Pavel Eismann, who captained FC Zbrojovka through two successful second-league seasons, will retire instead of moving up to the Fortuna Liga next season with the team. Photo credit: FC Zbrojovka.
Brno, Jul 22 (BD) — FC Zbrojovka will take a short rest before starting to train for their return to the Fortuna Liga on Aug. 22; Draci, Hroši start play in Top 6; Cricket will have a Brno Derby on Saturday with Brno Rangers against Brno Raptors at 3 p.m.; and the Brno sports schedule.
MEN’S FOOTBALL
Zbrojovka Earns Promotion
All is right with the world: Zbrojovka has returned to the top league.
After two successful seasons in the second-league Fortuna:Národní Liga, where the team finished third in 2018-19 and second in 2019-20, FC Zbrojovka will return to the top-league Fortuna Liga and rivalry games against Slavia Praha, AC Sparta, Olomouc, Zlin, and, especially, Slovacko.
The Fortuna Liga will start on Saturday, Aug. 22. The schedule is to be announced.
The announcement was part of a compromise solution to account for a recent outbreak of the coronavirus that affected MFK Karviná and postponed the conclusion of the Fortuna Liga Relegation Group, which has four teams who still need to play two rounds later this month. The plan is that the Fortuna Liga will replace whoever is the bottom team with the second-league champions (i.e., FC Pardubice), keep the rest of the teams at the higher level and simply promote two teams from the second league (i.e., Zbrojovka and third-place FC Dukla Praha), rather than play the home-and-away Promotion/Relegation series. (However, if the Relegation Group games are not completed, then no teams would be relegated and Dukla Praha would have to stay in the second league.
In any case, that means that the Fortuna Liga will have 18 teams, two more than normal. The 2020-21 season will have 15 rounds in the autumn and the remaining 19 in the spring. The bottom three teams will drop to the lower league at the end of the season so that the two leagues will level off at 16 clubs again for the 2021-22 season.
Overall, Zbrojovka (20-7-3, 67) finished second behind Pardubice (22-4-4, 70 points) in the 2019-20 season. FK Dukla Praha (19-2-9, 59) was third.
SK Líšeň (8-12-10, 36) will stay in the second league as one of the 14 teams.
BASEBALL
Draci Win First Two in Top 6 Phase
The Top 6 portion of the extraliga baseball season has started with three-game series to figure out the seeding for the postseason.
Arrows Ostrava, the two-time defending Czech champions, finished atop the standings after the first phase with a 15-3 record and beat Tempo Prague two out of three times over the weekend.
Draci Brno won both of its games against Kotlářka Praha with 3-0 shutouts. (The Saturday game was rained out.)
Cardion Hroši Brno won one of two games against Eagles Praha.
This weekend, the Draci have a three-game series against Tempo Praha and the Hroši have a three-game series against Ostrava.
CRICKET
Top Brno Teams Struggle in Week 1
The two first-league Brno Cricket Club teams struggled out of the gate in the Czech T20 season last weekend.
On Saturday, the Brno Raiders (L 52/10) were unable to slow the PCC Kings (W 148/4). The following day, the Prague Barbarians Vandals (W 75/8) pulled away from the Brno Rangers (L 74/10) in a closer match.
The Czech T20 league continues this weekend, with a Brno Derby: Brno Rangers versus Brno Raptors at 3 p.m.
RUNNING
Brno Half Marathon Will Be Run on Aug. 15
BehejBrno.com, which had two spring races postponed by the pandemic quarantine, has announced the new dates for its races this year.
• The CRAFT Brno Half Marathon will be run Aug. 15; the race was postponed from April. The raceday will include 10 km and 5 km runs. All three races will start at 6 p.m. The half marathon costs 700,- until Aug. 13. The 10 km is 650,- and the 5 km is 500,- until Aug. 13. The prices go up 50,- on Aug. 13 and 14. There are savings for students.
• The Špilberk Night Run will be run Aug. 29, as originally scheduled. It is a 7 km race that will circle around the castle and wind down through the casemates. The entry fee is 400,- until Aug. 27. You can get a 50 percent discount if you run a race as part of the CRAFT Brno Half Marathon event.
• The Brno 25 will be run on Oct. 18 in the fields near the Olympia Shopping Mall. There will also be 8 km and 16 km races. The entry fee for the big race is 390kc until Sept. 15. The other races are 350kc. You can get a 50 percent discount if you run a race as part of the CRAFT Brno Half Marathon event.
• The RENOCAR AŽ Tower Race has been postponed from the spring to Oct. 25.
For more information, go to https://www.behejbrno.com/.
BRNO SPORTS RESULTS
Quick results for various Brno professional and recreational sports for the past week. Home team listed first (where applicable).
Friday, July 17, 2020
— Baseball: Draci Brno 3, Kotlářka Praha 0
— Baseball: Eagles Praha 15, Cardion Hroši Brno 5
Saturday, July 18, 2020
— Baseball: Draci Brno X Kotlářka Praha, postponed
— Baseball: Eagles Praha 15, Cardion Hroši Brno 11
— Cricket: Brno Raiders L 52/10, PCC Kings W 148/4
Sunday, July 19, 2020
— Baseball: Cardion Hroši Brno 4, Eagles Praha 2
— Baseball: Kotlářka Praha 0, Draci Brno 3
— Cricket: Prague Barbarians Vandals W 75/8, Brno Rangers L 74/10
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).
Thursday, July 23, 2020
— Baseball: Arrows Ostrava X Cardion Hroši Brno, 7 p.m.
Friday, July 24, 2020
— Baseball: Draci Brno X Tempo Praha, 7 p.m.
— Baseball: Arrows Ostrava X Cardion Hroši Brno, 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 25, 2020
— Baseball: Tempo Praha X Draci Brno, 2 p.m.
— Baseball: Cardion Hroši Brno X Arrows Ostrava, 2 p.m.
— Cricket: Brno Rangers v Brno Raptors, 3 p.m.
Sunday, July 26, 2020
— Baseball: Tempo Praha X Draci Brno, 2 p.m.
— Baseball: Cardion Hroši Brno X Arrows Ostrava, 2 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.
