Netherlands 2-1 Slovakia (WC 2010 - 1/8 Final)

2010.06.28 (15h00) - Netherlands 2-1 Slovakia (World Cup 2010 - 1/8 Final)

Team Squad List 2010 - Slovakia

Nr.	Name	Date of Birth	Position	Clubs	Height
1	Jan MUCHA	05/12/1982	GK	Legia Warsaw (POL)	189
2	Peter PEKARIK	30/10/1986	DF	Wolfsburg (GER)	176
3	Martin SKRTEL	15/12/1984	DF	Liverpool (ENG)	188
4	Marek CECH	26/01/1983	DF	West Bromwich Albion (ENG)	181
5	Radoslav ZABAVNIK	16/09/1980	DF	Mainz 05 (GER)	180
6	Zdenko STRBA	09/06/1976	MF	Xanthi (GRE)	187
7	Vladimir WEISS	30/11/1989	MF	Manchester City (ENG)	176
8	Jan KOZAK	22/04/1980	MF	Timisoara (ROU)	192
9	Stanislav SESTAK	16/12/1982	FW	Bochum (GER)	178
10	Marek SAPARA	31/07/1982	MF	Ankaragucu (TUR)	176
11	Robert VITTEK	01/04/1982	FW	Ankaragucu (TUR)	188
12	Dusan PERNIS	28/11/1984	GK	Dundee Utd. (SCO)	190
13	Filip HOLOSKO	17/01/1984	FW	Besiktas (TUR)	186
14	Martin JAKUBKO	26/02/1980	FW	FC Moscow (RUS)	193
15	Miroslav STOCH	19/10/1989	MF	Twente Enschede (NED)	168
16	Jan DURICA	10/12/1981	DF	Hannover 96 (GER)	187
17	Marek HAMSIK	27/07/1987	MF	Napoli (ITA)	184
18	Erik JENDRISEK	26/10/1986	FW	Kaiserslautern (GER)	176
19	Juraj KUCKA	26/02/1987	MF	Sparta Prague (CZE)	186
20	Kamil KOPUNEK	18/05/1984	MF	Spartak Trnava (SVK)	180
21	Kornel SALATA	24/01/1985	DF	Slovan Bratislava (SVK)	190
22	Martin PETRAS	02/11/1979	DF	Cesena (ITA)	187
23	Dusan KUCIAK	21/05/1985	GK	Vaslui (ROU)	195

Coach: Vladimir WEISS (SVK)

Coach 2010 -Slovakia

• Name: Vladimir WEISS
• Country: Slovakia
• Date of Birth: 22 September 1964

Coaching Career

• Artmedia Petrzalka (SVK) : From 2007 to 2008
• Saturn Moscow Region (RUS) : From 2006 to 2007
• Artmedia Petrzalka (SVK) : From 2002 to 2006
• Artmedia Petrzalka (SVK) : From 1999 to 2000

Playing Career

• Artmedia Petrzalka (SVK) : From 1996 to 2000
• MFK Košice (SVK) : From 1995 to 1996
• DAC Dunajská Streda (SVK) : From 1994 to 1994
• Petra Drnovice (CZE) : From 1993 to 1993
• Sparta Praha (CZE) : From 1993 to 1993

The youngest of the coaches on show, Slovakia’s Vladimir Weiss is nonetheless far from being low on the list in terms charisma or talent. The former Czechoslovakian international boasts FIFA World Cup™ experience from his playing days, having travelled to Italy 1990, and returns to the global showcase after steering Slovakia through to the finals for the first time in their history as an independent nation. While he takes obvious delight in that achievement, the forthright tactician is not about to rest on his laurels.
A more than capable midfielder in his heyday, collecting 19 Czechoslovakia caps and 12 with Slovakia, Weiss opted to stay in the game after hanging up his boots. Making the move into coaching, he has arguably enjoyed even more success in the dugout than he ever did with a ball at his feet.
His first assignment was at the helm of Artmedia Bratislava, now known as Petrzalka, the club with whom he ended his playing days. He led the side to their first ever national title in 2005 and then secured them a place in the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League group stage – a superb feat given even greater sheen when his charges defeated Porto in a memorable victory that Weiss, a warm-hearted man often guided by his emotions, dedicated to his ailing father.
Looking to step up another level with Russian outfit Saturn Moscow, he recruited a number of familiar faces to help him continue to make history, with the likes of Jan Durica, Peter Petras and Branislav Obzera all coming along for the ride. Their paths soon diverged, however, as Weiss failed to hit the same heights in Russia and decided to return to the club where his coaching talents had first emerged. It proved a shrewd move.
With his enthusiasm for the game undiminished, he was soon leading Artmedia to glory once again. Determined, as ever, to establish a positive atmosphere within his squad, he immediately secured another league title for the club and was rewarded with a call from the Slovakian Football Association, keen to replace Jan Kocian after the failure to qualify for UEFA EURO 2008.
A fan of 4-4-2 but also partial to an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation when required, Weiss has put together a close and united squad, with players capable of transcending their talents to meet their objectives. Of those players, Marek Hamsik has been entrusted with the captaincy and playmaking duties, Stanislav Sestak leads the line and Martin Skrtel mops up at the back. The 45-year-old’s approach works too and his team lost only to Slovenia as they clinched themselves a ticket to South Africa.

That achievement and his continuing good work have ensured that Weiss is now making a name for himself as a promising young coach, even if he shares it with two noteworthy family members. His father Vladimir was also a Czechoslovakian international, while his son, again named Vladimir, plays for Manchester City and is regularly called up to demonstrate his worth in a national team shirt.

Team Profile 2010 - Slovakia

Profile

Appearing for the first time in a major international competition, Slovakia have been striving to relive the glory years enjoyed by the former Czechoslovakia since going it alone in 1993.

While their team is hardly filled with household names, Slovakia can nonetheless rely on a well-organised collective with plenty of admirable qualities. Likewise, their continuing progress gives them good reason to be optimistic about their voyage to South Africa.

The road to South Africa
Fourth in their section in qualifying for the 1998 FIFA World Cup™ France, third on the road to Korea/Japan 2002 and runners-up ahead of Germany 2006, Slovakia continued their rise by sealing top spot in Group 3. Vladimir Weiss's side booked their historic place on 14 October 2009, upsetting a number of predictions that they would struggle to cope with a difficult pool.

Their passage was far from smooth, but slowly and surely Slovakia mounted their bid, losing only to closest challengers Slovenia. Their nearest rivals proved a real thorn in their side, downing them 2-1 in their second outing and, above all, prevailing 2-0 in Bratislva in the penultimate round of matches, yet Slovakia's desire to experience a FIFA World Cup finals shone through in the end. Needing to prevail in Poland in their final outing, they duly triumphed 1-0.

The star players
Solid at the back for Premier League heavyweights Liverpool, Martin Skrtel is a central figure for his country, while midfielder Marek Hamsik has both a knack of scoring goals for Napoli and the welcome habit of shining for the national side. The latter is unlikely to go unnoticed in South Africa and the same applies to Stanislav Sestak, who finished top scorer for Slovakia with six strikes in qualifying and is eager to continue in similar fashion.

The coach
Born in 1964, former Slovakian international Vladimir Weiss was appointed in June 2008, taking over from Jan Kocian after his predecessor failed to take the side through to UEFA EURO 2008.

Blessed with a strong personality, Weiss learnt the coaching ropes at Artmedia Bratislava, leading the unfancied Slovakian outfit into the UEFA Champions League group phase in 2005/06. The following season, he opted to boost his credentials with Saturn Moscow Oblast in Russia, before celebrating a triumphant return to Artmedia with the Slovakian league title a year after. All that remained was a tilt at leading the national team and, given his previous successes, who knows how far they can progress together?

Vladimir Weiss is also the son of... Vladimir Weiss, a former Czechoslovakian international. In fact, he is the father of Vladimir Weiss too, with his son plying his trade at Manchester City and often called up to demonstrate his worth in a national team shirt.

Previous FIFA World Cups
While this may be Slovakia's first appearance on the global stage, the country's footballing past is naturally tied up with that of the former Czechoslovakia, who participated in eight finals overall. Czechoslovakia even reached the final in 1934, losing 2-1 after extra time to Italy, and 1962, when they succumbed 3-1 to Brazil. They also advanced as far as the last eight in 1990.

Honours (as Czechoslovakia)

- 1 UEFA European Championship (1976)
- 1 Olympic Football Tournament (1980)

What they said
"We're very persistant: we don't give up until we've succeeded," Stanislav Sestak, striker.

source: fifa.com

Slovakia national football team-Custom

Slovakia

Nickname(s)	repre
Association	Slovenský futbalový zväz
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Vladimír Weiss
Asst coach	Michal Hipp
Captain	Marek Hamšík
Most caps	Miroslav Karhan (96)
Top scorer	Szilárd Németh (22)
Home stadium	Tehelné pole (Bratislava)
FIFA code	SVK
FIFA ranking	34

Slovakia national football team

The Slovakia national football team represents Slovakia in international football and is controlled by the Slovak Football Association. After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, the Slovak Football Association was founded in 1993, and has been affiliated to both FIFA and UEFA since the same year. They will be participants at the 2010 World Cup for the first time since independence.