Post by terroreign on Oct 14, 2010 23:23:24 GMT -5
As England endured their first slip-up in Euro 2012 qualification with a 0-0 home draw to Montenegro, the national press predictably put the boot in on Fabio Capello's men.
Duds, chumps and flops were just some of the descriptives being dished out as the English media struggle to contemplate how a national team representing a population of under 700,000 could shut out the Three Lions at Wembley.
But was the result really such a surprise?
The former Yugoslav state is located in the Balkans, a region known for producing gifted footballers. Since the dissolution of SFR Yugoslavia in 1992, Croatia have surpassed expectations to reach a World Cup semi-final while consistently beating the so-called bigger nations.
The Serbian national team are blessed with quality players who grace some of the biggest teams in Europe, while Bosnia and Herzegovina are quickly establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with on the international scene.
Slovenia surprised many at last summer's World Cup and were only minutes away from qualifying for the knock-out stage. So how do Montenegro compare in relation to their Balkan counterparts?
Well, they have only been playing international football since 2007, but have already made big strides. Their fifth placed finish in the nation's first ever qualifying campaign for World Cup 2010 was an unexpected success and since then Montenegro have not looked back.
Montenegro currently sit 40th in FIFA's latest world rankings, a dramatic rise from their original placing of 199 three years ago. Arguably Zlatko Kranjcar's men should be higher.
For example, it is hard to imagine that Burkino Faso and Gabon, who sit 39th and 31st respectively, are a better side than Montenegro. The two African nations would surely struggle in a European qualifying group, which cannot be said about the Balkan nation this time around.
Before the impressive draw at Wembley, the side clocked up three consecutive 1-0 victories over Wales, Bulgaria and Switzerland, which have seen them open up a three point lead at the top of Group G. The four straight clean-sheets are a clear indication of how Kranjcar has set up his team: strong and compact with an excellent work ethic are the attributes making the Montenegrins increasingly difficult to roll over at the moment.
What can't be underestimated is the importance of Kranjcar and his tactics. The father of Tottenham midfielder Niko is a dab hand at this qualifying business. The point at Wembley maintained the coach's 13 game unbeaten record in qualifying, a record that stretches back to his time managing Croatia from 2004 to 2006.
At a time when the Croatian national side were going through something of a transitional period, the coach did a sterling job to qualify the squad for the World Cup in 2006. Kranjcar really knows how to get the best out of his players while installing good team spirit.
However, Montenegro also boast some genuine attacking talent. Arguably the star player is Roma striker Mirko Vucinic. The 27-year-old is always capable of producing that magic moment to elevate the side above the tags of just another well organised team.
In addition the wonderfully talented prodigy that is Stevan Jovetic provides a genuine playmaker for the team. The youngster who plies his trade in Serie A with Fiorentina is well known for producing the goods in big games. Unfortunately both men missed the England game through injury.
Who's to say that if both were involved at Wembley that this team full of resolve, spirit and quality could not have earned the most famous victory in Montenegro's short footballing history.
www.goal.com/en-gb/news/3284/euro-2012/2010/10/14/2166007/the-rise-of-montenegro-europes-newest-football-nation
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