2010's Dark Horses: Fixing Serbia's Image

In 1991 Yugoslavia’s ethnic unrest ignited the worst bloodshed Europe had seen since WW II. A war remembered mostly for it’s war crimes, endured for most of the nineties and reminded the world that even in westernized Europe, peace rested on a tenuous foundation of suppressed animosity. Before the war broke out there had been many signs of an impending war, and perhaps one of the most arresting took place during 1990’s game between Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) and Red Star Belgrade (Serbia), when fanaticism and chauvanism were personified by Zvonimir Boban’s flying kick into a policemen who was assaulting a Dinamo fan. The fiery Boban was able to make it to AC Milan, becoming one of the team’s most loved players, while Yugoslavia splintered into different countries, and onetime everyday soccer fans translated their organizational skills into the death squads that terrorized the Balkans for years.

Certainly not as important as the tens of thousands of lives lost, but of marking consequence nonetheless, Yugoslavian soccer also suffered as a result of the war. Having qualified for the 1992 European Cup in Sweden, the national team was forced to pull out, and was replaced by Denmark (who went on to win the tournament). Yugoslavia were going into the tournament as potential winners, and their disqualification left fans longing for a team that had earned the moniker of the European Brazilians; a team represented by some of Europe’s most talented players such as, Dragan Stojkovic, Dejan Savicevic, Pedrag Mijatovic, and Robert Prosinecki. In 1998 Prosinecki finally did bring Balkan soccer back to the forefront of world football, along with Croatian teammates Davor Sukur and Robert Jarni, during the world cup in France, where they barely lost to the hosts in the semifinal, and Croatia has since been regarded as the torchbearer of Balkan soccer. However, Croatia’s inability to qualify for South Africa has left the responsibility fully on Serbia’s shoulders, a team reeling from a disastrous showing in 2006’s world cup, and desirous of showing the world that the European Brazilians still reside in the Carpathian basin.

Nevertheless, for many, Serbian success is only a pipe dream, especially since Group D is populated by world cup powerhouse Germany, and two potential spoilers in Australia and Ghana. Still, while Group D may prove to be one of the most unpredictable groups of the world cup, Serbia should not only qualify, but also reach the quarterfinals at the expense of either England or the United States. And here’s why:

Reason 1: Radomir Antic – Outside of Spain and Serbia, Antic is one of the least known top-level managers in Europe, especially to Anglocentric fans. This is unfortunate considering the fact that to this day, Antic is the only man ever to manage Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Barcelona. Antic had successful spells with all three Spanish giants, but the zenith of his Iberian career was achieved with Atletico during the 95/96 season, when he did the double, winning both the Copa del Rey and La Liga at the expense of Barcelona. This is particularly jaw dropping when one considers that at the time, the Blaugrana were led by Cruyff and boasted the likes of Luis Figo, Guardiola, Nadal, and Ivan De La Pena. It was with Atletico as well that Antic showed his eye for talent, signing the unknown Milinko Pantic, and bringing him out of Greek obscurity. Antic is also responsible for launching the careers of Adres Iniesta and Victor Valdes at Barcelona. Since being hired as Serbia’s coach, Antic has not been reluctant about imposing his own game philosophy. For one thing, he’s not afraid to take risks. Faced with a roster that included many players who were past their prime, Antic was quick to call-up young domestically employed players, such as Milijas and Tosic (both now applying their trade abroad), to bring vitality to a midfield well anchored by Dejan Stankovic. Any Antic detractors (I doubt there are many) need only to look at Serbia’s qualifying record in order to truly appreciate how far the team has come under his guidance, in a very short time.

Reason 2: An experienced defense – While I cringe at the utterance of a cliché, there’s got to be something to the old adage, “offense sells tickets, while defense wins championships.” Just ask Italy. Serbia will arguably have one of the best defenses on show in South Africa. Apart from possessing one of the more imposing European defenders in Nemanja Vidic, the Balkan back-four also includes Branislav Ivanovic and Aleksandar Lukovic (Ivica Dragutinovic of Sevilla could also have been added to the list, but he’ll miss the world cup with an injury). Vidic has been consistently impressive since arriving at Manchester United. His marking is impeccable and infuriating to forwards, and many believe he’s as important to the English champions as Wayne Rooney - the team is far less frugal at the back when he’s out. Like Vidic, Ivanovic has proved a stalwart for Chelsea since replacing Bosingwa on the right, and his ability to play in middle of the defense makes him even more valuable to the team. Far less celebrated than the aforementioned two; Lukovic has become a mainstay on the team after being capped for the first time in 2005, and as an indispensable member of Udinese for the past three seasons, has gained a tremendous amount of experience defending against the best strikers in Italy. All three defenders are physically imposing, very good in the air, and the first two are a considerable threat from set-pieces.

Reason 3: Wing play – Serbia’s opponents will have the strenuous task of defending against the team’s wing attack. Spearheaded by the unpredictable Milos Krasic, Serbia has some formidable options on the wing (perhaps only Portugal has more options in the same positions). This season Krasic became a household name playing on the right side of midfield for CSKA in the Champions League. Although still under contract with the Russians, it is doubtful that the 25 year old will remain with the team after the world cup given the amount of interest he’s getting from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, namely Manchester United, and Arsenal. Liverpool’s newest signing, Milan Jovanovic is the most likely candidate to partner Krasic. Playing equally well behind a striker, Jovanovic also established himself in the Champions League with Standard Liege this year. The former Belgium player of the year will fit in nicely with the Scousers, but he’ll be tormenting defenders at the world cup first. Though poised to start on the bench, Zovan Tosic and Bosko Jankovic will also see significant time on the field. Tosic may not have made his mark with the Red Devils in Manchester yet, but expect him to play an important role next season, stealing minutes from Valencia. Finally, Jankovic has been a regular starter for Genoa in the Serie A. Last year he was a big part of Genoa’s league success, supplying Diego Milito with the goals that caught the eye of Jose Mourinho. Only adding to the wing threat is the fact that all crosses will be aimed at Valencia’s Nikola Zigic. At 6,7, he may be a little bit of an aerial menace.

Potential Handicap: Vladimir Stojkovic – Finding a weakness in Antic’s team may prove difficult; nevertheless, it is in between the posts that the Serbs are at their weakest. Ironically, Stojkovic has long been extolled as one of the most promising goalkeepers in Europe. As a result many teams have taken a chance on the capricious keeper, only to be frustrated by what David Moyes called a “complicated character.” Nobody knows this better than Sporting Lisbon, who have been dealing with the Serb’s antics since 2007. Stojkovic’s lack of discipline could prove problematic during the tournament, and if problems due ensue, Serbia’s backup keeper doesn’t exactly inspire a tremendous amount of confidence.

What To Watch Out For: Serbia’s game against Germany should prove exciting. Both teams will be battling it out for first place in the group, eager to avoid a first knockout round game against England. History between the two nations may also produce some fireworks. Nazi occupation of Serbia is still very fresh in the country’s cultural unconscious. Plus, what could be better than watching Lukas Podolski bouncing off Vidic?