Italy can sneak it. Just look at the Spanish shaking already
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Italy can sneak it. Just look at the Spanish shaking already
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/ ... e_for.html
Jittery Spaniards prepare for their bete noire
After 88 years without a competitive win over Italy, Spain are already panicking about Sunday's quarter-final
Sid Lowe
June 18, 2008 1:09 PM
The newsreader put on his most earnest face, smoothed down his moustache, looked into the camera and read from the autocue. Never mind that this was TVE, supposedly the sober voice of serious, straight news. "Spain", he said, "will play Italy. The same old Italy; the Italy that never plays football but always wins."As the tape rolled, a voice testily told how the Italians, "champions of the world and champions of luck", had beaten France thanks to the fact that "destiny favoured them yet again". The Azzurri, agreed Marca, are the team with "seven lives".
No side provokes such distaste in Spain as Italy, whose football is derided as cynical, dirty and boring, somehow illegitimate. As José Ángel de la Casa, for decades the voice of the Spanish national team - a kind of tranquil John Motson without the obsession over his dinner, the sheepskin coats or those heh-heh moments - admitted with a hint of discomfort: "As a nation, we have always shown contempt towards Italian football." Not just because of the chance but also because of the "cheating". Now and over the next few days, that will become more evident than ever.
The Italians, declares this morning's Marca, "are experts in 'the other football', the maestros of time-wasting, of destroying games and subterranean play". The paper's cover runs with the photo of Luis Enrique, blood covering his shirt, after Tassotti smashed his nose all over his face in the penalty area at the end of the 1994 World Cup quarter-final, an elbow that "still hurts Spain". "If there is an image that sums up Italy v Spain meetings it's the bloody face of a crying Luis Enrique after getting an elbow that referee Sándor Puhl didn't see - or didn't want to see," Marca snipes.
"Italian cheating once again went unpunished, but at least they got what they deserved by losing in the final with two historic penalty misses from their great stars: [Roberto] Baggio and [Franco] Baresi", Marca continues, picking on two innocent men, while the front page headline warns: "Italy, we have not forgotten this."
They can say that again: as Roberto Palomar puts it, everywhere he looks he sees Luis Enrique and from now until Sunday's match there will be no escape as the telly goes into smashed-nose overload. "I go to fill the car with petrol and there's Luis Enrique vomiting blood behind the pump; I go to take a piss and there's Luis Enrique in the cubicle, doubled over, cleaning the blood off his disfigured face; I climb into bed and there's someone there next to my wife - it's Mauro Tassotti". Kai!!!
The same Mauro Tassotti who won that day - and that's kind of the point. Italy, as Palomar argued, is a ghost that haunts Spain. Despite the bravado, despite the implicit threat on Marca's cover, Italy don't just inspire loathing, they inspire fear too. Lots of it. There is a hint of getting your excuses in early about the Spanish media today. And there is little hiding the disappointment when they look at Romania - the speedboat Jim Bowen says they could have won - and then back at the Italians they've actually got. One headline this morning simply screamed "No!". "Italy, always Italy", sighed El País. And on the radio they were asking an uncomfortable question: "Are you sh!tt1ng yourself?"
The answer was yes. Last night's result was the last thing the Spanish wanted: Luis Aragonés said it, the press said it and the online polls said it. José Vicente Hernáez signed off from yesterday evening's preview on Marca TV with a: "Do us a favour Holland, lose! Come on Romania!" Never mind the ethics, he spoke for everyone. Romania would have been perfect; a creaking France, just about acceptable; Italy, a disaster. "They're not the opponents we wanted, that's for sure," mumbled Aragonés. AS likens Italy to the beetle-tick that stalks the Austrian mountains, ready to deliver a fatal blow with a single bite. As Álvaro Arbeloa put it: "Italy are always the same: they scrape through and then win the tournament." Which would of course mean beating Spain.
On the face of it, Spain shouldn't be worried. In fact, they should be relishing the opportunity to bury those ghosts against a team that - as the commentators reminded us 37 times in the final 10 minutes last night - will be without Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso. After all, after two games for every team, Spain had completed more passes than any other country, and a higher percentage too. They are No1 in attacks, No1 in shots and No16 (in other words the best) in shots faced.
Better still, for all the talk of short, precise, slow build-up and despite its visceral defence from the talibans of tiki-taka (pass and move), Spain have scored six goals this tournament - five from breaks or, let's face it, aimless hoofs; one from a set-play. This time, there's real pace, a cutting edge, a will and a way to do it differently. And a bit of luck too. Spain have some semblance of togetherness at last, a team Cesc Fabregas can't even get into, after Aragonés sensibly recognised that his five-man midfield didn't work, and consequently they have David Villa - the new kid on the block, the revelation of world football who's only been the best striker in Spain for four years.
And yet, apart from Cuatro TV - whose "come on!, yes!, yes!, yes!, you can do it!, go on!, yes!, that's it!, that's it!, good!, that's the way!, oh yes!" commentary sounds more like the soundtrack from a saucy film than five blokes narrating a football match - the Spanish have been strikingly calm about the tournament so far. Sure, they've been delighted with what they have seen. But so often bitten for once shy, there's been little of the tub-thumping from the last World Cup, when they promised to retire Zinedine Zidane three games before Marco Materazzi actually did and announced themselves the best side in the tournament after a single game.
Not least because there's a recognition of their failings. Attack may be the best form of defence but there are fears about the back four, about the weakness of Carles Puyol and Carlos Marchena and the huge dip in form of Sergio Ramos. There's concern too about the anaemic performances of Andrés Iniesta and an unusual recognition that, even as Spain prepare to play tonight's match with the rare luxury of fielding a team of subs, they've not actually won anything - the message conveyed by players and press alike. The real stuff starts here; the very point at which Spain normally end.
If Romania awaited, they might now have begun to believe. But it's Italy. And as the editor of AS put it: "Italy don't scare me, they terrify me." Italy. Spain's bete noire (even if their last competitive game was that one 14 years ago). Italy. The side seemingly best equipped to undo Spain's technical yet lightweight midfield. Italy. In the quarter-final. On June 22. The team they have not beaten in a competitive match for 88 years. At the traditionally insurmountable hurdle, the stage they have not passed in 24 years. On the same date that they have been knocked out for each of the last three tournaments.
Happily, there is one, big difference this time. Not the absence of Tassotti - after all, the man with the razor-sharp elbows will be on the bench on Sunday - but the absence of the other sadly decisive man from that day in the US. This time, Spain have David Villa and Fernando Torres, not Julio Salinas.
What a read.
Jittery Spaniards prepare for their bete noire
After 88 years without a competitive win over Italy, Spain are already panicking about Sunday's quarter-final
Sid Lowe
June 18, 2008 1:09 PM
The newsreader put on his most earnest face, smoothed down his moustache, looked into the camera and read from the autocue. Never mind that this was TVE, supposedly the sober voice of serious, straight news. "Spain", he said, "will play Italy. The same old Italy; the Italy that never plays football but always wins."As the tape rolled, a voice testily told how the Italians, "champions of the world and champions of luck", had beaten France thanks to the fact that "destiny favoured them yet again". The Azzurri, agreed Marca, are the team with "seven lives".
No side provokes such distaste in Spain as Italy, whose football is derided as cynical, dirty and boring, somehow illegitimate. As José Ángel de la Casa, for decades the voice of the Spanish national team - a kind of tranquil John Motson without the obsession over his dinner, the sheepskin coats or those heh-heh moments - admitted with a hint of discomfort: "As a nation, we have always shown contempt towards Italian football." Not just because of the chance but also because of the "cheating". Now and over the next few days, that will become more evident than ever.
The Italians, declares this morning's Marca, "are experts in 'the other football', the maestros of time-wasting, of destroying games and subterranean play". The paper's cover runs with the photo of Luis Enrique, blood covering his shirt, after Tassotti smashed his nose all over his face in the penalty area at the end of the 1994 World Cup quarter-final, an elbow that "still hurts Spain". "If there is an image that sums up Italy v Spain meetings it's the bloody face of a crying Luis Enrique after getting an elbow that referee Sándor Puhl didn't see - or didn't want to see," Marca snipes.
"Italian cheating once again went unpunished, but at least they got what they deserved by losing in the final with two historic penalty misses from their great stars: [Roberto] Baggio and [Franco] Baresi", Marca continues, picking on two innocent men, while the front page headline warns: "Italy, we have not forgotten this."
They can say that again: as Roberto Palomar puts it, everywhere he looks he sees Luis Enrique and from now until Sunday's match there will be no escape as the telly goes into smashed-nose overload. "I go to fill the car with petrol and there's Luis Enrique vomiting blood behind the pump; I go to take a piss and there's Luis Enrique in the cubicle, doubled over, cleaning the blood off his disfigured face; I climb into bed and there's someone there next to my wife - it's Mauro Tassotti". Kai!!!
The same Mauro Tassotti who won that day - and that's kind of the point. Italy, as Palomar argued, is a ghost that haunts Spain. Despite the bravado, despite the implicit threat on Marca's cover, Italy don't just inspire loathing, they inspire fear too. Lots of it. There is a hint of getting your excuses in early about the Spanish media today. And there is little hiding the disappointment when they look at Romania - the speedboat Jim Bowen says they could have won - and then back at the Italians they've actually got. One headline this morning simply screamed "No!". "Italy, always Italy", sighed El País. And on the radio they were asking an uncomfortable question: "Are you sh!tt1ng yourself?"
The answer was yes. Last night's result was the last thing the Spanish wanted: Luis Aragonés said it, the press said it and the online polls said it. José Vicente Hernáez signed off from yesterday evening's preview on Marca TV with a: "Do us a favour Holland, lose! Come on Romania!"
Never mind the ethics, he spoke for everyone. Romania would have been perfect; a creaking France, just about acceptable; Italy, a disaster. "They're not the opponents we wanted, that's for sure," mumbled Aragonés. AS likens Italy to the beetle-tick that stalks the Austrian mountains, ready to deliver a fatal blow with a single bite. As Álvaro Arbeloa put it: "Italy are always the same: they scrape through and then win the tournament." Which would of course mean beating Spain. On the face of it, Spain shouldn't be worried. In fact, they should be relishing the opportunity to bury those ghosts against a team that - as the commentators reminded us 37 times in the final 10 minutes last night - will be without Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso. After all, after two games for every team, Spain had completed more passes than any other country, and a higher percentage too. They are No1 in attacks, No1 in shots and No16 (in other words the best) in shots faced.
Better still, for all the talk of short, precise, slow build-up and despite its visceral defence from the talibans of tiki-taka (pass and move), Spain have scored six goals this tournament - five from breaks or, let's face it, aimless hoofs; one from a set-play. This time, there's real pace, a cutting edge, a will and a way to do it differently. And a bit of luck too. Spain have some semblance of togetherness at last, a team Cesc Fabregas can't even get into, after Aragonés sensibly recognised that his five-man midfield didn't work, and consequently they have David Villa - the new kid on the block, the revelation of world football who's only been the best striker in Spain for four years.
And yet, apart from Cuatro TV - whose "come on!, yes!, yes!, yes!, you can do it!, go on!, yes!, that's it!, that's it!, good!, that's the way!, oh yes!" commentary sounds more like the soundtrack from a saucy film than five blokes narrating a football match - the Spanish have been strikingly calm about the tournament so far. Sure, they've been delighted with what they have seen. But so often bitten for once shy, there's been little of the tub-thumping from the last World Cup, when they promised to retire Zinedine Zidane three games before Marco Materazzi actually did and announced themselves the best side in the tournament after a single game.
Not least because there's a recognition of their failings. Attack may be the best form of defence but there are fears about the back four, about the weakness of Carles Puyol and Carlos Marchena and the huge dip in form of Sergio Ramos. There's concern too about the anaemic performances of Andrés Iniesta and an unusual recognition that, even as Spain prepare to play tonight's match with the rare luxury of fielding a team of subs, they've not actually won anything - the message conveyed by players and press alike. The real stuff starts here; the very point at which Spain normally end.
If Romania awaited, they might now have begun to believe. But it's Italy. And as the editor of AS put it: "Italy don't scare me, they terrify me." Italy. Spain's bete noire (even if their last competitive game was that one 14 years ago). Italy. The side seemingly best equipped to undo Spain's technical yet lightweight midfield. Italy. In the quarter-final. On June 22. The team they have not beaten in a competitive match for 88 years. At the traditionally insurmountable hurdle, the stage they have not passed in 24 years. On the same date that they have been knocked out for each of the last three tournaments.
Happily, there is one, big difference this time. Not the absence of Tassotti - after all, the man with the razor-sharp elbows will be on the bench on Sunday - but the absence of the other sadly decisive man from that day in the US. This time, Spain have David Villa and Fernando Torres, not Julio Salinas.
What a read.
Arsène Wenger at Arsenal, 1996 to 2018. I was there.
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Mister Dolly
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The problem with Spain is that they have no spine and stomach for a fight which is why Italy will punk them out again...
Speed and deadly finishing will be to Spain's advantage and they will need to execute an almost flawless game plan to defeat Italy who will have the psychological edge.
Speed and deadly finishing will be to Spain's advantage and they will need to execute an almost flawless game plan to defeat Italy who will have the psychological edge.
"Because of Jesus, it's a glorious life...."
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phantomjournalist
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Forza Azzurri... Beat them up...
ps Italy has the "BEST" FANS
.....
Much better than Spanish "FANS"
ps Italy has the "BEST" FANS
.....Much better than Spanish "FANS"
Ayton Senna wrote:On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit.' As soon as you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high - Ayton Senna
FORZA JUVE
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bret- hart
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no wonder they always lose out at this stage. how can u be scared of ur opponents? these guys have already lost even without kicking the ball. it will be a monumental upset if Spain gets past Italy on saturday.
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green4life
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The one team I can bet my mortgage to do well in tournaments are the Azurris.
However, Donadoni is another clueless coach and I believe Spain have Italy's number this time.
However, Donadoni is another clueless coach and I believe Spain have Italy's number this time.
When they came for the communists, I was silent, because I was not a communist;
When they came for the socialists, I was silent, because I was not a socialist;
When they came for the trade unionists, I did not protest, because I was not a trade unionist;
When they came for the Jews, I did not protest, because I was not a Jew;
When they came for me, there was no one left to protest on my behalf."
Martin Niemoeller (1892-1984)
When they came for the socialists, I was silent, because I was not a socialist;
When they came for the trade unionists, I did not protest, because I was not a trade unionist;
When they came for the Jews, I did not protest, because I was not a Jew;
When they came for me, there was no one left to protest on my behalf."
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same story....
94 - one of the better sides at the world cup, lost to italy
96 - one of the best sides at the euros, lost to england
98 - oy vey! smacked by a nigerian side they should have beat and despite crushing bulgaria 6-1 they were out and they had again one of the best sides in the world, they'd been undefeated in something like 60something games before losing to SE
2000 - again one of the best sides in europe, got punked by france
02 - again possibly one of the most supreme teams, got sonned by korea
04 - what more can you say, extremely talented, lost to portugal
06 - possibly the best european team going into the world cup, got destroyed by france and zidane
08 - again, one of the best teams in europe, arguably the most talented from goalie thru strikers.......
YET.. the spanish will lose, they have zero fight, zero heart and get knocked out by sides who are weaker than them. For years they have promised much and delivered zilch. In fact the only time they won the anything was the Euro's AT HOME, some argue general franco 'influenced' refs.
Italy is not a bad side, i dont see them playing defensively against spain but i bet they will punish the spaniards for any error they make and once spanish heads start to drop, thats game over right there.
94 - one of the better sides at the world cup, lost to italy
96 - one of the best sides at the euros, lost to england
98 - oy vey! smacked by a nigerian side they should have beat and despite crushing bulgaria 6-1 they were out and they had again one of the best sides in the world, they'd been undefeated in something like 60something games before losing to SE
2000 - again one of the best sides in europe, got punked by france
02 - again possibly one of the most supreme teams, got sonned by korea
04 - what more can you say, extremely talented, lost to portugal
06 - possibly the best european team going into the world cup, got destroyed by france and zidane
08 - again, one of the best teams in europe, arguably the most talented from goalie thru strikers.......
YET.. the spanish will lose, they have zero fight, zero heart and get knocked out by sides who are weaker than them. For years they have promised much and delivered zilch. In fact the only time they won the anything was the Euro's AT HOME, some argue general franco 'influenced' refs.
Italy is not a bad side, i dont see them playing defensively against spain but i bet they will punish the spaniards for any error they make and once spanish heads start to drop, thats game over right there.
Italy yes, France no. This is a really weak French team that has been thoroughly exposed. Italy on the other hand is a striker away from a really formidable roll to the final.The Ugandan. wrote:The creaking French team would have beaten Spain.lowzeewee wrote:I think Italy will beat Spain.
If Luca Toni wakes up and puts away half chances, watch out. Italy has done everything else, despite some bad luck, to create opportunities. Spain is in big trouble and they know it. France was their preferred opponent.
Cheers, Mate
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cic old boy
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This may be true about previous Spanish teams, but not entirely correct about the current side. Puyol is prepared to go toe-to-toe with Tyson. Marcos Senna is around now to even the bruise count and El Nino Torres is no shrinking violet. That is the spine of the team - from defence through to attack.Mister Dolly wrote:The problem with Spain is that they have no spine and stomach for a fight which is why Italy will punk them out again...
What makes football great is that no one really knows how this one will pan out. On current form, the Spanish attack should be able to drive a trailer through an Italian defence that chopped 3 goals against Holland. But the pressure is on Spain and Italy can play with the freedom of a team that knows it was given a second lease of life.
Remind me never to share my secrets with you, chei see as you leak Spain's weakness all over the place.
platinum wrote:same story....
94 - one of the better sides at the world cup, lost to italy
96 - one of the best sides at the euros, lost to england
98 - oy vey! smacked by a nigerian side they should have beat and despite crushing bulgaria 6-1 they were out and they had again one of the best sides in the world, they'd been undefeated in something like 60something games before losing to SE
2000 - again one of the best sides in europe, got punked by france
02 - again possibly one of the most supreme teams, got sonned by korea
04 - what more can you say, extremely talented, lost to portugal
06 - possibly the best european team going into the world cup, got destroyed by france and zidane
08 - again, one of the best teams in europe, arguably the most talented from goalie thru strikers.......
YET.. the spanish will lose, they have zero fight, zero heart and get knocked out by sides who are weaker than them. For years they have promised much and delivered zilch. In fact the only time they won the anything was the Euro's AT HOME, some argue general franco 'influenced' refs.
Italy is not a bad side, i dont see them playing defensively against spain but i bet they will punish the spaniards for any error they make and once spanish heads start to drop, thats game over right there.
Hey, look who is here!! Welcome back. See you are rooting for your boys.mate wrote:Italy yes, France no. This is a really weak French team that has been thoroughly exposed. Italy on the other hand is a striker away from a really formidable roll to the final.The Ugandan. wrote:The creaking French team would have beaten Spain.lowzeewee wrote:I think Italy will beat Spain.
If Luca Toni wakes up and puts away half chances, watch out. Italy has done everything else, despite some bad luck, to create opportunities. Spain is in big trouble and they know it. France was their preferred opponent.
Cheers, Mate
I love Italy, but with Luka the Giant in the mix, this team will not get past semi finals...those chances he wasted yesterday will be punished a clinical opposition..I don't think Spain is it though
For my sceptical Nigerian Friends : Pessimism is great because you are either always right or pleasantly surprised.
Am saying,this one pass wey wind blow and foul yarnsh open,KAI!!!!oloye wrote:Remind me never to share my secrets with you, chei see as you leak Spain's weakness all over the place.
platinum wrote:same story....
94 - one of the better sides at the world cup, lost to italy
96 - one of the best sides at the euros, lost to england
98 - oy vey! smacked by a nigerian side they should have beat and despite crushing bulgaria 6-1 they were out and they had again one of the best sides in the world, they'd been undefeated in something like 60something games before losing to SE
2000 - again one of the best sides in europe, got punked by france
02 - again possibly one of the most supreme teams, got sonned by korea
04 - what more can you say, extremely talented, lost to portugal
06 - possibly the best european team going into the world cup, got destroyed by france and zidane
08 - again, one of the best teams in europe, arguably the most talented from goalie thru strikers.......
YET.. the spanish will lose, they have zero fight, zero heart and get knocked out by sides who are weaker than them. For years they have promised much and delivered zilch. In fact the only time they won the anything was the Euro's AT HOME, some argue general franco 'influenced' refs.
Italy is not a bad side, i dont see them playing defensively against spain but i bet they will punish the spaniards for any error they make and once spanish heads start to drop, thats game over right there.
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When you have not beaten an opponent for nearly 90 years, why wouldn't you be scared? Now they have got Torres and Villa spearheading the attack. If Spain cannot do it this time, then it may take another 100 years to do it.bret- hart wrote:no wonder they always lose out at this stage. how can u be scared of ur opponents? these guys have already lost even without kicking the ball. it will be a monumental upset if Spain gets past Italy on saturday.
Italy had used every trick in the book to qualify. They claimed the referees had ganged up against them, cleverly and conveniently ignoring the fact that a Spanish referee gave them a penalty in the very last kick of extra time at the world cup in Germany to overcome an impressive Australia. Italy were on their way home against Australia especially as they were reduced to ten men.
Yesterday, the referee awarded a penalty against the French and at the same time expelled Abidal. I thought the penalty was justified but not the expulsion. When Barcelona played against Arsenal in the final of the champions League, Lemans committed almost the same foul against Eto'o. Lemans was expelled but no penalty was given. Referees should not do both unless the infringement is egregious. They can award a penalty and allow the player to stay or expel a player and not give a penalty. Had Abidal played, I believe the French would have come back.
HOw is it that Italy are almost always awarded a penalty in a crucial match? Italy were awared a penalty when reduced to ten men against Nigeria, awarded a penalty when reduced to ten men against Australia, awarded a penalty against Germany in Euro 1996 while facing elimination.
It may all be mere coincidences, but Italy should be the last to complain about referees.
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original skeepolah
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