It already seemed that the Bohemians could look forward to the final in their Ďolíček, but progress narrowly slipped through their fingers. What did they have to go through?
When you’re this close to the final and it slips away, it hurts a lot. It was a cruel result for Bohemka. All the more so because she got the equalizer after the five-minute regulation had expired. Sure, there were delays due to nursing, so I guess no one can make excuses for this. Coach Veselý assessed it absolutely correctly after the match, even though it must have been very difficult for him and his team.
Why were the Kangaroos so close to the finals?
They showed a completely organized performance and were extremely disciplined, which caused problems for Slavia. Especially in the first half, the Slavists were able to get angry with quick counter-attacks, and even an early equalization at 1:1 did not knock them down. Note that Bohemians do not have top individuals, but they make up for it with collective strength. One is pushing for the other and no one is letting anything go. That’s why they went so far in the cup.
Bohemians coach Jaroslav Veselý felt wronged. In extra time, we squeezed the players like a ragVideo: Sport.cz
There is a league left, which Bohemians will hopefully win. They are currently fourth, which after the season will most likely mean a ticket to Europe. Will they reach for her?
I wish them that, fingers crossed. It would be symbolic if they returned to the cups exactly 40 years after our historic title. Sunday’s match in Olomouc, which can still think about fourth place, will tell a lot. Bohemka has played the league solidly and it’s no accident, which was also shown against Slavia. However, in the second half and in extra time, it was clear how much the strength of the bench helps the Slavists. On the other hand, Bohemians could not deploy Matoušek and Beran, who are visiting from Slavia.
Are the Slavists in the finals deserved?
In the overall context of the match, yes. Even though they were close to elimination, they tried to stay under pressure and equalize, which they did. They followed it to the end. Bohemka towards the front gradually ceased to be dangerous and, as I mentioned, Slavia was saved by jokers. Lingr, Jurečka, Matěj Jurásek… Anywhere else they would play in the starting line-up, Slavist’s options are exceptional by Czech standards.
Assistant coach Jaroslav Köstl noted that a big turn from the cup semi-final could have a fatal kick for Slavia at the end of the season and the tug of war for the title. Do you agree?
May be. However, Slavia first of all needs to avoid fluctuations on opponents’ pitches, where they lost a lot of points. This applies to the basic part of the league as well as the superstructure, where the apparent outsiders in the group for the title, in my opinion, will not easily give up points. Even Sparta still have difficult matches in the regular season, in which they can lose.
It’s good that you mentioned Sparta, they have a cup final with Slavia at home on May 3rd.
Budějovice made a nice impression in the semi-finals, they played responsibly and with Sparta’s current form they had nothing to lose. It is a question of how the match would have developed if Potočný from Budějovice converted the tutovka at 0:0, but the Spartans kept a close eye on the progress.
It’s a success, but the work still needs to be completed in early May, Brian Priske knowsVideo: Sport.cz
Didn’t they have it too easy against Dynamo?
If you want to succeed against Sparta, you have to put their defense under pressure and force them to make mistakes, which Budějovice did not do well. There will be matches when coach Priske is not completely satisfied with Sparta’s performance, but the team is riding a winning streak and the players have gained a lot of confidence in the spring. They can now win matches in which they used to draw for three points.
Overall, they won for the tenth time in a row. Who will stop Sparta?
It could be anyone, the Spartans are in for a series of tricky games. I’m not just talking about the derby, but also, for example, a trip to Slovácko or a match with Pilsen, which should want to get out of the game and result crisis. Even the last match of the regular season in Liberec can be treacherous. So far, the euphoria and spring results are on Sparta’s side, and I myself am curious to see how long their winning streak will be.
The national cup is a cinderella in the Czech Republic, the league means more in the eyes of the football nation. Could the image of the MOL Cup have been improved by both semi-final games?
Times are changing, the cup is gaining more reputation and popularity. Clubs are already taking him seriously because they understand that the MOL Cup can be the fastest way to the cups for them, the third preliminary round of the Europa League is not bad. Both semi-finals had a wonderful backdrop and football must have been fun.
The cup culminates in the grand final Sparta vs. Slavia, for the period from mid-April to mid-May, a total of three derbies with the league are looming. Won’t the fans be overwhelmed?
I think it will be the exact opposite, the fans will enjoy all three derbies. The end of the season is coming and everything will be at stake. Of course, not as many goals are scored every time as in the semi-finals, but these matches always bring emotions and there is something to talk about. Does anyone get bored of the Spanish El Clásico or the German hits of Bayern and Dortmund? These matches advance football and help improve it.