Going into stoppage time of the first leg of their Euro 2012 Qualifying playoff tie against the Czech Republic, Montenegro probably felt okay about their result. A 1-0 loss on the road is not a terrific starting point, but it's not terrible and certainly not insurmountable by any stretch. Then, Tomas Sivok added a goal for the Czechs, taking their lead to 2-0. Montenegro now have to come from two goals down without an away goal to their name.
Montenegro Vs. Czech Republic, Euro 2012 Qualifying, Playoffs: Home Side Needs A Miracle
Montenegro are in a deep hole against the Czech Republic, trailing 2-0 heading into the second leg of their tie.
With players like Mirko Vucinic and Stefan Jovetic, they're certainly not incapable of pulling this off. Their draws against England and defeat of Switzerland imply that they're a good enough team to get a 2-0 home result against any opponent. However, they were not good in the first leg, allowing Czech Republic to have all of the possession. Tomas Rosicky looks well past his prime in an Arsenal shirt, but easily ran the show for his country in the first leg.
If Montenegro do progress to the finals, it won’t be an upset for the ages or anything that dramatic, but it will be a surprise. The Czech Republic have this one close to locked up.
Montenegro vs. Czech Republic kicks off at 2:15 pm ET and can be seen on ESPN3 in the USA. We’ll have live coverage of this and every Euro 2012 qualifying match in our Euro 2012 Qualifying Playoffs, Second Legs StoryStream. For more on the entire world of football, visit SB Nation Soccer.
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