A look back at some games from the Olomoucký Kraj

A small review of the matches I selected to look out for this past weekend.

In the Krajský Přebor - Olomoucký Kraj (5th tier), Určice came up with a big 2-1 win away to HFK Olomouc B. The win for Určice keeps them 7 points behind Hranice (first place) who won 5-0 away to Dolany.

Meanwhile, in Lipník nad Bečvou (1 A třída, skupina B - 6th tier), the hosts defeated Jesenec 2-1 in a key relegation match.  With the loss, Jesenec finds themselves 10 points behind the 13th place side, and look good for relegation.  However, if they can pull things together, they have still got 8 more matches to pick up some much need victories.

One step below in the 1 B třída, skupina A (7th tier), we saw the wind takeover the match between Haná Prostějov and Lipová.  The visitors ran away with a 3-0 victory, after they scored all three goals with the wind in the second half.  The result was a little harsh for Haná, as they scored an own goal, and gave up the other goals on the counter.  Lipová seemed rather arrogant, especially the one player who scored two goals.  He had a momentary lapse (twice), and forgot he was playing in a low league game. Perhaps he thought he was playing in the Premier League in England, when he bent down on his knees, and raised his arms in a fist pump after scoring.  Seriously?  Both were quality goals, but come on now.

Down in Okresní Přebor Prostějov (8th tier) first place Protivanov lost 3-2 away Určice B, which meant they dropped down to 2nd place after Čechovice B defeated Hvozd 2-0.

Finally, in the III třída (9th tier), we saw Haná Prostějov B go down to SK Prostějov 1-0 in Mostkovice on Sunday afternoon.  The wind made things almost impossible, knocking the ball down on several occasions. It was all about what side could do better with and against the wind.  Haná really played a poor game, and looked lost at times.  They just couldn't manage with the wind in both halves, which set up SK for the three points.  SK were full value for the win, as they knocked the ball around nicely in the 2nd half to set up the winning goal.  With the win, SK solidifies their place at the top of the table.

SK players celebrate with supporters

Slovan Bzenec

I happened to find myself in the town of Bzenec (population 4,300) over the weekend, and took a quick picture of the Slovan Bzenec stadium.   Slovan Bzenec  was established in 1928  but it was in 1920 when members of the military began 'kicking the ball around'.  The ground has hosted a few internationals in the past.  In 2000, the Czech Republic U17's played the Slovak U17's, while in 2004 the Danish U17's girls side played Slovenia U17's in a European qualifier.

The club currently plays in the Kraský Přebor - Jihomoravský kraj (5th tier).  As recently as the 2008/09 season the club was playing in the 1 B třída  (7th tier).  Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to see a game here, but perhaps sometime in the future.

Games to watch for this weekend (April 28-29) in Olomoucký Kraj

Olomoucký Krajský Přebor
In the regional 5th tier league, the game of the weekend has to be between village side Určice (2nd place) and the reserves of HFK Olomouc (3rd place).  This match is interesting for a number of reasons, because HFK Olomouc have been trying to get out of the league for a few years now, but always seem to fall short.  On the other hand, Určice are punching above their weight and sit in 2nd place, but they are seven points behind Hranice.  Určice doesn't have a lot of resources, and would find life hard in the Divize (4th tier), but that won't stop them from trying to close the gap on first place.  Meanwhile, HFK Olomouc need to get the three points to keep within striking distance of Hranice.  The match is scheduled for 10:15 on Saturday in Olomouc.

Olomoucký Kraj - 1 A třída, skupina B (6th tier)
Last place Jesenec travel to Lipník nad Bečvou who sit in 12th place, 9 points clear of Jesenec.  Three points are crucial for visitors if they hope to somehow climb out of the relegation spot.  It was only a few years ago that they were fighting for promotion.  How quickly things have gone downhill in Jesenec.

Olomoucký Kraj  - 1 B třida, skupina A (7th tier)
First place Haná Prostějov hosts 2nd place Lipová which is easily the most interesting match in the league this weekend.  The hosts have started the second half of the season with three straight wins, to solidify their first place spot, and a four point lead over Lipová.  The visitors have to come into the game with a little confidence, as they have the players and backing to win the league.  It was only a few years ago that they played in the MSFL (3rd tier).  Kickoff is set for Saturday at 16:30.

Okres Prostějov - II třída (8th tier)
The two key matches of the weekend involve first place Protivanov and 2nd place Čechovice B.  Protivanov currently sit one point ahead of Čechovice B, and travel to Určice to play the reserves on Saturdaz at 16:30.  Meanwhile, Čechovice B hosts Hvozd on Saturday at 16:30.  Protivanov (former 4th tier club) will be looking to bounce right back to the 7th tier after their relegation last year.

Okres Prostějov - III třída (9th tier)
SK Prostějov vs Haná Prostějov B on Sunday at 16:30 in Mostkovice is the game of the weekend from the 9th tier league.  Haná B surprised SK 2-0 in the first match played last September and both clubs sit first and third  SK has a 5 point lead over Haná.  It should be a match with a large crowd (by 9th tier standards), with a number of SK supporters making their voices known, and their dislike of Haná.

April 22nd, 2012 - Olomoucký Kraj - 1 B třída, skupina A - Želatovice B 0 Haná Prostějov 4

April 22nd, 2012
Olomoucký Kraj - 1 B třída, skupina A (7th tier)
Želatovice B 0 Haná Prostějov 4
Attendance: 80
Distance travelled: 85km

My first Haná away match, since last October took me to a village only a few kilometers away from Přerov. The village of Želatovice has a population of around 600, and I am not sure if it is really known for anything, other than its close proximity to Přerov. Despite the rather modest size, it does have a football club which competes in the 5th tier of Czech football.  On this particular day, Haná was playing their B side.

The bus to Želatovice from Přerov

To get to Želatovice was quite straight forward, as I took a bus from Prostějov to Přerov in mid-afternoon.  Even though the bus trip is only 33km, it takes 70 minutes.  The funny thing is that after 30 minutes, we had only travelled 10km from Prostějov, because of all the zig-zagging through the various villages.  Once I arrived in Přerov, I had to kill around 1 hour to wait for the bus to Želatovice.

Upon getting off the bus in the village, I managed to turn down a wrong street and couldn't find the football pitch. Something that should have been quite easy because of the size of the village.  Despite getting a little lost, I got to the pitch 5 minutes after kick off, just in time to see Haná score their first goal of the match.

The main stand

I was a little underwhelmed at the facilities in Želatovice, because I was expecting more from a 5th tier club.  However, for such a small place the facilities weren't too bad, I suppose.  There was a small stand with a capacity of around 100, and beside it there were a number of tables and chairs, which acted as a sort of outdoor pub.  Most of the spectators on the day spent there time sitting there, drinking beer and eating sausages.

As for the match, it was quite a strange one.  The hosts had better combination play throughout, but only generated a handful of scoring chances.  Haná seemed to score on almost all their goal scoring chances, and deserved a win based on overall play.  However, the hosts did deserve a little better based on the scoreline.

Sport in Prostějov