August 20, 2023
One of the more intriguing match-ups in week 5 of the 2023/24 Czech Fortuna Liga season was the meeting between Ceske Budejovice and Bohemians.
The city of Ceske Budejovice is famous for its Budvar brewery, in my opinion the best beer in the Czech Republic and arguably the best in the world, and definitely better than its US namesake Budweiser !
Their local football side play at the 6,681 capacity Stadion Strelecky Ostrov and although a bit of a yo-yo side, the side have been in the Czech First League since 2019, and finished in 10th place in 2022/23. Their home kit used to be black and white stripes but today they were to play in a mostly white strip, with faint blue stripes down the front of the shirt. Predictably, Budvar were the shirt sponsors.
Their start to the 2023/24 season had been disastrous though, with their first four games all being lost ( Slovacko ( A ) 1-4, Slavia ( H ) 1-3, Hradec Kralove ( A ) 1-5, Plzen ( H ) 2-5 ) so they started the day at the bottom of the table.
These diaries last featured Bohemians in early March 2022 when they won 3-1 at Slovan Liberec thanks to a masterclass performance from Jan Matousek, who helped himself to two goals. Bohemians went on to finish 4th and qualified for Europa Conference play-off rounds, where they were eliminated at the first hurdle by Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt 2-7 on aggregate.
Bohemians start to the new season had been mixed, with two wins and two losses. Away wins were recorded at Pardubice ( 1-0 ) and Liberec ( 1-0 ) but they lost their two home matches – Teplice ( 1-2 0 and Slovacko ( 0-1 ).
I have actually watched an encounter between these two sides, when they met at Dolicek in February 2001. Ceske Budejovice established a 2-0 half-time lead in front of 2,815 spectators, before Bohemians roared back to lead 4-2 in the second half, with a late consolation making the final score 4-3.
Bet365.com were streaming the match live and made Bohemians 29/20 favourites, with Ceske Budejovice at 17/10 and the draw at 23/10.
The weather at the 15.00 kick-off was 33 degrees on a cloudy afternoon and tickets for the game on the Ceske Budejovice website ranged from 150-200 CZK ( £5-£7 ).
Ceske Budejovice made three changes from the side that started the 2-5 home loss to Viktoria Plzen. In came ex-Dukla Prague Nigerian striker Quadri Adediran, Slovak midfielder Lukas Cmelik and defender Ondrej Coudek. Ex-Sturm Graz Austrian defender was at left-back, and mid-week signing, veteran ex-Brighton and Hove Albion and Millwall wizard Jiri Skalak ( 17 caps ), was on the bench after joining from Mlada Boleslav.
Bohemians made just one change from their 0-1 home defeat at the hands of Slovacko, with Matyas Kozak, on loan from Sparta Prague, replacing Robert Hruby ( 2 caps ) up front. 42 year old Josef Jindrisek, closing in on 400 appearances for the Kangaroos, captained the side, in which all of the starting XI were Czech, although Slovak striker Erik Prekop was amongst the substitutes. Hulka was indeed the bulkiest player on the pitch, and Krapka was hoping not to play like his name !
The visitors were in their change kit of all black, and their travelling fans were housed in the corner of the opposite stand, but behind a fence.
Ceske Budejovice started brightly. After Kostl fouled Trummer wide on the left, the in-swinging free-kick needed to be palmed away by keeper Reichl for a corner. Cmelik then skipped past Kozak but saw his low shot-cum-cross blocked, and from the edge of the area Suchan sent the loose ball well over the bar.
Bohemians’ response was a free-kick into the danger zone and it looked like Hulka had been pulled back and pushed to the floor, but the linesman’s flag was raised for off-side, which the TV replay showed to be a good decision.
Although Beran saw a shot from the edge of the area blocked, it was the home side that were enjoying the lion’s share of possession, and after 13 minutes Trummer crossed from the left for Cermak to head well wide from 8 yards out.
From a Bohemians counter, Matousek threaded a lovely ball to put Puskac in space down the right-hand channel but the low cross was well defended at the expense of a corner. Bohemians played a short corner, but when the ball was crossed into the danger zone, Coudak and Matousek clashed as they went for the ball and both required lengthy treatment. However, although both players returned to the pitch, their participations were short, and both had to be replaced within 10 minutes as they couldn’t carry on.
Suchan manage to get a toe to a loose ball on the edge of the area to give Cmelik the chance to shoot but the low shot was a regulation save for Reichl, before a drinks break was taken after 23 minutes.
The game had become stop-start as a series of free-kick were awarded, and interestingly, Hulka was taking goal-kicks for Bohemians instead of the goal-keeper.
Hora played a long-ball from near the half-way line which Adediran headed across the 18-yard line but Cermak’s left-footed volley was horrible and trickled 20 yards wide. At the other end of the pitch Kozak cut-back inside on the right but his left-footed shot from 16 yards was held by keeper Janacek.
Dynamo managed to get the ball into the net in the 39th minute, but as Ondrasek challenged the keeper for Suchan’s left wing cross, the referee determined that Reichl had been fouled and the goal was chalked off. There didn’t seem to me to be much wrong with the striker’s attempt to head the ball, but the keeper was deemed to be in need of perhaps a little too much protection.
Cermak then played an astute pass to put Adediran in space in the left-hand channel inside the Bohemians area, but a heavy first touch forced him wide and Hulka was able to make a block.
Bohemians created their best chance of the match to-date a minute before the interval. A long-ball from half-way on the left-hand side of the pitch found Kostl in space, but his first-time effort on the run from a tight angle sped across the face of the goal and inches wide, and just ahead of Puskac who was unable to make the tap-in.
With added time being played, Suchan played in Cemlik but the cross was deflected off Hybs for a corner. Hora took the set-piece and Adediran evaded the statuesque Krapka and Hybs to head home from 8 yards, giving the keeper no chance.
Bohemians nearly responded immediately but after some nice, patient approach play, Beran’s left wing cross was blazed over the bar by Prekop from close to the penalty spot.
Ceske Budejovice probably just about deserved their first half lead, having had 58% of the possession, and the better of the few chances.
The home side had a half-chance early in the second period but Cmelike was unable to make contact with an inviting cross from Adediran, but the visitors then had a good spell as the searched for the equaliser. Beran found Hybs on the overlap but the cross was intercepted by keeper Janacek, and after Ceske Budejovice lost possession in the middle of their own half, Beran played in Kozak, whose shot was blocked for a corner. The delivery was low to the edge of the area, Beran played a dummy, but Kozak could only spoon the ball high over the bar.
The home side took a firm grip on the match with their second goal in the 58th minute. Adediran fed Ondrasek who turned to send a low shot goalwards. Reichl could only weakly push away, but with the goal at his mercy, Cermak’s follow-up was somehow saved by the keeper and the ball went over the bar for a corner. Bohemians could only clear the ball into the box as far as Suchan just outside the area, and although his first-time volley was going wide, Haval was alert enough to glance the ball, which sneaked inside the keeper’s right-hand post.
Bohemians made a triple substation in an effort to turn the game, and Hruby’s free-kick needed a good defensive header by Kralik. However, they should have gone 3 behind in the 67th minute when Adediran played a defence splitting ball for Suchan to run onto and be one-on-one with the keeper. However, he was forced wide and his ball back across the goal evaded Adediran and was cleared. The TV replay showed Suchan had actually timed his run badly and was off-side but the play continued and so a goal probably would have counted.
Another drinks break was called for in the 68th minute shortly after which Muzik fell dramatically to floor as a cross sailed well above him. The referee wasn’t fooled by the poor dive, and the Bohemians substitute ought to have “faced the music”……..
Skalak eventually entered the fray to turn and deliver a cross but Osmancik could only head it high into the air and Reichl gathered.
Bohemians continued to huff and puff to pull a goal back, but their efforts lacked conviction. Hruby teed up Jindrisek but the veteran’s 20 yarder was straight at the keeper and Broukal made an important defensive header to prevent the ball reaching two attackers in close attendance.
Skalak though whipped in a dangerous looking cross for Ondrasek inside the 6 yard box, but a good block conceded a corner. The home side wrapped up the points with a third goal in the 89th minute. A cross-field ball from the left found Ondrasek close to by-line inside the area, who chest controlled and then picked out Osmancik to volley home from inside the 6 yard area. Game over.
There was still time for Hruby to head wide from 8 yards when he should have scored, but the miss just about summed up Bohemians’ day. In the end Ceske Budejovice were well worth their win, and moved off the bottom of the Fortuna Liga table
Highlights : https://www.fortunaliga.cz/zapas/7511-ceb-boh
SK Ceske Budejovice : Janacek – Broukal, Havel, Coudak ( Kralik ), Trummer – J.Hora, Cermak ( Skalak ), Suchan ( Hellebrand ) – Ondrasek, Cmelik ( Osmancik ), Adediran
Bohemians 1905 : Reichl – Krapka ( Necid ), Hulka, Hybs – Kostl ( Kovarik ), Jindrisek, Beran ( Hruby ), Dostal – Matousek ( Prekop ), Puskac ( Muzik ), Kozak
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