Pavel Bucha’s World Cup Chances
SHAWN BEHMER
Many are saying Pavel Bucha is the strongest player on FC Cincinnati.
His strength and play on the pitch have not only captured the attention of The FC fan circles, but also the Czech Republic National Team. Back in March, Pavel Bucha earned his first call-up to the senior Czech Republic National Team. With how well Pavel has played for The FC, it was only a matter of time before his national team came calling.
Czechia called up Bucha for the World Cup qualifying semifinal, where they defeated Ireland in penalties. Then, Czechia went on to face Denmark in the final. After a thrilling 120 minutes, Czechia ended its 20-year World Cup drought by defeating Denmark in penalties. However, for Pavel Bucha, it didn’t quite go the way he intended, as he did not make the matchday squad in either match.
In a conversation with Carter Chapley, Staff Writer for FC Cincinnati, Pavel Bucha said, “On the other hand, I was a little bit, I don't know, frustrated or disappointed that I didn't really get to contribute. That I just be there. I was part of the team, yes. I was training, preparing for both matches, but at the end, I didn't make it to that final match squad. For both games I was watching in the stands. So that was kind of sad to me.”
While he didn’t feature in those matches, Pavel Bucha will have another opportunity to prove himself, as he was named to a 29-man roster for Czechia ahead of a friendly against Kosovo on May 31.
Since his first call-up, Pavel has felt like he had something to prove to the Czech National Team. We all saw that incredible 6-2 win over Orlando City SC, where Pavel played out of his mind yet again at wingback. However, with how competitive Pavel is, he holds himself to such a high standard and was not impressed with his performance.
“I don’t know. I cannot really appreciate myself,” Pavel said after the match.
Meanwhile, Pat Noonan had nothing but praise for Pavel after the Orlando match.
“Pavel is reliable and made some really good defensive plays with the ball. I think he grew into the game and does what is necessary to help the team win. He is the ultimate competitor and winner and so that's why you see him have success wherever he's positioned. But yeah, he made some really big plays for us to contribute to some of the goals.”
To take it even further, The Chief made a great point on the PostCast, that if Apple TV didn’t take an absurd amount of time to upload the full Orlando match recap, then maybe Pavel could’ve seen how well he performed.
While Pavel was unimpressed with his performance, he stressed that the upcoming friendly against Kosovo is his chance to prove himself.
So, what are Pavel’s chances of making it to The World Cup? Is Pat Noonan holding Bucha back by playing him at wingback? Let’s dive into it.
Czech Republic National Team: What to know
According to FotMob, Czechia played a 3-4-2-1 in both of its World Cup playoff matches against Ireland and Denmark. Meanwhile, FC Cincinnati typically plays a 3-5-2 (or a 3-4-1-2) and occasionally the 3-4-2-1, or the “sword formation.” This is ideal for Pavel, as he has played in both of these formations for The FC.
Czechia head coach Miroslav Koubek will also be evaluating three young players who were included on the 29-man roster: Alexandr Sojka, Christophe Kabongo and Hugo Sochurek. The player to keep an eye on is midfielder Hugo Sochurek — a 17-year-old who could get selected over Pavel.
Spoiler alert: I don’t speak Czech. So I consulted my good friend Google Translate to decipher this quote from the Czechia head coach. So, this may not be an exact 1:1 translation.
“The nominations of Sojka, Kabong and Sochurek have a common denominator, and that is their current form. All three will play at least [one] half of the match against Kosovo. They are not coming here as extras.”
This is definitely Watch This Space™️ territory, as it could put Pavel Bucha’s World Cup chances at risk.
Anyway, if you haven’t already, you need to watch this video of the Czechia players on the 29-man roster. Baby Pavel Bucha is at the end. I just hope I am not reading too much into this by noticing how little Pavel is featured in the video.
If you are like me, you absolutely want to hear something positive to grasp onto — just something that could even remotely indicate that Pavel can make this squad. Well, I have one word that could book Pavel’s ticket to the World Cup: versatility.
Pavel Bucha’s Versatility
We all know what Pavel brings when he is deployed in the midfield for FC Cincinnati. He is the engine of the team and is constantly doing the dirty work that can sometimes go unnoticed. But when Pat Noonan needed to make changes to his starting lineup, he relied on Pavel to play wingback since April 25 against Red Bull New Jersey.
And in those 6 matches at wingback? Pavel has 1 goal and 3 assists.
Pavel obviously prefers to play in the midfield, and there have been concerns that playing him at wingback could hinder his World Cup chances. However, I see it differently, as it’s just another club in the bag for Czechia. Performing at a high level in another position is only going to add to Pavel’s resume — it’s another reason to have him on the squad. World Cup rosters are thin and you may need to rely on guys filling in at different positions. So why not call up Pavel Bucha when he is familiar with the system and can play at the 6, 8, 10 and right/left wingback?
That’s 5 spots Pavel can play for Czechia. They’d be crazy not to call him up.
In a press conference on May 21, Pat said “For Pavel to be in the 29-man is credit to the consistency that he’s had with our group. Obviously this year in particular, the production, the things that we’ve been asking, I think the versatility of being inside, playing on the flank I hope has helped him because now, their group maybe sees how to utilize him in a different way with the success he’s had for us in a wider position.”
This is Bucha’s world and we are just living in it
So, to wrap all this up, Pavel Bucha has a nonzero chance of making it to the World Cup, especially when you factor in his versatility. We just need to hope for a strong performance against Kosovo and that the other fringe players make mistakes.
I’ll also add that Pavel Bucha crossing the ball to Patrik Schick would feed families. Just saying.
Czechia hosts Kosovo on Sunday, May 31, at 10 a.m. EST. It appears you can watch the match on ViX or by signing up for free on https://www.uefa.tv/home.
Czechia’s final 26-man World Cup roster is expected to drop following the match by June 1. Keep an eye on our socials for the latest. At the time of writing this article, Pavel Bucha’s jersey number is unconfirmed.
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Photos courtesy of FC Cincinnati.