Serbia

BELGRADE, May 24 (Reuters) Serbia&Montenegro will play in the World Cup finals for the first and last time next month after the weekend referendum in Montenegro ended with the country voting for its independence from its larger neighbour.

FIFA said before the vote that the country would compete as Serbia&Montenegro whatever the outcome of the electorate but the two will split as a soccer entity on July 28.

If they won the World Cup, they would be the only team never again in a position to defend it.

That though is probably unlikely.

However, Serbia&Montenegro could do well in the competition despite being placed in a tough group along with Argentina, the Netherlands and Ivory Coast.

They reached the finals in grand style after failing to qualify for either the World Cup 2002 or Euro 2004 finals under their interim name of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

They clinched Europe's Group Seven with an impressive record of six wins and four draws ahead of favourites Spain, scoring 16 and conceding only one goal in the process.

The successful campaign has opened up a belief that the team can do well and perhaps go a step further than in France 1998 when the Federal Republic reached the last 16 with a talented generation led by the present Football Association chief Dragan Stojkovic.

Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic, Atletico Madrid striker Mateja Kezman and Inter Milan midfielder Dejan Stankovic personify a team strong on desire and determined to become a respectable force again after several years in the doldrums.

Although the group is a tough one, the bulk of their fans are hungry for success and expect them to get through it.

PETKOVIC OPTIMISTIC Although many experts say that the Serbs have done well to just qualify for the World Cup finals, manager Ilija Petkovic is optimistic about the team's chances.

He has vowed to mould a strong team based on experienced, foreign-based campaigners and talented youngsters emerging from the domestic league.

''We will not improvise. Our task is to put together the best side available, comprising mature and experienced players as well as the best young talents who should provide the bite needed to do well in the World Cup,'' Petkovic said.

He also said he was convinced the team would get past the group stage and live up to expectations at home of being the tournament's dark horses.

''It's a strong group but one of the reasons for that is because we are in it.

''I am sure we have the ability to finish in the top two and get into the knockout stage of the competition; we are not going to Germany to be anyone's punchbag,'' he said.

Petkovic suggested he would rely on a tight defence and quick breaks, the strategy that paid dividends on the road to Germany.

He singled out Vidic, Dynamo Kiev full back Goran Gavrancic and goalkeeper Dragoslav Jevric as the backbone of the team that set a record in the qualifying campaign by letting in only one goal in 10 matches and consigning Spain to the play-offs.

REUTERS PM BD1025