Adrián Čermák had a hat trick to lead Zbrojovka to a 2-7 at Vyšehrad last weekend. Photo credit: FC Zbrojovka.
Brno, Jul 8 (BD) — FC Zbrojovka will have to wait for its postseason opponent; Draci and Hroši likely to represent Brno, but Technika still fighting for a Top 6 spot; Brno Rangers win local cricket tournament to advance to Finals in Prague this weekend; and the Brno sports schedule.
MEN’S FOOTBALL
Zbrojovka Continues Hot Streak
Zbrojovka is playing its best football in many years, and — with 13 goals in the past two games — it may be getting even hotter when it really matters. The team is guaranteed to have a chance to play for a spot in the Fortuna:Liga next season.
Unfortunately, because of an outbreak of the coronavirus in the Moravian-Silesian Region and several positive tests among players on area teams, the final two rounds of the Fortuna:Liga Relegation Group have been pushed forward to July 23 and 26. The bottom of the final standings will not be available until after those two games because MFK Karviná (5-12-16, 27 points), Slezský FC Opava (5-10-18, 25) and 1.FK Příbram (6-7-20, 25) need to sort themselves out. Theoretically, FC Fastav Zlín (9-6-18, 33) is still in the mix, too.
The last-place team will automatically be relegated to the Fortuna:Národní Liga. The next team up will play the No. 2 seed from the F:NL, which is currently Zbrojovka. The third team from the bottom of the F:L standings would play the No. 3 seed from the F:NL. Promotion/Relegation would be decided with a home-and-away series.
The delay may hurt the momentum that Zbrojovka (19-6-3, 63) has built. Since the restart of the league after the coronavirus pause this spring, Zbrojovka has 29 points in 11 games, with a record of 9-2-0.
There is actually still a chance the Zbrojovka can win the league and automatically move up to the top league. Pardubice (20-4-3, 64) is to play FK Fotbal Třinec today to catch up to the rest of the league with 28 games played. Then they host FC Slavoj Vyšehrad on Saturday at 5 p.m. and finish the season at FK Viktoria Žižkov on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
It is a longshot, but it would be appropriate: Zbrojovka tied Pardubice 1-1 at home on July 26, almost a year ago, and won in Pardubice, 1-2 in the final game of the fall season on Nov. 23.
Last week, Adrián Čermák had a hat trick with goals at the 55th, 74th and 79th minute as Zbrojovka beat Vyšehrad, 2-7. In the previous game, Zbrojovka beat FK Viktoria Žižkov, 6-1.
Zbrojovka travels to 1.SK Prostějov on Saturday, where they will face their former head coach, Pavel Šustr, and a former captain, Jan Polák.
All of the teams in the league will finish the season on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Zbrojovka will host FC Sellier & Bellot Vlašim.
Líšeň Plays Dukla Tough, Guaranteed Another F:NL Season
SK Líšeň (7-11-10, 32) slipped to 11th place after a giving up a halftime lead to FK Dukla Praha, losing 2-3. But Líšeň is guaranteed a spot in the F:NL next season.
Dukla, which is playing for a chance at promotion, solidified its third-place position with its 53rd point. FC Hradec Králové is in fourth with 48 point. Líšeň has played top teams well all season.
Líšeň hosts FK Fotbal Třinec on July 11 before ending the season at FK Varnsdorf on July 14.
BASEBALL
Draci, Hroši Look Good for Top 6; Technika In Tight
With only a weekend left in the first phase of the extraliga baseball season, Draci Brno are assured of moving forward into the Top 6 in order to challenge for the Czech baseball title.
Cardion Hroši Brno are in a solid position.
But Technika Brno, which has the highest scoring offense in the league, is in tough.
The Draci (12-4) dropped a game to the Hroši, 5-16, on Thursday, but they are just a bit back of league-leaders Arrows Ostrava (13-2) and they are guaranteed to be in the top group, which is fitting given their long history of success and their solid organizational structure.
Cardion Hroši Brno (8-8) appear to have a direct line to the Top 6 because they play twice against lowly Olympia Blansko, which has won just three of 14 games this season.
Technika (7-9) had a chance to position itself for the Top 6, but it split with Tempo Praha (7-8), losing, 6-2, on Saturday in Prague and winning, 11-8, on Sunday in Brno. Now the team has a tough assignment because they finish with two games against the Draci: in South Brno on Friday at 7 p.m. and on Kravi Hora on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Tempo Prague plays twice against Eagles Praha (10-5) and once against Arrows Ostrava.
The teams that finish in seventh to 10th places will drop to play the top teams from the lower league in order to maintain their place in the extraliga.
The schedules for both the Top 6 and the lower group are to be announced.
CRICKET
Brno Rangers Advance to Finals Weekend of ECN Czech Super Series
The Brno Rangers were undefeated throughout Week No. 4 of the ECN Czech Super Series and they will move on to the Finals this weekend in Prague.
Ushan Gunathilake, who is also the Czech national team wicket keeper, played well throughout the weekend, particularly in combination with Vikram Padigala. Dylan Steyn scored 21 from just 11 balls as the Rangers scored 84 in the finals.
The ECN Czech Super Series is a T10 competition that started this year with 16 teams in a series of four tournaments. The winners of each series advanced. Three Brno Cricket Club teams — the BCC Raiders, the BCC Raptors and the BCC Rangers — and the Moravian Cricket Club, which was making its competitive debut, played a total of eight games in the Brno part of the tournament on Saturday and Sunday.
Finals Weekend of the ECN Czech Super Series will be at the newly christened Scott Page Field in Prague. Page, an Australian who was instrumental in bringing cricket to the Czech Republic, passed away suddenly in April. He was a tireless booster of cricket, visiting schools and summer camps to promote the sport.
Every match of the ECN Czech Super Series will be streamed worldwide via the European Cricket Network: https://www.ecn.cricket/ . The related YouTube Channel is here.
For more information about the team, go to: http://brnocricket.cz/ or https://www.facebook.com/BrnoCricketClub/ .
The Czech T20 league begins July 18. The games are played at fields in Brno and Prague and last through September.
BRNO SPORTS RESULTS
Quick results for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the past week. Home team listed first (where applicable).
Thursday, July 2, 2020
— Baseball: Technika Brno 6, Arrows Ostrava 12
— Baseball: Draci Brno 5, Cardion Hroši Brno 16
Friday, July 3, 2020
— Baseball: Draci Brno 16, SaBaT Praha 1
— Baseball: Eagles Praha 8, Cardion Hroši Brno 2
Saturday, July 4, 2020
— Baseball: Tempo Praha 6, Technika Brno 2
— Baseball: SaBaT Praha 2, Draci Brno 7
— Baseball: Cardion Hroši Brno 11, Eagles Praha 5
— Men’s Football: Vyšehrad 2, Zbrojovka Brno 7
— Men’s Football: SK Líšeň 2, FK Dukla Praha 3
Sunday, July 5, 2020
— Baseball: Draci Brno 11, Eagles Praha 1
— Baseball: Technika Brno 11, Tempo Praha 8
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, July 10, 2020
— Baseball: Olympia Blansko X Cardion Hroši Brno, 7 p.m.
— Baseball: Draci Brno X Technika Brno, 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 11, 2020
— Baseball: Cardion Hroši Brno X Olympia Blansko, 4 p.m.
— Baseball: Technika Brno X Draci Brno, 4 p.m.
— Men’s Football: Prostějov X Zbrojovka Brno, 5 p.m.
— Men’s Football: SK Líšeň X FK Fotbal Třinec, 5 p.m.
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
— Men’s Football: FK Varnsdorf X SK Líšeň, 6 p.m.
— Men’s Football: Zbrojovka Brno X Vlašim, 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.
