Slovakia fumbles against New Zealand: WORLD CUP SOCCER 2010
With Italy getting a draw against Paraguay last night, Slovakia was the last hope of the Europe in the Group F of FIFA World Cup. Slovakia did pretty well in the qualifying for South Africa ahead of Slovenia, Czech Republic and Northern Ireland in the group and everyone seemed convinced that they would transform their good form into victories in the World Cup. A win would have meant a top position in the Group and a fair chance to qualify for the next round of the World Cup.
The team that they were up against was New-Zealand, who made it to the World Cup after almost 28 years. The side was good but on paper Slovakia had the real chance to win the match. And they were winning for the most part of the fixture, until an injury time goal by Winston Reid, which ruined the party-mood of Slovakian fans. Reid scored the first goal for New-Zealand after a gap of 28 years and his celebrations showed that it meant a lot to him, given that it was only his fourth international cap.
Ricki Herbert’s New-Zealand had only one thing in mind and that was to defend under the Slovakian pressure. They did that very well and for the most part of the game gave no room or space to Slovakian attackers to manoeuvre. Many last-ditch tackles came from the defenders to keep the Slovakians at bay. This good display got only a small hitch in the 51st minute when Robert Vittek scored the opening goal of the match for Slovakia. After that the defence at little bit of inconsistency and led the Slovakians get into dangerous positions inside the box, but somehow managed to maintain the score-line. The real under-performer for the New-Zealand’s team was their goal-keeper Mark Paston, who was a bit shaky in the box and lacked real concentration.
Despite real problems at the back the Slovakians were unable to punish the Kiwis and unable to wrap up the match when they had the chances. They were solid in defence and Kiwis were weak in attacking but in the last moments the Slovakian defenders gave a few half-chances to Kiwis and they goal finally came in the injury time. Marek Hamsik and Vladimir Weiss were the launching pads for the Slovakian attack from the flanks, and they made some good runs and played some good passes. Initially, the team fought for rhythm but they found it eventually later in the first half. Weiss showed pace and brilliant skill, making the coach and his father Weiss Senior proud, and earned the title of the Man of the Match. The goal came in the 51st minute and Slovakians had the lead until the injury time. But, the lack of concentration by the defenders for a single moment led to the disaster. The New-Zealand’s resilience at the back and the Slovakia’s inability to convert chances into goals led to a draw ultimately.
Despite losing two sure points there are a lot of things to learn for the Slovakians in this match. They must learn to stay focused and alert throughout the game as no one can afford to give a slight opening to any other team. But, overall the Slovakians attacked well and used their flank in an efficient manner. The midfield looked positive and so did the defensive line. There should be no problem in Slovakia’s progress to the next round.
The Group, however, is wide open, as all four teams have a single point and all of them have scored a single goal. However, New-Zealand and Paraguay got the better results in their respective matches by beating the teams who were better on paper. But, everything can happen in football and still there is a long way to go before the final situation is clear. At this moment, however, it is time to rejoice for the Kiwis and their fans.
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