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.

But if there’s anything that should be remembered about this 2010 squad, more than their upset of Italy or their strong game against the Dutch, it should be the manner in which they played those games. Sitting at the bottom of Group F, facing elimination, Slovakia rose up. Twenty-three men, dedicated to one goal, became bigger than themselves, more powerful than the sum of their parts, and they shook the world. More than anything, we should take that away from the tournament. We should use their performance, their proof that a little team from a little country with a lot of heart can do great things, as a reminder of what can be accomplished. We should learn from their spirit and use it as an affirmation in the belief of the impossible.

So what comes next? We make sure that this moment is not the single greatest moment in Slovak football history but only the first of many. We keep moving forward, keep growing the game in Slovakia, keep striving for greatness. We build a stronger domestic league, keep getting exposure in some of Europe’s best leagues, and inspire a new generation of Slovak footballers and fans. We qualify for Euro 2012 in nearby Poland and Ukraine, we qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and this time, we make it to the quarterfinals. Sound unrealistic? So was beating Italy.

I’ve had a great time writing this blog, and I really appreciated and enjoyed all of the great feedback and comments. I learned a lot from everyone and it was great to hear from so many Slovakian fans, as well as well-wishers around the world. Thank you to everyone for taking the time to read. (If you’d like to continue following me, I’ve got a new blog that can be found here. It’s not fully up and running yet, but look for things to kick off this fall)

I’ll leave you with some words from the team, some of my favorite quotes from the tournament. Because really, there’s nothing that I can write that can do justice to their performance. Thanks again for reading.

"This is a fantastic day for Slovakia and the second greatest day of my life after the birth of my son."-Slovakia manager Vladimir Weiss after Slovakia’s 3-2 win over Italy

“The difference between this match and our last two games was that as well as trying to play football, this time we did it with heart.” Erik Jendrisek after Slovakia’s 3-2 win over Italy

"We’ve pushed back the boundaries of Slovakian football. We never would have dared dream of this. I’m overjoyed. We proved that we’re capable of great things. My individual performance doesn’t matter; only the performance of the team counts. But, of course, to be chosen as Man of the Match means a lot to me. I’d just like to be able to break up this trophy and give a little piece to every one of my team-mates.”-Robert Vittek after Slovakia’s 3-2 win over Italy

"The Netherlands were tough opponents. We were courageous and we threw our hearts into it. We’re proud we made it into the last sixteen, but the better team is through to the next round. The penalty at the end will lighten the mood a little on the plane home.” -Slovakia manager Vladimir Weiss after Slovakia’s loss to the Netherlands

"We’re going home proud and with our heads held high. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved, not just today, but from the first to the last match. We’re winners to the people of Slovakia, and I hope we feel able to celebrate. I’m personally pleased because I’ve shown the world I have goals in me.” Robert Vittek