Photo Caption: Defending Champion Brno Draci open the extraliga baseball season at home in South Brno this Friday at 7 p.m. Photo Credit: Petr Coufal.
Brno, Apr 7 (BD) — Zbrojovka gets point but fails to capitalize on red card; Lokomotiva women to open renovated field on April 17; Brno women’s basketball teams play each other for third place; and Basket Brno wins first of three home games in Group A1.
BASEBALL
Opening Day is Friday
There are few things that say “Spring” (and “the end of winter”) better than baseball.
This Friday, America’s Pastime — which has a strong foothold in the Czech Republic and, especially Brno — will begin the season a week later than originally planned and with special approval from the Ministry of Health.
Brno has two teams that play on opposite sides of the city with about nine kilometers of the Svratka River between their two stadiums. Brno Draci are the longtime league champions. They are also the defending champions. Cardion Hroši Brno have slowly been gaining reputation and momentum.
Unlike last year, when restrictions against the coronavirus precluded foreign players, Czech teams will be reinforced with talent from abroad. Also new is the fact that each weekend will keep the same teams together for a three-game series.
No fans can be in the stands for the beginning of the season; hopefully restrictions will be eased as the season continues. Teams plan to provide video streams and graphic representations of the games will be available.
Draci Brno start at home against Blesk Jablonec at 7 p.m. on Friday and at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
They travel to Jablonec on Sunday for a 1 p.m. game.
Cardion Hroši Brno will play at Olympia Blansko at 7 p.m. on Friday, and follow up with another game on Saturday at 1 p.m. They return to Brno to play Blansko at home at 1 p.m.
The 10-team first part of the extraliga season continues into June. Then the teams are rearranged according to the standings as part of the seeding for the postseason in the fall.
For updated information and the schedule for Czech extraliga baseball, go to the league website at https://extraliga.baseball.cz/. Use Google Chrome, right-click anywhere on the page and select “Translate to English”.
MEN’S FOOTBALL
Zbrojovka Ties Top-team Slavia
The good news is that FC Zbrojovka got a point in the standings when they held top-team Slavia Praha to a scoreless tie on Sunday. The bad news is that they had a man advantage for more than 70 minutes after the Slavia goalkeeper was called for a red card — and, even still, they were unable to score a goal and get the full three points that they desperately need if they want to stay in the top league in the country after this season.
There are less than two months left in the season. Zbrojovka (3-8-14, 17 points) is still in 16th place. SFC Opava (3-6-16, 15) is in 17th place and Příbram (2-7-15, 13) is in 18th. Strictly from placement in the standings, Zbrojovka has three “winnable” home games against 14th-place Teplice (6-5-14, 23) on April 25 at 2 p.m.; against 15th-place FK Mladá Boleslav (4-9-12, 21) in early May; and against Opava in mid-May.
The next game is at SK Dynamo Č. Budějovice (7-10-8, 31) this Sunday at 2 p.m.
Slavia Praha (20-5-0, 65) is the runaway league-leader who will play at world-famous Arsenal in London tomorrow night in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the Europa League. Yet, two of the Prague team’s ties were to Zbrojovka this season.
FK Teplice and FK Mladá Boleslav are the teams to catch if Brno is to stave off a return to the lower league, where cross-town rival SK Líšeň 2019 tops the standings along with FC Hradec Králové and is in a good position to move into the top league. Actually, SK Líšeň 2019 just beat FC Vysočina Jihlava, 2-0, on Monday.
Should the Brno teams switch leagues, it would be a major embarrassment for the long-time dominant club, FC Zbrojovka, which has signed an agreement to allow SK Líšeň 2019 the use of its facilities and stadium. Unfortunately, Brno has simply been unable to make a move up the standings to protect its position. Best case scenario: both teams stay in the top league.
For updated information and the schedule for FC Zbrojovka Brno games, go to the league website at https://www.fortunaliga.cz/. The team website is at https://fczbrno.cz/. Use Google Chrome, right-click anywhere on the page and select “Translate to English”.
WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
Lokomotiva to Finish Regular Season in Renovated Home
Lokomotiva Brno H.H. (4-1-7, 13 points) dropped a tough game at FK Dukla Praha (3-2-7, 11) last Friday, but they are still in fourth place in the top women’s league. Liberec (4-0-7, 12) is in fifth, however, has a game in hand.
The final game of the regular season will be in Brno — it is scheduled to be played at the rebuilt facility in Horni Herspice — against FC Viktoria Plzeň on April 17 at noon.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Brno Teams Play Series for Third Place
BK Žabiny Brno lost their semifinal series at Sokol Hradec Králové, one game to three. KP Brno was swept in its semifinal series against league-leader ZVVZ USK Praha.
Now the two Brno teams will finish the season with a local battle to determine the third-place team for this coronavirus 2020-21 season.
Žabiny Brno host Game 1 today at 2 p.m. Game 2 is in Královo Pole on Friday at 5 p.m. Then back to Žabovřesky on Sunday at 2 p.m. If necessary, Game 4 (at KP Brno) is Tuesday and Game 5 (at Žabiny Brno) is April 15 at 2 p.m.
For updated information and schedules for both local teams, go to the league website at https://www.zbl.basketball/. The KP Brno team website is: http://www.kpbrnobasket.cz/ The Žabiny Brno team website is: https://www.bkzabiny.cz/ Use Google Chrome, right-click anywhere on the page and select “Translate to English”.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Basket Brno Notches Group A1 Win
Basket Brno improved its Group A1 record to 2-5 when it beat BC Geosan Kolín last Saturday, 84-77.
Javion Blake led the way with 22 points. Simon Puršl had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Brno will have three more games to finish Group A1 play, including two more home games — BK Opava (the team that Brno beat to start Group A1 play) on April 8 at 6 p.m. and BK JIP Pardubice on April 11 at 5 p.m. — and the final game at BC Geosan Kolín on April 14 at 5:45 p.m.
For updated information and the schedule for Basket Brno games, go to the league website at https://www.nbl.cz/. The team website is: https://basketbrno.cz/ Use Google Chrome, right-click anywhere on the page and select “Translate to English”.
