Win comes too late to prevent Wagner Czech mate

So it finally happened, I finally saw Zbrojovka win a game.  It was my fourth match in all and there was a big sense of relief on my part, but not as big as the relief expressed by the other Zbrojovka fans when the final whistle blew on Saturday evening.

It has been a rough weeks for Zbrojovka.  After a poor start to the season, in which the recently-relegated side picked up one win in their first ten games, manager René Wagner was sacked following a 3-0 defeat to SC Znojmo on the 10th of October.  The side were sitting in 15th position out of 16 and on course to be relegated.  He had been given an ultimatum beforehand: win the match or be sacked.  Of course, the end result lead to him being shown the door.  

A day later, more drama as vice-chairman Roman Pros resigned from the board, citing poor results and a difficult relationship with the fans as his reasoning.  Pros currently owns 35% of the club and is willing to sell his stake to someone with a "proven ability to manage the club better".

Amidst all this, youth team coach Robert Kafka was announced as the caretaker manager for the first team.  His first match in charge was against FK Varnsdorf at the Serbian.  The poor mood of the Zbrojovka fans was evident as a season's low crowd of 1199 turned up.  

Zbrojovka started the livelier but once again it was looking as if the home side's attempts would prove to be fruitless as they were first denied by Radek Porcal in the Varnsdorf goal several times and the early hope seemed to drain from their play.  However, it all changed in the 26th minute when Vaclav Koloušek's corner was nodded in by Ivo Zbožínek.  The lead was then doubled when captain Petr Švancara slotted home in the 34th minute.

At half-time, the crowd was buoyant - a notable shift from previous games.  However, there was an all too familiar sense of frustration when Alen Melunovi? pulled one back for the visitors with only a minute of the second half played.  The game then settled into a dull struggle for the remainder.  

There was another goal to be scored for the home side to seal all three points.  In the 75th minute, Martin Doležal, the striker, one of two Martin Doležal's at the club and on the pitch at the time, the other being the keeper, scored.  Unfortunately, I was in the bathroom at the time and could only hear the celebrations.  The guy next to me at the wall summed up my feelings, yelling: "Do prdele".  I'd Google Translate that if I were you, I don't think I'd get away with writing the English for it in this piece!

So Zbrojovka held on and a second win lifts them out of the relegation zone.  Up next, a trip to the Czech capital to face the Sparta reserve team.  They find themselves bottom of the table with just six points so far so the Arsenal (English for "Zbrojovka") will surely be looking to build on this week's success.

Away from Brno and the Second Division, Sparta's perfect start to the season was abruptly ended by Slovan Liberec in a 3-0 home defeat on Saturday evening.  Their lead at the top, after ten games, is eight points so it won't have hurt them too much.  

David Lafata continues to lead the scoring charts with an impressive 14 goals in ten games.  His nearest rival?  Six players are tied for second place with five goals each, Sparta's Leonard Kweuke provisionally being top for having played a game less.

Surprisingly, the Czech Republic's qualification for the Euro 2012 play-offs has been treated with bemused indifference by locals.  Having been completely out-played at home by Spain, with 80 minutes gone, the possession stats were 76-24 in the Spaniards' favour, they went to Vilnius and redeemed themselves for an embarrassing 1-0 defeat at home earlier in the campaign by thumping the Lithuanians 4-1 with braces from Michal Kadlec and Jan Rezek.  

Perhaps owing to their recent history in major tournaments, going out in the group stages of Euro 2008 and the 2006 World Cup, the locals seem somewhat pessimistic about their chances.  They could very well beat Montenegro but those I've talked to believe that getting to the finals in Poland & Ukraine next summer will only end in more frustrating performances and, ultimately, disappointment.  

It sounds somewhat similar to what Irish fans have been saying about our chances if we get past Estonia.