Slovakia’s football squad left the country three weeks ago as a football team. They returned home heroes on Thursday. You couldn’t have asked for a better showing from Slovakia in South Africa. They gave us everything we could have asked for: Heart, spirit, guts, skill, a spotlight on the world stage, our own moment to bask in the soft glow of World Cup glory. Sure, there was some drama and defeat thrown in, but that just made the victories and celebration even sweeter.

Ten, even five years from now, fans won’t remember Winston Reid’s last minute header, or the poor play against Paraguay, or Vladimir Weiss’s row with the media. But they will remember June 24, 2010 at Ellis Park, when Robert Vittek and the rest of the squad put three goals past Fabio Cannavarro and the Italians. When Martin Skrtel’s knee deflected a potentially game-tying header. When Jan Mucha stood firm in goal. When Vladimir Weiss Jr. raced over to hug his father before joining his teammates and when the entire squad gathered in the middle of the field in celebration.