Tickets sales have been brisk, and a boisterous crowd is expected for the cross-town rivalry game between FC Zbrojovka and SK Líšeň on Saturday at 1 p.m. Photo credit: fczbrno.cz.
Brno, Sept. 11 (BD) — Lokomotiva women struggle at home; HC Kometa hockey season starts Friday and first home game is Sunday; and the Brno sports results and schedule.
MEN’S FOOTBALL
Zbrojovka, Líšeň To Face Each Other with Matching Records
The Brno derby between FC Zbrojovka and SK Líšeň will hopefully be exciting and competitive, but it is beginning to look like a complete mismatch.
Zbrojovka, which will host the game on Saturday at 1 p.m., has added two big-time players. Líšeň, on the other hand, has two injured starters and the team will not have access to three top players who are on loan from Zbrojovka.
Both teams are 2-4-1 from seven games in the Fortuna:Narodni Liga but it really feels lopsided. Tipsport, for example, has Zbrojovka as the 1.5-to-1 favorite while Líšeň would pay a healthy 5.2 to 1.
In fact, Zborojova is still the favorite to win the league at 4.0-1, although that has dropped from the opening line of 1.8-1.
In order to maintain its hopes for returning to the top league, Zbrojovka has aggressively worked on its roster. The team has added several players during the course of the season and two more during the recent international break:
- Ondřej Vaněk, a 29-year-old midfielder, started his career with Zbrojovka and he is now back. At age 18, he left for Prague to play for Slavia and a barnstorming career that took him through Turkey and Russia. Overall, in 123 top-Czech-league games with Slavia, Jablonec and Plzeň, he scored 16 goals. Since 2016, he has played for Ufa in Russia and scored nine times in 44 games. He has represented the Czech Republic in a national team jersey in eight games. Now he is officially back with his hometown club, although he has already been training with the team for the past three weeks.
- Michal Šmíd is a defender who is 32 years old and has scored nine goals in 177 top-league games. He has also played 82 game in the second league. He started his career with Slavia Praha but he has enjoyed most of his career success with Bohemians 1905.
Líšeň, which is playing in this league for the first time, has drawn sellout crowds for each of its home games. Their travel to this game will be easy — just a cross-town trip — but they will reportedly not be able to count on Lamine Fall and Patrik Demeter, who are both injured.
Marek Vintr, Dominik Kříž and Martin Zikl are all on loan from Zbrojovka, which will preclude their participation in the game.
Ticket sales have been brisk.
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
Lokomotiva Struggles in First Home Game
After two wins on the road, Lokomotiva Brno-Horní Heršpice could not extend its season-starting streak and lost its first home game, 1-3, to Dukla Praha on Saturday.
The game, which was pelted by hard showers of rain, was sloppy through the first half, with missed passes, several offside calls and a lof ot slipping and sliding.
After conceding a goal, Lokomotiva tied the game within a few minutes when Šárka Krištofová scored in the 59th minute.
Dukla, however, was able to take advantage of overly aggressive defensive play to score twice more and take control of the game.
Lokomotiva (2-0-1) is now third in the standings, but their schedule gets tough. They go on the road this Sunday to play FC Viktoria Plzeň (1-0-2) at 1 p.m. They return to Horní Heršpice on Saturday, Sept. 21 to host AC Sparta Praha (1-0-1), one of the league powerhouse teams, at 11 a.m.
ICE HOCKEY
Kometa Season Strarts Friday, First Home Game Sunday
HC Kometa begins the 2019-20 Tipsport extraliga season Friday at HC Verva Litvínov. The first home game is Sunday when defending-champion HC Oceláři Třinec comes to town for a 4 p.m. start. The game will also be on CT Sport.
Martin Zaťovič is the new captain after the retirement of Leoš Čermák. Zaťovič has been a big part of the offense since he arrived three seasons ago and helped the team to titles in 2016-17 and 2017-18. Last year, Kometa finished in the semifinals.
Petr Fiala is the new head coach. Libor Zábranský, the team owner, steps down after 3½ years on the bench. Fiala had coached HC Olomouc since 2007.
Zaťovič, Petr Holík and Peter Mueller were the core of the offense last season and they will be back again. Mueller, an American, will miss parts of the early season in order to be home for the birth of a child.
Former NHL and national team player Tomáš Plekanec, who played a handful of games for the team last season, will be a regular as he winds down his career.
Ondřej Němec is the leader of the defense. Marek Čiliak and Karel Vejmelka will reportedly share goaltending duties.
In addition to the retirement of Čermák, Martin Docekal has moved on to Sparta Prague. Alexandre Mallet is now at Vitkovice.
BRNO SPORTS RESULTS
Quick results for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the past week. Home team listed first (where applicable).
Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019
— Women’s Football: Lokomotiva Brno H.H. 1, FK Dukla Praha 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).
Friday, Sept. 13, 2019
— Hockey: HC Verva Litvínov X HC Kometa Brno, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019
— Men’s Football: FC Zbrojovka Brno X SK Líšeň, 1 p.m.
— Cricket: Rugby Cricket Dresden RCD 1st XI X Brno CC 1st XI, 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019
— Hockey: HC Kometa Brno X HC Oceláři Třinec, 4 p.m.
— Women’s Football: FC Viktoria Plzeň X Lokomotiva Brno H.H., 1 p.m.
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Friday, Sept. 20, 2019
— Men’s Football: FC Vysočina Jihlava X FC Zbrojovka Brno, 6 p.m.
— Hockey: BK Mladá Boleslav – HC Kometa Brno, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019
— Men’s Football: SK Líšeň X 1.SK Prostějov, 4:30 p.m.
— Women’s Football: Lokomotiva Brno H.H. X AC Sparta Praha, 11 a.m.
Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019
— Cricket: Brno CC 1st XI X Rugby Cricket Dresden RCD 1st XI, 11:30 a.m.
— Hockey: HC Kometa Brno X HC Sparta Praha, 5 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, 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 bruno@brnodaily.cz.
