The adventure in Australia is over, the Czechs are third. We have something to work on, says the captain

Raindrops fell from the sky over Newcastle, Australia, and an unpleasant wind blew. “At least it wasn’t so hot, it was better to breathe and run,” said Czech captain Petra Bertholdová in a video for FAČR. However, even the “favorable” weather did not help her team: the Czechs lost in Australia for the second time, and the second time with zero. It was Bertholdová who got the ball into the goal in the second half, but the goal was disallowed due to offside. “Too bad,” coach Rada breathed.

“The Spanish women were dominant and outplayed us. From our side, it was about an organized block and using any opportunity to counterattack quickly. In the beginning, it took us a while to get into the game, catch the opponent’s tempo and read their game,” Rada noted. “We went into the second half thinking we wanted to do everything to keep the score 0-2 or improve it in our favor. We improved, kept the game higher and scored a goal that didn’t pay. And after the converted penalty by the Spaniards, the result was decided.”

The Czechs did not fly to Australia as favourites, just like a year ago in the USA or in England in October, they were mainly to gain experience against the elite. To illustrate: the Australian women played in the quarter-finals of the World Cup three times, and the Spanish women also reached the top eight at last year’s EURO.

“We were able to test the game against two very strong teams, but Jamaica was a more comparable opponent for us,” said Rada of Sunday’s opponent, whom the Czechs defeated 3:2. Thanks to this, they finished third in the tournament.

“We met three great teams here. It turned out that we have shortcomings and we have something to work on,” said Bertholdová. The seasoned stopper has played 115 international matches in her 38 years, but several other mainstays in Australia were missing due to injuries. Coach Rada was thus able to broaden his horizons: for example, the 21-year-old Slovakian defender Alena In her second start for the national team, Pěčková shone with the winning goal against Jamaica.

In April, the Czechs will play friendlies with Morocco and Austria, and in the fall they will play in the new League of Nations. Qualification for EURO 2025 will begin next spring.