SLOVENIA PROFILE: The Slovenian diaspora gel into a close-knit, aggressive outfit, capable of causing an upset or two in Japan/Korea writes Paul Doyle.

If Mick McCarthy is hailed as a genius for getting little Ireland to the World Cup, then the qualification of even littler Slovenia must make Sreko Katanec (left) a deity.

With a population only half the size of Ireland’s, and a footballing tradition which stretches all the way back to, well, Euro 2000, the Slovenians are not giants of the global game. But they are giant-killers. Where Ireland had to contend with Portugal and Holland, Slovenia were the only team to overcome Russia, eliminated their erstwhile big brethren from Yugoslavia, and, in a heroic play-off, derouted Gheorge Hagi’s Romania.

Where it took McCarthy several years to learn to shed (most of) his conservatism, Katanec sent out his team to attack from the start. His fluid 3-4-3 system took Slovenia past Ukraine and into Euro 2000, where they were a thrilling revelation, and now it has taken them to Asia, undefeated, too.

And where McCarthy can concentrate almost exclusively on the English leagues, Katanec’s crew are scattered all over Europe, although he draws a hard core of his team from local champions Maribor.

Maribor, who memorably beat Lazio in their solitary Champions League appearance two years ago, supply goalkeeper Marko Simeunovic, trusty central defender Marinko Galic, and striker Mladen Rudonja, who played in 10 of the 12 qualifying matches though he mustered only a single goal.

Their main man, of course, is the silky but sulky Zlatko Zahovic. Subtle, skilful, and super from set-pieces, Zahovic averaged a goal every two games during the qualifiers. Though he is the side’s undisputed playmaker, he has by no means got a monopoly on assists.

Porto’s Pavlin and, particularly, Benfica’s Amir Karic are both exquisite crossers and, as they demonstrated during the play-offs, can compose the side even when Zahovic is missing.

Though Kaiserslautern defender Aleksander Knavs is the only Slovenian outside the midfield to hail from a more-than-humble club, Katanec has created a cohesive and corrosive cast.

They run, they tackle, they pass, they move, and they shoot – a straightforward strategy, to be sure, but one which can only bring success if executed with speed, spirit, and undying stamina.

With such an attitude, Slovenian fans have alwasy been proud of their side, and opponents were getting quite used to being shocked by them - but Slovenian spirit was dreadfully absent in last February's Carlsberg Cup in Hong Kong, when Katanec was outraged to see his team get whacked 5-1 by Honduras. The 0-0 draw with China a few days later was less embarassing, but still meant that the only positive point the manager said he could draw from the trip was that it familiarised his players with the climatic conditions in Asia.

Slovenia's World Cup opponents, meanwhile, had greater cause to be satisfied, but the chances of Katanec's crew palying so woefully in the summer have got to be very low - and of all the Group B teams, the lads from Ljublana are perhaps the most likely to deliver Spain's customary "shock" defeat.

Squad:

Goalkeepers
12-Mladen Dabanovic (Lokeren/Bel), 1-Marko Simeunovic (Maribor Pivovarna Lasko), 22-Dejan Nemec (FC Bruges/Bel)

Defenders
23-Spasoje Bulajic (Cologne/Ger), 5-Marinko Galic (Sportline Koper), 6-Aleksander Knavs (Kaiserlautern/Ger), 3-Zeljko Milinovic (JEF United/Jpn), 2-Goran Sankovic (Slavia Prague/Cze), 4-Muamer Vugdalic (Maribor Pivovarna Lasko)

Midfielders
18-Milenko Acimovic (Tottenham/Eng), 8-Ales Ceh (Gak/Aut), 20-Nastja Ceh (FC Bruges/Bel), 14-Sasa Gajser (Gent/Bel), 19-Amir Karic (Maribor Pivovarna Lasko), 7-Doni Novak (Unterhaching/Germany), 11-Miran Pavlin Miran Pavlin (FC Porto/Por), 17-Zoran Pavlovic (FK Austria Memphis/Aut), 15-Rajko Tavcar (Nuremberg/Ger), 10-Zlatko Zahovic (Benfica/Por)

Forwards
21-Sebastjan Cimirotic (Lecce/Ita), 9-Milan Osterc (Hapoel Tel Aviv/Isr), 13-Mladen Rudonja (Portsmouth/Eng), 16-Senad Tiganj (Olympija)