Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts
Monday, May 19, 2014
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Ten World Cup Teams Influenced By One Club
1950 Italy - The Tragedy Of Il Grande Torino
The most poignant and tragic inclusion on the list is that of the 1950 Italy team. The Azzurri performed well below their World Cup pedigree in Brazil, being eliminated at the first group stage, but circumstances beyond their control dictated that the side was to be weakened. Il Grande Torino had won four Serie A titles on the trot in the years preceding 1949 and were in the clear to do so again, and also provided as many as 10 national squad members. However, Torino perished in May 1949 in the Superga Air Disaster on their return home from a match in Portugal. As a result it was a depleted Nazionale that travelled to Brazil.
1954 Hungary - Military Service
Hungary's Golden Squad of 1954 was based almost exclusively around Honved, a small club from the village of Kispest, now a suburb of the capital. The coach, Gusztav Sebes, was allegedly able to persuade the authorities that players should be allowed to play there instead of performing active military service. It proved to be the breeding ground for Sebes' idea to have a deep-lying forward - a tactical innovation that was a key contributor in their demolishing of the English. Goalkeeper Grosics, Jozsef Boszik, Sandor Kocsis, Ferenc Puskas and Zoltan Czibor all played at Honved. The Magic Magyars were ousted in the final against West Germany.
1966 England - West Ham 4-2 West Germany
Any old school Hammers fan will tell you that West Ham, and not just England, won the 1966 World Cup. The east London side provided the captain and the goalscorers in the final against West Germany. Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and the hat-trick hero, Geoff Hurst, were all graduates of the world renowned Academy of Football between 1958 and 1959. They were key components in Sir Alf Ramsey's team, even though the latter duo were very much newcomers to the international scene, with less than 10 caps between them heading into the finals.
1974 West Germany - Bayern Munich; The Joy Of Six
Bayern provided the backbone for West Germany's 1974 success with no fewer than six players from the club appearing in the final. Sepp Meier, Paul Breitner, Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Mueller and Uli Hoeness all started for the Germans in their home city as they beat off the Dutch challenge. It was a golden era for that set of players, who won the European Cup and Bundesliga earlier that same season. Having six players from a single club in a final is still a World Cup record.
1982 Italy - ItaloJuve I
There is a saying in Italy that "a successful Juventus team makes a successful Italy team" and that was certainly true in 1982. The Bianconeri had just won yet another Scudetto to continue their dominance under Giovanni Trapattoni and provided six of the first choice starting XI of Italy's World Cup winners in Spain. Dino Zoff captained the Azzurri, hardman Claudio Gentile famously man marked Zico and Diego Maradona, libero Gaetano Scirea oozed class, midfielder Marco Tardelli performed the most famous World Cup celebration by scoring the second goal in the final, left back Antonio Cabrini had the looks, the brilliance to erase his penalty miss at 0-0 in the final, and of course striker Paolo Rossi was the ultimate hero after finishing the Mundial as top scorer with six goals in his final three games including an unforgettable hat-trick against Brazil and the opener in the final win over West Germany.
1986 Soviet Union - The Appliance Of Science Fails Lobanovsky
Valeri Lobanovsky was in charge of both USSR and Dynamo Kyiv at the time of the Mexico tournament and brought along no fewer than 12 of his club charges. The tactician received a lot of criticism for choosing his favourites from club level and as it transpired, the Soviet Union fared pretty poorly. Lobanovsky was renowned for his complex, methodical approach and stated that the non-Dynamo members of the squad were unable to produce his desired results. Igor Belanov's competiton was notable in that he scored a hat-trick in the second round defeat to Belgium and still ended up on the losing side. His club? Yes, you guessed it.
1990 West Germany v Netherlands - The Milan Derby
One of the most fascinating club v club, country v country clashes in World Cup history occurred in San Siro in 1990. West Germany met Holland in the second round with a fascinating subplot. Inter's Andreas Brehme, Lothar Matthaeus and Juergen Klinsmann lined up for the Germans against Milan's Frank Rijkaard, Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit. Goals from Brehme and Klinsmann helped decide a bad tempered tie between two of international football's greatest rivals. Rijkaard and Rudi Voeller saw red for fighting after only 20 minutes, with Rijkaard disgracing himself by aiming two wads of spit on his opponent's perm.
2002 Germany - The Curse Of Neverkusen
The Werkself may not have supplied many German representatives in the squad as a whole but members of the Bayer side played a vital role for the Nationalmannschaft in the far east. With a former Leverkusen striker as coach, Voeller, the Germans lined up with Carsten Ramelow, Michael Ballack, Bernd Schneider and Oliver Neuville in key positions. That quartet, along with their club-mates had just come off a hugely bittersweet season after losing out on the Bundesliga title, the DFB Pokal and the Champions League at the final hurdle. There was more anguish in store as the Nationalelf lost in the final to Brazil.
2006 Italy - ItaloJuve II
The lead-up to the 2006 World Cup provided Italian football with some of its blackest days. Calciopoli engulfed the peninsula with Juventus among those clubs hardest hit with punishments. The Old Lady was sent down to Serie B for her part in the scandal but the Turin club still played a huge role in helping the Azzurri claim the world title. Gianluigi Buffon, Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro, Mauro Camoranesi and Alessandro Del Piero all appeared in the final against France and another Juventino, David Trezeguet, missed the vital penalty kick for Les Bleus.
This edition of the Spain squad sees a large chunk of the current Barcelona side transplanted into the red of the national team. Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Pedro Rodriguez and David Villa have all played an integral part in getting la Furia Roja to the final. Indeed, a non-Barcelona player has yet to score for Spain in these championships. This is all the more remarkable considering that Spain do not play with a Barca blueprint; Vicente Del Bosque has his own way of doing things with the players at his disposal. That is a testament to the adaptability of the Blaugrana representatives in his panel.
The most poignant and tragic inclusion on the list is that of the 1950 Italy team. The Azzurri performed well below their World Cup pedigree in Brazil, being eliminated at the first group stage, but circumstances beyond their control dictated that the side was to be weakened. Il Grande Torino had won four Serie A titles on the trot in the years preceding 1949 and were in the clear to do so again, and also provided as many as 10 national squad members. However, Torino perished in May 1949 in the Superga Air Disaster on their return home from a match in Portugal. As a result it was a depleted Nazionale that travelled to Brazil.
1954 Hungary - Military Service
Hungary's Golden Squad of 1954 was based almost exclusively around Honved, a small club from the village of Kispest, now a suburb of the capital. The coach, Gusztav Sebes, was allegedly able to persuade the authorities that players should be allowed to play there instead of performing active military service. It proved to be the breeding ground for Sebes' idea to have a deep-lying forward - a tactical innovation that was a key contributor in their demolishing of the English. Goalkeeper Grosics, Jozsef Boszik, Sandor Kocsis, Ferenc Puskas and Zoltan Czibor all played at Honved. The Magic Magyars were ousted in the final against West Germany.
1966 England - West Ham 4-2 West Germany
Any old school Hammers fan will tell you that West Ham, and not just England, won the 1966 World Cup. The east London side provided the captain and the goalscorers in the final against West Germany. Bobby Moore, Martin Peters and the hat-trick hero, Geoff Hurst, were all graduates of the world renowned Academy of Football between 1958 and 1959. They were key components in Sir Alf Ramsey's team, even though the latter duo were very much newcomers to the international scene, with less than 10 caps between them heading into the finals.
1974 West Germany - Bayern Munich; The Joy Of Six
Bayern provided the backbone for West Germany's 1974 success with no fewer than six players from the club appearing in the final. Sepp Meier, Paul Breitner, Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Mueller and Uli Hoeness all started for the Germans in their home city as they beat off the Dutch challenge. It was a golden era for that set of players, who won the European Cup and Bundesliga earlier that same season. Having six players from a single club in a final is still a World Cup record.
1982 Italy - ItaloJuve I
There is a saying in Italy that "a successful Juventus team makes a successful Italy team" and that was certainly true in 1982. The Bianconeri had just won yet another Scudetto to continue their dominance under Giovanni Trapattoni and provided six of the first choice starting XI of Italy's World Cup winners in Spain. Dino Zoff captained the Azzurri, hardman Claudio Gentile famously man marked Zico and Diego Maradona, libero Gaetano Scirea oozed class, midfielder Marco Tardelli performed the most famous World Cup celebration by scoring the second goal in the final, left back Antonio Cabrini had the looks, the brilliance to erase his penalty miss at 0-0 in the final, and of course striker Paolo Rossi was the ultimate hero after finishing the Mundial as top scorer with six goals in his final three games including an unforgettable hat-trick against Brazil and the opener in the final win over West Germany.
1986 Soviet Union - The Appliance Of Science Fails Lobanovsky
Valeri Lobanovsky was in charge of both USSR and Dynamo Kyiv at the time of the Mexico tournament and brought along no fewer than 12 of his club charges. The tactician received a lot of criticism for choosing his favourites from club level and as it transpired, the Soviet Union fared pretty poorly. Lobanovsky was renowned for his complex, methodical approach and stated that the non-Dynamo members of the squad were unable to produce his desired results. Igor Belanov's competiton was notable in that he scored a hat-trick in the second round defeat to Belgium and still ended up on the losing side. His club? Yes, you guessed it.
1990 West Germany v Netherlands - The Milan Derby
One of the most fascinating club v club, country v country clashes in World Cup history occurred in San Siro in 1990. West Germany met Holland in the second round with a fascinating subplot. Inter's Andreas Brehme, Lothar Matthaeus and Juergen Klinsmann lined up for the Germans against Milan's Frank Rijkaard, Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit. Goals from Brehme and Klinsmann helped decide a bad tempered tie between two of international football's greatest rivals. Rijkaard and Rudi Voeller saw red for fighting after only 20 minutes, with Rijkaard disgracing himself by aiming two wads of spit on his opponent's perm.
2002 Germany - The Curse Of Neverkusen
The Werkself may not have supplied many German representatives in the squad as a whole but members of the Bayer side played a vital role for the Nationalmannschaft in the far east. With a former Leverkusen striker as coach, Voeller, the Germans lined up with Carsten Ramelow, Michael Ballack, Bernd Schneider and Oliver Neuville in key positions. That quartet, along with their club-mates had just come off a hugely bittersweet season after losing out on the Bundesliga title, the DFB Pokal and the Champions League at the final hurdle. There was more anguish in store as the Nationalelf lost in the final to Brazil.
2006 Italy - ItaloJuve II
The lead-up to the 2006 World Cup provided Italian football with some of its blackest days. Calciopoli engulfed the peninsula with Juventus among those clubs hardest hit with punishments. The Old Lady was sent down to Serie B for her part in the scandal but the Turin club still played a huge role in helping the Azzurri claim the world title. Gianluigi Buffon, Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro, Mauro Camoranesi and Alessandro Del Piero all appeared in the final against France and another Juventino, David Trezeguet, missed the vital penalty kick for Les Bleus.
2010 Spain - Barcelona's Tiki-Tactics
This edition of the Spain squad sees a large chunk of the current Barcelona side transplanted into the red of the national team. Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Pedro Rodriguez and David Villa have all played an integral part in getting la Furia Roja to the final. Indeed, a non-Barcelona player has yet to score for Spain in these championships. This is all the more remarkable considering that Spain do not play with a Barca blueprint; Vicente Del Bosque has his own way of doing things with the players at his disposal. That is a testament to the adaptability of the Blaugrana representatives in his panel.
Friday, July 2, 2010
The seven biggest shocks in World Cup history at the knockout stage
Will the four eagerly anticipated FIFA World Cup 2010 quarter-finals produce any major shocks? The latter stages of previous tournaments have had their quota of surprising, occasionally stunning results, where for a variety of reasons fate defied form and the outcome was emphatically not as predicted. We recall some of the more memorable.
Croatia beat Germany, 1998
Uruguay beat Brazil, 1950
Oddly, no provision was made for a World Cup final in the first post-war tournament, yet results in the 'final pool' of six matches meant that the last game to be played was indeed the decider, and it provided both a classic thriller and a shock.
Hosts Brazil were the overwhelming favourites to defeat Uruguay, having dismantled Sweden 7-1 and Spain 6-1 in their first two pool games. They were thought to be invincible by their own fans, and winning the cup at the still unfinished Maracana, where a world record crowd of 200,000 gathered to watch them be crowned champions, was not so much a formality as divine destiny.
Over-confidence, perhaps, and a reliance on the flamboyance and attacking brio that had got them there, proved their undoing. Despite taking the lead early in the second half through Friaca, they found Uruguay to be determined and tactically astute opponents who refused to buckle. When Juan Alberto Schiaffino equalised, the Brazilians visibly deflated; when Alcides Ghiggia scored a second 10 minutes from time to win the trophy for the Uruguayans, the Brazilian nation was bereft.
Hosts Brazil were the overwhelming favourites to defeat Uruguay, having dismantled Sweden 7-1 and Spain 6-1 in their first two pool games. They were thought to be invincible by their own fans, and winning the cup at the still unfinished Maracana, where a world record crowd of 200,000 gathered to watch them be crowned champions, was not so much a formality as divine destiny.
Over-confidence, perhaps, and a reliance on the flamboyance and attacking brio that had got them there, proved their undoing. Despite taking the lead early in the second half through Friaca, they found Uruguay to be determined and tactically astute opponents who refused to buckle. When Juan Alberto Schiaffino equalised, the Brazilians visibly deflated; when Alcides Ghiggia scored a second 10 minutes from time to win the trophy for the Uruguayans, the Brazilian nation was bereft.
Germany beat Hungary, 1954
The magnificent Hungarian side of the early '50s were also overwhelming favourites to win the trophy four years later, but with their inspirational captain Ferenc Puskas labouring under an injury sustained in an earlier match, they ultimately failed to fulfil expectations.
Against West Germany in the final in Berne, the gamble of playing the unfit Puskas appeared to have worked when he put the Magyars ahead after six minutes. And when Zoltan Czibor added a second two minutes later, it looked all over.
But the Germans were made of resolute stuff and mounted a stirring comeback. On 18 minutes they were level through goals from Max Morlock and then Helmut Rahn. Yet Hungary took control again with some breathtaking attacking play. But the Germans stood firm, and 15 minutes from time Rahn scored the winning goal.
Against West Germany in the final in Berne, the gamble of playing the unfit Puskas appeared to have worked when he put the Magyars ahead after six minutes. And when Zoltan Czibor added a second two minutes later, it looked all over.
But the Germans were made of resolute stuff and mounted a stirring comeback. On 18 minutes they were level through goals from Max Morlock and then Helmut Rahn. Yet Hungary took control again with some breathtaking attacking play. But the Germans stood firm, and 15 minutes from time Rahn scored the winning goal.
Chile beat USSR, 1962
The shock of the quarter-finals in 1962 was hosts Chile's 2-1 victory over the formidable USSR.
Chile, impoverished and recently devastated by earthquakes, had not been expected to progress far in the competition.
But roared on and inspired by fanatical home support, the South Americans triumphed with two long-range efforts from Leonel Sanchez and Eladio Rojas, respectively - both of which the normally impressive Lev Yashin would have expected to save.
Igor Chislenko scored one for the Soviets in-between the two Chilean goals, but it was not enough.
Italy beat Brazil, 1982
Some regard the 1982 Brazilian side - of Socrates, Zico and Falcao - as their most exciting of all. Yet that richly endowed team were undone in the second round of group games, which took the place of quarter-finals in the Spain tournament.
They beat Argentina decisively, a frustrated Diego Maradona being sent off for blatantly kicking Batista, then met Italy in the decider.
The Italians had slumbered through the initial group stage with three draws, but now they came alive.
In a marvellous match, Paolo Rossi suddenly and emphatically found his form, and back to his incisive self, scored twice - but each time Brazil came back to equalise with stunners from Socrates and Falcao.
However, Rossi completed his hat-trick 16 minutes from time, and the best side in the tournament were out. Italy, though, maintained their improvement and went on to win the cup.
Bulgaria beat Germany, 1994
Germany were expected to be Italy's semi-final opponents in 1994, but in the heat at Giants Stadium, over 70,000 fans witnessed an upset as Bulgaria enjoyed their finest hour on the pitch.
With Lothar Matthaus looking unhappy as a sweeper for Germany, the game ebbed and flowed until the Germans took the lead early in the second half. Yordan Letchkov tripped Juergen Klinsmann and when Matthaus duly scored the penalty, Germany looked set to progress.
With less than 20 minutes to go, Andreas Moeller hit the post and Rudi Voeller converted the rebound; but the effort was ruled offside. And a couple of minutes after that Hristo Stoichkov was fouled by Guido Buchwald and blasted the free-kick into the net himself.
Then, remarkably, Bulgaria took the lead 12 minutes from time. Letchkov soared above Thomas Hassler to head home an inviting right-wing cross and Germany were on their way back to Europe.
World Cup debutants Croatia were a revelation at France '98 and took Germany apart in the quarter-finals.
It was a rough game, probably the aftermath of a Euro '96 quarter-final meeting that Germany had won 2-1. Christian Worns was sent off for fouling Davor Suker; Oliver Bierhoff was lucky to stay on for elbowing Soldo.
But Robert Jarni gave Croatia the lead with a spectacular effort just before the break, and German manager Berti Vogts struggled to come up with the effective tactics or substitutions to change the pattern.
Goran Vlaovic and then Davor Suker - with a superb individual goal - added two more for Croatia to complete a remarkable and emphatic 3-0 victory.
South Korea beat Spain, 2002
Having controversially beaten Italy in the second round, co-hosts South Korea proceeded to defeat Spain in the quarter-finals against all expectations, though again with controversy.
In Gwangju, Spain were without the injured Raul, but were strong favourites nevertheless. They created chances but couldn't convert them. But when Ivan Helguera headed home Javier De Pedro's free kick on 48 minutes, it was mysteriously disallowed, Korea being awarded a free-kick instead.
The game went to extra-time, when a linesman wrongly ruled that the ball had crossed the goal-line after Joaquin centred and before Fernando Morientes headed it into the net.
Now it was penalties. Joaquin missed the decisive kick, though goalkeeper Lee Won-Jae was well off his line; and South Korea had triumphed 5-3 in the shoot-out.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Champions Italy kicked out..
Group F, 14:00 GMT, June 24, 2010
Ellis Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
Slovakia
3 - 2
Italy
Man of the Match: Robert Vittek - The joint-top scorer in South Africa demonstrated his poaching prowess once again but was also a constant menace with his off-the-ball running. He held the ball up brilliantly and was imperious in the air, winning plenty of headers. His two goals were just rewards for an excellent all-round display.
Slovakia verdict: Showed a distinct improvement after their defeat to Paraguay. Undoubtedly the greatest result in the country's short history. Vittek led the line well and the midfield showed fantastic energy right up to the end. Defensive errors must be cut out if further progress is to be made but it was a resolute performance and Vladimir Weiss's side fully deserve their place in the second round.
Italy verdict: A shocking first-half display and the concession of two-goals gave them far too much to do and it was too little too late in terms of the intense pressure in the final 15 minutes of the game. Quagliarella's introduction livened things up but there were far too many underperforming players in the team, something that the any new manager must address. It was an inglorious end of theAzzurri's tenure as champions and they were woeful throughout their three-game defence of the trophy.
Could do better: Fabio Cannavaro - Has looked a shadow of the player that won both the World Cup and World Player of the Year award in 2006 and was again out of his depth against Slovakia. Vittek caused him problems throughout and he was perhaps lucky to avoid a first-half sending off, having already been on a yellow. Will bow out of top-level football and may perhaps be more at home playing in Dubai next season.
Stat attack: It is the first time in World Cup history that the two losing finalists from the previous tournament have failed to progress from the group stage having competed.
Ellis Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
Slovakia
3 - 2
Italy
Champions Italy crashed out of the World Cup as first-time qualifiers Slovakia booked a surprising place in the second round after an epic game at Ellis Park.
Scoring Summary
Man of the Match: Robert Vittek
MATCH SUMMARY
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