Media Monster

5 Things You Need To Know About Slovenia

It’s easy for American sportswriters to write about what the U.S. team has to do this morning to beat Slovenia. In fact, many of them have. Harder to cover, though, is the Slovenian team, a squad that few expected to see in the tournament at all. Slovenia is “an overachiever when it comes to soccer, something it is keen to prove to the United States,” says Karl Ritter in the Associated Press. The country actually excels at winter sports like alpine skiing. “We’re very proud of our winter sports, which have made Slovenia famous throughout the world, but we have also made great progress in soccer in the last decade and we want to go a step further now,” Coach Matjaz Kek told Reuters.

The U.S. promises not to take the Slovenes for granted. And neither should the U.S. press. Some reporters have done the necessary research to gather insights and information about what to expect from Slovenia this morning. Here, a brief guide to the team that the Americans square off against this morning:

1. They have heart. “The Slovenia media guide has a particularly apt message, considering the opponent: ‘Never judge greatness by size,’” reports Ronald Blum for the Associated Press. Slovenia is the smallest country represented in the World Cup this year.

2. They have some well-regarded players. Robert Koren is the captain and “Slovenia’s most influential player,” reports Jeffrey Marcus in The New York Times. “He is what coaches and players call a technical midfielder, expert on the ball, with a careful and accurate touch and incisive passing. He is the Dragons’ most experienced player and scored the lone goal against Algeria.”

3. They have a good complementary crew. “Slovenia’s biggest target is Milivoje Novakovic, who is a predator inside the box. Zlatko Dedic is a high-energy player,” reports Michelle Kaufman in the Miami Herald. However, “most plays go through [Koren].”

4. They play slow. “It would be hard to expect Slovenia to change its style after its dull and fortunate victory over Algeria,” writes Chris Matyszczyk at CBS News. It’s “a style that might be described as safety first, safety second, shots on goal maybe third or fourth.”

5. They stick to their system. Slovenia “is blessed with a remarkable mental strength and faith in its method,” says Jonathan Wilson in Sports Illustrated. “This is how Slovenia does things: minimalistically. Its persistence should never be underestimated.” But that doesn’t mean Slovenia can’t play the game – they just play it their way. “Art, though, comes in many guises, and just because it isn’t beautiful doesn’t mean it isn’t soccer.”

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