March 1, 2020 - Kroměříž 2 Dubnica 1

March 1, 2020 - Friendly

Kroměříž 2 Dubnica 1

Attendance - 55

Kroměříž is one of my favourite places to visit, and being only 30 minutes from where I live, it is an easy trip to watch some football.  The weather was sunny, and warm, by early March standards, so the match was played on a grass training pitch next to the main stadium.  Kroměříž plays in the Czech 3rd tier, while Dubnica plays in the Slovak 2nd tier.  On paper, the visitors are a better team, but it does not always work out like that.  Kroměříž jumped out to a 2-0 lead, and managed to hold on for the remainder of the match.  Based on overall play, they deserved the win.

I would highly recommend a visit to Kroměříž for a little culture, local beer and football.

February 29, 2020 - SK Prostějov 2 Blansko 2

February 29. 2020 - Friendly

SK Prostějov 2 Blansko 2 

Attendance - 80

On a cold and windy late February morning, I headed to the 2nd training pitch of SK Prostějov (2nd tier) to watch them play Blansko (3rd tier) in the last winter friendly for both clubs.  Blansko are a very ambitious club, and have hopes on winning the league and possibly getting promoted to the 2nd tier, while Prostějov are very much an average club.  All goals were scored in the first half, and as the whistle blew to end the first 45, I left.  I usually hate winter training friendles, and I especially hate them when it is windy and cold.

February 2020 - Stadion Blagoj Istatov in Strumica, Macedonia

I first visited Strumica, Macedonia in November in 2009 when I travelled from the Czech Republic to watch Canada play Macedonia in a friendly.  Unfortunately, Canada lost that match 3-0, which saw 4 penalty kicks called, and a dodgy ref from Bulgaria.  In 2010, I married a woman from Strumica, and as a result I have visited the city numerous times over the last 11 years.  

The last time I watched football at the stadium was in 2017 when I watch a few Europa League and Champions League qualifiers.  At the time, the stadium in Strumica was the only stadium able to host European qualifiers.  The main stadium in Skopje was under construction.  Needless the say, the stadium was in poor condition.  No real facilities, dirty, and broken seats.  Since then, it has gone under extensive renovation, and looks a little better as of February 2020.

Currently, Belasica Strumica are the main tenants of the stadium.

Friendly - January 11, 2020 - Šumperk 0 Sigma Olomouc 6

Friendly - January 11, 2020
Šumperk (4th division) 0 Sigma Olomouc (1st division) 6
Attendance - 650

I spent a freezing cold late afternoon in northern Moravia a few weeks back.  I have to be honest, I left with about 20 minutes to go, so that I could catch an earlier train.  The one thing that surprised me about this match was the attendance.  I am used to crowds of around 50-150 for most winter training matches, but for some reason this was different. 

December 28, 2019 - Slovakia 24 Czech Republic 21

Handball friendly - December 28, 2019 - Považská Bystrica

Slovakia 24 Czech Republic 21

Attendance - 1,200

A few days before the end of 2019 I decided to make the short trip across the border to watch the Czech Republic play Slovakia, which was for the visitors was a warm-up for the 2020 European Championships.

Považská Bystrica is a city of 39,600 located on the river Vah.  The city itself, is most certainly not a tourist destination, but the surrounding area must be popular for hiking during the warmer months.  Our hotel was located next to the football stadium.  The outside of the hotel dates back to the 1980's but the rooms were all nicely renovated.

As for the match, the Czechs were missing a few regular starters, and it showed.  They played poorly throughout much of the match, and never looked like winning.  It seemed like they were always playing catch-up.  There were almost no Czech supporters at the match, which for me was surprising.  I counted only around 15 scattered around the stadium.