Win at last! It was not easy and perhaps not even deserved, but three points stay home. Bohemians will spend the winter break in the second last position; however, they have not lost sight of the teams ahead of them. As if they did not have enough on their plate already, Bohemka’s coaches had to deal with another calamity - the reliable center defender Rada pulled a hamstring during the last practice before the game. Unfortunately, the newly created center defense duo Nikl - Lukáš was as leaky as Titanic. Liberec forwards went in all alone three times In the first 15 minutes only to be denied their chances by (this time) outstanding Sňozík. It’s a miracle that not even one Bohemians fan needed the help of a defibrillator.
As it turned out, surviving the first 15 minutes of the game was the key to success in this game for Bohemians. Young forward Škoda, as if he wanted to prove to his coaches how wrong they were not to start him in Teplice, put on a display of his offensive skills by beating Liberec defense single-handedly and scoring the only goal of the game. Perhaps even the coach of the Czech national U-21 team present in Ďolíček took a notice.
The rest of the game was a battle on an ever deteriorating turf. Even so, Bohemians must have been encouraged by the fact that their baby aged midfield (average age 19 years) outplayed the opposing line of the former Czech champion (2002, 2006). That’s a big plus for the spring battles for survival in the first division.
The management of Bohemians let it be known that the reinforcements will be acquired during the winter break. The new owners of Bohemians should be commended for first spending the money on the club’s purchase, then on the purchase of the stadium, then its renovation and upgrade (artificial lights will be installed during the winter) and now going out to get the necessary reinforcements. Fans have lots to look forward to.
The only question discussed frequently among the fans is the suitability of coach Busta for this team. It is undeniable that he has done a wonderful job during his years as a coach of Bohemians youth team. However, some question if his “youth team” approach is equally suitable for coaching the senior team. However, the team’s management is solidly behind Busta (at least for now) and that’s all that matters.
Event: The Czech First Division - Gambrinus League, 2007-2008 Season, 16th Round
Date and Time: December 9, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Stadium: Ďolíček
Attendance: 6047
Goals: 18. Škoda
Yellow Cards: Hašek, Morávek, Šmarda - Polák, Blažek
Red Cards: None
Referees: Příhoda - Onda, Pelikán
Bohemians 1905: Sňozík - Marek, Nikl, Lukáš, Šmarda - Moravec, Hašek, Morávek, Bartek (55. Rychlík) - Ordoš (87. Bálek), Škoda (63. Slezák)
FC Slovan Liberec: Zlámal - Šinglár, Košťál, Polák (81. Jirouš), Petrouš - Dohnálek (60. Dort), Bílek, Frejlach (66. Hudson), Papoušek - Nezmar, Blažek
