01.08.2023 15:30

History repeats itself, they say, and so it did as Sparta Prague placed fourth in the CEE Cup. After a thrilling match against Palmeiras on Sunday, they again lost to another Brazilian club, Flamengo, by a single goal. Last year, they lost against Dynamo Kyiv after a penalty shootout.

Sparta fielded younger players, mainly from the 2006 year, as the older mainstays, who are already preparing with the adult B team (Rus, Horák and others), weren't even called as potential substitutes. Nevertheless, it was an open match, with a lot of interesting back-and-forth events, from the start at the Lokomotiva stadium in Holešovice. Sparta's goalkeeper, Rodriguez Cuesta, displayed great skill, especially with an excellent save on the penalty box line.

Flamengo took the lead thanks to a lightning break that ended with Adriel's cross assist for striker Pedro Estevam. Sparta also had several chances, namely with Liška and Kačer, but both were unable to come through.

"It's a shame that we didn't manage to score a goal. My last shot also went too high," said Arsen Vitarigov from Sparta. "Today it was a bit more relaxed than on Sunday against Palmeiras, but again we were able to play evenly with the Brazilians," added the offensive player, who already appeared at the CEE Cup last year.

"From the point of view of the result, we are disappointed, but the game and individual performances were at a high level," coach Jan Kopáňko said, praising his players. "We don't want to overload the boys, we have a wide squad, that's why other players got a chance here and they certainly didn't disappoint. They now have optimal feedback; they know what to work on to improve the things that didn't go so well and without which we could easily have tied the game. I really like the tournament and I will be very happy if it continues."


Credit photo: CEE CUP, Svatopluk Samler