I’ll confess that I didn’t have much emotional stake in this match. I’m not familiar with any of their players, and I consider them both to be the also-rans in Group C behind England and the United States. That said, I found the match to be extremely dull. The highlights were an Algerian free kick that was one of the first free kicks on target in this tournament and had to be deflected over the crossbar by the Slovenian keeper and a red card for Algeria for a flagrant handball that forced Algeria to play the final 20 minutes or so with only 10 men. Even the goal was less than stunning, more a matter of poor positioning by the Algerian keeper than stunning finishing by the Slovenian captain.
That said, Slovenia’s win puts them on top of Group C, ahead of both England and the United States, both of which have yet to play the Slovenians, so a scouting report could be useful. The Slovenians (as did the Algerians) played well-organized, disciplined soccer with an emphasis on possession. There were few shots on goals and few offsides for either team, underscoring that these are not attacking teams. The US and England should be able to hold either team scoreless when they face them, but will face a determined defense they may find it hard to score against.
My prediction was: Slovenia. Final result: Slovenia 1-0.
