
BASEBALL
Draci Host Hroši Thursday at 7 p.m.
Draci Brno beat the Ostrava Arrows twice in three games to reinforce its place as the top team in the Czech baseball extraliga.
The Draci (15-3) have two more games in the regular season, but they are expected to advance directly to the Czech Series, which is a best-of-five series that begins Sept. 28.
The opponents are to be determined during the Wild Card series. Arrows Ostrava (13-5) is guaranteed a spot against either Eagles Praha (9-9) or Kotlarka Praha (8-10). The best-of-three Wild Card series begins on Sept 7. (The three-week gap before the Czech Series is due to international play.)
Cardion Hroši Brno (4-14) has hit hard times and lost three more games last week.
The two local teams — Draci and Hroši — play on Thursday at MBS at 7 p.m.
In the Playout Bracket, Technika Brno (8-4) lost both games of a doubleheader with Olympia Blansko and dropped to third place, equal with Skokani Olomouc. Technika and the Skokani will play a doubleheader on Saturday in Olomouc.
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
Lokomotiva Takes Three Points at Dukla
Lokomotiva Brno-Herni Herspice took a big step forward when Anna Pušková’s first-half goal gave the team a 0-1 victory at FK Dukla Praha on Saturday.
The victory came after losing to AC Sparta Praha in the first week of the season.
“We are all happy,” Tereza Krištofová, the captain of Lokomotiva, was quoted by fotbal.cz. “We needed the win after the first round to get (the loss) out of us. Every point is important to us, and we appreciate it very much.”
Lokomotiva Brno H. H. is now 1-0-1 in two matches, for three points.
There is a pause this weekend, but Lokomotiva will play their home opener on Sept. 8 when they host FC Slovan Liberec. Their remaining home games are mostly later in the fall: on Sept. 22 they host SK Slavia Praha, then finish with three in a row against 1. FC Slovácko on Oct. 13, AC Sparta Praha on Oct. 20 and FK Dukla Praha on Oct. 27.
BRNO SPORTS RESULTS
Quick results for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the past week. Home team listed first (when applicable).
Wednesday, Aug 22, 2018
— Men’s Football (MOL Cup): Žďár n. Sázavou 0, Zbrojovka Brno 2
Friday, Aug. 24, 2018
— Baseball: Tempo 6, Hroši 3
— Baseball: Draci 5, Arrows 3
Saturday, Aug 25, 2018
— Baseball: Olympia 6, Technika, 1
— Baseball: Tempo 8, Hroši 3
— Baseball: Technika 5, Olympia 6
— Baseball: Arrows 1, Draci 8
— Men’s Football: Prostějov 2, Zbrojovka Brno 1
Sunday, Aug 26, 2018
— Baseball: Hroši 4, Tempo 5
— Baseball: Draci 7, Arrows 8
— Women’s Football: FK Dukla Praha 0, Lokomotiva Brno H. H. 1
BRNO SPORTS SCHEDULE
The schedule for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the next two weeks. All dates and times subject to change. Home team listed first (when applicable).
Thursday, Aug 30, 2018
— Men’s Football: Ústí n. L. X Zbrojovka Brno, 6 p.m.
— Baseball: Draci X Hroši, 7 p.m.
Friday, Aug 31, 2018
— Baseball: Eagles X Draci, 7 p.m.
— Baseball: Arrows X Hroši, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept 1, 2018
— Baseball: Skokani Olomouc X Technika Brno, 1 p.m.
— Baseball: Skokani Olomouc X Technika Brno, 4 p.m.
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Wednesday, Sept 5, 2018
— Men’s Football (MOL Cup): Rosice X Zbrojovka Brno, 5 p.m.
Sunday, Sept 9, 2018
— Women’s Football: Lokomotiva Brno H. H. X FC Slovan Liberec
The Brno Sports Report is published every Wednesday. All dates and times are subject to change. Most of the stories are about the traditional “English-speaking” team sports — football, hockey, baseball, basketball, American football, rugby, etc. — but it is also about the interesting local spectator and participation sports — tennis, badminton, running, horse racing, swimming, rock climbing, biking, etc. If you have any suggestions for what should be included, please comment below or send an email to brnosports@gmail.com.
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