World Cup preview: Serbia
Coach: Radomir Antić
Key player: Miloš Krasić
Previous best: Fourth place (as Yugoslavia) 1930 & 1962
A first World Cup for Serbia – if you discount all of the other ones as Yugoslavia and the last one as Serbia and Montenegro (when all but one of the players was Serbian anyway) – and they arrive with a burgeoning reputation.
After finishing top of a qualifying group that also included France, Serbian players are suddenly in vogue.
Beanpole striker Nikola Žigic has just completed a £6million move from Valencia to Birmingham City, Milan Jovanović – Serbia’s top scorer in qualifying with five goals – has joined Liverpool on a free transfer from Standard Liège, winger Miloš Krasić can reportedly have his pick of the top European sides after impressing for CSKA Moscow in the Champions League, while forward Marko Pantelić is being targeted by several clubs after scoring 20 goals for Ajax last season.
Premier League defenders Nemanja Vidić of Manchester United and Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanović will be difficult barriers to pass, as will the attacking Lazio full back Aleksandar Kolarov, and Serbia have every reason to be confident as they enter Group D combat against Ghana, Germany and Australia.
Captained by the veteran Inter Milan midfielder Dejan Stanković, their midfield looks stronger than a Michael Ballack-less Germany and inconsistent Australia, with Krasić, winger/forward Jovanović and the Wolverhampton Wanderers central midfielder Nenad Milijaš all offering pace, guile and goals.
Winger Zoran Tošic has disappointed ever since a multi-million pound move to Manchester United, but at least recovered some form when he went on loan to Bundesliga outfit Cologne during the tail end of last season, while another concern could come in the form of goalkeeper Vladimir Stojković, who didn’t exactly look commanding during his handful of appearances for Wigan Athletic in 2009/10.
There should be no such concerns with their coach though.
The vastly experienced Radomir Antić, who has had spells at Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona, finally took the job with his country in 2008 after a decade of turning it down.
Results immediately improved, with the highlight of the qualifying campaign coming with a 5-0 victory over Romania late last year which sealed qualification.
In one of the more intriguing groups in the tournament, Serbia’s first match against Ghana in Pretoria should bring them all three points, with their next clash against the Germans probably going a long way towards deciding who will top the group. Their last clash with the Australians could be a winner-takes-all contest.
Whether they end up first or not, the Serbians should still qualify, and their talented group of sought-after players will provide whomever they face in the second round – possibly England – with a very tough test.
Antić is blessed with good players, and judging by the qualifying campaign he has moulded them into a successful and competitive team.
Everyone seems to want to buy a Serbian at the moment, and after a good World Cup, that desire will only grow and grow.
Serbia squad
1 Vladimir STOJKOVIĆ (Wigan)
2 Antonio RUKAVINA (Munich 1860)
3 Aleksandar KOLAROV (Lazio)
4 Gojko KAČAR (Hertha Berlin)
5 Nemanja VIDIĆ (Manchester United)
6 Branislav IVANOVIĆ (Chelsea)
7 Zoran TOŠIĆ (Cologne)
8 Danko LAZOVIĆ (Zenit)
9 Marko PANTELIĆ (Ajax)
10 Dejan STANKOVIĆ (Inter Milan)
11 Nenad MILIJAŠ (Wolverhampton)
12 Bojan ISAILOVIĆ (Cukaricki Belgrade)
13 Aleksandar LUKOVIĆ (Udinese)
14 Milan JOVANOVIĆ (Standard Liege, signed pre-contract at Liverpool)
15 Nikola ZIGIĆ (Birmingham City)
16 Ivan OBRADOVIĆ (Zaragoza)
17 Miloš KRASIĆ (CSKA Moscow)
18 Miloš NINKOVIĆ (Dynamo Kiev)
19 Radosav PETROVIĆ (Partizan Belgrade)
20 Neven SUBOTIĆ (Borussia Dortmund)
21 Dragan MRĐJA (Vojvodina)
22 Zdravko KUZMANOVIĆ (Stuttgart)
23 Anđjelko ĐJURIČIĆ (Leiria)
Click here for previews of Serbia's Group D opponents:
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Australia-a12407
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Germany-a12411
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Ghana-a12415
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