What Next for U-20 World Cup Champions Serbia?
Soccer in Serbia has hit hard times recently, as the senior national team has been struggling since a poor performance at the 2010 World Cup. Failing to qualify for any World Cup or European Championship since, a run of poor results in 2015 has put the national side in turmoil.
The under-21 national team has not fared much better, with the relative success of their qualification for the UEFA U-21 championship tempered by the 1 draw and 2 defeats that resulted in their elimination from the group stage.
There is, however, plenty of hope on the horizon for Serbian soccer, as the recent triumph in lifting the U-20 World Cup in New Zealand has shown.
Names like Predrag Rajković, Srđan Babić, Nemanja Maksimović, Sergej Milinković, Andrija Živković, Staniša Mandić, and Ivan Šaponjić may not yet be household names, but judging from their performances at the U-20 World Cup, those are names that soccer fans around the world may soon be hearing from on a regular basis.
Of those named, Rajković, Milinković, and Živković were the best performers for the victorious Serbian squad.
Rajković was awarded the Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper in the tournament.
Having also been named the best goalkeeper in the Serbian SuperLiga for the 2014-2015 season with Red Star Belgrade, he looks set to continue his ascent as one of the top young goalkeepers in Europe.
A commanding physical presence in midfield, Milinković’s work ethic and ability to contribute on the attacking end saw him earn the Bronze Ball award as the 3rd-best player of the tournament.
Already an ever-present player in the lineup at Genk in Belgium, it is not a surprise to learn that he has already attracted attention from the likes of Manchester United (who actually signed his younger brother Vanja, a goalkeeper) and Benfica.
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Serbia’s attacking-minded play was a highlight of the tournament, and one of the architects to their success was the creativity of winger Živković. Selected on this very site as one of the players to watch in the U-20 World Cup, his runs down the wing typically resulted in a pinpoint pass or his cutting inside to line up a shot with his left foot, and he was a constant thorn in the sides of his opponents throughout the tournament.
He may have only finished with 2 goals and 2 assists, but opposing defenses were kept on their toes whenever he was leading the attack. Currently playing at home with Partizan, the rumor mill already has him connected with Chelsea, Valencia, and Benfica.
The future does look bright for Serbian soccer, and with 2018 World Cup qualifying soon to begin in Europe, it may not be long before the members of this U-20 World Cup squad follow in the footsteps of Rajković and Živković, who have already been capped as full internationals, and begin to make an impact for their country at the senior level.
Plenty of credit also goes to head coach Veljko Paunović. Entering the national team’s coaching picture with the U-18 team and then taking over the U-19 team following their run to the European Championship title in 2013, he has developed this team from the ground up, and as his record shows, his approach of building the team around a core of key players but with equal importance for every part has brought forth great fruit for Serbia.
The team showed great resilience throughout the tournament, recovering from the opening loss against Uruguay (a game in which they dominated) to seal qualification to the knockout stages by sweeping Mali and Mexico aside with some ease. Conceding just 3 goals in 480 minutes from the round of 16 onwards, they showed defensive discipline against the likes of Bence Mervo, Adama Traore, and the mighty Brazilians. Their fighting spirit was also evident as they fought back against Hungary to force extra-time and go on to win, despite being a man down.
During the penalty shootout against the United States in the quarterfinal, when Mali began to surge after equalizing in the semifinal, and after giving up a late equalizer to Brazil in the final, the Serbians also faced several moments where mental breakdowns could have easily occurred, but they stood firm in the face of those challenges.
Moving forward, the scenes of great celebration in Belgrade as the team returned home from New Zealand were as much a release of frustration and disappointment over the shortcomings of the senior national team as they were jubilation over this tremendous achievement for the U-20 squad. Serbian fans and players alike now have plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future as they continue building from this success.