The Czech Republic beat Denmark on penalties to secure their World Cup spot on Tuesday night, and the drama made for interesting viewing with Celtic glasses on.
The result threw up two massive talking points surrounding Celtic duo Kasper Schmeichel and Tomas Cvancara, who find themselves in two very different boats on the international stage.
For Denmark, who have reached the previous two World Cups, their painful penalty shootout defeat brings Schmeichel’s frustrating injury situation squarely into focus.
Then you have Cvancara’s odd situation with the Czech Republic. Yes, Celtic’s loan signing hasn’t exactly hit the ground running in Glasgow following his January move from Borussia Monchengladbach.
But ahead of these March international fixtures, Czechia’s boss, Miroslav Koubek, claimed that the national team is ‘not a priority’ for Cvancara.
Who is to blame for the Kasper Schmeichel calamity at Celtic?
Let us know in the comments.
What if Kasper Schmeichel was fit for Denmark?
Celtic’s number one goalkeeper has understandably taken plenty of stick recently regarding the management of his season-ending shoulder injury, mainly from Celtic supporters.
Looking at how Denmark’s nerve-racking playoff unfolded, the harsh reality is glaring: If Schmeichel had dealt with the issue properly last season, he would have been available for this huge encounter and then probably swung the tie in Denmark’s favour.
Instead, watching from the sidelines, his absence felt incredibly costly as his nation missed out on world football’s biggest stage for the first time since Brazil in 2014.
| Schmeichel’s World Cup games | Goals conceded | Clean sheets | Last appearance at World Cup |
| 7 | 5 | 3 | Group D, vs Australia, Qatar, 2022 |
Is Tomas Cvancara fighting a losing battle to earn a World Cup spot?
On the flip side, Cvancara will have watched his fellow countrymen book their golden tickets to North America, knowing he probably has a mountain to climb.
When your national team boss is questioning your commitment to play for your country, it’s not a great thing, and then they qualify without you; the writing is probably on the wall.
Added to that, you have Cvancara’s agent publicly hitting out at the Czechia boss over ‘misleading’ comments regarding his international status.
| Cvancara’s games for Czechia | Starts | Goals | Assists | Last appearance for Czechia |
| 8 | 5 | 1 | – | October 2024 |
With the plane to the World Cup now officially booked, the final few weeks of the Celtic campaign will be absolutely critical for Cvancara.
He must use Celtic’s push to win the double under Martin O’Neill to do the talking, produce some explosive goalscoring form, and prove beyond any doubt that he is completely worthy of a place in that squad this summer.
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