A footballing father-and-son combination is a potent weapon for Slovakia, writes Steve Landells.
When the All Whites kick off their World Cup campaign on June 15 against Slovakia they will probably face the threat of not one Vladimir Weiss but two.
Vladimir Weiss snr is the wily head coach of the emerging East European nation and his son of the same name has developed into a first team regular over the past nine months and is likely to feature on the wing in Rustenburg.
It is hard to know who will pose the greater threat to Ricki Herbert's men but the tactical acumen, not to mention motivational skills, of Weiss snr must be respected.
He has made history by leading Slovakia to their first World Cup finals, masterminding impressive away triumphs in Poland and the Czech Republic en route to topping European group three.
Weiss, who bagged 31 caps in midfield for Czechoslovakia and Slovakia, earned his coaching spurs by leading Artmedia Bratislava to the Champions League knockout stages in 2005-06 - a first for a Slovakian team.
On the pitch, though, it is Weiss jnr, a Manchester City winger who has been on loan at Bolton Wanderers since January, who could be one of Slovakia's most potent weapons. His pace and skill on the wing could cause a headache for the All Whites defence, even if he has chiefly been used as an impact substitute during his four-month stint at English Premier League Bolton.
With seven caps and having appeared in their last four World Cup qualification games, he is expected to start against New Zealand.
Yet he tells the Herald on Sunday playing for his father can occasionally lead to unwelcome added pressure.
"Sometimes it is a disadvantage with him being a football coach, as people think that I am only in the squad because of who my father is. But that only makes me more determined to prove myself through my style of football," Weiss says.
The pair are close. The Premier League wideman calls his father every day by telephone and the younger Weiss is adamant having a father as an ex-international and current coach has its benefits.
"Sometimes it helps because I can ring up my father and ask him for some advice," adds Weiss, whose grandfather, also Vladimir, won an Olympic football silver medal at the 1964 Tokyo Games. "As a former player, he can help improve my performance and technique. My father always tells me to work hard, it is important to block out any negative criticism or comments that you may hear as this could affect your performance."
Despite his limited opportunities at Bolton, where he has made two starts and 10 appearances from the bench, Weiss believes his Premier League experience has provided good preparation for the World Cup.
Yet he was guarded about Slovakia's World Cup chances in a group which also contains defending champions Italy, and dark horses Paraguay as well as the All Whites.
"At the moment, we are not looking past the group stages of the World Cup," he insists.
"We will work hard as a team, look to get some vital results and try to progress and focus on each game at a time."
As for the All Whites, Weiss admitted he has little knowledge of Herbert's men and he intends to start focusing on the World Cup opponents after Bolton's final Premier League game of the season against Birmingham tomorrow (NZT).
Yet he had no doubt which New Zealand player would present the main threat.
"Ryan Nelsen [who plays for Bolton's near neighbours Blackburn] is a difficult player and one that I think can cause us problems," he added.
Like father, like son
Other famous father and son combinations:
* Cesare and Paolo Maldini Both lifted the European Cup as captain of AC Milan. Cesare went on to coach the Italian national team and steered them to the quarter-finals of the 1998 World Cup, where Paolo was his captain. Maldini jnr retired last year, having won seven Italian titles, a record five Champions League crowns and 126 Italian caps.
* Frank Lampard snr and jnr Frank Lampard snr was a left back who won two FA Cups for West Ham as well as two England caps. His son of the same name is a goalscoring midfielder, who has snared two Premier League titles for Chelsea and 77 England caps. Should Chelsea beat Wigan at home tomorrow he will claim a third Premier League crown.
* Kevin and Rory Fallon Kevin was a former Rotherham and Southend player in the English leagues who coached the All Whites in the 1980s. Son Rory memorably scored the winning goal against Bahrain which sent New Zealand to their first World Cup in 28 years. He plays for Plymouth in England.
