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The former Yugoslav state made their debut as Serbia and Montenegro in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and were unfortunate to be placed in the Group of Death alongside Argentina, the Netherlands and the Ivory Coast in Germany. Not surprisingly, they failed to win any of the games, and were in fact even drubbed 6-0 by Argentina. Once again on debut, this time as the independent republic of Serbia, the team is hoping to reach new heights and make history for the newly created nation.
Serbia are ranked 16th in the world and belong to a difficult Group D. The group consists of Germany, Ghana and Australia. All three of their opponents reached the knockout rounds last season and will hoping to better their records. Serbia will find stiff opposition in all three fixtures.
Serbia failed to qualify for Euro 2008 and hence haven't played a competitive tournament since their seperation with Montenegro. They have little experience on the global stage as a seperate identity in the big stage.
In World Cup qualification though, Serbia were extremely impressive, winning 7 of their 10 games, drawing 1 and losing 2. They finished top of the group ahead of fellow qualifiers France. Their group also consisted of Austria, Lithuania, Romania and the Faroe Islands.
Their opening encounter against Ghana will set the tone for Group D. A win over the African giants would ease their way towards qualification. The matches don't get any easier, with Germant and Australia to follow. One can't help but wonder with so many competitive teams in one group whether or not we'll see a number of draws, and the key for Serbia will be their defensive wall, which should ensure that they seldom leave a stadium without a share of the points.
Key Players:
Nemanja Vidic - For as little as £7million, Sir Alex Ferguson struck gold, by the astute purchase of Vidic. Considered by many to be one of the best defenders in the world, Nemanja Vidic has been a revelation since joining Manchester United. Vida, as he is known to his friends, is adept at winning headers and tackling. The Serb is the first to commit for the team's cause, and is an invaluable presence for corners at both ends for his team.
Dejan Stankovic - The inspirational captain and midfield maestro is one of the greatest players of his generation from the country. 'Deki' has the ability to play anywhere in midfield and can score from anywhere of the opponents half. His deadly shooting ability, coupled with his vision and passing make him one of Serbia's most potent weapons. He has been successful with all three of his clubs namely Red Star Belgrade, Lazio and Inter Milan, winning the domestic league title with all three teams.
Branislav Ivanovic - The versatile defender has emerged as one of the key players for his country over the years. Playing right back at Chelsea may have earned him a spot in the English PFA 2009/10 Team of the Year, but the Serbian International is a first choice centre-back for his country. His meteoric rise to fame over the last year can be attributed to his no nonsense approach and you can be sure, he will be one of the first names on the team list. Along with Vidic, he forms one of the strongest center-back pairings amongst the 32 countries in South Africa 2010.
Team:
Goalkeepers: Vladimir Stojkovic (Wigan), Bojan Isailovic (Zaglebie Lubin), Andjelko Djuricic (Uniao Leiria)Defenders: Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea), Antonio Rukavina (Munich 1860), Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United), Neven Subotic (Borussia Dortmund), Aleksandar Lukovic (Udinese), Ivan Obradovic (Zaragoza), Aleksandar Kolarov (Lazio).
Midfielders: Dejan Stankovic (Internazionale), Gojko Kacar ( Hertha Berlin), Nenad Milijas (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Zdravko Kuzmanovic (VfB Stuttgart), Radosav Petrovic (Partizan Belgrade), Milos Krasic (CSKA Moscow), Zoran Tosic (Manchester United), Milos Ninkovic (Dynamo Kiev), Milan Jovanovic (Standard Liege).
Forwards: Nikola Zigic (Birmingham City), Marko Pantelic (Ajax Amsterdam), Danko Lazovic (Zenit St. Petersburg), Dragan Mrdja (Vojvodina Novi Sad).
Top Goal Scorers: Nikola Žigić (16), Dejan Stanković (13)Most Capped Players: Dejan Stanković (86), Nemanja Vidić (44)
Head Coach: Radomir Antic
Form Guide: (WLWWW)
Nov 18, South Korea 0-1 Serbia
Mar 03, Algeria 0-3 Serbia
Apr 07, Japan 0-3 Serbia
May 29, New Zealand 1-0 Serbia
June 5, Serbia 4-3 Cameroon
Fixtures:
13-Jun: Serbia vs. Ghana 3:00pm (GMT) - Match Report
18-Jun: Germany vs. Serbia 12:30pm (GMT) - Match Report
23-Jun: Australia vs. Serbia 7:30pm (GMT) - Match Report
Team Trivia
Though they have participated in the World Cup earlier as 'Yugoslavia' and 'Serbia & Montenegro', this would be their first World Cup as 'Serbia'.
Also Read:
Group Competitior Previews: Germany, Australia, Ghana
Photo by 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa
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