Slovenia's Komac expects win over US at World Cup

With Slovenia already having earned its first ever World Cup win, midfielder Andrej Komac isn't shy about predicting another victory for the tiny country against the United States on Friday.

"We are going to win this match," Komac told reporters after practice Tuesday.

He said there's "a good feeling" in the squad after Slovenia beat 10-man Algeria 1-0 to claim top spot in Group C. Komac came on as a substitute in the final minutes.

The U.S. and England have one point each after their 1-1 draw, and Slovenia will advance to the second round if it beats the Americans at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

With a population of just over 2 million, Slovenia is the smallest nation in the World Cup, but its national team has upset bigger rivals before. It finished second in its qualifying group ahead of the Czech Republic and Poland and stunned Russia in a two-match playoff to enter its second World Cup.

Slovenia already is doing better than in 2002, when it lost all three group matches.

Captain Robert Koren secured the victory Saturday against Algeria with a long-range shot in the 79th minute that goalkeeper Fawzi Chaouchi misjudged and allowed to bounce into the net off his arm.

Komac doesn't expect the U.S. to underestimate his team, given what it's accomplished so far.

"We took three points in the first game. No one looks at us as small anymore," he said. "Now we can only go forward like this, because we are leading the group."

Slovenia produced few scoring chances against Algeria, but fielded a strong defense that the North Africans couldn't break down.

Komac said Slovenia is not going to change it's strategy when it faces the Americans.

"We are playing our style of football and we'll continue with that and we can beat the U.S. with that style," he said.