[luba]

Stoichkov will announce tomorrow the names of those who will take part in the friendly against Serbia and Montenegro on February 9th

So, soon we will know

 

[unnamed1]

I would say 1-1

 

[tarbuh]

I think any result is possible. Our team is not bad, but the last 3-4 matches weren't that successful despite the fact that we haven't lost a match with Stoichkov as a coach. The Serbians are also a very good team, so anything is possible.

By the way, luba, where will the match be?

 

[luba]

here
"Vassil Levski" Stadium

I am gonna compile the 19 chosen now...I saw a few of them on different websites...

 

[luba]

well, I found them all on topsport.bg eventually

Keepers: Zdravkov, Ivankov
Defenders: Ivailo Petkov, Radostin Kishishev, Mihail Venkov, Rossen Kirilov, Georgi Markov, ElinTopuzakov, Asen Karaslavov
Midfielders and forwards: Stilian Petrov, Chavdar Yankov, Blagoi Georgiev, Asen Bukarev, Martin Kamburov, Berbatov, Martin Petrov, Zdravko Lazarov, Vladimir Manchev, Valeri Bojinov


Hristo Yanev and Marian Hrostov are injured and will miss the game
Martin Kamburov's participationis still under question because his condition may worsen

 

[tarbuh]

Bojinov, Berbatov, Martin Petrov and the others - the best forward palyers we can have at the moment. The midfielders are also good. My concerns are with the defence, we always get funny goals... which reminds me that on the Eurosport Top50 goals for 2004 number 6 and number 9 where Czech and Russian goals against Bulgaria...

 

[luba]

on the Eurosport Top50 goals for 2004 number 6 and number 9 where Czech and Russian goals against Bulgaria...

something to be really proud of

 

[tarbuh]

something to be really proud of

Come on, it's not that bad, Berbatov also had one of his goals there :tongue:

 

[Andrix]

I would say I'm looking forward to this match, but seeing as how we usually suck in friendlies I don't know. We played well against Belgium so if our players actually bother it will be interesting.

 

[luba]

we will definitely try not to break our successful series
as Andrija said it will be pretty interesting

 

[Andrix]

Well, we are 2 teams very similar in mentality (judging from Euro2004) so it's a tossup.

 

[bono]

strange, andrija, how your team's winning mentality from almost all other team's sports serbia is involved in has almost never transformed in football (Zvezda heroics in early 90s teh only exception I can think of, forgive me for mentioning it ). While with us its all the same in allsports I think, you seem to somehow get it right on confedence level in volleyball, basketball, handball and waterpolo from time to time and win BIG. Of course, its also a matter of tallant and luck, but you had so much tallent in football too (even if you take Yugo as a whole) but never made it, except into Pele's infamous predctions.

 

[Andrix]

bono, I think we have mentality problems in all of our sports (look at the last olympic final in waterpolo, or that WL final in volleyball against Brazil, or the fact it took us ages to actually beat Italy in an important game), it's just so happens that we are so talented in them that no one could touch us.
I think we've always relied primarily on talent in any sport, but I think Petkovic is trying to change our football into the direction of more hard work. I think this will work because the players we have now are a bit more humble, because they've never shined on the NT scene and only a few play for "megaclubs" so their egos are not overinflated.

 

[bono]

I knew you would triumph on the "talent" factor like crazy and tried to avoid it my point was that you also had a lot of talent in football; re: 80s, early 90s, but didn’t make it (don’t talk about euro 02, will you )

Anyway, its hard to explain your success in team sports anyway. I mean, on one hand, it cannot be just talent, cause it is not like one big nation specializes in one sport which is like a religion and does it (ex, Brazil in football, US in baseball, etc). You are a relatively small country that makes it in more than one sport men and women. Now, there are some weird sports like handball and water polo that few nations only practice seriously but still volleyball and mostly with basket, is amazing. At the same time, compare the trophies with what you gotten in football ever and it’s a bit weird. I mean Bulgaria, Croatia (in their short history of single NT), Turkey and Greece have done more than you.

 

[Andrix]

I mean Bulgaria, Croatia (in their short history of single NT), Turkey and Greece have done more than you.

I'm not sure what you mean. You mention 80s but then say Turkey, Bulgaria did more than us? Yes if you're talking only about our NT post 92 actually post 94: then Turkey did do more than us, Croatia also, Bulgaria did well in 94 but back then we couldn't compete and if we look at when we could compete (WC98 and after) there we did better than Bulgaria. However since you mention 80s I guess you mean the old NT as well? Then there's no way Bulgaria or Turkey were more successful.

However I see what you mean, for example the old Yugo (talented, flashy football) was about as successful as Belgium (industrial football), actually I think Belgium has maybe a medal or two more.

 

[Ambis]

I'm not sure what you mean. You mention 80s but then say Turkey, Bulgaria did more than us? Yes if you're talking only about our NT post 92 actually post 94: then Turkey did do more than us, Croatia also, Bulgaria did well in 94 but back then we couldn't compete and if we look at when we could compete (WC98 and after) there we did better than Bulgaria. However since you mention 80s I guess you mean the old NT as well? Then there's no way Bulgaria or Turkey were more successful.

Overall Yugoslavia was way better then Bulgaria the only time Bulgaria had an acomplishment was World Cup 94 and then in 98 you didnt even qualify, this year in Euro 2004 i was expecting you to maybe to make it to the second phase but instead you had a horrible preformence.

 

[tarbuh]

I think Bono talks about greatest achievement in a championship. For example, Greece had never had a victory ot a WC or EC, but got European champions for 2004 and for me it's the most successful team on the Balkans. After all, as time passes, people look at these things and everybody will remember that Greece was a EC, not that it didn't win in any match before 2004.

 

[Andrix]

Yes, I'm not questioning Greece as an example, when you win a championship it counts 100 times as much as anything else.

 

[red star forever]

Yes, I'm not questioning Greece as an example, when you win a championship it counts 100 times as much as anything else.

Thanks for admitting that. :thmbup:

 

[bono]

Lets not get into this debate - who was better and stuff. I wanted to get some answers (opinions rather) of why Yugo and then Serb football, has never had teh achievemnets of all other team sports you practice there. And this one, I believe, is linked to other questions - how come you actually do have so much success and indeed world and olimpic titles in team sports; how come you have (almost) zip in individual; amd then the football question.

What I meant with all other countries example is that all of them had at leats one big thing, relativel speaking. Greece is Euro Champs, Bulgaria, Croatia and Turkey have played semifinals of teh World Cup the last three of them. Now, I am not saying directly these four are better in football than you, but if you take the two examples (Your success in team sports v. Your success in football AND your success in football v. other neibouring countries own stuff, which countries are not even close to yoru success in team sports in general (Croatia excluded as I am not aware of such rediculous sports liek water polo and handball recent history to know who won what ) ) then I hope my question becomes clearer.

I have just came back from a trip in Beograd and asked the same question to at least 4 guys, my age. And no one gave me a very satisfying answer. I think team sports success coudl be explained with your national mentality (narodopsihologia) to certain extend but then football comes and I have no clue.

Anyway ... we shall beat you in Sofia anyhow.

PS I still cant believe you are so interested in such rediculous sports liek handball. I wasin my hotel room to rest for few hours on Sat, I thik, and State Channel 2 was showing LIVE Brazil-Quatar!!! This aint possible. You must be kidding.