Weiss: one team will lose, but it won’t be us

VLADIMIR WEISS is not countenancing tonight’s game ending in a draw.

And nor is he expecting the visitors to prevail.

“I believe one team is going to lose and I believe it is not going to be us,” the Slovakia manager declared with a smile yesterday.

Not for the first time in his tenure as national coach, Weiss comes into a big game with media criticism ringing in his ears, the latest uproar following Friday’s 3-1 setback in Armenia. And when a local journalist asked why Weiss appeared before them in somewhat upbeat form yesterday, the dripping sarcasm of the reply survived even the interpreter’s translation. “I was looking forward to seeing you guys,” he explained.

Perhaps the real reason for his comparatively cheerful mood was that Miroslav Stoch, who had been stretchered off in the loss to Armenia, has proved a quick healer.

Initially thought to have little chance of featuring against Ireland, the Fenerbache attacking midfielder confounded expectations by training yesterday and, assuming he suffers no reaction, will start for the home side tonight.

Nevertheless, Weiss is still without three players – Martin Skrtel, Zdeno Strba and all-time top scorer Robert Vittek – but said he is confident that less experienced campaigners can step up to the plate. The absence of the veteran Strba, in particular, has added an air of mystery to the build-up for the host nation. The 34-year-old was thought to be in the running as a possible experienced replacement for Skrtel in defence but, having missed the game against Armenia pleading illness, Strba has now suddenly announced his retirement from international football. Weiss said: “We missed him in Yerevan but what had to end, had to end.”

The fact that both sides go into tonight’s game on the back of morale-sapping defeats has raised the stakes, he believes.

“What we gained in Russia (when they won 1-0), we lost in Armenia,” he said. “But Ireland was outplayed by Russia so this game is still open. I was surprised that they took a 3-0 lead but Ireland showed great spirit against an excellent Russian side and almost evened up the score. Still, I believe in the quality of the Slovak team, in its spirit and its enthusiasm.

“Of course, we respect Ireland and I truly admire and look up to Giovanni Trapattoni. Kevin Doyle is a great player but his loss can’t be used as an excuse for us because we are missing three players as well. Ireland are a great team with great spirit but I believe in and am counting on my team. Yes, we lost to Armenia but, before that, we won five qualifiers in-a-row. And I don’t believe we are going to lose against Ireland because we didn’t lose two qualifiers back to back in the last campaign.”

And Weiss also thinks that the forced move from the capital to the more intimate surroundings of Zilina – occasioned by the need to renovate the national stadium in Bratislava – could work to the advantage of a side which likes to string the passes together on the ground.

“Zilina’s pitch is the best in Slovakia,” he said, “and we are happy to play here.”