Zbrojovka’s Michal Škoda, middle, celebrates after scoring the winning goal against Teplice on Saturday. Photo credit: Roman Kantor (www.fczbrno.cz)
Brno, Nov 22 (BD) – Kometa slumps; mmcité+ follows the same script; ZBL resumes play;
and the Brno sports schedule.
Brno Sports Weekly Report
by Bruno Zalubil
Michal Škoda came off the bench in the 86th minute of a scoreless FC Zbrojovka Brno game against FK Teplice on Saturday. Moments later in the 87th minute, he had put Brno on the scoreboard and pulled the team out of last place in the HET Liga standings.
It may prove to be the most important goal of the season, particularly because it was while Brno was playing man down.
Thirteenth-place Brno —3-2-9 with 11 points through 14 games — travels to Jihlava on Friday. Jihlava is in 14th place with a record of 3-1-10 with 10 points. Kick off is at 6 p.m. Then, Zbrojovka finishes the first half of the season at home against Zlin on Dec. 2; that game starts at 3 p.m.
Victories over Jihlava and Zlin would go a long way to easing the stress of a season that has seen two head coaching changes.
Škoda replaced Tomas Pilík. His left-footed shot, on his first touch, was highlight ready. He got the ball in the right corner of the goal box, settled it, then blasted it into the goal. He tore off his uniform top as he sparked off the emotional on- and off-field celebrations. The referee gave him a yellow card after, for some strange reason, a congratulatory handshake.
Škoda has battled for playing time this year and, in the previous 13 games, he had scored only two goals. Now that he has three goals, he has provided a third of Zbrojovka’s goals this season.
Martin Zikl, an impressive 18-year-old, made his Zbrojovka debut at the 60-minute mark, bringing a sense of excitement to the crowd. He had some solid touches.
Brno was playing a man down because Francis Koné got two inexplicable yellow cards — one for kicking the ball off the field after a referee whistle and, minutes later, for pushing an opposing player to the ground during another stoppage of play. He was ejected in the 40th minute.
HOCKEY
Kometa Drops Four Straight Games
Kometa Brno has entered a busy part of the season with a disastrous start, losing to Pardubice (1-2, extra time) and Vítkovice (1-3) at home and then at Liberec (4-3) and at Plzeň (5-4).
They have only won three of the past 12 league games.
Despite their recent slump, however, Kometa is fourth in the Tipsport extraliga standings with 41 points. Plzeň is at the top with 51, then Hradec Králové (46) and Třinec (45).
Kometa will continue their grueling schedule with a game at Olomouc on Friday at 6 p.m. Then, Litvínov comes to Brno on Sunday at 5 p.m. and Oceláři Třinec arrive on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
In addition, the Hockey Champions League continues in December with two quarterfinal games against JYP Jyväskylä. Kometa starts at JYP Jyväskylä on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. then hosts the Finnish team on Dec. 12 with a 5:30 p.m. start.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Slow Start Again Hampers mmcité+ Brno
Brian Sullivan had an outstanding offensive night but it was not enough as mmcité+ Brno lost to visiting BK Opava, 75-85, last Saturday.
The problem? The same problem as in several games earlier this season: Brno fell behind early.
“The story is the same,” Brno head coach Dejan Jakara said, referring to losses against Svitavy and Děčín. “We started the game poorly, we were down by 16 points, we lost too much energy and at the end the players were breathing heavily.”
Sullivan was 8-for-15 from the field and 8-for-8 from the free throw line to top all scorers with 30 points. He was 6 of 11 from 3-point range.
Kevin Mays and Jan Tomanec both added 11 points.
mmcité+ Brno heads to Pardubice on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 6 p.m. They return home two days later to play Olomoucko on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Žabiny Brno, KP Brno Resume ZBL Season with Wins
Jana Hausknechtová led Basket Žabiny Brno to victory over SBŠ Ostrava, 75-58, with a lights-out performance on Saturday. She was 8-for-15 from the field with four 3-pointers. Her 27 points was double her season average. Significantly, starting point guard Tea Buzov left the game with an injury.
Photo: Basket Žabiny BrnoKP Brno won at Loko Trutnov, 54-78. Impressively, six KP Brno players scored in double digits: Edita Šujanová (16 points), Sarah Beránková (12), Monika Satoranská (11), Gabriela Andělová (10), Eva Kopecká (10) and Ilona Burgrová (10).
Technic Brno had their hands full against DSK Basketball Nymburk and lost, 41-85.
Žabiny Brno go on the road to play in two Central Europe Women’s League games in Romania: they played Olimpia CSU (Romania) on Tuesday and they play at CSU Alba Iulia on Thursday.
KP Brno continues their EuroCup schedule with home games against Fribourg tonight and Venezia next Wednesday.
BRNO SPORTS RESULTS
Quick results for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the past week. Home team listed first (when applicable).
Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017
— Hockey: Kometa 1, Pardubice 2 (extra time)
Friday, Nov. 17, 2017
— Hockey: Kometa 1, Vítkovice 3
Saturday, Nov. 18, 2017
— Men’s Football: Zbrojovka Brno 1, Teplice 0
— Women’s Basketball: Žabiny Brno 75, SBŠ Ostrava 58
— Men’s Basketball: mmcité+ Brno 75, BK Opava 85
Sunday, Nov. 19, 2017
— Hockey: Liberec 4, Kometa 3
— Women’s Basketball: Loko Trutnov 54, KP Brno 78
— Women’s Basketball: Technic Brno 41, DSK Basketball Nymburk 85
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Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017
— Hockey: Plzeň 5, Kometa 4
— Women’s Basketball (CEWL): Olimpia CSU Brasov X Basket Žabiny Brno, NA
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. 22, 2017
— Women’s Basketball (EuroCup): KP Brno X Fribourg, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 23, 2017
— Women’s Basketball (CEWL): CSU Alba Iulia X Basket Žabiny Brno, TBA
Friday, Nov. 24, 2017
— Hockey: Olomouc X Kometa, 6 p.m.
— Men’s Football: Jihlava X Zbrojovka Brno, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017
— Women’s Basketball: KP Brno X DSK Basketball Nymburk, 3:30 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball: ZVVZ USK Praha X Technic Brno, 5 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017
— Hockey: Kometa X Litvínov, 5 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball: Žabiny Brno X Loko Trutnov, 5 p.m.
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Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017
— Hockey: Kometa X Oceláři Třinec, 6 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball (EuroCup): KP Brno X Venezia, 6 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball (CEWL): Basket Žabiny Brno X Olimpia CSU Brasov, 6 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017
— Men’s Basketball: BK JIP Pardubice X mmcité+ Brno, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017
— Men’s Football: Zbrojovka Brno X Zlin, 3 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball: Žabiny Brno X KP Brno, 4:30 p.m.
— Men’s Basketball: mmcité+ Brno X Olomoucko, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017
— Hockey: Mountfield HK X Kometa, 4:30 p.m.
— Women’s Basketball: Technic Brno X BA K. Vary, 5 p.m.
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Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017
— Hockey: Zlín X Kometa, 5:30 p.m.
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.
