Continuing Slovene football’s wilful misuse* of the term ‘derby’ (essentially using it to mean any match of note), the Slovene FA’s website is heralding tonight’s game cup game between Koper and Olimpija as a derby. The cities are separated by a distance of 107km, which in Brazil might make a derby, but for a country the size of Wales the term ‘derby’ doesn’t really cut it. To be fair, the game is the most eye-catching of the round, with the other ties being played this evening featuring Prva Liga teams against lower level opposition and Celje already through to the quarter finals after playing their tie with Triglav Kranj last Tuesday. Celje won the game 1-0.
Koper made it to last year’s semi finals before losing over two legs to Maribor. Olimpija (sponsored by a fruit company called ‘Derby’, just to make everything even more confusing) lost out in the quarter finals to eventual winners Domžale. Maribor’s match with ND Adria is delayed to allow them to go gallivanting off on Europa League duty. Gorica travel up to the Soča valley to play Tolmin, and a non-Prva Liga team is guaranteed to appear in the Quarter finals after Odranci were paired with Interblock Ljubljana. While the cup doesn’t receive the attention that the league gets, it’s only six games from this point to some silverware and a place in the Europa League qualifiers. With Maribor steaming away at the top of the Prva Liga, several clubs will see the cup as the season’s best opportunity for success.
Result: Triglav 0:1 CM Celje
(Močivnik 11)
Tonight’s games:
MU Šentjur v. Rudar Velenje
Luka Koper v. Olimpija
Tolmin v. HiT Gorica
Garmin Šenčur v. Nafta
Odranci v. Interblock
Zavrč v. Domžale
Postponed: ND Adria v. Maribor
*According to Wikipedia ‘derby’ is acceptable for any big match, bloody Wikipedia…
Goli Gol (the Naked Goal) 