Brno Sports Weekly Report — Zábranský Takes Over Struggling Kometa

HC Kometa hope to end their six-game losing streak when they host Mountfield HK this Friday. Photo credit: HC Kometa.

Brno, Nov 20 (BD) — Zbrojovka gets rematch at Pardubice; Women’s basketball resumes this weekend; mmcité1 Basket Brno has chance at first win on Friday; Lokomotiva women finish fall season in fifth place; Volejbal Brno has another doubleheader on Saturday; and the Brno sports results and schedule.

ICE HOCKEY

Kometa Will Try to Break Losing Streak Friday

Libor Zábranský, the Brno native who played in the NHL, played on the Czech national team, and returned HC Kometa to prominence, has resumed the title of head coach in order to stall a recent downward spiral.

Brno is in the middle of the standings with 33 points, just 10 back from league-leading Sparta. A few weeks ago, however, the team was at the top after winning 10 of 11 games from late September through October.

In November, something happened and the team has given up 30 goals and lost six consecutive games.

On Sunday, they lost 2-7 at HC Energie Karlovy Vary. That prompted Petr Fiala, who had been the head coach for the first 19 games of the season, to resign. 

Zábranský, who is the owner and general manager, took over. He has plenty of experience and success as the head coach, having led the team for 3½ years through the end of last season and won championships in 2016-17 and 2017-18.

Unfortunately, the slide did not end in Zábranský’s first game as head coach: on Tuesday, the team gave up three goals in the first 14 minutes and lost, 6-3, at HC Oceláři Třinec.

The next game is at home against Mountfield HK on Friday.

MEN’S FOOTBALL

Zbrojovka Travels to Pardubice Before Winter Break

FC Zbrojovka will travel to league-leading Pardubice for a brunch game on Saturday.

The teams fought to a 1-1 tie in Brno in late July. Since then, Zbrojovka has compiled a record for 8-4-3 for 28 points. Pardubice has gone 11-2-2 to total 35 points. This game on Saturday starts at 10:15 a.m.

In any case, a Zbrojovka victory on the road would be a nice way to begin the lengthy winter pause.

For what it is worth, Zbrojovka, which is fourth in the Fortuna:Nadordni Liga standings, has been on a roll, winning five of its last six games. They have scored at least four goals in their previous four wins. Their only loss during the stretch was a 0-1 disappointment at Žižkov on Oct. 26. 

SK Líšeň played last week during the international break and the second-league newcomer continued to prove that they belong just a step below the country’s top league when they beat visiting MFK Chrudim, 2-0, on Saturday.

Líšeň is 6-5-5 with 23 points and in the upper half of the standings.

League play resumes in early March.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

League Play Resumes This Weekend

After a couple of weeks off, the Renomia ŽBL will resume this weekend.

ZVVZ USK Praha (8-0) is the top team. Sokol H. Králové (7-1) has lost only to Praha.

KP Brno (6-2), which has only lost to Praha and Hradec Králové, will host DSK Levhartice Chomutov (4-4) on Saturday.

Žabiny Brno (4-5) is fourth. They travel to Slovanka MB (2-6) on Sunday.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

mmcité1 Hopes for First Win Friday

mmcité1 Basket Brno continued to struggle as it lost two home games last week.

Brno (0-10) will finish its first run through of the 12-team Kooperativa NBL on Friday when it travels to Hradec Kralove to play Kingspan Královští sokoli (2-8).

Brno lost home games to BK Opava, 64-90, on Wednesday and to Olomoucko, 63-72, on Saturday. 

The remaining 11 rounds of the first part of the regular season start in December with another game against every team in the league. The top teams will earn a berth in Group A1, like Brno did last year, and then the postseason. The teams who are lower in the standings will play each other in Group A2, where they risk relegation to a lower league.

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

Lokomotiva Reach Winter Break in Fifth Place

Lokomotiva Brno-Horní Heršpice completed the first part of the top women’s football league with a record of 3-2-6 with 11 points.

The Brno women’s team lost at home to FC Viktoria Plzeň, 1-2, on Saturday.

Lokomotiva is in fifth place. They are tied with FK Dukla Praha, whom they beat earlier this month in Prague. 

The season resumes with three league games in February. Then the eight teams will be split into upper and lower groups for the second phase of the season.

VOLLEYBALL

Volejbal Brno Hosts More Back-to-Back Matches Saturday

Like earlier this month, Volejbal Brno will have two matches on Saturday: the men will face Ústí nad Labem at 4 p.m. and then the women will play Frýdek-Místek at 6:30 p.m.

The men’s team is in sixth place in the Uniqua Extraliga Muži standings. They lost in three sets at league-leading Karlovarsko last Saturday.

VK Šelmy Brno have a one-point lead over Olomouc in the Uniqa Extraliga Ženy standings. They most recently beat Přerov in three sets.

KP Brno beat Olymp on Saturday in straight sets. They are seventh and travel to Prostějov on Saturday for a 5 p.m. match.

BRNO SPORTS RESULTS

Quick results for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the past week. Home team listed first (where applicable).

Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019

— Men’s Basketball: Basket Brno 64, BK Opava 90

— Hockey: PSG Berani Zlín 5, HC Kometa Brno 4

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019

— Women’s Volleyball: VK Brno 3, Přerov 0

Friday, Nov. 15, 2019

— Hockey: HC Vitkovice Ridera 4, HC Kometa Brno 3, extra time shootout

Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019

— Women’s Football: Lokomotiva Brno H.H. 1, FC Viktoria Plzeň 2

— Men’s Volleyball: Karlovarsko 3, Brno 0

— Women’s Volleyball: Královo Pole 3, Olymp 0 

— Men’s Basketball: Basket Brno 63, Olomoucko 72

— Men’s Football: SK Líšeň 2, MFK Chrudim 0

Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019

— Hockey: HC Kometa Brno 2, HC Energie Karlovy Vary 7

Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019

— Hockey: HC Oceláři Třinec 6, HC Kometa Brno 3

BRNO SPORTS SCHEDULE

The schedule for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the next week. All dates and times subject to change. Home team listed first (when applicable).

Friday, Nov. 22, 2019

— Hockey: HC Kometa Brno X Mountfield HK, 6 p.m.

— Men’s Basketball: Kingspan Královští sokoli X Basket Brno, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019

— Men’s Football: FK Pardubice X FC Zbrojovka Brno, 10:15 a.m.

— Men’s Volleyball: Brno X Ústí nad Labem, 4 p.m.  

— Women’s Volleyball: VK Brno X Frýdek-Místek, 6:30 p.m.

— Women’s Volleyball: Prostějov X Královo Pole, 5 p.m.

— Women’s Basketball: KP Brno X DSK Levhartice Chomutov, 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019

— Women’s Basketball: Slovanka MB X Žabiny Brno, 5 p.m.

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Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019

— Hockey: HC Kometa Brno X HC Olomouc, 6 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.

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