“I waited quite a long time for that goal. At the same time, in each of the previous matches I had chances, but I finished poorly. Now it has finally fallen and I have to follow it up in the extra league as well,” says Kousal in an interview for the club’s website, who until the match in Austria recorded only assists – seven in the domestic competition, two in the Champions League.
Sparta in Salzburg, which already had a certain progress before the match, waited for the home team to start in the beginning, and then it was Kousal who struck in the eighth minute due to overnumbering. In the middle period, Salomäki increased the score in a power play, the home team only managed to reduce the score in the 57th minute.
“Salzburg has an excellent squad, they played well. In addition, it was quite unusual for us to play on such a wide ice. But the weakening worked for us, in which the opponent could score several goals. But Kořen caught excellently,” Kousal praised goalkeeper Josef Kořenář, who made 18 successful saves.
Photo: HC Sparta Prague / Jakub Pláteník
Sparta hockey players are happy about the win in Salzburg
Sparta, after a bad entry into the Champions League, when they won only one of the first four duels at home with Fehérvár, was pushed to the wall. Last week she absolutely had to beat Bremerhaven, and now she was in the same situation in Salzburg. And quite probably, even a two-point triumph from Austria would not be enough for her. She managed to win after 60 minutes.
“The away losses against Sheffield and Eisbären were before the start of the extra league. After these unsuccessful matches, we said something about it, we started doing well in the extra league and we went to Salzburg with a calmer head. We did what we had to, and we managed the match we had to win,” Kousala is pleased.
He certainly does not take the Champions League as a burden. On the contrary, he welcomes the confrontation with Europe’s top teams. “Each nation plays a little differently, has a different system, which you need to adapt to. It’s good that we don’t keep playing against the same teams as at home in the league,” the 25-year-old forward is clear.
Photo: HC Sparta Prague / Jakub Pláteník
Sparta fans at the match in Salzburg.
And he had a special thank you for the dozens of Sparta fans who made the 380-kilometer journey to support their team. “Before the match, when I stood with my head down at Kořen’s shouting match and suddenly heard (chanting) ‘Sparta’, I wondered if they were cheering for the Austrians like that, or if there were so many Spartans here. Indeed, it was heard a lot. We are happy that so many have arrived,” concludes Kousal.
