Serbia defender and US product Neven Subotic to replace suspended Lukovic against Germany

American product Subotic to start for Serbia

PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa — Serbia central defender Neven Subotic, who played for U.S. youth national teams, will start for the suspended Aleksandar Lukovic against Germany on Friday in the World Cup.

Serbia coach Radomir Antic says Subotic is the “natural” replacement for Lukovic, who was sent off in the 1-0 loss to Ghana in Group D. Subotic also came in after Lukovic’s ejection in a 1-0 loss to Ghana.

Subotic spent part of his youth growing up in Salt Lake City and played for the United States Under-17 and Under-20 teams. But after coach Thomas Rongen left him off the roster for the 2007 Under-20 World Cup, he switched allegiance to Serbia, part of the Yugoslav nation when he was born in Banja Luka in 1988.