Defender David Zima rued a missed scoring opportunity in the Czech Republic’s Nations League match against Spain, stating that the team must convert such chances to succeed at the highest level, sport.cz reported.
Zima returned to the starting lineup for the elite group fixture after missing the initial international gathering under head coach Santi Denia due to injury. Operating in central defense, he found himself with a clear chance to equalize at 1-1 shortly after halftime but failed to convert.
“Twenty percent. It was a great opportunity that I really should have converted,” Zima told sport.cz, noting that teammates Adam Hložek and Tomáš Chorý also missed key chances.
The Czech side altered its tactical setup after a scoreless first half in which Spain controlled the run of play. Zima explained that the team shifted to a more attacking posture after the interval.
Zima said that the disallowed goal helped dissipate the team’s nerves and respect for the opposition.
The defender drew a parallel between facing the world’s top-ranked side and Slavia Prague’s outings in the UEFA Champions League. He emphasized that elite opponents possess individual quality that requires maximum efficiency and a degree of fortune to counter.
“You are at the highest level. Opponents have huge individual quality that we simply don’t have. We are still missing an extra step,” Zima told sport.cz.
Zima also addressed the second-half red card issued to teammate Ladislav Krejčí, which hampered the team’s momentum during a promising thirty-minute spell after the break. Krejčí was similarly sent off against Spain in a prior encounter.
“We certainly won’t blame him, it resulted from the style of play. We know it from Slavia when you play man-to-man all over the pitch,” Zima told sport.cz.
The Czech Republic now turns its focus toward its upcoming fixture against Croatia as group play continues.
