Slovakia’s successful World Cup run may create some big opportunities for Slovakia’s stars. Here’s a look at where some of the squad will be in 2010-2011.

Jan Mucha-The Slovak goalkeeper spent 2009-10 with Poland’s Legia Warszawa, but moved to Merseyside club Everton in the off-season. Mucha will back up American Tim Howard in goal, although some have said that he could challenge for the starting spot. His strong performance in South Africa could open up the door for a Mucha and we may see him starting a few games for the Toffees.

Man of the Tournament: Robert Vittek
Without a doubt, Robert Vittek gets my Man of the Tournament honor. The 28-year-old striker, who was recovering from a knee injury during the run up to the tournament, sparked Slovakia's offense, netting 4 goals in 4 games, and secured legendary status in Slovakia. His 4th goal of the tournament, a spot kick in the waning minutes of the Repre's game with the Netherlands, also put him past Szilárd Németh as Slovakia's all-time leading scorer.

Honorable Mention: Jan Mucha and Martin Skrtel
Both Mucha and Skrtel contributed mightily to the Slovakian cause. Mucha made several big saves, especially key punch-outs in their match against Italy and Skrtel controlled the back line superbly. Skrtel’s goal line deflection of a sure Italy goal in the second half of the game also saved the Repre from giving up the equalizer.

Well, I guess it had to end sometime. But Slovakia’s exit from the tournament was one of class and dignity. Free of controversy, lopsidedness, and poor play, Slovakia put up a superb effort and were simply beaten by a better team. But it was a highly contested match, with the Netherlands not really putting the game away until the 84th minute, and Slovakia generating three very legitimate chances.

-Still riding high from their win over Italy, Slovakia came out confident and focused. Erik Jendrisek put a shot over the top of the crossbar just a minute and a half into the game and things looked positive for the Repre. The Netherlands on the other hand came out very relaxed and lacking urgency. It was an effective attitude however, as they controlled most of the first half.

Slovakia’s incredible World Cup run came to an end today with a 2-1 loss to the Netherlands. Slovakia showed flashes of skill but were unable to overcome a strong performance from the Dutch. The loss signifies the end of one of the most unlikely World Cup stories in the tournament.

One of the more important things that came out of the game was the fact that Slovakia came out confident and composed. They were a completely different squad from the shaky side we saw against New Zealand and to see that sort of transformation in a span of 13 days is remarkable.

Slovakia and the Netherlands will face off in a Round of 16 match that almost no one expected to see. Still riding high of their epic upset of Italy, Slovakia enters the match with high hopes and an optimistic outlook. The Netherlands, despite winning all three of their Group E matches have yet to hit their stride and are playing with high expectations and enormous pressure. The match might turn out better than most expect however, with the gutsy Slovaks putting up a strong fight against the Dutch.

At the risk of inducing full-blown Slovak football overload, here are a few more bits of news and notes from the game,

-Weiss drastically switched up his lineup for the third time in three games, opting to use a 4-2-3-1 with Skrtel and Zbavnik patrolling the central defense, Jan Durica and Peter Pekarik at the fullback slots, Juraj Kucka and Zdeno Strba as holding midfielders, and Hamsik, Jendrisek and Stoch across the midfield feeding Vittek up front. Noticeably absent from the starting 11 were Stanislav Sestak and Vladimir Weiss Jr., two players who I felt had two of the better performances up to that point. Sure, no one played really well against Paraguay but Weiss was electric against New Zealand.

I don’t believe one can write too many words about what transpired this afternoon. The meaning of the moment, the thrill of the game, one could go on and on. But to ensure that I don’t overwhelm ESPN’s system, I’ll try to keep my thoughts to only a few posts. First a recap of the match, because really, who doesn’t want to relive it?

Slovakia came out fighting. Fighting on the endline and sidelines for possession, fighting in the midfield, in the air. Fighting for the little things. And because of that fight and that hustle, they began to make something out of nothing. They earned corners, held possession, saw good looks at the goal. They were creating opportunities through hustle and grit. Helping their cause was the lackluster play of the careless, uninspired Italian side and it’s nervous goalkeeper Frederico Marchetti.

The impossible has happened. Slovakia has sent the defending champions packing and have advanced to the second round of the World Cup, after starting the day in last place. In the most epic, exciting, nerve-racking, glorious match that I have ever seen, the Repre, from little Slovakia, led by veteran Robert Vittek, stood toe-to-to with Italy, took their lumps, and came out on top. This was the team we were expecting to see all tournament! Full of energy, heart, guts and passion. It is without a doubt, the greatest moment in Slovak football history, and will stay with Slovaks for years to come. My fingers are trembling as I write this, still decompressing from such an emotional game, overcome with pride and happiness. To see manager Vladimir Weiss on the field after the game, his eyes full of tears, and the rest of the team, gathered in a circle, joyously yelling and celebrating is something that I will not soon forget. More rational analysis later tonight but for now, Slovak fans, drink in this feeling, because history has just been made.

The weight of the World Cup has hung heavy over the Slovakian squad lately. Almost nothing has been going right for the Repre, from the complete absence of the offense on the playing field to the off-the-field comments from its coach. The media back home have largely turned against them and players have grown frustrated. This is not the World Cup we were expecting. And these issues, both on and off the field are not things that can be shaken off quickly, say, in between World Cup matches. These are things that take time to heal. But unfortunately, the Repre don't have that sort of time. At the time of this writing, they have less than 12 hours. That's when they'll take on the defending world champions in a fight for their World Cup lives. It is a monumental task, but if it is done, it will without a doubt the single greatest moment in Slovak football history, and another bright moment in this tournament already filled with flashes.

Slovakia has failed to kick up even a dusting of World Cup magic in South Africa so far, but come Thursday afternoon at Ellis Park the Repre will need a sack full of magic, a little luck and some outside help from our South American friends to overcome the defending world champions and book the unlikeliest of tickets to the second round.

Thursday’s game is an opportunity. It is by no means a guaranteed win, and it is not a throw-away game. It is an opportunity to turn around a dismal start to this tournament and become the team that they were supposed to be. No one thought it would shake out this way, with Paraguay sitting pretty atop Group F, New Zealand becoming the darlings of the tournament, and Italy struggling just to advance. But, no matter how it happened, it’s here.

Despite a devastating last-gasp goal and an uninspired, sleepy performance, hope still remains for the Repre. Slovakia’s slim World Cup chances received an energizing jolt roughly two hours after it disappointingly fell to Paraguay when World Cup darlings New Zealand drew defending world champions Italy 1-1. All the credit in the world must go to the All-Whites who struck early and fought valiantly through the entire match.

The plug has been pulled on Slovakia’s World Cup dreams, which were on life support entering today’s match against Paraguay. Following a 2-0 loss to the South American side, Slovakia’s dreams of advancing to the Round of 16 seem all but over. But unlike their match against New Zealand, Slovakia did nothing to show that they deserved anything more than a loss. Their performance against Paraguay can best be described as sloppy and uninspired. They struggled to establish any real rhythm, failed to connect on passes, were lax with touches and on the whole appeared half-asleep.

It’s amazing how the same 1-1 draw can mean such different things to two football teams. New Zealand is still basking in the glow of it’s historic first World Cup point, while Slovakia is still trying to pick itself up off the ground after Winston Reid’s 93rd-minute knockout punch. Things have been bleak around the Slovakia camp these past few days, with most of the team still reeling from its tie against New Zealand. But the past is the past, and the Repre now have to turn its attention to its upcoming match up with Paraguay.

Now that some time has passed, and I’ve had some time to regroup, I’ll take a more rational look at what transpired between Slovakia and New Zealand earlier today. First off, I’ll admit, it was a bit inaccurate of me to claim that the Repre drastically outplayed the All Whites today. But when you’re a mere thirty seconds away from victory and you see three precious points evaporate into one, it’s easy to lose sight of what actually happened, and instead try to believe what you want to be true. With that being said, and upon further contemplation and review, I believe that a 1-1 draw was a just result for both teams. I believe Slovakia did outplay New Zealand, but not by much, and it created at least three legitimate chances that should have been put away. And yes, as beautifully crafted as it was, Vittek’s goal should have been called offside. Slovakia had opportunities to put the game out of reach, but failed to do so, and because it chose to sit on its slim lead, New Zealand made it pay. New Zealand also deserves credit for its effort. Winston Reid was undoubtedly it’s Man of the Match, and most likely the tournament, not only for his last minute header, but for making a game-saving tackle on Stanislave Sestak minutes before. Here are the rest of my thoughts on the match:

I’m in a state of complete and utter shock right now. Just thirty seconds away from making history and securing the top spot in Group F and its first World Cup victory, Slovakia let it slip away, conceding an incredibly late goal to New Zealand to finish 1-1. I’m too gutted to provide any analysis right now. Check back later for a rational recap of the game. But for now, I’ll just say that Slovakia should have won the match. They drastically outplayed the Kiwis, creating bountiful chances, and shutting down New Zealand’s attack for 92 and a half minutes. But in that same vein, Slovakia should have put the game out of reach with one of their many close chances earlier in the game. Overall, it leaves an incredibly hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach that won’t ease up until at least next Sunday.

The time has finally come. In just 35 hours, Slovakia will be taking the field against New Zealand in its first ever World Cup match as an independent nation. No more, Czecho-prefix. This is all about Slovakia. But it’s also time to get over the “world cup debutante” labels and get ready to play… and win.

To the casual observer, Tuesday’s match between Slovakia and New Zealand is not particularly eye-catching. It’s a game featuring two of the tournaments lesser-known, more understated teams. But that match might turn out to be the starting point that boosts Slovakia’s confidence and propels it into the knockout round.

Slovakia take on the All-Whites of New Zealand in their first-ever World Cup match on Tuesday, in what should be a relatively easy match for the Repre. Although Slovakia is the lone debutante of the tournament, New Zealand took a much flukier road to qualification, and are the favorites to finish last in Group F.

I’ve take a little bit of heat for my previous comments on goalkeeper Jan Mucha, so I figured that he deserved his own entry, in order to receive a full analysis. Mucha has 15 caps with Slovakia, recording 3 clean sheets during qualification. He spent the past five seasons with Legia Warszawa, but moved to Everton for the 2010-11 season.

Slovakia’s match against Costa Rica on Saturday was an exercise in breathing for most Slovak fans. A series of quick drastic gasps and inhalations when Martin Skrtel hit the pitch, clutching his ankle. A long slow exhalation when he rose and began to negotiate his way around the field again. A guttural moan when he ambled off the pitch a few minutes afterwards. Then another long sight when scans revealed he would be ok.

Overshadowing (wrongfully) what was a great win for the Repre, Skrtel injured his ankle in the 16th minute of the match and was subbed out soon after. Although he was taken to the hospital, a scan revealed that there was swelling to the ankle, but not much else, and he is expected to be fit for South Africa. “It’s not too bad, just a gash,” Skrtel told the Slovak Football Association’s Website. It’s a bit of a non-story if you ask me. I realize that suffering an ankle injury and leaving the game is cause for concern. However, he has come out saying that he is fine and the scans concur. Skrtel’s injury, although legitimate, overshadowed an extremely positive win for Slovakia against Costa Rica. The Repre were firing on all cylinders today, staying strong on all fronts

Both Robert Vittek and Filip Holosko confirmed in an article on the Slovak Football Federation’s Website, that they are fit and will be ready to play in the friendly against Costa Rica, if called upon. This is big news for the strikers, who missed last week’s friendly against Cameroon and whose inclusion on the final 23-man roster was questionable. Holosko suffered a broken leg last year while Vittek has been battling a knee injury.

Slovakia wraps up its World Cup preparations with a friendly against Costa Rica tomorrow in Bratislava, Slovakia. Although the Ticos didn’t qualify for a trip to South Africa, they're no slouches and will put up a very good fight against the Repre. They already upended World Cup qualifier Switzerland 1-0, so don’t be all that surprised if Costa Rica pulls off the upset. The game will be a great test for Slovakia, as Costa Rica’s quick, fluid offensive play is similar to Paraguay’s style. Here are three key things to look for in Saturday’s match.

Well, the list is out. The list of the 23 men that will be traveling to South Africa to represent Slovakia at the World Cup was released earlier today, with very few shocks or controversies (unlike the poor chaps over in England’s camp). Here’s a look at the squad...