From the special reporter “Vijesti”

Ivan Lendl, the legendary Czech tennis player, once obsessively pursued victory at Wimbledon for years. Eventually, after numerous unsuccessful efforts, he declared the event to be “grass for cows.” In a similar vein, Montenegrin footballers often strive against teams from the homeland of “Ivan the Terrible,” yet unlike him, they rarely present a real challenge.

Our national team faced the Czech Republic for the sixth time, suffered defeat for the sixth consecutive match, and failed to score for the fifth straight competitive game—the “proud lions” once again struggled, easily succumbing in this encounter, failing to secure any points against the “falcons” (2:0).

Following two victories against weaker teams at the outset of World Cup qualifiers, disappointment returned just when it was most anticipated.

With only three rounds played, the stakes are high, but the United States, Mexico, and Canada now appear significantly ahead.

JANKOVIC’S ERROR, VAR DISALLOWS VUKOTIC’S GOAL

Upon his arrival in Montenegro, coach Robert Prosinecki stated he would never adopt a three-centre-back formation. However, due to injuries against Turkey, he felt compelled to adjust and attempted to surprise the Czech side.

The three-man defense, which resembled a five-man setup, held firm for about twenty minutes before it succumbed to a mistake.

Marko Janković lost possession unnecessarily 25 meters from our goal, providing Adam Hložek an opportunity. His precise shot from the edge of the box made it 1:0.

For the first time in five competitive matches against the Czechs, Montenegro managed a goal, but VAR intervened—Milan Vukotić scored brilliantly with an assist from Stevan Jovetić, yet the replay indicated that the captain was offside.

The moments following the Czech Republic’s goal were filled with action, as the hosts nearly added a second goal when defender Ladislav Krejči headed in, challenging Igor Nikić, but Stefan Savić saved the day by clearing the ball off the line.

Robert Prosinečki’s squad showed some improvement toward the end of the first half, resulting in fewer threats from the Czech Republic. Jovetić attempted to bring the “falcons” back into contention, but only a dangerous shot from Vukotić came close.

THE SYSTEM’S COLLAPSE CONTINUES

If VAR was against Montenegro in the first half, it seemed to aid our national team early in the second half—Vaclav Černy scored, but Patrik Šik was deemed offside in the initial play.

However, this was merely a precursor to the “falcons'” downfall. Prosinecki made a significant change in the 62nd minute with three substitutions, and just two minutes later, the scoreboard at “Dusan Arena” showed 2:0.

The Czechs swiftly executed a corner kick, with Černy crossing to Šik, who caught our defense off guard and headed the ball into the net.

Only the Bayer Leverkusen striker could have completely sealed Montenegro’s fate, but he squandered three significant opportunities, with Nikić also coming to the rescue for the “falcons.”

Then in the 87th minute, our national team finally registered a genuine shot on target—Jovetić fired, Stefan Mugoša redirected the ball with his heel, yet Matej Kovarž made a superb save. Nikola Krstović rushed for the rebound, but even from two meters out, they failed to score as Jaroslav Zeleni intervened brilliantly.

Another painful chapter in the Czech saga is closed, with a grueling September around the corner—just days away is a rematch against the Czechs and a clash with Croatia.

CZECH REPUBLIC – MONTENEGRO 2:0

Plzen – “Dusan Arena.” Attendance: 10,889. Goals: Hložek in the 23rd and Šik in the 65th. Referee: Serdar Gozubujuk (Netherlands). Yellow cards: Coufal (Czech Republic), Vešović, Lončar, and Vujačić (Montenegro).

Czech Republic: Kovarž – Coufal, Holeš, Krejči, Zeleni – Souček, Červ (from 46. Sadilek) – Černy (from 77. Kusej), Šulc (from 90. Kral), Hložek (from 28. Provod) – Šik (from 76. Hori).

Montenegro: Nikić – Vujačić, Savić, Šipčić (from 84. Mugoša) – Radunović (from 63. A. Vukčević), Vešović (from 84. M. Vukčević), Kuč (from 62. Lončar), Janković, Vukotic (from 62. Osmajić) – Jovetić, Krstović.

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