With one of the more
anticipated soccer games in recent Serbian history, a friend asked me if he
could post is thoughts after Croatia’s 2-0 win. Naturally, we welcome anyone to
share their opinions on this blog; so here it is (author credit will be at the
bottom of the page, I will post my own notes in italics throughout the article
when necessary).
The loss to Australia…..6-0…6-0…The
loss too Argentina rings through my brain…Mijatovic’s missed penalty kick to
send us far in the World Cup in a game against Netherlands Mijatovic missed the penalty when the score was 1-1,( Holland would
then score in the 92’ to send them through to the quarter finals). The
national team losing their place to Denmark (who would go onto win it all in
the 1992 Euro’s), Red Star Belgrade ’91 (A
Serbian club team who lifted the European cup that year)…. All these things
flashing through my mind, as the teams take the field. The game played on
Friday March 22, 2013 was iconic, in both Croatian football, and Serbian football,
it was a game that was long overdue, a game that would be the salt on the still
fresh wounds of anyone of the nations that lost it. Mainly, it was a game to
show who was better, a mini-prolonged version of the war played out on the
pitch. However, knowing what soccer
means to Croats, not to mention how incredibly amazing Modric, and Rakitic are;
and how intense they get at even the most obscene friendly matches, I knew the
results wouldn’t be good. I have been let down by the Serbian national team
many times in any aspect of any soccer competition. (This is an understatement, the Serbian team shows up to play the big
boys, but then loses to countries that should not even be playing soccer).
In, reality, all I prayed for was nothing crazy
too happen, really all of this past would not be forgotten but at least buried,
a dying ember if you will. Seeing as how a majority of these players were
either a fetus, or in diapers sucking on Legos when the two sides took to a
battle ranging from village to village, massacring each other in the worst ways
imaginable (only brothers could hate each other this much, people!) I did
expect what I heard from the crowds the booing of the anthem, the Nazi
chanting, it was expected and it will be insane not to hear the exact same
being thrown when the sides take to each other on the pitch at the Marakana,
probably the Yankee Stadium of soccer stadiums in the region, not to just Red Star
fans, but to the entire Balkans. Lets not forget, Maksimir was the site of
where one of the sparks to the war was lit, as Red Star fans chanted “We will
f*** Tajci” (A Croatian national singer, held in high regard, at that time she
was one of the biggest pop stars in Yugoslavia, and had competed in the
Eurovision contest)in result enraging many of the Croatian nationals as they took
to the pitch in a brawl involving even the Players.
As I turn the volume of my TV set up, I looked
at the starting line-up for Croatia; as expected, Stimac (the Croatian head
coach) brought out the best of the best, hell even if he brought out the worst
of the worst, these are Croats and like Montreal in hockey, they always putting
up a fight regardless of how broken they are. Then I saw the Mihajlovic
(Serbian head coach) line up, here are just some scattered thoughts when I saw
it : “….What in the hell….who is Brkic? Where is Stojkovic? Where was Rukavina?, Basta?, Understandable
Kolarov, and Ivanovic were there but…Nastasic…Really? Where was Kuzmanovic,
arguably one of our only offensive threats? Sulejmani? Where were these
players?”
Certainly Mihajlovic didn’t think he could run
up against the stacked Croatian team with kids barely off the U21 team…What on
earth was going on? Then I made a few “calls” if you will to people of high
regard in the Serbian sports scene back in Belgrade (I FB messaged them) I
asked what the hell was going on? They responded with “You can’t mess with
politics, and the corruption of the national team.” It seems as if even on a
national level, when it came to playing our best, going head to head against
one of the biggest rivals we will ever have in any sport, the greed and
corruption of our people, the soled out souls of those in head office, the leaders
of the fan bases all had hands in setting these squads up, hell it was rumored
that a prominent Albanian businessman (Read: DRUG DEALER, ORGAN TRAFFICKER) had
his hand in the establishment of the national team. To which then I beg the
question, why are we even here? I am not by any shot in any way saying that we
would have beaten Croatia, that’s like saying Team USA could beat the Dream
Team of ’92, but it would have been damn close…closer than anyone would have
expected it to be. (Full disclosure, I
firmly believe that had Kuzmanovic, Kacar, Vidic, even Jovanovic and Krasic
played, that the game would not have been 2-0. Even of the players available to
him, Mihajlovic really screwed us over, starting some guys who could not crack
it in the MLS).
Although, Croatia had a
stronger team, they provided a very weak performance especially for their level
of play, Serbia hadn’t countered with much either, but in typical Balkan
fashion we shot ourselves in the foot. All it took was one screw up from
Kolarov (Who’s entire career will be defined by this, just ask Mijatovic who I
previously mentioned up there) too open up the flood gates, and like MOB Deep
rapped, “They scared to death, they shook, ain’t no such things as half way crooks.”
And in a way that’s exactly what Serbia was a half way shook crook, not the
real thing, no bravery, our defense collapsed, and Modric? Well even if you had
a squad of police officers around him you couldn’t keep him down. And we did have enough chances on our own
end. It took Kolarov to show the team that it could be done as he sprinted up
field and fired a rocket at Pletikosa (that man looks like he smokes 3 packs
before every game, even during games), but to no avail. Even after that there
were a few more blown chances by the much younger and inexperienced Serbian
squad. At the end, the Croats came out
on top dominant, finally the conclusion to it all had happened. 2-0. Not bad
you say? It could have been worse? Well, at least we have Tennis, Basketball,
and Water-polo, and even Handball!- Really? In all my life as a basketball fan,
never have I been more uptight about a basketball game like I am for a soccer
one. I would trade all the other trophies in all of those sports for one great,
hell, even a top 10 national soccer team. I know that I sound harsh, but who
cares about all these other sports other than us? Much, like the Croats brag
about Skiing: no one cares. I love
Novak Djokovic, and I love Teodosic,(The
best basketball player in Europe currently) of course I do, but other than
a select few, who really brags about this stuff on worldwide level? When is the
last time you stopped what you were doing to check the scores on the match
between Patrick Rafter and Pete Sampras back in the day? Or too see the score
between some basketball team in FIBA, or the NBA, unless it wasn’t on TV, or a massive
playoff game? But Soccer? That’s a different story entirely. Even
peasants in the most remote Siberian villages know who won the world cup last
year, and won the Euros, we all talk about great soccer players, about who’s
better( Messi, or Ronaldo, Barca or Real. Was George Best better than Maradonna? Was
Pele that good? And so on). Soccer is the world’s game, its life, every child
in Europe/Africa/Asia has played it at one point in time. My point is, we
succeed in the things that ultimately don’t matter, yet the one thing we should
have been pushing we have crumbled and fallen on, too me soccer is the ultimate
reflection of a country’s status. I guess I was duped into thinking that we
could have done much more, and in the usual fashion, I was let down…yet again.
With the Euro’s just around the corner, I pray that Mihajlovic brings out
something out of this team, but I will probably be let down again. Maybe in a
few years these players will become studs, and take over the game, or maybe
they will just wither and fade away (Like
Duke basketball stars, am I right?). Either way only time will tell.
Post contributed By: Stefan Martinovic.
