Luka and I decided to exchange e-mails during today's Serbia-Slovenia European championship qualifier, here is what transpired, my writing will be in italics, Luka's in regular font.
I decided to send this e-mail nice and early (10:30pm game is at 2:45pm the next day), whether this is because I did not want to study, or because I was so nervous thinking about the game I do not know. Anyways, after thoroughly enjoying Granland.com's e-mail exchange of two yankee fans, Luka and I thought this could be fun (or it could be a potential disaster). So what is at stake today? Here is the breakdown: Slovenia cannot qualify for the 2012 European soccer championships but would LOVE to play spoiler to Serbia's hopes. Serbia needs to win as a tie wont do them any good. To be honest, I absolutely hate playing against a team that has nothing to play for, if we (yes we, deal with it) lose this game the disappointment would probably carry over to 2013. As of writing this e-mail, I have no clue where I will be watching the game (most likely my faculty's computer lab) or exactly how stressed I will get, what I do know is that at least one person will help me through it, take it away Luka.
I am extremely nervous right now. Out of all the sports, watching serbia play soccer seems like the most life and death for whatever reason. I also hate that were playing a team wit nothing to lose, especially one we've never beat. We've played them 5 times and 5 draws. If I didn't have midterms to study for after the game, there may have been some heavy drinking. Serbias line up: jorgacevic, kolarov, subotic, vidic (he's baaaack!!!), ivanovic (makes me very nervous), stankovic, tosic, jovanovic, ninkovic, petrovic, and mrda (very interesting choice) and we've started. Already regretting that no drinking thing...
I agree on all points, especially the drinkiing and Ivanovic nervousness ones. I swear if he didn't score so many key goals for us I would never want to see him don a Serbia jersey. There also may or may not be a class that I will skip because of this game, at which point is follwoing your country this passionately a bad thing? By the way the game is in the 11th minute and Ive lost a month of my life for each one of them, we are NOT playing well at the moment, I swear it feels like we crossed half only once. I am watching this game in a computer lab crowded with people trying to study, they are not happy with me right now.
I'm watching at home with my brother and dad and I'm currently skipping a class. I think it becomes a bad thing once it stops becoming fun to watch. This is still fun, rarely, but it still is. I agree, they outplayed us for the first 11 minutes. We've had some solid play after. Mrda looks especially frisky. Jovanovic is playing terrible, he hasn't controlled a single pass well. Currently the 22nd minute. And expect these messages to become shorter and less coherent as the game goes on.
Don't worry, Im expecting the same from the messages I will be sending. I am currently joined by random Serbian guys and were exchanging doomsday scenarios, we reached the conclusion that the most depressing way to lose would be to be leading 1-0 and allowing a goal in the 95th. Also the stream just cut out. Some tense moments as we are fixing it, this is a nice chance for my heart rate to come down. Stream recovered in time to see Tosic attempt a 'messi' (dribble through all of Slovenia to score) leading to a very dangerous counter. I fail to understand why our team always complicates shit, either cross or take a shot!
Thankfully my stream hasn't fucked up yet. Unffortunately I've been able to see our guys slip and slide all ovet the field. Apparently were all wearing chuck taylors from the 1980's. And wow a near penalty call that gets overturned into a diving call and a yellow for jovanovic. I think were playing well enough to score but I hate how our guys are giving them so much space and time on the ball. Its not messi, its fucking slovenia. Pressure them. 42nd minute. And since when did jovanovic turn slow? He used to be quick and fast.
The roller coaster of emotions from seeing us with a breakaway, to thinking penalty to getting yellow for diving was not a fun one....and Slovenia scores from half! one second while I go to the hallway and punch a wall. The way we allow retarded goals is actually getting ridiculous....put on Krasic and any guy willing to give a shit right now My mental sanity is at stake right now, as is the keyboard im typing on.
I have the same face right now that the police had when they figured out kevin spacey was keyser soze. Just shock mixed with anger. Normally I don't like blaming goals on a single player but wow, jorgacevic, what the fuck are you doing? Why are you so far out in the first place and then when u see the ball coming, why are you backing up slower than eddy curry from a buffet table? Fuck. Its shit like this that makes you regret caring so much. We gotta take off jovanovic (horrific half), and petrovic. Put in krasic and pantelic, play with 3 attackers. But knowing pizon (our coach), were gonna trot out the same 4-5-1 formation. I'm close to being done with this team.
I might be done with this team if we keep this moron of a coach. I agree with both substitutions, what we need now is a moment of inspiration, a guy to do something...anything! Petrovic off for Pantelic, I have my problems with him but I respect the fact that he will try his ass off. for some reason I feel that there is a serious lack of urgency on the part of our guys (youre 100 percent right on the pressing). on cue Slovenia almost makes it 2, great huslte by Ninkovic to prevent that COME ON!
And krasic comes in for jovanovic. What the fuck was the point of waiting 10 minutes to make the substitutions?? Our guys look deflated. And on cue 4 straight counters including a great save by handanovic on krasic! We need a goal soon tho. Already the 62nd.
much better stuff from us, you can almost feel a goal coming annnnnnnnd PENALTY!!!!!!!!
And we miss.... For some reason vidic took the penalty.. Another moronic coaching decision, why would ur center-back be taking the most important shot of the qualifiers? I feel bad for vidic. Hell get blamed for the shot and it was bad but he shouldn't be taking it. And he's had a stellar game up to this point. Without him itd be 3-0. Either way things are looking over. 69th minute.we need two goals
we have legitimately been kicking their ass in the second half, but in no way do we deserve to win, our proud record against balkan opposition is in danger too....happy birthday to me yay
And we score! But its offside... What else coukd go wrong this game? We have about 10 minutes left to score two goals.. And Savo Milosevic isn't walking through that door. I'm fairly depressed right about now
Note: Milosevic ignited a furious come-back from 3-0 down in Euro 2000 against Slovenia, with Serbia reduced to 10 men no less, arguably the best game played byt he national team ever.
The Milosevic comment actually made me laugh (a miriacle given my current mood), If I was our federation I would fire the coach now, and Slovenia have started wasting away the time, I feel another goal coming but not for us... roughly 5 minutes to go, i feel like throwing up
Well this game is done. To be honest, we don't deserve to make it to euro if we can't beat Slovenia. Also it seems like some of our guys have stopped playing. Tosic, stankovic, and pantelic are our only players up front who are still playing. Respect those guys a lot more now. The other guys up front can fuck off. And if pizon (the coach) doesn't get fired then there's no point of watching world cup qualifiers. 2 minutes to go
I am hoping that this will ignite a: Bring Back Antic movement, or at the very least a coach who can get these guyss to give a fuck. Final whistle, final score 1-0 Slovenia just brutal, this ruins my entire day on so many levels. I agree that Vidic should not recieve the blame, but in that situation one of the other players has to step up and be the man. We have regressed significantly sinse the world cup, with Antic we run away with this group and would have put Slovenia to the sword. The only good part about this is that we have about a year to get our shit together, what a disgrace.
There's sadly no way Antic comes back unless we change our whole federation. They won't hire a coach that's not their bitch. If I was a Man U fan I'd be very happy with what Vidic showed. He won't be taking penalties for them because they're not stupid. How does one attacker not want to shoot that? Unbelievable. I don't even know what to say about this team anymore. So much talent with so little to show. At least I won't have to watch krasic run as if he's jogging leisurely in the park for another year. One last thing, our lack of a real striker (like dzeko, vucinic) is clearly a huge problem. What's mateja kezman doing these days (sadly I'm only half-joking)? Watching pizons post-game interview is just pissing me off even more. He's blaming the loss on luck. Fuck this coach, it's a disgrace he was ever hired.
There you have it, hope you enjoyed it, we definitely did not
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