Slovakia allowed a goal four minutes into extra time against New Zealand, and lost a great opportunity to grab the first spot of Group F in the World Cup 2010 South Africa. Since the previous game between Italy and Paraguay also ended with the exact same score, all group teams are now sharing goals, points and…ambitions. New Zealand scored for the very first time in a World Cup tournament (their record was 12-0 so far), getting their first ever point. Mission accomplished? Hardly, since anything could happen in Group F and New Zealand’s national team definitely seems up for the task.
Róbert Vittek opened the score for Slovakia in the Royal Bafokeng Stadium of Rustenburg, but New Zealand scored the golden equaliser almost four minutes in extra time. The first half of the game had the familiar rhythm we have seen in pretty much every game of the World Cup 2010 so far. Very slow games, full of mostly careful plays and no creativity has definitely been the rule and not the exception so far in South Africa. Slovakia was more active, holding the ball possession for the biggest part of the first half (and the game), but had really no chances to score a goal. Stanislav Šesták fired a long shot in 27′ that went out, and the first part of the match was basically over.
Slovakia’s eminence finally paid up five minutes into the second half: Šesták sent the ball in the heart of New Zealand’s defence where Róbert Vittek jumped higher that everyone else and scored the goal with a header. The rest of the second half turned as slow as the first, with New Zealand desperately trying a few different things to come back in the game. And when everyone thought it was over, Shane Smeltz threw a great pass to Winston Reid that came all the way from the defence to win the first point for New Zealand in a World Cup competition.
