World Cup preview: Slovakia
Coach: Vladimir Weiss
Key player: Marek Hamšik
Previous best: First time qualifiers
Seweryn Gancarczyk is big in Slovakia.
The 28-year-old Polish right-back headed into his own net just three minutes into last October’s match in Chorźow. It would prove to be the goal that sent the Slovakians to their first World Cup.
Finishing top of a qualification group which also included the Czech Republic was obviously a source of great pride for the Slovaks, who were able to combine hard work with a style that few thought they were capable of displaying.
Blessed with some improving young players, the squad is captained by the much sought-after Napoli midfielder Marek Hamšik, still just 22, whose midfield dynamism and creativity will be vital for Slovakia at the finals, while coach Vladimir Weiss can also call upon his 20-year-old son of the same name, a gifted young winger who spent the second half of last season on loan at Bolton Wanderers from Manchester City. He could be competing for the same position with Chelsea’s Miroslav Stoch, a key player in FC Twente’s Eredivisie win during his loan spell last season.
The defence is marshalled by Liverpool’s no-nonsense centre back Martin Škrtel, a tough-tackling centre-back who has impressed at the heart of the Reds defence during his two-and-a-half years at the club, but who has demonstrated a worrying capacity to pick up serious injuries, while West Brom full-back Marek Čech also makes the cut.
Stanislav Šesták’s late brace in October 2008’s 2-1 win over Poland appeared to be the turning point during the qualification stages, and Slovakia didn’t look back from there, with last April’s 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in Prague becoming one of their most celebrated results of recent years.
Šesták’s six goals during qualification made him the top scorer, and ensured that the 27-year-old Bochum striker will be the man that Weiss looks to for goals in South Africa.
The coach is confident that his side can reach the second round, and his players are too. With Italy the firm favourites to win the group, and New Zealand the firm favourites to finish bottom of it, the battle between Slovakia and Paraguay for second place looks like being an enthralling one.
Slovakia’s better defence could ensure that it is they who pinch that second spot from the Paraguayans, in all probability earning a second round clash against the Dutch in the process.
They aren’t strong enough to emerge from that, but a second round appearance in their first World Cup would surely be considered a superb achievement for Weiss’ side.
With a squad full of improving, largely young players, this could be the first of several World Cups for Slovakia, a small nation who are capable of causing the bigger boys concerns.
They’ll enjoy their first World Cup, and will hope to get a taste for it.
Seweryn Gancarczyk will be toasted in Bratislava once more.
Slovakia squad
1 Ján MUCHA (Legia Warsaw)
2 Martin PETRÁŠ (Cesena)
3 Martin ŠKRTEL (Liverpool)
4 Marek ČECH (West Brom)
5 Radoslav ZABAVNIK (Mainz)
6 Zdeno ŠTRBA (Xanthi)
7 Vladimír WEISS (Manchester City)
8 Ján KOZÁK (Timisoara)
9 Stanislav ŠESTÁK (Bochum)
10 Marek SAPARA (Ankaragucu)
11 Róbert VITTEK (Ankaragucu)
12 Dušan PERNIŠ (Dundee United)
13 Filip HOLOŠKO (Besiktas)
14 Martin JAKUBKO (Saturn Moscow)
15 Miroslav STOCH (Chelsea)
16 Ján ĎURICA (Hannover)
17 Marek HAMŠIK (Napoli)
18 Erik JENDRIŠEK (Schalke)
19 Juraj KUCKA (Sparta Prague)
20 Kamil KOPÚNEK (Spartak Trnava)
21 Kornel SALÁTA (Slovan Bratislava)
22 Dušan KUCIAK (Vaslui)
23 Peter PEKARÍK (Wolfsburg)
For previews of Slovakia's Group F opponents click here:
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Italy-a12465
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-New-Zealand-a12466
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Paraguay-a12467
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