23 for 2010 – Slovakia: World Cup squad analysis

Slovakia

At the outset of the FIFA 2010 World Cup Qualifying campaign, Slovakia weren’t on most people’s lists as potential contenders for the final 32. A disappointing two years previous had seen a fourth-place finish in the Euro 2008 preliminaries, and although they had been given one of the more favourable groups, Vladimir Weiss’ men were expected to finish behind the Czech Republic and Poland at least when it was all said and done.

However, with the two favourites toiling and Slovakia rolling out some of the best young talent in Europe, they seized their chance and took top spot in Group 3, courtesy of a final day win in Poland. As they prepare to embark on a first major finals as an independent nation, we take a look at the men who are vying for one of the 23 places on the plane to South Africa.

Goalkeepers:

1. Ján Mucha

13. Dušan Kuciak

23. Dušan Perniš

Slovakia’s goalkeeping situation is solid and almost predictable, with Weiss set to stick with the status quo, favouring experience over some of the younger options tried in recent times. Ján Mucha kept goal for much of the qualifying process and has already sealed a move to Everton for next season. He provides experience, an assured hand and a solid all-round game.

Backing him up will be Dušan Kuciak, who made his debut aged just 19 and is a regular for SC Vaslui in Romania.

Alternatives who could gatecrash the plans are Ľuboš Kamenár and Dušan Perniš, who were both given debut caps in late 2009 and are playing well for their respective clubs Nantes and Dundee United. They possess impressive developing CVs and are the future of the national team’s gloves, but this tournament could be one too soon for them.

Defenders:

2. Martin Petráš

3. Marek Čech

5. Ján Ďurica

6. Martin Škrtel

12. Peter Pekarík

15. Peter Petráš

19. Radoslav Zabavník

21. Kornel Saláta

The defensive unit is an experienced one, with most players well-travelled and long since entrenched in the national team setup. Centre-back Martin Škrtel is comfortably their star player and provides a steel and authority at the heart of the team, but a broken metatarsal suffered in late February will mean that the Liverpool man will have gone three and a half months without competitive action when Slovakia kick off against New Zealand, and could be struggling for match fitness. His presence alongside Ján Ďurica will be vital, as the pair work well together. Whilst Škrtel deals with the play in an aggressive and dominant manner, Ďurica is a more composed player, almost a sweeper, and builds play from the back in a patient and tidy fashion.

If Škrtel suffers a setback in his rehabilitation his place is likely to go to Radoslav Zabavník. The most capped Slovakian defender still active recently joined Mainz in Germany and his versatility guarantees him a place in the squad. He can play right across the back four and in defensive midfield, and is the sort of player a World Cup squad depends upon.

Marek Čech and Martin Petráš will contest the left-back spot, with the former providing a more attacking threat and the potential to play on the wing, whilst the former is a more solid and dependable option and has been given the nod more often than not in recent fixtures. Both have approaching 40 caps and make the spot one of the more secure in the team.

At right-back, Peter Pekarík would appear to be the incumbent starter since Peter Petráš, his closest competition, hasn’t been called up in over a year. Pekarík plays his club football at Wolfsburg and fits the role well. Kornel Saláta is likely to complete the defensive selection, the tall centre-back having made his debut late last year and has continued to impress in either defence or midfield.

Midfielders:

4. Miroslav Karhan

7. Marek Sapara

8. Ján Kozák

17. Marek Hamšík

18. Dušan Švento

22. Kamil Kopúnek

Weiss has opted for a 4-4-2 formation of late but has often used a 4-5-1 look, meaning that the bulk of his midfield options are set to be central types capable of anchoring a team. Marek Hamšík is their one world-class talent and the performances of the Napoli playmaker will define their competition. Playing either on the left or in a more advanced central role, he averages a goal every three games for his country, a record he matches at club level, and is Slovakia’s “Mr Everything”. Ján Kozák captains the team (Hamšík takes the armband in his absence) and offers creativity himself, but is also versatile and can play elsewhere in the heart of the team. His poor career goalscoring record belies his ability.

Veteran holding duo Miroslav Karhan and Marek Sapara give the side a strong-looking core to build around, and Karhan is set to pass the 100 cap mark during the competition, should he feature in pre-tournament friendlies. Kamil Kopúnek offers a younger option should either of them need a rest, and is coming along nicely as a very comparable player. He featured in the key clinching result away to Poland at the expense of the ageing Karhan and the Spartak Trnava captain could be one to watch, perhaps earning himself a bigger move at the end of the finals.

The final spot in midfield could go to just about anyone but I’ve plumped for Dušan Švento, who can play inside but is often seen on the left side. After a long time out with injury he is experiencing a renaissance with Red Bull Salzburg and still only aged 24, can contribute hugely both now and in the future. His presence would mean no place for Zdeno Štrba, who will be 34 before the tournament kicks off, nor would the clutch of players given an occasional call-up during the qualifying campaign get in.

Forwards:

9. Róbert Vittek

10. Stanislav Šesták

11. Vladimír Weiss

14. Miroslav Stoch

16. Filip Hološko

20. Martin Jakubko

It might appear to be a tad too much to take six forwards in a squad of 23, but the versatility of the half-dozen named here means that both the flanks and attacking midfield spots are given sufficient depth, regardless of the formation Weiss opts for. Róbert Vittek is the second oldest hand in the squad and has spent the second half of the season on loan at Ankaragucu in Turkey in hope of finding goalscoring form ahead of the summer.

He remains a considerable threat in front of goal and alongside Stanislav Šesták should make up the first choice strikeforce. Šesták has an impressive goals to appearances ratio for his country and is a regular scorer in the Bundesliga for strugglers Bochum. He can also play wide or in a withdrawn role and with Vittek likely to garner much attention from opposing defenders, he is one who could thrive.

Filip Hološko may not be a regular goalscorer, nor is he featuring particularly often for Besiktas, but he has remained a mainstay in Weiss’ plans and is another who can play wide or deeper behind a lone striker. His work rate and selflessness lend themselves well to the team’s ethos and he should be set for a place. I’ve gone for Martin Jakubko ahead of Erik Jendrisek for the final striker’s berth as the 30 year-old Saturn forward played a key role during qualifying and at almost 6’5” tall gives the team a long-ball target if they are to resort to that tactic. Jendrisek has scored well in the Bundesliga II but is a little on the short side, and with the two wingers included in the party, would struggle to make an impact.

Those two wingers both belong to English club sides. Vladimir Weiss Jr and Miroslav Stoch of Manchester City and Chelsea have both spent portions of this season on loan at Bolton Wanderers and FC Twente and represent the future of the country’s fortunes along with Marek Hamšík. Both made their debuts during the qualifiers and both scored goals which proved vital to sealing their first ever finals place.

Weiss is the son of the manager but nepotism doesn’t play a part in his selection, as his skill, pace and crossing is an asset to any team. Stoch is more diminutive but more dynamic, and can often be found cutting in from wide on the left to unleash a surprisingly strong shot from anywhere within 25 yards.

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23 for 2010, Slovakia, Squad Analysis, World Cup 2010