On 9 May, Vladimir Stojkovic was deemed not good enough to start as Wigan, missing their first-choice keeper, lost 8-0 at Chelsea. Today, he saved a Germany penalty for Serbia to become a World Cup hero. Life can be funny like that. Anyway, let’s move on to Group C, the ‘Group of Who Knows What Might Happen’, as it’s almost certain to become known. I’m Jonathan Stevenson, Johannesburg once more has World Cup fever and we start at the superb Ellis Park with Slovenia v USA.

There is another game happening later on this evening, but it slips my mind for now… The focus is on events from Jo’burg as the team that sneaked past Algeria take on the men who frustrated England. After a slowish start to the World Cup, it’s undoubtedly caught fire in the last couple of days - and there is an awful lot at stake from here on in.

Slovenia: 1-Samir Handanovic; 2-Miso Brecko, 4-Marko Suler, 5-Bostjan Cesar, 13-Bojan Jokic, 10-Valter Birsa, 8-Robert Koren, 18-Aleksandar Radosavljevic, 17-Andraz Kirm, 9-Zlatan Ljubijankic, 11-Milivoje Novakovic.
United States: 1-Tim Howard; 6-Steve Cherundolo, 15-Jay DeMerit, 5-Oguchi Onyewu, 3-Carlos Bocanegra; 10-Landon Donovan, 4-Michael Bradley, 16-Jose Torres, 8-Clint Dempsey; 17-Jozy Altidore, 20-Robbie Findley.
Referee: Koman Coulibaly (Mali).

Got World Cup stuff on your mind? Lie down on the couch, and spill: texts go to 81111 (UK) and +44 7786200666 (worldwide), tweets go to @Stevo_football and there's a 606 page to boot. I'll go easy, promise.

“Last year we were preparing for a match against San Marino in the qualifiers, now we are bracing ourselves for a clash whose outcome could put us among the world's elite teams. The match against the Americans is massive because we have a great opportunity to put ourselves on the map of respectable soccer nations.”

“We've learned from moments where we've stuck together and pulled out important wins and we've learned from days where we've let the game get away from us. Slovenia are very well organised tactically, they are very smart and their defensive record in qualifying was outstanding.”

Slovenia, the country that gave the world Joze Plecnik, France Preseren, Primoz Trubar and er, the brilliantly-named Zlatko Zahovic, stand on the cusp of the last 16 for the first time. Beat USA today, and they are through to the next round. I spent three days in the beautiful city of Ljubljana a few years ago, and loved every single second of it (I’ve also been to USA, in the interests on impartiality, and that was lovely too).

This game is live on BBC One, in case you were wondering, with Steve Wilson and Martin Keown your commentary team. Anyway, quiet, it's anthem time.

There's nothing like seeing people sing their hearts out for the country they love to get the World Cup juices pumping. Ellis Park is our venue, Slovenia and USA are our teams, Koman Coulibaly of Mali is our referee and this one is ours to savour.

By the way, both teams made one change from their first match - Slovenia bringing in the aforementioned Zlatan Ljubijankic for Zlatko Dedic and USA bringing in Jose Torres for Ricardo Clark.

Scrappy start as Slovenia whip a cross in from the left and Zlatan Ljubijankic gets up well, but under pressure he can only head over the bar.

Half a chance, that, maybe even more. Valter Birsa sends over a top-class cross from the Slovenia right and Milivoje Novakovic totally misses his attempted side-foot volley from 10 yards. USA haven't started yet.

Slovenia, it turns out, are really quite good at football. They look dangerous every time they go forward and USA are struggling to string any passes together. Bob Bradley's men need a spell just to exert their authority on the game.

Better from USA in the last few minutes and Landon Donovan goes on a run direct at the Slovene defence only for three defenders to converge on him and clear the danger.

Valter Birsa swings a wicked free-kick in from out on the right, about 45 yards out, and it skips through to Tim Howard, forcing the keeper to save against his right-hand post.

Slovenia are enjoying themselves at Ellis Park, but they need to be a bit careful here because USA have got players who can hurt them. Just signs that Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey are feeling their way into the game a bit more.

Now it's not a good game as the teams trade giving the ball away - but Slovenia probably won't care if that goes on for another hour because they will be in the last 16 of the World Cup.

Milivoje Novakovic wins a header against Oguchi Onyewu on the edge of the USA box and seems to be pulled to the floor by the defender, but nothing doing for referee Koman Coulibaly, who waves play on.

Top-class free-kick from Jose Torres, swinging it goalwards with his left foot, but Samir Handanovic is equal to it and pushes it behind. The corner is half cleared to the edge of the box, where Jay DeMerit sends a looping header narrowly wide.

USA are all over Slovenia now. They get in down the right this time and after Clint Dempsey's pull back it seems like Landon Donovam has to score, only for Miso Brecko to coolly whip the ball off Donovan's toes and keep Slovenia ahead.

There are so many cats amongst pigeons in South Africa, it's difficult to keep track on them all. Remember: as we stand, Slovenia are in the last 16 of the World Cup.

USA are all over Slovenia now as a free-kick from deep on the left just evades Clint Dempsey inside the area. Of course the score is Slovenia 2-1 USA, I just got excited.

Slovenia are trying to get players forward too, but on this occasion the previously flawless Valter Birsa flights a cross from the right way over everyone's head and out for a goalkick.

Great response by Slovenia to USA's goal and their powerful start to the second half. The Europeans are trying to knock it around again, they aren't panicking, just trying to play their normal game. Not easy in the circumstances.

Great challenge from Marko Suler to deny Jozy Altidore a clean run through on goal, looked like the striker had got away for a moment.

Sounds like a brilliant atmosphere inside Ellis Park too, it's just such a watchable game of football, this one. Vuvuzelas and singing in equal measure, top-class football - what more could we want?

Slovenia just in danger of over-playing it at times, but they do look a quality team when they get it right. Just goes to show, doesn't it, what a dangerous score 2-0 is? Benny Feilhaber screws one wide from just outside the box, USA fans looking increasingly tense in the crowd.

Halfway through the second half and USA are struggling to create anything at the moment. The are bound to have a spell, though. Can they take their chance when it comes along?

Landon Donovan smashes the free-kick goalwards and after a defender blocks it, Jozy Altidore hammers in a right-foot shot that - luckily for Slovenia - flies into the grateful arms of Samir Handanovic.

Jozy Altidore lashes wildly off target from outside the area on the USA left. They desperately need a goal - lose and their World Cup hopes are in real trouble.

Michael Bradley curls goalwards from just outside the Slovenia area, but it's another pretty routine save for Samir Handanovic.

The action just will not stop. Milivoje Novakovic gets his head on a cross from the Slovenia right, but it's a standard save for Tim Howard in the USA goal. It's up for grabs now.

Aleksandar Radosavljevic slams one in from 25 yards and Tim Howard has to be alert to push it away to his left. I don't want it to ever end.

Jozy Altidore furiously remonstrates with the referee on the whistle and has to be pulled away by a team-mate. USA are rightly furious about that disallowed goal.

From the best game of the tournament, that's a wrap. The super-keen Caroline Cheese is already on the build-up to England v Algeria, so pop along and keep her company and I'll see you again in a little while.