Brno Sports Weekly Report — Legend Jaromír Jágr Comes to Town Sunday

Jaromír Jágr played most of his legendary career far away from the Czech Republic, but this Sunday, he will lead Rytíři Kladno to DRFG Arena. Photo credit: HC Kometa.

Brno, Nov 27 (BD) — Both local women’s basketball teams resume season with wins to prepare for international games; mmcité1 Basket Brno finishes first run through league without a win; Zbrojovka will winter in third place after big win at Pardubice; and the Brno sports results and schedule.

ICE HOCKEY

Kometa Wins Again, Jágr Comes To Town Sunday

Last week, HC Kometa, as its website proclaimed, ended its “black series” when captain Martin Zaťovič scored in extra time to beat Mountfield HK. The 3-2 victory was worth two points because Brno lost the lead in the final minute of regular time when Hradec Kralove pulled their goal tender for a six-to-four advantage.

Nevertheless, the extra time goal ended a six-game losing streak during which the defense gave up 30 goals.

That symbolic success is important because the team will be on national television on Sunday when hockey legend Jaromír Jágr, perhaps the most famous athlete every produced by this country, will come to town. Jágr is finishing up his career with Rytíři Kladno. The game starts at 5:20 p.m.

Last night, on Tuesday, Brno got three points in the standings when they beat HC Olomouc, 4-3, and moved into the sixth place.

Libor Zábranský, the Brno native who played in the NHL, played on the Czech national team, and returned HC Kometa to prominence, has now earned five points in the three games since he resumed the title of head coach.

Kometa go to Bílí Tygři Liberec on Friday for a 6 p.m. game.

Jágr, 47, finished his NHL career with the second most points in history. He has been a superstar for a long time and he has the trophies to prove it, winning the Stanley Cup (1991, 1992), the World Championships (2005, 2010) and, in 1998, the Olympic gold medal.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

KP Brno, Žabiny Brno Continue Season With Wins

Both KP Brno and Žabiny Brno returned from a two-week break with powerful performances that suggest that they are primed and ready for more success in the second part of the regular season. 

They both have international games this week.

Žabiny Brno hosts Spirou Ladies Charleroi in a CEWL game tonight at 6 p.m. KP Brno has traveled to Turkey. They play in Ankara against Botas tomorrow in a EuroCup Group game.

KP Brno beat visiting DSK Levhartice Chomutov, 77-55, on Saturday. Veronika Remenárová led the team in scoring with 14 points. Emily Potter and Gabriela Andělová both added 12.

KP Brno (7-2) is in third place in the Renomia ŽBL. They have consecutive home games against Loko Trutnov on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. and against Sokol Hradec Králové on Dec. 7 at 3:30 p.m.

Žabiny Brno (5-5) beat Slovanka MB, 43-80, on Sunday. All 10 Brno players who got on the court scored. Michaela Vondráčková (12 points), Beáta Adamcová (12), Natálie Stoupalová  (11) and Justina Matuzonyté (10) all hit double digits.

Žabiny Brno is fourth in the league. Their next league game is at ZVVZ USK Praha on Dec. 7 at 5 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

mmcité1 Reaches Break Winless in 11 Games

mmcité1 Basket Brno had another shot at the buzzer for victory — its third of the first half of the season — but the ball banged off the side of the rim and the Brno men’s basketball team failed to win a game in the first run through the Kooperative NBL 2019-20 season.

The final score in Hradec Kralove on Friday night was Kingspan Královští sokoli 78, mmcité1 Basket Brno 76.

“This was a cruel game because we gave it our all,” said head coach Lubomír Růžička. “It is a shame. I think it shows that we are alive, that we are breathing. We are just missing some quality and some athleticism. That is sport. It is just not working for us to break away (from our losing streak).”

Brno had season bests from three players: Radek Farsky led Brno with 22 points by going 3-for-3 from 2-point range and 5-for-10 from 3-point range; Lukáš Stegbauer had 17 points; and Jakub Jokl, the 208cm post, had season highs with 12 points and eight rebounds.

Interestingly, Davell Roby, who played for Brno last season, also appeared on the court. It was his first game of the season and he got a lot of playing time. Last year he averaged 12 points a game and contributed on the defensive side of the ball.

Brno is 0-11. They trail Kingspan Královští sokoli (3-8), NH Ostrava (2-9) and GEOSAN Kolín (2-9) in the bottom half of the standings. ERA Basketball Nymburk (12-0) and BK Opava (11-1) are the top teams.

The league will now take a short pause. Brno has four more league games before Christmas. The next game is on the road at SLUNETA Ústí nad Labem (6-5) on Dec. 8, but the following three are at home: USK Praha (6-6) on Dec. 11 at 8 p.m.; BK JIP Pardubice (8-3) on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m.; and DEKSTONE Tuři Svitavy (7-5) on Dec. 21 at 6 p.m.

The remaining 11 rounds of the first part of the regular season will have 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.

MEN’S FOOTBALL

Zbrojovka Ends Fall Campaign On a High Note

FC Zbrojovka made an important statement on Saturday morning: We want back want back into the top league.

Brno travelled to Fortuna:Nadordni Liga-leading Pardubice and rallied for the victory, 1-2.

Jakub Přichystal had first-half goals to tie score and then give Brno the lead that they would not relinquish in the second half. The goals were the first to be scored this season at Pardubice’s home field.

Zbrojovka is squarely in the middle of the main fight for promotion to the Fortuna Liga.

FK Pardubice (11-2-3, 35 points) is atop the standings, despite one loss and one tie from the two games against Zbrojovka. FC Vysočina Jihlava (9-5-2, 32 points), with whom Zbrojovka has battled so often in both the first and second leagues, is second.

FC Zbrojovka Brno (9-4-3, 31 points) and FK Dukla Praha (10-1-5, 31 points) are basically tied, although Zbrojovka, the leading scoring team of the league has a 35-34 goals scored advantage. FC Hradec Králové           (9-3-4, 30 points) is in fifth and four points clear of FK Viktoria Žižkov (8-2-6, 26 points).

For what it is worth, Zbrojovka’s remaining schedule is advantageous because it brings most of the top teams to Brno: Dukla Praha on March 20; Jihlava on April 19; and Žižkov on May 8.

SK Líšeň finished its fall campaign a week early. Líšeň is 6-5-5 with 23 points and in the upper half of the standings in eighth place.

League play resumes in early March.

BRNO SPORTS RESULTS

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

Friday, Nov. 22, 2019

— Hockey: HC Kometa Brno 3, Mountfield HK 2, extra time

— Men’s Basketball: Kingspan Královští sokoli 78, Basket Brno 76

Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019

— Men’s Football: FK Pardubice 1, FC Zbrojovka Brno 2 

— Men’s Volleyball: Brno 3, Ústí nad Labem 0  

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

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

— Women’s Basketball: KP Brno 77, DSK Levhartice Chomutov 55

Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019

— Women’s Basketball: Slovanka MB 43, Žabiny Brno 80

Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019

— Hockey: HC Kometa Brno 4, HC Olomouc 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).

Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019

— Women’s Basketball (CEWL): Žabiny Brno X Spirou Ladies Charleroi, 6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019

— Women’s Basketball (EuroCup): Botas (Tur) X KP Brno, 5 p.m. CET

Friday, Nov. 29, 2019

— Hockey: Bílí Tygři Liberec X HC Kometa Brno, 6 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019

— Men’s Volleyball: Odolena Voda X Brno, 6 p.m.

— Women’s Volleyball: Olymp X VK Brno, 5 p.m.

— Women’s Volleyball: Královo Pole X Šternberk, 6 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019

— Women’s Basketball: KP Brno X Loko Trutnov, 3:30 p.m. 

— Hockey: HC Kometa Brno X Rytíři Kladno, 5:20 p.m., Czech TV

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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