Appearances: 10 appearances (Last in 2006). 9 of the appearances were as Yugoslavia. Their appearance in 2006 was as Serbia & Montenegro. This is their first appearance as Serbia.
Current FIFA Ranking (As of March 31): 15
Captain: Dejan Stankovic (Midfielder)
Leading Scorer in Qualifying: Milan Jovanovic (Striker/Winger) - 5 goals
Key Injuries:
Bosko Jankovic (Attacking Midfielder) - Ligament damage in his left knee. Out for the World Cup.
Branislav Ivanovic (Center Back/Right Back) - Torn knee ligaments. Possible return in May.
Key retirements since 2006:
Savo Milosevic (Striker/Former Captain)
Dragoslav Jevric (Goalkeeper)
Mladen Krstajic (Defender)
Sasa Ilic (Attacking Midfielder)
Igor Duljaj (Defensive Midfielder)
Goran Gavrancic (Center Back)
Ognjen Koroman (Midfielder)
Mateja Kezman (Striker)
Predrag Dordevic (Midfielder/Left Winger)
Albert Nad (Defensive Midfielder)
Zvonimir Vukic (Attacking Midfielder)
Yeah, pretty much every starter and key backup player is gone.
Team Overview:
The White Eagles come into this World Cup as their own nation and with a whole bunch of new guys. They lost about half of their starters and their important backups to retirement after the previous tournament. The good news for them is that many of their current players were bench guys on that team and were able to gather some experience. They struggled at first, failing to qualify for Euro 2008, but they have made a come back and surprised many by finishing first in their World Cup qualifying group. They finished in front of the heavy favorites, France, and scored the most goals while allowing the least in their group.
26-year-old Vladimir Stojkovic takes over the reins as the keeper. The dude is a giant, standing 6'5" but he is not very experienced. He has played 30 games for the Serbians but in the last three years, he has only played 34 games for his various club teams. He has not gotten a chance to get in a groove and may be rusty if he doesn't stay focused. He is a solid keeper though and made many saves during the qualifying campaign. He'll be relying on his very dependable defense to keep him out of trouble.
That defense is led by Nemanja Vidic, one of the best center backs in the world. He's known for his tough, physical play and was instrumental in Serbia allowing only eight goals during qualifying. The defense did suffer a blow however when Branislav Ivanovic tore knee ligaments in one of his games for Chelsea. He is their most versatile player, able to play in center back, right back, or the defensive midfield positions.
Someone to keep an eye on in the defense is left back Aleksandar Kolarov. He is an excellent attacker and is able to kick start counter attacks with his ability. He's a good shooter and is very good at crossing from the left side into the penalty area. He takes most of the free kicks for the White Eagles and his kick-taking ability has been compared to that of Brazilian legend Roberto Carlos.
The midfield is led by captain Dejan Stankovic. He is the second leading scorer on the current team despite playing mostly in the defensive midfield position. He will make runs and put himself in an attacking position when the situation calls for it. He is the focal point for the team and will be the playmaker.
The rest of the midfielders are also good players but will be relied on to mostly hold the line and support the other players. Nenad Milijas partners with Stankovic in the central midfield and they form a formidable pair together. Milan Jovanovic and Milos Krasic round out the group. Jovanovic is particularly adept on offense and is a dangerous weapon. He's someone that Stankovic looks for often.
The forward position took a hit when former captain Savo Milosevic retired. He was the all-time leading goalscorer and he has the most caps in Serbian team history. Marko Pantelic and Nikola Zigic will be the men that will try to fill his shoes. Zigic is fifth all-time on the goal scoring list and is poised to move into the third spot. He's also one of the tallest players in the world, standing 6'7", which obviously makes him a great aerial target.
Player to Watch: Marko Pantelic
Pantelic has been designated as the lead striker after now that Milosevic is no longer on the team. He is one of the quicker Serbians and is an excellent passer in close quarters. He doesn't have a particularly powerful shot but he is very accurate and can pick out his spots cleanly. He needs to provide space for Zigic to be able to use his size and Pantelic is counted on to hold the ball when the time calls for it.
Prediction: Knocked out during the group stages. However, if Ghana is struggling with injuries, Serbia will move on instead of them. I still think they lose in the second round to England.
The final squad will not be announced until June 10 but here is a small list of players in the running to make the team.
Match Schedule
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