Wednesday 18 June, 2008
Blog: Made in Italy | Football Italia
When it comes to qualifying from a group, Italy like to do it in their own
inimitable way as Antonio Labbate explains
t was no miracle. It was typically Italian. For the umpteenth time in major
championship history, the Azzurri have come back from the brink of
elimination to still be in with a chance of going home as winners. It would
almost be unbelievable, if it hadn't happened before.
You can never write off the Germans, they say, but surely our beloved
Nazionale are world football's most accomplished great escape artists.
Clichéd slow starters, the kings of sneaking through, the Italians have a
bar tab at the last chance saloon.
Italy were certainly drinking there last night. Having collected one point
from two games and being an Adrian Mutu penalty away from a tomato pelting
return home, they did the business against the French oh, how sweet it is
to beat those cockerels and Holland put fair play before their own good by
defeating Romania. Would Italy have done the same? Doubtful.
I have to be honest, despite what history tells us, I was expecting to start
work on Italy's Euro 2008 post mortem today. Instead, there was a whiff of
belief mixed in with the espresso aroma at my local coffee house this
morning that despite the side's shortcomings, they're still in it to win it.
Fate and destiny have already shown their hand. Not only through the gloves
of Gigi Buffon that penalty save just gets better and better but in
other ways. Italy qualified with four points, whereas Giovanni Trapattoni's
sorry incarnation four years ago were deported with five.
Then there are the similarities with the 1994 World Cup. An equally confused
Italian side, then under the guidance of Roberto Donadoni's master Arrigo
Sacchi, bungled their way through the group with a loss, a win and a draw.
They went all the way to the Final, defeating Spain in the quarter-finals.
The reality, though, is that Italy will have to depend on a little bit more
than memories to see off Luis Aragones' impressive collection of individuals
on Sunday. But who would bet against that happening now? After all, isn't it
about time that the Spanish self combusted in the way they only know how?
--
Cavaliere
AC Milan atau tidak sama sekal!
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