When Slovenia, the third-smallest country to ever play at the World Cup, faces the US today, it will be one of those David vs Goliath moments that the tiny alpine nation seems to relish.
With a population of 2 million spread over land the size of New Jersey, Slovenia is not as widely recognized in the world as Balkan neighbors Croatia and Serbia. Annoyingly to Slovenes, the country is often confused with the slightly larger Slovakia.
However, the former Yugoslav republic on the eastern edge of the Alps is an overachiever when it comes to soccer — something it is keen to prove to the US team at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
PHOTO: AFP
“The important thing is the heart. Not how big you are as a country,” midfielder Dalibor Stevanovic said.
US fans browsing the Web for information on their next World Cup opponent — searches for “where is Slovenia?” is spiking off the charts according to Yahoo — will find that, statistically, the two countries are in different leagues.
Besides the fact that there are 150 times more Americans than Slovenes on the planet, the US has a clear edge when it comes to soccer.
The US is No. 14 on FIFA’s world rankings and is participating in its ninth World Cup, with a 1930 semifinal its best performance.
Slovenia, ranked 25th, is entering soccer’s biggest event for the second time, and without any prominent players in the squad.
However, none of that matters to Slovenia coach Matjaz Kek and his resilient squad.
Just ask Russia.
Against all odds, the Russians, led by world-class player Andrei Arshavin, missed the World Cup by losing a two-match playoff to Slovenia on away goals, an embarrassing defeat for the much larger nation.
Slovenia had reached the playoffs by finishing second in its qualifying group, ahead of both Czech Republic and Poland.
And that’s not the only time Slovenia has stunned the soccer world. It qualified for the 2000 European Championship by beating Ukraine in a playoff. Two years later, the team defeated Romania to reach the World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
That tournament, however, ended in acrimony for Slovenia. A feud between the coach and star player Zlatko Zahovic disrupted the team, and it went home in shame after losing all three group matches.
Slovenia has already done better in South Africa. On Sunday, captain Robert Koren’s second-half goal against Algeria secured its first ever World Cup win and first place in Group C.
Euphoric celebrations erupted in Slovenian cities as people flooded the streets, honking car horns, chanting and blowing vuvuzelas — the African plastic trumpets that forever will be linked to this year’s World Cup.
Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor called it “an epic victory which shows once again we’re a small nation with a big heart.”
Pahor had vowed to clean the players’ boots if they qualified for the World Cup, fulfilling his promise after the shock victory over Russia in November. Playing it safe, he made no similar promises ahead of the World Cup.
The only smaller nations to have qualified for the World Cup are Trinidad and Tobago in 2006, and Northern Ireland in 1958, 1982 and 1986.
Slovenia’s success stems primarily from a tight defense, marshaled by center back Bostjan Cesar. The team conceded only four goals in its World Cup qualifying group. The Netherlands was the only European team to allow fewer goals.
While Serbia and Croatia have made names for themselves in international soccer following the breakup of Yugoslavia — which used to be a strong soccer nation — Slovenia is better known for winter sports.
Its most prominent athletes include 1970s and 1980s slalom specialist Bojan Krizaj and cross-country skier Petra Majdic, who won a bronze medal in the Vancouver Olympics despite breaking four ribs in a fall during training before the race.
It’s also home to ski manufacturer Elan, which provided equipment for Swedish alpine skiing great Ingemar Stenmark.
But right now Slovenia is all about football. The country has been enjoying a joyride since the playoff win over Russia and the word on everyone’s lips is pravlica, which means “fairy tale” in Slovene.
Throngs of people gather to watch Slovenia’s World Cup matches on a big screen set up on the main square in the capital, Ljubljana.
Slovenian President Danilo Turk will attend the match against the US at the request of the players.
The Slovenes lead their group with England and the US having drawn 1-1. Kek’s team advance to the second round if they beat the Americans.
“After our first win against Algeria, we are very motivated for the next game,” Stevanovic said. “Everything is in our hands.”
Group C
Team | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
Slovenia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
England | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
United States | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Algeria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
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