Three goals were scored by Czech footballers during the Euro matches so far. At the same time, you will find a common element in all of them. Both the goals from the Portuguese and the goal of Georgia were made by Robin Hranáč. Still, there are plenty of people who side with the young defender.
Robin Hranáč (in the middle) is happy about Patrik Schick’s goal, but otherwise he doesn’t have too many reasons to be happy at the Euro so far. | Photo: Denik/Lukáš Kaboň
For many people, his nomination for the Euro was a surprise. But Robin Hranáč even made it to the starting line-up. But his actions at the European Championship are somewhat contradictory so far.
He was involved in three goals right away, but he can have little joy in that, because all of them fell behind the back of the Czech goalkeeper Jindřich Staňek.
Situation one. Czechs oppose to the Portuguese they got the lead, which only lasted seven minutes. Goalkeeper Staněk rushed after the ball headed by one of the Portuguese, but only hit it to Hranáč, who then headed the ball into the net. An unfortunate moment, for which the Slavist goalkeeper is criticized much more, but the Pilsen defender entered the statistics negatively.
In the main role of VAR, football is (not) played with hands. The Czechs have a point, Hranáč again the underdog
The second moment came in the set-up, which Hranáč will not remember fondly. The Portuguese center from the left was still slightly touched, but this made it difficult for the twenty-four-year-old footballer to defend. Instead of playing the ball, he literally smeared it to Conceicao. And that decided Portugal’s victory.
To the third, Hranáč. In the second game, the Czechs needed a point gain, ideally one hundred percent, Gruzii they pushed, they even scored a goal, but it didn’t pay off for Hložka’s hand. And in the setting of the first half, the hand ruled for the second time.
Although at first it appeared that the ball bounced off a permitted part of the player’s body during a rare offensive action by the Georgians, replays, which were also used by the German referee Siebert after the intervention of the referee on the video, proved that the ball bounced off the hand. Penalty which Mikautadze converted. The Czechs then extracted a single goal from the pressure and until the last game against Turkey they will go with one point.
Who instead of Hranáč?
But will Hranáč be there too? Opinions on the performances of the Pilsen defensive support so far are indeed diverse. They resonate even beyond Czech borders. For example, Steven Chicken compares Hranáč to the popular character of the Simpsons series, who was clearly not having the best day.
Joe can get by without the help of animated videos, but he’s still critical enough. “This kid, Robin Hranáč from the Czech Republic, is having one of the worst tournaments for a defender I’ve ever seen, without a doubt,” he thinks.
But apart from the three fatal moments he was at, Robin Hranáč is also praised. “He played great, all credit,” wrote Denis Koutník, and he was far from alone in his opinion. But he added what is an indisputable fact. “But we conceded three times in just two games. And he was with everyone…”
Referee performance? Krejčí smiled ironically, keeping the condition of the injured Schick a secret
Many are also thinking about who could possibly replace Hranáč in the lineup. Coach Ivan Hašek has options. “Zima, Vitík, Vlček are bored on the bridge…,” Petr Čapek advises the coach of the national team. In the list of names that some would rather see in the lineup than a native of Pilsen, there is also Spartan defender Filip Panák, whose national team coach at the end Euro he didn’t take
He also comes with a poll towards the match against Turkey, where he asks how many times Robin Hranáč will be “unlucky” in the last group match (with a question mark for him) at the Euros. And it offers the options once, twice and never once, it won’t play.
The Turks are at the Euros for laughs. Against the Portuguese, they made a terrible mess
In any case, the Czech Republic awaits a key match in the basic group. Self-confidence will also be important, naturally healthy. And that, it seems, is not missing from Hranáč. “Each of these hands is unhappy. I try to let it out right away, I don’t respond to anything. It’s football and you have to react like that. Of course I know that, but it’s football and that’s just the way it goes,” he commented to Czech Television after the match.
And coach Hašek? Even the one over the defender doesn’t break the stick. “Maybe he will be lucky in the next game and score a goal. You will see what quality it has. Unfortunately, it backfired badly on him now. He won’t last long in the Czech Republic, you grow with these matches and let’s be happy that we have such a player here,” he tries to support his charge.
