FRANCE 98 – Yugoslavia – P. Mijatovic: “This match against the USA is very important”

Yugoslavia – P. Mijatovic: “This match against the USA is very important”

24.06.98 21h24 CET

Comments from NANTES

Predrag MIJATOVIC (9):

“This match against the USA is very important because it could permit us to finish first in the group. We’ll concentrate completely on our game, like we did against GERMANY. In spite of everything, we’re worried about playing an opponent who has nothing to lose – they can play in total freedom. The Americans want to leave the World Cup with their heads high. Personally, I’ve played only one World Championship, in 1987 with the U-20 team – and we won it. This year I played in the Champions League for the first time, with Real Madrid, and we won too. Today, I’m taking part in my first World Cup and I really hope that this luck will stay with me.”

Dragan STOJKOVIC (10):

“The game against USA is important in that if we win we could meet BELGIUM in the second round. That would mean we’d avoid meeting HOLLAND – a team that is a very dangerous customer. The USA has a really friendly team, who have still not won a single match. The Americans definitely want to save their honour, so we have to be on our guard. Anyway, NORWAY did beat BRAZIL.”

Vladimir JUGOVIC (7):

“For us, this meeting is exactly the same as any other: we’ve prepared ourselves the same way we did for the first two games. I’m not thinking about the next round yet, I’m concentrating only on this match against the USA. From what I’ve seen of the World Cup so far, it seems that all the favourites will make it through to the second round – so I’m no more afraid of one team than another. Personally, coming into this competition from playing with the Lazio club in Rome has been of real benefit to me.”