Just like last year, Pardubice were eliminated from the home cup in Velvary. This time, the opponent from the third division defeated the favorite from the top competition in the 3rd round of the MOL Cup after a penalty shootout, after regular time and extra time, the match ended 1:1. Among the first league teams, Teplice also finished, losing 0:1 to the leader of the second highest competition, Vyškov, in its asylum in Drnovice.
Defending champions Slavia entered the cup season with a 2-0 victory at Kroměříž, last year’s finalist Sparta, after a 1-1 draw in the Eden derby on Sunday, won 1-0 at the stadium of another second-league team Lišně. Jablonec only defeated Domažlice in the penalty shootout, and Ostrava won 2:1 with a goal in the seventh minute of regulation on the ground of another third-league team Záp. Three teams from the highest competition have been eliminated from the MOL Cup so far, in addition to Pardubice and Teplice, even the first league newcomer from Karviná failed, losing in the 2nd round.
A year ago, Pardubice lost 0:1 in Velvary a round earlier in the competitive debut of coach Radoslav Kováč on the bench of Východočechy. The third-league team caused big problems for the favorite this time as well. Although Pardubické sent Sychro into the lead in the 74th minute, substitute Jakab forced extra time in the first minute of regulation. In the penalty shootout, the home team had stronger nerves – the East Bohemians did not convert three penalty kicks.
“We didn’t manage the match, we were eliminated in Velvary for the second time in a row. The elimination came after a penalty shootout, but we shouldn’t have let the match go to that. We allowed ourselves a goal in the 91st minute, when we tried to solve the situation constructively instead of to clear the ball to safety. Our inexperience showed again,” the club website quoted Kováč as saying. “It’s unpleasant, but it’s good that on Sunday we can make up for today’s hesitation and win the derby,” recalled the league match with Hradec Králové.
Slovácko fielded a relatively strong line-up against Dukla, but it was not enough for the second team of the second league either. The score flowed from one side to the other in the shootout, until in the third minute Heča, who was replacing Douděr, scored. The fifth team in the first league table will not build on the cup triumph from the season before last.
“A big apology to the fans, the defensive performance was disastrous, irresponsible. What we do in the end is punishable. The opponent deservedly made it 3:4, punished our mistakes. In the second half, I was ashamed of what we showed defensively.” said the coach of Slovácko, Martin Svědík.
Teplice were not favorites against Vyškov and lost after a goal from Vintra from the 37th minute. Krsmanovič made the process even more complicated for the guests, who allowed himself to be eliminated at the beginning of the second act. The North Bohemians, even in a weakened state, had several chances to equalize, but the current leader of the second league has already maintained progress.
“We mainly didn’t manage the first half, when we were very passive. That’s why I substituted until the break, and if it was possible, I would substitute six players. Our players only understood what it was after they were sent off and weakened. But even so, the time of defending for some have already finished. The home team won completely deservedly,” Teplice coach Zdenko Frťala told reporters.
After a 1:1 draw in Sunday’s league derby with Sparta, Slavia completely replaced the starting line-up and fielded a number of substitutes. Jurásek opened the scoring in the 35th minute from an angle and added the insurance in the 56th minute after an individual action by Chytil. The match was special because the newcomer of the second league has Hanácká Slavia in its name and also uses a red and white logo with a star and stitched jerseys.
More than four thousand spectators watched the match. “We are happy that the match went well in terms of results and, for the most part, in terms of playing. It was played in a beautiful atmosphere and, moreover, before a visit that even league teams would not be ashamed of. I am glad that the home team wanted to play, and their performance contributed to the level of the match ,” the Slavist website quoted assistant coach Jaroslav Köstl.
After the derby and before the weekend clash with Pilsen, Sparta also completely changed the starting line-up. Brněnská Líšeň was a balanced opponent for a long time and was close to taking the lead when Polášek hit the crossbar before the break. Three minutes after the change of sides, Ševčík scored his first goal in a Spartan jersey with a shot under the crossbar.
“It was a typical cup match. I will admit that the performance was not what we imagined. On the other hand, in the end, we leave with promotion, which was the main goal,” quoted the club website of the Danish coach of Sparta, Brian Priske. “I’m glad that it fell to me in the very first match in the base and also in Brno,” said Ševčík, who headed to Sparta from Zbrojovka.
Jablonec is the only one not to have won in the league yet, and he carried his troubles into the cup as well. In Domažlice, they lost from the 34th minute after the home team’s Dvořák shot the ball into the net. The expulsion of Pavlík helped the North Bohemians, and substitute Náprstek managed to equalize only in the 84th minute with his first goal in the Jablonec A-team. Despite the power play, the favorite did not score a goal from the game and only succeeded in the penalty shootout. All five Jablonec executors scored, Drchal scored the winning goal.
“We progressed, but it was with great problems. It was decided by an important goal at 1:1 and our patience during penalties. But we should have prevailed already in extra time. Not to prevail against a third league team in addition to its weakening, that is simply a problem,” he said Jablonec coach Radoslav Látal.
Ostrava only broke the resistance of the West at the end of the setup. The leader of the third league was able to give the favorite from the top competition a goal after the dismissal of Dubno in the 55th minute even in a weakened state and equalized at 1:1, but in the seventh minute of regulation, Frydrych decided after a deadlock. Zapy conceded the first goals of the season, keeping a clean sheet in the previous 10 competitive duels.
Hradec also kept a clean sheet in the second match after the return of coach Václav Kotal to the bench and won 1:0. He decided the win in Jihlava in the 72nd minute from an angle into the open goal with his first goal for “Votroky” Hais.
Already on Tuesday, Liberec and Mladá Boleslav secured their place in the round of 16. The five matches of the 3rd round will be played in October during the international break.
This year’s European Cup qualifiers Sparta, Slavia, Plzeň and Bohemians 1905 and Liberec, which won the superstructure group in the league last season, enter the MOL Cup only in the 3rd round. The draw of the 3rd round had to be repeated due to the fact that the second division Zbrojovka mistakenly found itself among the unseeded teams. The Brno team was eliminated from the cup today, losing 2:3 in Opava without a number of sick supports.
Results of the 3rd round of the MOL Cup:
Kroměříž – Slavia Prague 0:2 (0:1)
Goals: 35. Jurásek, 56. Chhil. Referee: Rouček.
Slavia lineup: Kolář – Tomič (89. Douděra), Vlček, Kačaraba, Dumitrescu – Masopust (89. Schranz), Tecl (81. Tijani), Wallem – Jurásek (89. Koffi), Ogungbayi – Chytil (59. Van Buren) . Coach: Trpišovský.
Líšen – Sparta Prague 0:1 (0:0)
Goal: 48. Ševčík. Referee: Petřík.
Sparta lineup: Vorel – Vitík (79. Horák), Gomez, Vydra – Mejdr (46. Ryneš), Vydra, Pavelka (90+1. Sörensen), Pešek – Karabec, Ševčík (63. Schánělec) – Sejk (79. Olatunji ). Coach: Priske.
Zapy – Baník Ostrava 1:2 (0:1)
Goals: 65. Woitek – 39. Madleňák, 90+7. Frydrych. Referee: Pechanec. ČK: 55. April (Zápy).
Ostrava lineup: Markovič – Blažek, Frydrych, Lischka – Juroška, Kaloč (74. Buchta), Rigo (62. Boula), Madleňák – Fadairo (62. Ewerton), Šín – Almási (19. Kubala). Coach: Hapal.
Domažlice – FK Jablonec 1:1 after extra time. (1:1, 1:0), on pen. 4:5
Goals: 34. Dvořák – 84. Thimble. The decisive penalty was converted by: Drchal. Referee: Rouček. ČK: 67. Pavlík (Domažlice).
Jablonec lineup: Fendrich – Slávik (46. Alégué), Štěpánek, Tekijaški, D. Souček (29. Nykrín) – Schön (46. Chramosta), Hübschman (71. Nprstek), Houska, Čanturišvili – Krulich (63. Jovović), He was drooling. Coach: Látal.
Velvary – FK Pardubice 1:1 after extra time. (1:1, 0:0), on pen. 5:4
Goals: 90+1. Jakab – 74. Sychra. Referee: Vokuun.
Pardubice lineup: Šmíd – Surzyn, Halinský (26. Kukučka), Donát, Tischler – Vacek (74. Darmovzal) – Sychra, Hlavatý (46. Daněk), Míšek (46. Mukwelle), Pikul (91. Matoušek) – Černý ( 46. Crobot). Coach: Kovac.
Vyškov – FK Teplice 1:0 (1:0)
Goal: 37. Winter. Referee: Machálek. ČK: 50. Krsmanović (Teplice).
Teplice lineup: Mucha – Cykalo (40. Knapík), Chaloupek, Mičević – Hora (40. Radosta), Dramé, Křišťan (62. Havelka), Krsmanović – Beránek – Gning (55. Jásir), Fila (62. Vachoušek). Trainer: Frftala.
1. FC Slovácko – Dukla Prague 3:4 (2:1)
Goals: 43. Juroška, 45.+1 Sinjavskij, 79. Srubek – 4. Buchvaldek, 56. Škoda, 73. Kozel, 90.+3 Douděra. Referee: Kotala.
Slovácko lineup: Heča – Reinberk (74. Kalabiška), Daníček, Srubek, Holzer – Havlík, Trávník – Sinjavskij, Kim Sung-pin (74. Vecheta), Juroška (78. Petržela) – Cicilia. Coach: Witness.
Jihlava – FC Hradec Kralove 0:1 (0:0)
Goal: 72. Hais. Referee: All.
Hradec Lineup: Zadražil – Čech, Hlaváč (72. Klíma), Ševčík – Harazim, Kučera (72. Dancák), Pudhorocký (46. Kodeš), Rada (86. Čihák), Horák – Hais (79. Vašulín), Juliš. Coach: Kotal.
