Oh... shit. Krejčí dislocated his shoulder late in the Sparta match, another top young Czech talent out with injury.
Liberec slightly outplayed Cluj (although Cluj's speed on the counter created a few chances) in the first half, but give up a goal on a corner in stoppage time.
Liberec pulled 1 back through Šural, and are now really dominating play, but they need 2 and don't have much time. Morozenko just hit the post from distance. Cluj's keeper has come up big a few times.
So Liberec are out of CL, but will get drawn into the Europa League playoff. Šural is developing into a promising young forward. The Liberec attack looked much better when Morozenko came on in the 2nd half, the young Ukrainian gave the ball away a bit easily on a couple of occasions, but is definitely a creative player. On the poor side, the Slovan defense wasn't well organized and really struggled with the pace of Cluj. Liberec have been woefully inefficient with their good scoring chances in every European match so far.
Mareček played the entire 2nd half for Anderlecht who dispatched of Ekranas with a convincing 0-6 (0-11) scoreline.
Shame Viktoria Plzeň didn't win that decisive match against Slovan last season, they are clearly the best equipped Czech team for Europe. They are up 4-0 (6-0) on Polish side Ruch Chorzow in the 2nd half. Ďuriš with a first half hat-trick (actually it took him less than 30 minutes). Sparta are in the 2nd half too, 2-2 (4-2) against Admira, both of Sparta's goal coming from Kweuke. Ml. Boleslav just ran into a better team in Twente, and their Europa league ends with a 4-0 aggregate loss. Edit: Plzeň addded a 5th before full time, so they advance with a 7-0 aggregate. FT for Sparta too, so both advance.
Other teams with Czech players, and their aggregate scores. Advancing: Ondrášek, Dočkal, and Lecjaks Tromso 2 - 1 Metlurh Donetsk Rosenborg 1 (a) - 1 Servette Young Boys 3 - 1 Kalmar FF Eliminated: Gecov (on the plus side, he did start), Kalas, and Rezek Videton 4 - 0 Gent Anzhi 4 - 0 Vitesse And I'm assuming Anorthosis is out, it apparently got quite messy in Cyprus as hooligans have stormed the pitch and there are some reports the stadium has been set on fire. The match was called about 10 minutes before time due to the riot. Apparently, they were down 0-3 at home against a Georgian side Dila Gori, that they were expected to defeat when the trouble started.
Europa League draw was made, with mixed results. Viktoria Plzeň will play Lokeren Slovan Liberec will play Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk* Sparta will play Feyenoord Viktoria Plzeň are really the only team that's favored, but Slovan received an okay draw considering they were unseeded. Sparta definitely got the worst possible opponent considering they were seeded, the other possibilities would have been Red Star, Horsens, Motherwell or Dudelange. Still Feyenoord, while certainly the favorites, aren't an insurmountable task for Sparta. I'm hoping for 2/3 teams to make group stage. *there are two Czechs on their roster Ondřej Mazuch and Jan Laštůvka.
Other teams with Czech players in CL playoff FC Basel (Radoslav Kováč) v CFR Cluj Celtic (Filip and Patrik Twardzik) v Helsingborg Anderlecht (Lukáš Mareček) v AEL Limassol Spartak Moscow (Marek Suchý) v Fenerbahce Lille (David Rozehnal) v Copenhagen in Europa League Tromso (Zdeněk Ondrášek) v Partizan BSC Young Boys (Jan Lecjaks) v Midtjylland Lazio (Libor Kozák) v Mura 05 Rosenborg (Bořek Dočkal) v Legia Warsaw Bordeaux (Jaroslav Plašil) v Red Star
Marek Suchý is in the starting lineup for Spartak Moscow for the CL playoff round leg against Fenerbahce today.
Rozehnal starting for Lille today against Copenhagen as well. Spartak 2 - Fenerbahce 1 Suchy went the full 90. The Fenerbahce goal was apparently a major gaffe by the goalkeeper.
Haha completely forgot that the Czech forums had more than one thread! Seems like we have a lot of younger Czechs in smaller leagues but not many at major clubs.
I've been trying to keep it as up-to-date and informative as possible, though the Gambrinus Liga thread is basically Brno match reports with just scorelines for the other matches. It'll be interesting to see how the teams do in EL qualifying, it would be great for coefficient to get 2/3 into group stage. We do have a lot of promising youngsters at decent clubs across the continent (plus domestically, mainly at Sparta and Plzen), but so far we are still lacking that next Nedved or Rosicky level star. Still, it feels like we have a little more talent emerging the past couple of seasons than in some preceding years.
Sparta are off to a decent start in the Netherlands, Josef Hušbauer in particular. He played a perfect ball to Kadlec, that unfortunately the young striker took too much time with and allowed the defender to recover. He also hit the cross bar from distance on a shot that beat the keeper. And just like that, Sparta pick up an away goal, 0-1, Kadlec with the simple finish. And another from Kadlec, what a goal. Sparta up 0-2 at Feyenoord.
(the side of me that posts in this thread): The good news is, Sparta's back! (the side of me that posts in the Gambrinus Liga thread): The bad news is, Sparta's back. Much respect for them though, they are comfortably leading a Dutch giant away with squad of mainly young players they've either developed or done well to scout. Kadlec (20), Vaclík (23-year-old GK), Hušbauer (22), Skalák (20), Kadeřábek (20)... Other quick updates: Slovan Liberec 2 : Dnipro 2 - not a terrible first leg result, but the away goal deficit will be tough for them to overcome. Plzen just picked up an away goal, but they are still in the first half 1-1 in Belgium. Dočkal scored yet again for Rosenborg, getting an away goal late in a 1-1 match with Legia Warsaw.
Sparta are made to pay for not picking up a 3rd when they had a chance as Feyenoord leveled it 2-2 in stoppage time. Still, they take the away goal advantage back to Prague, and should have Krejčí back from his shoulder injury. Kadlec looks like he's getting back to form as well, with his brace.
Viktoria also surrendered a stoppage time goal, so the final in Brussels was 2 - 1, for the home side. They did get an away goal though. Lastuvka and Mazuch played full 90s for Dnipro against Slovan.
The 2nd goal was quality too - strength and technique, he's also scored a goal in each of the last two league matches. He still looked really out of form just a few weeks ago, but it looks like he is definitely getting back on track.
2nd goal was class but the 1st seemed like it just hit him although he was in the right spot. I really hope he keeps this up. I think he can be a good player.
Highlights for another Czech goal scorer yesterday. Skip to a bout 3:45 since the first half was all Legia, but in the 2nd half he gets a few decent shots including the goal. Norway or not, Dočkal has 20 goals and 8 assists in 27 matches so far this season and is a playmaking right-midfielder. I really hope he gets a chance with the NT soon, I can't see how his resume is less impressive than a player who's been getting 30 minutes a game in Cyprus.
As a winger, that is pretty impressive. He deserves to be called up. Maybe we can push Jiracek back into the middle while Rosicky is out and give Dockal a real chance.
Spartak Moscow (Suchy) and Lille (Rozehnal) have advanced to the Champions League Group Stage. Also in CL: Chelsea (Čech) Arsenal (Rosický) Shakhtar Donetsk (Hübschman) Galatasaray (Ujfaluši and Baroš*) Celtic (Filip Twardzik**) * Baroš may still be leaving Galatasaray before the window closes, right now he is supposedly in talks with Espanyol. ** I know almost nothing about this player, except that he's a 19-year-old Czech midfielder that seems to make the Celtic bench most matches but not play. He also has a twin brother at the club named Patrik that doesn't make the bench.
Liberec conceded a penalty early and now need to score 2 goals at Dnipro to advance. What was already a tough task is now almost impossible.