Jakub Husa | Photo: Markéta Křížová, hstrebic.cz
Zlín entered 2023 from tenth place in the table, with only a three-point lead over Slavia, who were second to last at the time. But all that is in the past. Now Zlín is in the final of the Chance League.
After knocking out strong Poruba in the quarter-finals, the Rams also dealt with Třebíčí. The winner of the regular season is out of the game after a 1:4 match result. “It’s definitely a relief,” defender Jakub Husa says of the unexpectedly quick end to the streak.
“The last game was a lot about defensive work. We had a lot of suspensions, that was stupid on our part,” Husa realizes. “However, we managed to pull together and defend everything. almost to the point of a fall, they were able to finish like that. Suddenly it turned around and we’re in the finals. And we keep going!”
What broke, what suddenly reversed Zlín’s catastrophically developing year? “Overall, it’s about the excellent work of all five players on the ice. We’re going to get it. We have an excellent team, a team and we encourage each other. Even if something doesn’t work out, we go on, we stomp and we go for blood. We leave everything on the ice every game,” he says. “It’s no coincidence that we beat the first team after the regular season 4:1 per game. We have a quality team and we have something to bounce back from in the finals.”
“It’s no coincidence that we beat the first team after the regular season 4-1 per game. We have a quality team and we have something to bounce back from in the final.”
The Rams also dealt with the famous Třebíč system. Horácká Slavia knows how to concrete the middle zone, it was clearly visible even during the semi-finals – even when Třebíč was losing, it often stood with five players in its own half. Zlín took advantage of this a few times in Saturday’s game, delaying the passing game and thus saving valuable seconds. “We saw with the boys that they don’t come after us even when they lose. We were quite surprised by this, so we thought we wouldn’t rush anywhere and wait for them,” admits Husa.
EDIT: Zlín narrowly defeated Třebíč
Although Zlín ended the series early, each time they defeated Horácká Slavia by a single goal difference, often thanks to the final twists. “We showed character and inner strength in the team. If we managed one match at the end, I would say it was luck, but we always went for it. And then luck also turned to us, that’s also needed,” Husa knows.
He himself set an example for the team. He blocked shots, underwent dozens of tough fights. He then nudged the attacker throughout the series
I recommend Ferd
attacker, 24 years old
” href=”https://www.hokej.cz/hrac/radim-ferda/17252″>Radim Ferda. Until the end of the fifth game, everything was within the bounds of fair play, but then Ferda lost his nerve and stuck Hus in the face.
“Well, that was over the edge,” recounts Husa. “While shaking hands, he apologized for it. Good, it was in the heat of a fight… Even so, this shouldn’t happen. Let it be played hard, to the body , but I don’t think this belongs there.”
Other players from Třebíč can also get under the skin, for example David Michálek or Vojtěch Šilhavý. The playoff format sounds all the more absurd, when the beaten winner from the Chance League will go to rested Kladno. The course of the playoffs so far must have cost the Rams a lot of strength. “In addition, it was even tougher with Poruba than with Třebíčí. It was more powerful and there were more personal fights,” he even admits.
And if there was a derby with Vsetín in the final, it would probably be hell not only in the audience, but also on the ice. “For the fans – and actually for everyone – it would be great if the two rivals met in the final. It would be nice, but no matter how it turns out, we will definitely come to a sold-out hall anyway. Our fans are fantastic and I hope they will push us on,” thanks Husa, who, like the whole of Zlín, celebrated the New Year with a game.
The best defender of the 2020/2021 Premier League season played a great series, scored the equalizing goal in the 59th minute in the fourth match and dutifully guarded the opponent’s stars led by Martin Dočekal and Ladislav Bittner throughout the series.
