A DRAW FOR FRADI
SLAVIA — FERENCVÁROS 2:2 (2:1)

A great result for Ferencváros — Slavia's half-back line did not work — Béla Sárosi's brilliant performance — Slavia still had hope.

The first Central European Cup final — 1938 edition. Ferencváros reached their third consecutive final, while S.K. Slavia played their second final since 1927. The match promised an impressive clash between the Prague team, which was excellent throughout the competition, with Josef Bican and Otakar Nožíř being the best players. On the other hand, Ferencváros which had a reputation for being a difficult team to face.

Ferencváros came from tighter results, especially in the first round and in the semi-final, against Juventus, when Dr. György Sárosi, close to the 80th minute of the second leg, scored a goal that would equalize on aggregate, and Kemény would put them ahead a few minutes later. Consequently, qualifying the Budapest team for the final. The S.K. Slavia obtained more impressive results, mainly against the champions of Prima Divisione 1937/38, Ambrosiana-Inter of Giuseppe Meazza & Giovanni Ferrari, but they were threatened by Genova in the next stage — 4:2. However, with four goals from Bican in the second match, S.K. Slavia qualified for the final.


Mitropa Cup, Final: 04/09/1938, Sunday 16:00.
S.K. Slavia — Ferencvárosi F.C. 2:2 (2:1)
Place: Masáryk, Prague — Referee: Henry Norman Mee(England).
Linesmen: Podubský(Yugoslavia) and Russu(Romania).
Attendance: about 50.000.

S.K. Slavia
Coach: Jan Reichardt.
XI: Bokšay — Černý, F. Daučík(c) — Průcha, K. Daučík, Kopecký — Horák, Šimůnek, Bican, V. Bradáč, Vytlačil.

Ferencvárosi F.C.
Coach: György Hlavay.
XI: Háda — Tátrai, Polgár — Magda, Sárosi III., Lázár — Táncos, Kiss, Dr. Sárosi(c), Toldi, Kemény.

Goals: Bican(36min) and Šimůnek(44min) — Kemény(30min) and Kiss(64min).


This was a great result for Ferencváros. The team played really well and could have scored more goals. On the other hand, S.K. Slavia had a poor performance, the team completly dissapointed their supporters by playing an unprecise game and their lack of technique and tactics were notorious.

Háda had some good saves. Slavia's forwards sent some difficult shots by Fradi's goalkeeper could save most of them. Polgár was the best defender, he played a secure match. Tátrai had a mistake before the second goal of Slavia. The midfield was the best part of the team with Sárosi III. and Gyula Lázár having a great match.

Some even said that Sárosi III. was not ready to play a match like this, but he proved them wrong. In the first half, Béla was still trying to find his game, but after the break, he started playing a great match. The trio Šimůnek-Bican-Bradáč could not do much against Sárosi III. The young brother of György had a brilliant match against Bican. Lázár was also great, his plays were effective. After the second half, Magda started playing well defensively.



The forwards also had a good match. The best of them was Kiss, his plays were destroying Slavia's defense. Táncos also had a good match. After the interval, he was even better. Táncos was fast, but had some problems with Daučík and Kopecký. Géza Toldi and Dr. Sárosi were not the spotlight this time, but they deserved a goal for their great shots.

*   *   *

The performance of some members of the team was far below expectations. This applies especially to the defender Daucík, who was uncertain, passed inaccurately and did not come close to his standard. Perhaps his brother's unsuccessful debut had a depressing effect on him. Good thing that his partner Cerný was at the height physically and mentally, as well as the goalkeeper Boksay, who caught everything that could be caught, and on top of everything, with the generous help of luck.

Some experts and fans wanted Karel Průcha to play centre-half as Nožíř would not be able to play there. Průcha was not as technically advanced as Nožíř, but he was more defensively solid and had more fighting spirit. Meanwhile, Ferdinand Daučík's younger brother, Karol Daučík, played centre-half.

This test was a complete disaster. Daučík II. couldn't control his team's axis and had a horrible performance. It wasn't a match to test the young player, therefore he ended up underperforming. Consequently, both wing half-backs failed to demonstrate their usual style of play, even though both, although the analysis was not accurate, did not reach a good level. However, Kopecký was still the best half-back. It is true that he was getting used to his new position and had to look more for a defensive task, but he still towered above the other two.

The forwards had to go back and fight for the balls. They exhausted themselves. This way handicaps Bican the most, who was used to receive the passing on his boot, while benefiting from his technique and dribbling skills, but he was far from being a fighter.

The whole Hungarian defensive system then had an easier task with covering the only really dangerous man in Slavia's inside trio — Josef Bican —, and they didn't even have to pay so much attention to Bradáč and Šimůnek, who were playing primitively. Vytlačil played extremely timidly, and the right winger Horák was rash again. But even this team, which was badly disposed, would certainly have been able to do more, if there had not been an incomprehensible exchange of positions in the second half, after which Bican played in the inside left position and Vojtěch Bradáč in the centre-forward, who, with his primitive concept of the game, was the least suited to this position.



Valousek, manager of Slavia: I agree with my friend Pechar that Ferencváros was better, but the reason for that was the absence of Nožíř. Nožíř represents Slavia's style. The cup is not yet lost with him, Nožíř in Budapest, and with a little luck, we can easily enjoy it.

Norotny, secretary of Slavia: This is a big disappointment for us. Based on the Mitropa Cup matches so far, we expected more from Slavia.

Dr. György Sárosi: Ferencváros was better, we were better as a team. I'm glad my brother played an excellent match. I feel like the game has gone well, I didn't feel tired at the end of the match. The team in Budapest will produce even more. Kopecký and Bican were the best on Slavia's side.

Jiří Sobotka: If we had won 5:0, Ferencváros would still be a better team. Both in terms of phisical capacity and technique. We were just better in the air.

Josef Bican: I received very few balls, that was the problem.

Rudolf Vytlačil: Management's fault. Karol Daučík should not have been selected.

György Hlavay: Ferencváros deserved this result. Our team was better than Slavia in every part. We produced a mature, smart, confident game. Kiss, Sárosi III. and Lázár were good, but the others also deserve praise. Slavia is a stylish team, their best players were Kopecký, Daučík I. and Šimůnek.

Géza Toldi: Good game, dirty at first, then completely fair. We could have won.

Ferenc Szedlacsek: Sárosi III. and Lázár were great, the others were average, but the team from Ferencváros deserved the good result, and it holds its place here as well.

» The others all blame Karol Daučík for the defeat.


See also: Statistics: Josef Bican - Mitropa Cup 1938
See also: Statistics: Dr. György Sárosi - Mitropa Cup 1938
See also: Mattanovich: Slavia-Ferencváros, 04/09/1938
See also: Mitropa Cup Final, 1938: Ferencváros-Slavia