By upsetting Russia in the European zone playoffs last November, Slovenia qualified for their second World Cup, eight years after their debut in Japan and South Korea. And they did it in style. Easily the best team in the Slav-dominated group with Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland among others, they were unlucky not to have qualified directly for the final stage. In their penultimate game in the group, Slovenia defeated their Slavic brothers of Slovakia by 2-0 away in Bratislava and needed a helping hand from Poland, who in the last game entertained the Slovaks.
If Poland could draw or beat Slovakia, Slovenia would achieve an immediate qualification with an largely expected win at San Marino. Win they did, but Slovakia was not to be denied either, picking up three crucial points with a single own goal scored by Poland's Gancarczyk early into the match on a frozen pitch in Chorzow.
The play off draw paired Slovenia with Russia, a team valued five times higher from a nation with 76 times more inhabitants than the tiny Alpine nation of Slovenia. Few people saw Slovenia as the winner of the tie against a star-studded Russian team coached by someone as experienced as Guus Hiddink. Still, a late goal in Moscow from Pecnik and a spectacular volley from Dedic in the first half of the return game in Maribor overturned the odds.
The playoffs had been lucky for Slovenia twice before. In 1999, a team coached by Srecko Katanec and led by Zlatko Zahovic knocked out Ukraine on the way to their first Euros (2-1 and 1-1). Two years later, they repeated the score line against Romania in order to reach the World Cup. The Green Dragons also came close to a three peat in 2003, but they fell to Croatia (1-1, 0-1) in the qualifiers for the European Championship in Portugal.
After the now historic return game against Russia, the nation
was enthralled and the Prime Minister Borut Pahor entered the dressing
room in order to congratulate the players...by symbolically wiping
their boots!
"I promised I would do that and I kept my word. They deserved
it," said Pahor, the team's "number one fan."
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Slovenia |
Slovenia |
Slovenia v Algeria 13 June; Polokwane
Slovenia v USA 18 June; Johannesburg
Slovenia v England 23 June; Port Elizabeth
Slovenia reached South Africa as on of the lowest placed teams on FIFA's ranking in 33th place at the moment of qualification. That information reflects the team's mediocre status in European soccer. Very few members of the current rosters have built significant international careers.
The top-scorer Milivoje Novakovic stands out with his quality run at Bundesliga's 1. FC Koln. The others include Samir Handanovic (Udinese), Miso Brecko (Koln and Hamburger), Bostjan Cesar (Dinamo Zagreb and Marseille) and Walter Birsa (Auxerre). A great career has been predicted to 20-year-old midfielder Rene Kerhin, who has come to the brink of the first team football at Inter, under Jose Mourinho.
Only five of the 32 players used in the qualifiers play in the Slovenian league. The qualities usually associated with the current Slovenia squad are fitness, discipline, team spirit and patriotism. Curiously, many people in the former Yugoslavia have mocked Slovenia for not having a proper national team as many of the internationals are naturalized immigrants from the other ex-Yugoslav republics, notably Bosnia, Serbia and Croatia. The present starting eleven includes six non-ethnic Slovenes, but the coach Matjaz Kek rejects claims they are mere mercenaries.
"It is true that some do not carry Slovene surnames, but they fought with the most passion and patriotism," said Kek in a recent interview.
And indeed, further displays of patriotism can be expected from the Dragons when they meet England, USA and Algeria next June.
The team's goalkeeper has had a distinguished career in Italy with Udinese and, at 25, is one of the most promising Europeans in his position. Thanks to his secure performances he deserves major credit for Slovenia's success. Known for his penalty-saving prowess, Handanovic was transferred to Italy at just 20, debuting for Udinese in the 2004/05 season. Next year he was the first-choice keeper at the newly promoted Treviso, but a poor start to the season saw him relegated to the bench and then loaned to Lazio and Rimini. Upon return to Udinese in 2007, he has proved his international class, offering his team some real defensive safety with agility and corpulence (193 cm, 88 kg).
His family has goalkeeping genes: Samir has a brother, Jasmin, also a goalkeeper and his reserve in the national team.
This 30-year-old potent striker was Slovenia's top scorer in the
qualifiers with five goals. Last year Novakovic was one of the more
distinguished strikers in the Bundesliga, with 16 goals for Koln.
The season before the ethnic Serb also shone for the Mountain Goats,
helping them return to the first division of the Bundesliga.
"The key game for us will be the first one, against Algeria.
I believe we'll fight with the United States for the second spot
in the Group (behind England," said Novakovic.
"Everybody can believe themselves to be favourites against
us, but if we continue playing as we have done recently, we'll make
everybody's life bitter."
The former classy defender for Slovenia's NK Maribor and Austria's GAK Graz, Kek began coaching in 2000, taking Maribor to two league titles in six years. His rise through the Slovenian coaching ranks was swift. In 2006 he briefly worked as U-15 and U-16 coach, he was named national team coach on January 3rd, 2007, when the team had already been virtually eliminated from the race for a spot in the European Championship. Although they finished sixth in their group, the FA did not hesitate to extend his contract for the World Cup qualifiers.
The thoughtful and taciturn coach applied his analytical mind to pick the right players and choose the right tactics based on aggressiveness and fighting for every ball.
Admitting that England is far ahead of other rivals in Group C, Kek believes his players' passion and grit can be decisive factors for going through to the second round.
"The main thing is the attitude with which we'll perform at the World Cup. I'm convinced we'll make a good impression and that we're capable of reaching the second phase," said Kek after the World Cup draw in December.
2002 First Round; Pre-1994: Eight World Cup appearances as a part of the Yugoslav national team.
Early flight home but a great run to the finals.
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Second in European qualifying group 3 behind Slovakia, then won a play off on away goals 2-2 against Russia.
Slovenia's main stadium in Maribor has a capacity of only 12,000.
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Slovenia is clearly an underdog, but not a team to be sneered at. After an unconvincing start to the qualifying campaign, the Green Dragons have gained momentum and improved to the point of almost finishing top of their group.
The squad will reach the final tournament full of enthusiasm and probably in good physical shape. Due to the fact that their clubs are not involved in the European club competitions, the players are unlikely to be exhausted at the end of the season.
On their first appearance at a World Cup in 2002, Slovenia lost all three games. This time they may actually collect a few points and even make it to the second round.
Goalkeepers: Samir Handanovic (Udinese), Jasmin Handanovic
(Mantova), Aleksander Seliga (Sparta Rotterdam)
Defenders: Miso Brecko (FC Cologne), Bostjan Cesar (Grenoble),
Branko Ilic (Lokomotiv Moscow), Matej Mavric-Rozic (Koblenz), Bojan
Jokic (Chievo), Marko Suler (Ghent), Suad Filekovic (NK Maribor),
Elvedin Dzinic (NK Maribor)
Midfielders: Andraz Kirm (Wisla Krakow), Robert Koren (Unattached),
Valter Birsa (AJ Auxerre), Andrej Komac (Maccabi Tel Aviv), Dalibor
Stevanovic (Vitesse Arnhem), Aleksander Radosavljevic (Larissa),
Rene Krhin (Inter Milan)
Forwards: Milivoje Novakovic (FC Cologne), Zlatko Dedic (VfL
Bochum), Zlatan Ljubijankic (Ghent), Nejc Pecnik (Nacional Funchal),
Tim Matavz (Groningen)