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| Population: |
57,600,000 |
| Area: |
301,230 km² |
| Capital: |
Rome |
| Language: |
Italian |
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THE
ROAD TO KOREA/JAPAN
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| Italy controlled UEFA group 8 from the start and never
looked troubled. Closest rivals Romania finished four points behind at the end. |
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Click
here for details
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WORLD
CUP HISTORY
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| Participations: (14) 1934, 1938,
1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998 |
| Best placing: Winners 1934, 1938 and 1982 |
| Topscorers: Paolo Rossi and Roberto Baggio,
9 goals |
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More
detailed history information
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ONE
TO WATCH
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| Christian Vieri, the Italian bull, will terrorize
defenders with his physique. His appetite for goals will help Italy far in this tournament and Vieri is as
close to a complete striker as you can come. The hottest contender for the Golden Boot if
he avoids injuries and suspensions. |
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WCA
VERDICT: Champions
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Italy is our candidate for winning the World Cup
and needless to say also a top two position in this group.
>> Why we fancy Italy to win |
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DEFENSIVE POWERHOUSE NOW WITH ATTACKING FLAIR
by Ruud Doevendans
A World Cup without Italy is no World Cup. Italy has won it three times, and is
always one of the favourites, even when they are not. It’s because it always
takes some special to beat them. Beaten on penalty-kicks in 1990, 1994 and
1998, and a minute away from winning Euro 2000, when they started badly –
as they often do – but grew into the tournament. Many see Italy as favourites
this time as well.
Coach Trapattoni is not the one to make the difference. He’s the
old-fashioned Italian coach, relying on defence, not enabling a sparkling
display by his team. And that’s a shame, because the best qualities of this
Italian squad are in attack! They have the choice of many first class
players there, and should try to win it by going forward. Still, you can
expect them as usual first, to cut the opponent off, then to score on the
break. I would like to see it a bit different.
For the goalkeeper’s post, many people hail young Juve-goalie Gianluigi
Buffon, but my vote would go to Francesco Toldo. Buffon has not impressed
me. When he broke through all barriers as a teenage goalie at Parma, I first
thought he was a huge talent, but now I know better. Buffon can make a nice
save, but he makes too many mistakes. Toldo is the more steady of the two,
did well at Euro 2000 and should get the nod.
Italy’s defence has always been their paradehorse, but there are problems.
Paolo Maldini, the world’s best left back of the 90’s, is injured and at his
age it remains to be seen how quick he can recover and regain his best form,
which is necessary to compete in a contender for the title. Fabio Cannavaro,
also with World Cup experience under his belt, has been struggling all year
with Parma. Alessandro Nesta, thought to be the world’s best defender, has
been plagued by injuries and has recently been totally outplayed by in-form
Montella from Roma, and that hasn’t happened many times to Nesta. There are
no other choices than these three who are near the same level, they are the
best by far, given that they are fit. Hopefully this awesome trio can
recover in time.
The Italian attack is magnificent. Christian Vieri is
back to his best and has been the hitman for Inter since coming back from
injury. He is a certain starter. The second place in attack is open, but
Trapattoni will probably choose a deep lying attacker there, such as Del
Piero or Totti. He should go for two in attack, with Del Piero or
rather Totti behind the two. In that case, Vincenzo Montella should be his
choice for the second spot in attack. Like so many other stars, he has been
injured badly, but before and after that period he was great. His four goals
against Lazio didn’t come out of the blue. Montella was the main reason why
Roma won the title in 2001. Give him your confidence, Trap, and he will pay
you back. He can be the next Baggio. Even more, when you let Totti play
behind him. They know each other well, they play well with each other. I
would take Totti rather than Del Piero, although the latter is a luxury
having on the bench. He can change a game, once he steps in. Filippo Inzaghi
is the possible first replacement for Vieri, although they have also been
playing together. And then to realize that another big name,
Enrico Chiesa, is out for the tournament. A shame.
The big questionmark in the Italian team must be raised at their midfield.
Italy’s midfield is not the best part. It’s not bad, but it’s just not good
enough compared to what others have. No Zidane or Pires, no Mendieta or
Valeron, no Veron or Riquelme, no Scholes, Gerrard or Beckham, no Rui Costa,
even no Ballack. It’s too much of the same: Zambrotta, Di Biagio, Zanetti,
Albertini, Pessotto, name them. They are all hard working, they will hardly
ever disappoint you, but they will hardly ever surprise the opponent as
well. What you see is what you get. And that’s why they should always choose two
attackers with Totti/Del Piero behind them, to make sure that there is at
least a little bit creativity coming from midfield. The others won’t provide
it.
Croatia, Ecuador, Mexico. Italy will always go through in this group, we
are sure of that. But after that, we're afraid it will be the same old song that
we know from their last tournaments. Try to survive, and hope for scoring
that one goal you need to advance. It’s not impossible that it will work, but
after the matches we will surely keep saying, that this team should have
played better soccer. But in Italy – and maybe that’s a good thing – winning
is first, the way in which you do it comes next. That’s why they are so
strong and hard to beat.
A BRIEF WORLD CUP HISTORY
by Jan Alsos
Italy’s World Cup history can be divided into three major
chapters; the pre-war tournaments when Italy dominated world football, the post-war slump
from 1950 to 1966, and the modern day Italy known world wide as a footballing
powerhouse. Italy chose not participate in the inaugural tournament in Uruguay, but hosted
and won the next in 1934. Czechoslovakia were beaten in the final after extra-time. Italy
defended their title in France four years later - a feat only emulated once to this day (Brazil 58
and 62). Hungary comfortably beaten 4-2 in the final. Silvio Piola and Giuseppe Meazza
were the greatest stars back then.
It took twelve years before a World Cup was held again because of World War II. Italy’s
glory was gone. The team in Brazil 1950 was not of the same calibre and none of the 1938
champions were still present. Italy crashed out already in the first round. The next decade
brought little glory to Italian fans. Another first round exit in Switzerland ‘54 was followed by
a failed qualification campaign for Sweden ‘58 before the Azzurri finally stole the limelight
again. In a negative way that is. Hosts Chile beat Italy 2-0 in a first round game in 1962, but
the game is more remembered for the violent scenes where players were fist fighting. The
problems for Italy continued in England 1966 when little North Korea beat them in the
decisive first round game. The team was bombarded by rotten tomatoes when they arrived in
Italy again.
Brighter days came. After a slow start with only one win and two goalless draws in 1970,
Italy impressed again with a formidable 4-1 win over hosts Mexico in the quarterfinal. An
even more impressive 4-3 extra-time thriller victory over West Germany sent Italy to the
World Cup final again. Pelé and Brazil proved to be too powerful, but Italy had returned as a
major nation on the football map.
Italy experienced another letdown four years later in West Germany with a first round
elimination, but this time they had a tough group with Poland and Argentina - the latter edged
them out on goaldifference. There would be no talk about goaldifference in 1978 because
Italy won all their three first round games - including Argentina in Buenos Aires, the eventual
champions. Italy looked good enough to go all the way until Holland’s Arie Haan scored from
40 yards in a decisive second phase match and relegated them to the bronzematch, which
they lost to Brazil.
1982 was the year Italy did it all. They stumbled through the preliminary round with three
draws against Cameroon, Peru and Poland before pacing up in the second phase beating
Argentina and Brazil - the latter an all-time World Cup classic game where Paolo Rossi
scored a hat-trick to give Italy a 3-2 win when Brazil only needed a draw to go through.
Poland was easily beaten in the semifinal and West Germany could do nothing in the final.
Rossi was topscorer and Dino Zoff could lift the cup as a 40 year-old captain.
The magic was no longer there in Mexico four years later. A dull and lacklustre Italian team
lost deservedly to France in the second round. Italy hosted the World Cup in 1990 and
looked solid all the way and didn’t concede a goal until deep into the semifinal when a
Caniggia header gave Argentina 1-1 which was enough for the South Americans who were
better from the penalty spot. Schillaci scored his sixth goal against England in the bronzematch
which gave him the Golden Boot and Italy third place.
Roberto Baggio was Italy’s hero in 1994. The team - just like in 1982 - muddled through the
first round and Baggio scored decisive goals against Nigeria, Spain and Bulgaria, but failed
from the penalty spot when he was most needed in the final against Brazil. Italy were
eliminated for the third consecutive time on a penalty shoot-out in 1998 when France beat
them in the quarterfinal. Christian Vieri had until then carried Italy just like Schillaci and Baggio
had done in the two previous campaigns as a sole attacking weapon.
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