The Pilsen footballers are also moving forward with the MOL Cup, on Tuesday they won the quarter-final in Jablonec 3:0, and they will face Zlín in the final on April 24 at home. The second finalist will emerge on Wednesday from the pair Opava – Sparta.
Jan Kopic, who spent four seasons in Jablonec, in which he played 149 league matches, guided Viktorie Plzeň’s footballers to the semi-finals of this year’s MOL Cup with a goal and an assist yesterday.
| Photo: FC Viktoria Plzeň
The experienced Jan Kopic directed the Victorians to progress in Jablonec. First, his cross was knocked into his own net by the Serbian stopper Tekijaški, and then the Pilsen midfielder made a breakthrough on his own.
Pilsen already led 2:0 at halftime, even though it was a fairly even match. “The first goal, which we scored ourselves, was decisive. This affected the nature of the match. We wanted to keep zero at the back as long as possible and this ruined it,” Jablonec coach Radoslav Látal regretted.
His Pilsen counterpart agreed that his team did not have it easy in the north of Bohemia. “Jablonec did not play badly at all. He was dangerous in run-in situations, in a quick transition to attack,” acknowledged Miroslav Koubek.
“The home team caught us a little by surprise with the 4-3-3 formation, we had to cope with it, that’s why we got into the game gradually. Then our experience showed, we had the game under control,” explained the 72-year-old coach.
“You could see that players who were not in the league returned to our lineup,” coach Koubek reminded that he had a stronger lineup than on Saturday during the home defeat against Liberec (1:3).
In Jabloni, Pilsen goalkeeper Jedliček first saved after a corner on the goal line, but already in the 11th minute Šulc stamped the post with a surprising shot. On the other side, Martinec did not reach the goal after an offer from Chramosta. Kalvach’s free kick in the 24th minute ended up wide, and when Červ made his way into the penalty area, none of his teammates could reach his pass.
It wasn’t until half an hour into the game that things started to happen. First, after Kratochvíl’s shot, Jablonec also hit the post. And in the 34th minute, the home team got the ball into the net, but into their own net. Šulc sent the ball to the right side to Kopic, whose cross was knocked past goalkeeper Tekijaški – 0:1.
And in three minutes it was even more cheerful on the Pilsen side, Souaré collided with Cerve on the left and sent a low cross in front of the goal, where Kopic finished in a slide – 0:2.
Chanturišvili could have dramatized the match even before the half, but he shot wide after Kanakimana’s action. Jablonec did not help even the triple substitution after an hour of play. On the contrary, the French footballer Souaré put the stamp on Pilsen’s progress to the semi-finals in the 65th minute, and then it was just the end of the game.
The Victorians will challenge struggling Zlín in the battle for the final in the home Doosan Arena in the league. It will be played on Wednesday, April 24, when the final was originally planned.
Its first participant will be decided by today’s match on the field of the second division Opava, where the leader of the top league, Sparta Prague, will arrive.
FK Jablonec – Viktoria Plzeň 0:3
Half: 0:2
Goals: 34. Tekijaški own, 37. Kopic, 65. Souaré.
Referee: Radina – Caletka, Antoníček. ŽK: Kratochvíl, Štěpánek, Hollý – Kopic, Červ. Spectators: 2011.
Apple tree: Hanuš – F. Souček, Tekijaški, D. Souček – Čanturišvili (61. Hübschman), Kratochvíl (61. Houska), Martinec (76. Velich), Hollý (82. Gaši), Štěpánek – Kanakimana, Chramosta (61. Alégué) .
Victoria: Jedlička – Dweh, Hranáč, Jemelka – Kopic (89. Sýkora), Červ (89. Hejda), Kalvach, Souaré – Šulc (85. Traoré), Chorý (89. Metsoko), Vydra (66. Kliment).
