Captain Brabec thrilled by Czech coverage

Captain Jakub Brabec enjoyed a day to remember when he sparked the Czech Republic's comeback win against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday, although his real pleasure came after the game.

As they had on Matchday 1, the Czechs came from a goal down to record their second successive Group A vicory and now hold a three-point lead in the standings, leaving them on the verge of a fourth UEFA European Under-19 Championship semi-final and generating considerable interest back home. "After the game the text messages and calls came flooding in," Brabec told UEFA.com. "When my father and mother got in touch they told me we were on the news. It was like a dream. It's all very exciting and the whole squad is thrilled."

Jaroslav Hřebík's side had looked out of sorts as they fell behind to John O'Sullivan's deflected early goal, but Brabec's equalising header changed the complexion of the match, Patrik Lácha sealing the win two minutes later with a spectacular strike.

"We were behind after a difficult opening 45 minutes and were a bit stressed; we were just waiting and hoping for a goal of our own," Brabec said. "The second half was quite successful for us. We stayed in the game and then thankfully I scored and that turned our match around. There might not be any standout individuals among us, but what we did proves we are very strong as a team."

Following the game, the Czech players gathered around to watch Romania's encounter with Greece, which the hosts lost 1-0. "It was a strange thing," Brabec said. "We were full of energy after our win and cheering on Romania, but when then they lost we felt a little bit down on their behalf."

The central defender was quick to raise a smile again when speaking about his recent move from FK Viktoria Žižkov – with whom he made his Czech First League debut as a 16-year-old – to boyhood favourites AC Sparta Praha. "I have always had Sparta in my heart, being a fan of the club," he said. "I will keep many happy memories of my time at Žižkov, especially when my father told me how proud he was when I made my first appearance there. But the move to Sparta is a good step in my career, especially as more often than not they are involved in competitions like the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League."

The Czechs can guarantee a place in the last four with a draw in their final Group A encounter on Tuesday, although, should they progress, Brabec is clear which team he would prefer to avoid. "Of course we don't want to play Spain in the semis. That is one for the future, for the final. For now we are only looking at our next match against Greece. We must win that, both for ourselves and for the country. I know we will get there and, after that, who knows what can happen?"