Marek Hamsik Shows His Steely Side as Slovakia Dig In

With time ebbing away in Saint-Etienne and it becoming increasingly clear that a side without the inclination to try to win the game were facing a side without the imagination to force their hand, there was a glimmer of something better. As Marek Hamsik stood over a Slovakia free-kick near the halfway line, he had a brief glance around, saw nothing on, and attempted to chip England goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Was it worth it? Take your pick—it was either a rare glimpse of flair in a game in which it had run dry, or a Hail Mary forced by a lack of options.

As the final whistle sounded at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard and its pockets of disappointed booing gave way to Slovakia manager Jan Kozak and his players enthusiastically applauding their supporters, it was clear that Slovakia got what they came for. For all the arguments in favour of having a clutch of third-placed teams qualifying—fewer dead rubbers, for example—then this was not one of them.

Kozak and, presumably, his players seemed to think four points would do the job and get them through what always looked a tricky group (at least, before Russia partly took the edge off it by being so poor). One wonders how much more of this sort of approach we’ll see in the coming days.

Hamsik’s speculative attempt, however vain it might have been, was something for those hoping to be thrilled to cling to. It was the type of game that both passed him by and underlined what makes him different from other individuals in this tournament who dominate and personify their teams, like Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Hamsik might not be quite in that bracket of European football’s superstars, but he’s not far off. He’s special. He showed us just how special when he scored perhaps the tournament’s outstanding goal to date against Russia in Lille—some breathtaking footwork, followed by an emphatic finish from a tight angle, which turned out to be the winner. He had already created the opener for Vladimir Weiss.

That win, it seems, will author Slovakia’s safe passage to the last 16, where one of Germany or Spain likely awaits.

Salvatore Laporta/Associated Press/Associated Press

Give or take a neat dribble out of a defensive corner and a smart double-turn on Gary Cahill, there was little of the swagger from Hamsik that had so bedazzled the Russians, but he played his part.

We might have hoped for a direct battle between Hamsik and Eric Dier (arguably each of their country’s most important player as it stands) in midfield, but it didn’t quite turn out that way. Such was Slovakia’s need for all hands to the pump that England’s defensive pivot had the liberty to show us his best passing and even take a handful of shots.

Though they may be very different players, Hamsik and Dier have both been around the houses on their route to becoming essential parts of their respective international sides. As Lukas Vrablik pointed out in the Guardian, Hamsik was far from universally popular among Slovak fans even after he had properly established himself at Napoli.

Kozak’s arrival—and placing of Hamsik in a more central, freer role—in summer 2013 greatly boosted his personal fortunes in the national team, as well as Slovakia’s collective ones. “Now I can go a little deeper to collect the ball and try to start attacks by finding my team-mates,” he told Vrablik.

Reconverting to a similar role at club level is what has brought Hamsik into Euro 2016 in such flying form. He is a man iconic enough in Napoli to have had both a biscuit tin and a pencil-sharpener version of himself produced and sold in the club shop—treatment reserved for idols such as Gonzalo Higuain and, previously, Edinson Cavani.

When Rafa Benitez was in charge, it looked as if those novelties might end up in the bargain bin. The pair clashed regularly, with Hamsik unhappy about being used (in his opinion) too high up the pitch and what he perceived as the side’s directness. Since the Spaniard’s departure, he has rarely missed the opportunity to confirm how pleased he is to be under new management, as noted in an interview with Rai Sport (h/t Football Italia).

Benitez's successor, Maurizio Sarri, gave Hamsik the role he wanted back, and he has responded with gusto, scoring six times and providing 11 assists in Serie A alone last season. This is as it should be, you feel.

Next year, Hamsik will celebrate 10 years at the club, and he requires just two more goals to become the fifth player in the club’s history to score 100 in the famous sky-blue shirt. He is 17 behind Diego Maradona’s club-record tally.

Before that, Slovakia hope to use him some more in France. “I enjoy watching him,” Weiss told Bleacher Report after full-time in Saint-Etienne, “and I enjoy being with him. He’s a great person as well. He’s a superstar.

"At the moment, he’s one of the best players in the tournament. We know what quality he has going forward, but we know we can count on him in the defensive parts of the game as well. “

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The hard times have made Hamsik adaptable. He is not a flair player whom the team simply needs to feed. He does more than his share of running, tackling and closing down. He had to be in the first half especially here, with England turning up the pressure on Slovakia as the half wore on.

The sense you got from the Slovaks as they talked after the match was that they are hardening themselves to face more of the same. They expect their tally to be enough but are ready for what’s next, having beaten Spain in the qualifying campaign and won in Germany in a recent friendly, as Weiss was keen to point out.

This wasn’t Hamsik’s most eye-catching night, but with him on board, Slovakia feel prepared for most things.