200 Words on Slovakia v. Italy

When Pandora opened her pithos, she released all the evil spirits of the world, leaving Hope trapped inside. The joy of Slovakia's fans was extinguished and replaced with disappointment when their team conceded a goal in the dying seconds of their first-ever World Cup game. Agony continued against Paraguay - even if La Albirroja played without their goalkeeper, they would still win 2-1.

Despair took over - fan forums were filled with posts, posts were filled with anger. Slovakia's presence at the World Cup was described as a matter of pure luck, Weiss's coaching skills were questioned, many players labelled as hopeless. Weiss's outburst of rage lead him to swear at Slovak journalists.

Pandora must have reopened her pithos on Thursday and it certainly contained more than just Hope. Most match reports focused on Italy's shambolic play, overshadowing their opponent's performance. Slovakia delivered played like a real team. Rookie Kucka was one of the best players on the pitch; veteran Štrba kept playing despite suffering a knee injury which later on required twelve stitches; the often-criticized striker Vittek scored two goals. It was a moment of great pride for every Slovak - those, who made it happen, deserve one big "ďakujem".

200 Words on Slovakia v. New Zealand

Three days later I finally mustered the courage to reflect on Tuesday's match. My expectations were nearly as high as disappointment that kicked in after Winston Reid scored - it has been with me ever since. I am not bitter about his goal - I am happy for New Zealand and disappointed about what I saw on the pitch. It reminded me of the dark days of Slovak football that lasted for over 15 years. 

Apologies for the lack of length - you may find this reflection in The Observer this coming Sunday and they have their limits. I have also started my job in HK, leaving me with very little spare time - I will, however, try my best to keep things as up-to-date as possible.

Interview for Italian 'Serie A' Football FanCast

"7560 Minutes Later" features in the most recent "Italian 'Serie A' Football FanCast" - please find all the details below. I'd advise you to listen to it in its entirety - the insight of its guests is truly unique. If you are only interested in what I have to say, I am on from approx. 38:20 - enjoy my podcasting premiere!

A View From Slovakia - Part 3 - Italy

With the notable exception of the host country, every Pot 1 team has displayed qualities that are superior to those of Slovakia. The dream of being drawn into the same group as South Africa did not materialize and Slovakia ended up in Group F with the 2006 World Cup winners - Italy. 

A View From Slovakia - Part 2.5 - Paraguay

Two days after "7560 Minutes Later" published an article on Paraguay, a major Slovak daily came up with an interesting interview with Jindřich Krous (48), a Czech teacher, who not only lives in Paraguay, but is also an avid follower of the Guaraníes. 

A View From Slovakia - Part 2 - Paraguay

Although the excitement among journalists and fans alike tends to rise as the tournament progresses, the World Cup group stages are my personal favorite. Watching the diverse styles of football, and the encounters of teams or even countries that are half the world apart from each other [e.g. Iran v. Angola or Korea Rep v. Togo in 2006] is a true spectacle. The upcoming World Cup guarantees to provide several of such "encounters of a third kind" - and Group F should not disappoint on this front either. An NZ sports portal challenged its readers about the glamour of the upcoming NZ/Slovakia clash. I wonder what they say in Paraguay [any idea, anyone?]. It has already been established that Slovakia has more information about the All Whites than one would ever assume. Where does Paraguay fit in? Is it a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma? Or does another Ivan Hucko [Bahrain's assistant manager from Slovakia] operate somewhere in Central/South America, ready to enrich the Weiss crew with his knowledge?

A View From Slovakia - Part 1 - New Zealand

After missing out on Group C and Group D, and with only three balls left in Haile Gebrselassie's pot, Slovakia ended up in Group F along with Italy, Paraguay and New Zealand.