Czech specialist claims national side's record not as strong as figures suggest
Over the past 18 fixtures, the Czech Republic has avoided defeat on home soil. Denmark's head coach Brian Riemer has highlighted this achievement.
"This highlights the calibre of the side we'll encounter. We are up against a group with solid recent results. They rose to League A in the Nations League and enjoy a lengthy unbeaten home run, so we must approach it with caution," Riemer commented at Monday's media session.
Yet Flashscore's Senior News Editor and Czech football authority Jakub Dvorak contends that the 18 game home streak lacks true impressiveness beyond the numbers, given that most encounters were versus mid tier or lower European outfits, save for the scoreless stalemate with Croatia from last season.
"The unbeaten home sequence of 18 games stems mainly from avoiding top tier international sides on their patch. Croatia came nearest to that standard, with the rest at comparable or inferior levels. I do not attach great significance to it, as for the Czechs to reach the World Cup they ought to measure against superior rivals."
"The level result versus Croatia during World Cup qualifiers was shaped by the match context. The Czechs suffered a major setback in Croatia, creating intense pressure to prevent a repeat. Meanwhile Croatia topped the section easily and merely aimed to secure a non loss away, which they achieved," Dvorak explained to Flashscore.
Czech supporters generated a somewhat restrained environment as the hosts pulled off an exciting recovery against Ireland to earn a playoff final berth following a tense spot kick decider. Still Dvorak points out that ties between the national squad and its followers have been rocky over recent times.
"Czech matchday vibes in stadiums are nothing remarkable. Last season games occurred in minor towns yet venues remained under capacity. Just one Prague fixture sold out, namely the Croatia clash. Moreover issues arose between squad members and supporters. Only the Ireland game brought a positive cohesive mood, with strong supporter backing that influenced the pitch performance," Dvorak added.
Within Denmark the Czechs earn respect as a soccer power that nurtured icons including Pavel Nedved, Karel Poborsky, Milan Baros, Tomas Rosicky, Jan Koller and more, forging a legacy of stylish inventive fluid rapid play. However Dvorak insists that era has faded.
"The approach employed by Karel Bruckner's squad that guided Czech Republic to the 2006 World Cup is sadly outdated, tied to our failure to develop elite talents anymore. Patrik Schick stands as the sole forward with standout personal flair capable of world level competition."
"We boast reliable defenders at the back and diligent central players, yet creativity and flair are missing. Additionally Slavia, among the top clubs over the last ten years, adopts a tough physical approach. Heavy on challenges and contests, extensive movement, numerous deliveries from wide areas and switches through the air. This has yielded wins, influencing the national setup somewhat.
Figures such as Tomas Soucek, Lukas Provod, Tomas Holes, Michal Sadilek and Tomas Chory suit robust confrontations rather than elegant team oriented soccer," Dvorak concluded.