The Slovakia National Football Team
The Record of the Slovak Soccer Side Since Spiltting from the Czechs
Oct 23, 2009
Czechoslovakia was created after the break-up of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918, and the national football team enjoyed some success, finishing as runner-up in two World Cups, and winning the 1976 European Championships. When Czechoslovakia peacefully split in the early 1990's, two new states, Slovakia and the Czech Republic were created.
Slovakia Attempt European Championship and World Cup Qualification
The first chance for Slovakia to impress was in the qualifying tournament for the 1996 European Championships to be held in England. The newly formed side got off to a creditable start in a tough group with a goalless draw at home to France. Eventually home and away defeats to group winners Romania saw the Slovak’s eliminated, but they managed to win four of their ten matches, including a surprise 4-1 thrashing of Poland, and finished third in the table, behind Romania and France. Slovakia then went into qualifying for the 1998 World Cup in France, drawn in a pool alongside their former countrymen from the Czech Republic. The Slovak’s were beaten in Prague, but won the return encounter, although the result earned them nothing but pride, as both sides finished midway down the group, with Spain and Yugoslavia occupying the top two places.
Slovakia were then included in a qualification group for Euro 2000 which included minnows Liechtenstein and Azerbaijan. Victories over these sides, plus four points taken from two games against neighbours Hungary gave the Slovak’s third place in the group, after they were twice defeated by Portugal, and managed just one point from two games against Romania. The attempt to reach the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea ended the same way, with yet another agonising third place finish, just outside the play-off positions. This time it was Sweden and Turkey who edged out the improving Slovak’s. And it was to be another third place finish for Slovakia in their next campaign as dreams of reaching the European Championships in Portugal were quickly crushed. This time home and away defeats to both England and Turkey saw them finish well off the pace in their group, although they had the consolation of out-performing Macedonia and Liechtenstein.
Slovakia Qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa
Slovakia were then drawn in a seven team group for their attempt to reach the 2006 World Cup in Germany. In twelve matches they lost only once, away to group winners Portugal. Having out-qualified Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Latvia and Estonia, the Slovak’s went into their final group match against Russia level on points with their opponents, and a tense 0-0 draw saw them clinch second place, and finally advance to the play-off stages for a place in a major tournament. Unfortunately they were then drawn against Spain, by whom they were beaten 5-1 in Madrid. A 1-1 draw in Bratislava saw the Slovak side eliminated.
Euro 2008 qualifying once again saw the Slovak’s drawn against the Czech Republic. This time the Czech’s took the spoils, winning both matches as Slovakia failed to build on the success of their previous campaign, and slipped to fourth place in an admittedly tough group, from which Germany and the Czech’s eventually progressed, with the Republic of Ireland, Slovakia and Wales all some way off the pace. Next came the journey towards the World Cup to be held in South Africa in 2010, and yet again, the Slovak’s were drawn in a group which contained the Czech Republic. After a slow started a defeat to Slovenia, the Slovak campaign came to life in Prague with a 2-1 victory over the Czech’s. The result was backed up with a 7-0 demolition of San Marino, and then a 2-2 at home to the Czech Republic. Successive victories over Northern Ireland, Slovenia and Poland saw the Slovak’s top the group and left them finally able to celebrate qualification to the World Cup Finals.
