Zbrojovka is on a roll: 8-1-1 over the winter and a big road win to open the spring half of the regular season. They host Žižkov on Sunday. Photo credit: FC Zbrojovka.
Brno, Mar. 6 (BD) — Žabiny Brno beat KP Brno as both advance to postseason, KP Brno to defend Czech Cup title this weekend, egoé Basket Brno hosts Opava tonight, HC Kometa getting hot in preparation for postseason and the Brno sports schedule.
MEN’S FOOTBALL
Zbrojovka Wins Spring Opener, Hosts Žižkov Sunday
FC Zbrojovka fought from a goal down to tie the score before halftime and then, playing a man down, got the winning goal just before the end of regulation, winning 1-2 at Chrudim on Saturday.
The team returns to Brno for the first home game of the Fortunate:Narodni Liga season against Žižkov on Sunday at 6 p.m.
Both goals at Chrudim were scored by Peter Štepanovský. The game-winner came from a well-placed pass from Antonín Růsek.
“We still believed and played for the win, although we were one less,” Štepanovský said, “and we were rewarded.”
Zbrojovka is 7-5-5 in the Fortunate:Narodni Liga. They are in seventh place with 26 points.
When the Brno met Žižkov in Prague on Aug. 12, both teams combined for five goals, with Brno losing 2-3.
The Brno team that will take the field this weekend will mostly be the same, although goalkeeper and captain Dušan Melichárek has moved on to Malmö (Sweden) and Brno native Milan Lutonský, who came off the bench, is now at Prostějov. Two other players, neither of whom played much in the first half of the season, also did not have their contracts extended: defender Chico Gomes is now at Amora FC (Portugal) and striker Musefiu Ashiru is now at Trnava (Slovakia).
The team is now captained by 36-year-old Lukáš Magera. Magera has nine goals this season, including one during the loss at Žižkov, which was during his season-starting six-game scoring streak.
Pavel Halouska, 23, is the starting goalkeeper. Damián Bariš, 24, and Robert Bartolomeu, 25, had strong off-seasons. Michal Škoda has a lot of back class: he had 10 goals in the top league in 2016-17.
Brno has a lot of work to do to get back into the Fortunata:Liga because their 26 points puts them in seventh place. League-leaders SK Dynamo Č. Budějovice (12-2-3, 38 points), second-place FC Vysočina Jihlava (11-3-3, 36) and third-place FC Hradec Králové (10-3-4, 33) are well out ahead with 15 games left in the season.
Only the top three teams from the Fortuna:Narodni Liga will have a shot to move up into the Fortuna:Liga. The top team goes directly. The second-place team plays the 15th-place team from the top league in a home-and-away series. And the third-place team plays the 14th-place team in a home-and-away series. (The 16th-place team from the top league is automatically relegated to the second league.)
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Žabiny Brno beat KP Brno, Both Teams Advance to Quarterfinals
When Žabiny Brno beat KP Brno 63-71 last Saturday, the ŽBL regular season ended and the postseason matchups were set.
KP Brno (15-5) finished as the regular-season runner up. They will play a best-of-five series against BLK Slavia Praha. Games are scheduled for March 13, 16, 19, 21 and 23, with the last two if necessary.
KP Brno advanced to the finals last year and lost to ZVVZ USK Praha, which is again the favorite after sweeping this regular season’s 20 games.
Žabiny Brno (14-6) were third in the standings. Because of international appointments — they will travel to Rostov-on-Don, Russia, to face TTT Riga in an EWBL game on March 16 — Žabiny Brno will start their quarterfinals series against Loko Trutnov on Saturday, hosting Game 1 at 4:30 p.m. Later games in the series are on March 12 and 14, with March 21 and 23 if necessary.
On Saturday, in the final game of the regular season, Žabiny Brno went to Kralove Pole on a mission, jumping to 2-10 lead and then a 19-35 lead in the second quarter. KP Brno caught up and looked to take control of the game, but midway through the fourth quarter, Žabiny went on another tear with defensive pressure leading to a bank-shot 3-pointer by Kateřina Zohnová and two momentum-keeping 3-balls by Michaela Vacková.
Vacková was 4 of 6 from 3-point range and doubled her season scoring average with 17 points.
Petra Záplatová led Žabiny with 21 points. Zohnová had 15.
Lenka Bartáková was 8 of 12 from the field to lead KP Brno with 16 points. Michaela Stará had 15 points. Jasmine Gill added 11.
Teamstore Brno Ends Regular Season with Big Win
Teamstore Brno won its second game in the final week of the regular season, beating visiting U19 Chance, 86-62, on Sunday.
Karolína Jandová led with her best scoring game of the season with a game-high 18 points. Tereza Zítková had 17 and Barbora Holubová added 16.
The win put Teamstore Brno (2-18) in 10th place, just ahead of last-place U19 Chance (1-19). Both teams and SBŠ Ostrava (5-15) will play among themselves in the Play Out bracket over the next month.
KP Brno To Defend Czech Cup This Weekend
KP Brno will try to defend its Czech Cup title when they travel to Karlovy Vary for the Czech Cup Women’s Final Four this weekend.
KP Brno will play DSK Basketball Nymburk on Saturday at 5:30 p.m., or after the first semi-final game between BLK Slavia Praha and Sokol Nilfisk Hradec Králové, which starts at 3 p.m.
The winners will play in the finals on Sunday.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Basket Brno Hosts Opava Tonight
egoé Basket Brno lost, 72-81, at home game against Sluneta Ústí nad Labem on Saturday but they will be right back in action tonight (Wednesday) when they host BK Opava at 8 p.m.
Brno (10-15) is in eighth place of Group A1. Opava (11-14) is one notch above.
Deremy Geiger had 24 points in the losing effort against Ústí nad Labem.
HOCKEY
Kometa Gaining Momentum as Regular Season Ends
HC Kometa has won their last five games and seven of their past eight as they prepare for the postseason — where they have dominated during their past two championship seasons.
There is one game left in the regular season: at Zlín on Friday at 6 p.m.
On Tuesday, as though putting a cherry on top of their five-game streak, Kometa beat rival Sparta, 7-3.
Kometa is currently in fifth place, with 88 points. They cannot catch fourth-place Hradec Králové (92 points) and sixth-place Olomouc (85 points) has a much worse goal differential.
The best-of-seven quarterfinals are scheduled for March 18-31. If the standing positions hold, Kometa would play Hradec Králové.
The semifinals are best-of-seven and will be held from April 3 to 15. The best-of-seven finals will be from April 18 to 30.
This recent winning streak has been solid, even with significant players off the ice. Martin Erat is serving a six-game suspension. Peter Mueller just returned from an extended absence to score the first goal against Sparta.
Kometa has won the past two Tipsport extraliga titles by getting hot late in the regular season and then burning through the postseason.
BRNO SPORTS RESULTS
Quick results for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the past week. Home team listed first (when applicable).
Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019
— Women’s Basketball: Žabiny Brno 105, Teamstore Brno 55
— Women’s Basketball: Slovanka MB 62, KP Brno 82
Friday, March 1, 2019
— Hockey: Kometa 3, Vítkovice 1
Saturday, March 2, 2019
— Men’s Football: Chrudim 1, Zbrojovka Brno 2
— Women’s Basketball: KP Brno 63, Žabiny Brno 71
— Men’s Basketball: egoé Basket Brno 72, Sluneta Ústí nad Labem 81
Sunday, March 3, 2019
— Hockey: Liberec 2, Kometa 3, extra time
— Women’s Basketball: Teamstore Brno 86, U19 Chance 62
Tuesday, March 5, 2019
— Hockey: Kometa 7, Sparta 3
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).
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
— Men’s Basketball: egoé Basket Brno X BK Opava, 8 p.m.
Friday, March 8, 2019
— Hockey: Zlín X Kometa, 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 9, 2019
— Men’s Basketball: Dekstone Tuři Svitavy X egoé Basket Brno, 5 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball, Quarterfinals, Game 1: Žabiny Brno X Loko Trutnov, 4:30 p.m.
——————————————————————————-
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
— Women’s Basketball, Quarterfinals, Game 2: Loko Trutnov X Žabiny Brno, 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
— Men’s Basketball: egoé Basket Brno X Olomoucko, 8 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball, Quarterfinals, Game 1: KP Brno X BLK Slavia Praha, TBD
Thursday, March 14, 2019
— Women’s Basketball, Quarterfinals, Game 3: Žabiny Brno X Loko Trutnov, 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 16, 2019
— Women’s Football: Lokomotiva Brno H. H. X FC Viktoria Plzeň, 4:30 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball, Quarterfinals, Game 2: BLK Slavia Praha X KP Brno, TBD
Saturday, March 16, 2019
— Men’s Basketball: ČEZ Basketball Nymburk X egoé Basket Brno, 5 p.m.
— Women’s Football: Lokomotiva Brno H. H. X FC Viktoria Plzeň, 4:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
— Women’s Basketball: Teamstore Brno X U19 Chance, TBD
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
— Women’s Basketball, Quarterfinals, Game 3: KP Brno X BLK Slavia Praha, TBD
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, cricket, 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.
