The Czech Republic relied on their offense in the first half and a shut down defense in the second half to grind out a 15-0 win over Team Switzerland in an International Federation of American Football European Championship placement game played in Ústí nad Labem in the Czech Republic this past weekend.
With the win, the Czechs will now face Hungary to decide ninth place while Switzerland finishes 11th in the European standings.
The Czechs wasted no time as linebacker Martin Masek picked off an errant Swiss pass on the second possession of the game. The Czechs, with quarterback Pavel Mráz behind center, marched down to the five yard line from where Mraz scampered in to give his team a 6-0 lead after the extra point was blocked.
With the Czech defense keeping Switzerland in check, the offense was back on the field in short order after a 35 yard punt return gave them the ball on the Swiss 30 yard line. Mráz wasted no time hitting hulking receiver Martin Havelka at the 15 yard line and Havelka did the rest bulling his way into the end zone carrying two Swiss defenders with him to score and boost the lead to 12-0.
Czech WR Martin Havelka battling on his way for a TD Photo: Libor Vočadlo
Both offenses then stalled and the Czechs made a change at quarterback replacing Mráz with Filip Brázdil late in the first half. A poor Swiss punt gave the Czechs the ball again on the Switzerland 30 yard line but this time they had to settle for a 25 yard field goal from the toe of Martin Madik with just over a minute to go in the half.
The second half saw a complete offensive stalemate as both defenses played outstanding football and the game ended in a Czech shutout.
The Czechs will face Team Hungary on the weekend of October 28/29 in Hungary.