Lukáš Magera has nine goals this fall to lead the FC Zbrojovka offense. Photo credit: Martin Tajč, fczbrno.cz.
Brno, Nov. 21 (BD) — egoé Basket Brno plays last-place Královští sokoli today, Kometa reach the quarterfinals of the Championship League, Žabiny Brno travels to the undefeated Praha on Sunday and the Brno sports schedule.
MEN’S FOOTBALL
Zbrojovka Hosts Vlašim Friday Night
The fans who travelled two-thirds of the way to Prague in order watch FC Zbrojovka play in Vlašim in July (and the ones who watched the updating game comments on onlajny.cz) might have been forgiven for thinking that, already in the second round, the second-league season was going to be just as painful as relegation from the top league a few months earlier had been when, after 75 minutes of play, Zbrojovka was down by two goals. After all, Brno had already lost the first game of the season.
Then, magic. A Vlašim own goal and, four minutes later, a penalty that Lukáš Magera converted to make the final score: 2-2. It was all worth one point in the standings.
Now, after compiling a 6-5-4 record and 23 points from the first run through the league, Zbrojovka looks to be in a decent spot to actually return to the big league, although there is a lot of work to be done.
Zbrojovka will host 11th-place FC Sellier & Bellot Vlašim (3-6-5, 15 points) on Friday at 6 p.m. it is the final game of the autumn and the first game of the second run through the league.
Brno is sixth, eight points behind joint leaders SK Dynamo Č. Budějovice (10-2-3, 32 points) and FC Vysočina Jihlava (10-2-3, 32). Third-place FC Hradec Králové (9-2-4, 29) is the closest target because the top three teams will have a chance to earn their way into the top league after the regular season ends in late May.
The league will resume on March 2 and run through May 25.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
egoé, New Coach Not Enough for Ústí nad Labem
A new era of local basketball started Saturday when new head coach Chris Chougaz led egoé Basket Brno onto the court against Sluneta Ústí nad Labem. There were many positives, but the end result was a 71-80 loss.
The game was close throughout but Brno could not break through into the lead, despite improving in several categories during the second half, including points in the paint and points off turnovers.
The difference, according to Chougaz, was one player: Devante Wallace.
Wallace was scoreless until the middle of the second quarter. Then he caught fire, scoring the final 11 Ústí nad Labem points of the first half, then eight of its first 10 in the second half. He scored 16 points in a row across the halftime break, including four 3-pointers. In all, Wallace finished with a game-high 25 points, largely by going 7 of 11 from 3-point range.
“For us this game was challenging because we had to learn new plays for the whole week with the arrival of a new coach,” said Radek Farský, a 19-year-old guard. “And at the same time we had to learn about Sluneta to know how to defend them. It was much harder for us to prepare for the match and adapt to the new style of play.”
Brno had been held to just four points in the paint during the first half, as compared with 16 by Ústí nad Labem. In the second half, they scored 14 more to Ústí’s eight. In rebounding, Brno had a 36-34 advantage, including 10-6 in offensive rebounds.
Turnovers were generally equal, but, in the second half, Brno scored 13 points off turnovers to just three by Ústí nad Labem.
“Our individual defense must be much better,” Chougaz sad. “Of course, we’re only three, four days together, and we’re going to change a lot of things both in the attack and in the defense. But I have seen them in training and I believe in them. I think they will be much better.”
Deremy Geiger led Brno with 18 points, although he scored just two in the second half. Lukas Stegbauer, Davell Roby and Reggie Keely all added 12. Roby also had a game-high nine rebounds and three steals.
egoé Basket Brno is now 3-7 in the league. They travel to last-place and winless Kingspan Královští sokoli today (Wednesday) for a 6 p.m. tip off. Then there is a two-week pause in league play.
Next Tuesday, egoé Basket Brno will host BC Adriaoil Skrljevo in the Alpe Adria Cup at 6 p.m.
Chougaz, 50, coached USK Prague to a 19-19 record last season. He had a 16-year playing career, mostly in the Greek League, and he has been coaching for 13 years. He replaced Dejan Jakara two weeks ago.
HOCKEY
Kometa Again Reach Champions League Quarterfinals
HC Kometa travelled on Tuesday to Finland for a 5-5 tie with Tappara Tampere that was good enough to send Brno into the quarterfinals of the Hockey Champions League for the second year in a row. Two weeks ago, Kometa beat Tappara, 5-1, at DRFG Arena.
Brno will play the Frölunda Indians of Sweden in the quarterfinals. Exact dates and times will be announced.
Earlier in the week, Kometa lost twice in the Tipsport extraliga: 4-3 in extra time at Oceláři Třinec on Friday and 6-3 at Mountfield HK on Sunday. Last Wednesday, Kometa beat Pardubice 2-0 at home.
Kometa will continue their long road trip when they visit Karlovy Vary on Saturday and Litvínov the next day in a televised game that begins at 5:20 p.m. on ČT Sport.
The team returns home three days later to host Olomouc on Wednesday and Vítkovice on Friday. Both games start at 6 p.m.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
ZBL Resume Sunday with Žabiny at Praha
The ZBL is in the middle of two-week break. BK Žabiny Brno, however, will play defending-champion ZVVZ USK Praha (9-0) at on Sunday. The Žabiny are 6-2 and in third place.
Petra Záplatová leads Žabiny Brno with a 15.3 points per game average. She was the leading scorer in the league two weeks ago with 24 points, but her top game was 29 points against Trutnov on Oct. 24.
Justina Matuzonyté also averages in double digits, with 13.9 points per game.
KP Brno, the league runners up last year, are in fifth place in the standings, although they have the same 5-3 record as fourth-place Sokol Hradec Králové and fifth-place BK Loko Trutnov (the order is according to points scored). DSK Basketball Nymburk (7-2) is in second.
Teamsport Brno is in 10th place with a record of 1-7.
BRNO SPORTS RESULTS
Quick results for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the past week. Home team listed first (when applicable).
Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018
— Hockey: Kometa 2, Pardubice 0
Friday, Nov. 16, 2018
— Hockey: Oceláři Třinec 4, Kometa 3, extra time
Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018
— Men’s Basketball: Basket Brno 71, SLUNETA Ústí nad Labem 80
Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018
— Hockey: Mountfield HK 6, Kometa 3
Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018
— Hockey, Champions League, Round of 16: Tappara 5, Kometa 5
— Hockey: HC Masaryk University 5, Prague Engineers 4, extra time
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, Nov. 21, 2018
— Men’s Basketball: Kingspan Královští sokoli X Basket Brno, 6 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 23, 2018
— Men’s Football: Zbrojovka X Vlašim, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018
— Hockey: K. Vary X Kometa, 4 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018
— Women’s Basketball: ZVVZ USK Praha X Žabiny Brno, 5 p.m.
— Hockey: Litvínov X Kometa, 5:20 p.m. (ČT Sport)
Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2018
— Men’s Basketball, Alpe Adria Cup: Egoé Basket Brno X BC Adriaoil Skrljevo, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018
— Women’s Basketball, CEWL: Basket Žabiny Brno X Young Angels Košice, TBA
— Women’s Basketball, Eurocup, Group G: KP Brno Miškolc 28.11.18h
Friday, Nov. 30, 2018
— Women’s Basketball: Teamstore Brno X Žabiny Brno, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018
— Men’s Basketball, Alpe Adria Cup: Egoé Basket Brno X Zalakeramia ZTE KK, 7 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball: KP Brno X Slovanka MB, 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 2, 2018
— Hockey: HC Masaryk University X UMB Hockey Team Banska Bystrica, 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018
— Women’s Basketball, CEWL: UBI Graz X Basket Žabiny Brno, TBA
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.
Get the news first! Sign up for free to our daily newsletter here. Top stories of the day in your mailbox every morning.
