World Cup preview: Slovenia
Coach: Matjaž Kek
Key player: Samir Handanovič
Previous best: First round 2002
Short and sweet is probably the best way to describe Slovenia’s World Cup finals record.
They played three matches at the 2002 finals in Asia, and lost all three, going down to Spain, South Africa and Paraguay and making a swift exit from the tournament. Undeterred, they are back this time and determined to at least get a point on the board.
They should do that. Impressive in qualifying, they finished just two points behind of group winners Slovakia in second, earning four more points than top seeds the Czech Republic. Forced into a playoff with Russia, a brace from Diniyar Bilyaletdinov in Moscow looked to have put the Russians through, until a late away goal from Nejc Pečnik gave the Slovenians hope ahead of the second leg in Maribor. They now only had to win that 1-0, and that’s exactly what they did – a Zlatko Dedič goal on the stroke of half time sending a nation wild and sending a young country into their second World Cup.
Coach Matjaž Kek has spoken of how he relies upon a strong team spirit in his group of players, due to their lack of stars. Captained by Robert Koren, who has just been released by West Bromwich Albion, they are a group who are based all across Europe, including Udinese goalkeeper Samir Handanovič, Grenoble defender Boštjan Cesar, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Andrej Komac and the FC Cologne striker Milivoje Novakovič, whom Kek will be looking to for goals.
Twenty five year old goalkeeper Handanovič – not to be confused with his elder cousin, and understudy in the squad, Jasmin Handanovič – will be vital as the Slovenians come up against the attacking forces of England and the USA, but their opening match against Algeria gives them a great chance to at least get a point on the board this time around, maybe more.
Win that, and they’ll head into their next match against the USA full of confidence and could well scare the Americans, but they won’t be expected to take anything from them, and they must hope that England have already qualified by the time they face them in the final match of the group.
That will in all likelihood by Slovenia’s swansong in the tournament, as all their hard work and team spirit won’t be enough to reach the second round.
Just being there again should be counted as a victory for a country of little over two million, and if Slovenia can improve upon their last showing at a finals – i.e. if they can get a point – then that should be cause for celebration.
They’ll enjoy it, but expect them to be one of the first to be checking out of their hotel.
Slovenia squad
1 Samir HANDANOVIČ (Udinese)
2 Mišo BREČKO (Cologne)
3 Elvedin DŽINIČ (Maribor)
4 Marko ŠULER (Ghent)
5 Boštjan CESAR (Grenoble)
6 Branko ILIC (Lokomotiv Moscow)
7 Nejc PEČNIK (Nacional)
8 Robert KOREN (West Bromwich Albion)
9 Zlatan LJUBIJANKIČ (Ghent)
10 Valter BIRSA (Auxerre)
11 Milivoje NOVAKOVIČ (Cologne)
12 Jasmin HANDANOVIČ (Mantova)
13 Bojan JOKIĆ (Chievo Verona)
14 Zlatko DEDIČ (VfL Bochum)
15 Rene KRHIN (Inter Milan)
16 Aleksander ŠELIGA (Sparta Rotterdam)
17 Andraž KIRM (Wisla Krakow)
18 Aleksander RADOSAVLJEVIČ (Larissa)
19 Suad FILEKOVIČ (Maribor)
20 Andrej KOMAC (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
21 Dalibor STEVANOVIČ (Vitesse Arnhem)
22 Matej MAVRIČ (Koblenz)
23 Tim MATAVŽ (Groningen)
For previews of Slovenia's World Cup opponents click here:
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Algeria-a12353
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-England-a12354
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-USA-a12357
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