The Czech team did not follow up on the March home draw 1: 1 with Belgium. After five of the eight matches of the qualifying group, the charges of coach Jaroslav Šilhavý have seven points and are already losing six points to the leader of the “Red Devils”. Third Wales is one point back, but played two less matches.
Coach Šilhavý misses almost 20 players during the September program for various reasons, including the punished offensive number one Schick.
After Thursday’s winning home match with Belarus (1: 0), he made three line-up changes – the injured Jankt was replaced by Pešek, this time Vydra started at the tip of the attack and the stopper in the national A-team was made by stopper Kaša.
“Belgium won quite deservedly. It is the first team in the world. In order to think of a good result in these matches, everyone must leave an extraordinary performance there. It did not work out today,” Šilhavý told ČT Sport.
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It was the Pilsen national team rookie who sent a weak little house to Vaclík in the first minute, who had to be treated after a painful step by Lukaku. “Unhappy little house, it was slow. A mistake,” Squinting remarked.
The Czechs started actively, attacked high and had an introductory opportunity in the seventh minute, but Hložek’s shot was knocked down by Denayer.
In a minute, they hit the home team. Vanaken found Lukaku perpendicular, and the escape ended right at the pole. The striker, who returned to Chelsea this summer, celebrated his 100th goal for the national team and scored 67th goal as the best scorer in Belgian national history.
After 14 minutes, Vaclík had to be injured from the game, and Staněk replaced him among the sticks during his premiere in the Czech team.
“It’s a reality, we have to deal with it. Tomorrow Tomáš will go for an X-ray and we’ll see. According to that, we will arrange for the last match at the meeting,” said Šilhavý.
After half an hour of play, the Pilsen goalkeeper fired Lukak’s shot, but in the 41st minute he collected. Hazard ended the quick combination action. “Too bad for the second collected goal, my leg got stuck there,” Staněk regretted.
In the setting of the first half, Souček could reduce, but he only hit the middle of the goal. Vydra, who advanced himself to the goalkeeper three minutes after the break, did not succeed either, but he did not change the big chance.
In the 55th minute, Staňka did not beat Lukak on the other side. In eight minutes, Hložek fired, but Courtois ruined his joy from the premier national team goal.
“I didn’t see the shot at all, because I fell, but Courtois caught it beautifully. That’s probably why he catches Real Madrid,” said Hložek.
The bronze medalists from the last World Championship, who, like the Czechs, reached the quarterfinals at this year’s European Championship, did much better in the end.
After Lukaku’s heel struck, he got Saelemaekers in the 65th minute ahead of Staňka and did not hesitate. He scored his first national team goal.
The Czech or Czechoslovak team did not even win the ninth competition match with Belgium. “The quality turned out mainly in the transformation of chances. They mostly had a goal, we worked out four goal chances and did not give them. The difference is striking,” admitted Šilhavý.
Only the winners of the groups will advance to Qatar next year for the championship. Teams from second places are waiting for the playoffs, in which the other two best winners of the League of Nations groups will present themselves, who will not succeed in the qualification. The Czechs are almost certain that they would eventually occupy one of these two places.
The independent national team played at the World Championships only once in 2006. The national team will finish the qualifying group in October and November, and the September program will end on Wednesday with a preparatory duel with Ukraine in Pilsen.
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