The Czech national team lost 2-0 to England in the UEFA Nations League on Monday. The match at Prague's Fortuna Arena was defined by a first-half red card shown to midfielder Pavel Šulc for a serious foul on Elliot Anderson in the 25th minute.
Playing with a man advantage, England broke the deadlock shortly after half-time. Anthony Gordon headed home from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross in the 47th minute. Captain Harry Kane then doubled the lead in the 69th minute, finishing from a set-piece situation. Czech goalkeeper Matěj Kovář made four saves but could not keep a clean sheet.
One-sided affair
England dominated possession with 66% and outshot the hosts 22 to 6. The Czechs managed only two shots on target.
The team must now regroup quickly for their next fixture, an away match against Spain on 3 October.
Head coach Santi did not comment extensively on the refereeing decision but acknowledged the difficulty of playing with ten men at this level. He said the team must learn from this and be more disciplined next time. This result marks a third consecutive loss for the team.
The Czech national team will face Spain on Friday, October 3rd at the Nuevo Carlos Tartiere stadium. Coach Santi can again count on goalkeeper Matěj Kovář and forward Adam Hložek, who started in the lineup against England. The team arrives in Oviedo on a negative run, having failed to win any of their last five matches. "We must learn from this and be more disciplined next time," said coach Santi after the latest defeat.
