Czech Republic suffered a second straight loss against Northern Ireland to dash their 2018 World Cup hopes.
They lost 2-0 against Northern Ireland to put their spot on a shaky note in Group C.
West Brom stars Jonny Evans and Chris Brunt scored a goal apiece as they thrashed Czech Rep. For Czech, it is more devastating after their loss to Germany. The result put Northern Ireland on a very good note to qualify from the group after winning five matches in a row.
Northern Ireland have Germany and Norway to face in the final group games but they are sure to make the cut for Russia next year. Eight of nine teams would make the playoffs in Europe. The victory against Czech will help them improve their FIFA world rankings for the month of October. The rankings would decide the best second placed teams from each group, helping them avoid a stronger side.
If Northern Ireland can pull through the qualification, it would be their first appearance in the World Cup finals since 1986. It would be the first time they compete in successive major tournaments in their history, having played at the Euro 2016 last year.
Martin O’Neill continues to guide the team to greater things. They continually post impressive result, considering their overall team strength. The team retains their excellent home record of not losing a competitive game since 2013.
For Czech, it is all over as they place fourth in the standings. They have garnered nine points after eight games.