The Official Azzurri thread

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[Carlo Romano]

[p_maldini_3]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/20 ... ee-defence

jonathan wilson's take on 3 man defenses.

[RomaShield27]

[Bagg10]

[Bagg10]

[Messinterista]

[Lombardiamia]

[Bagg10]

Yeah.. Signori started all group stage matches.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_FIFA_World_Cup

I didn't realize there were only 24 teams in the WC, and that the 4 best 3rd place teams went through.

[Carlo Romano]

I was actually talking about the final itself, guys. Sacchi and Signori both reckoned that even an unfit Baggio could do more for Italy. I still say if Roby had been at 100% he would have never missed that chance he got from open play which would have won us the game and saved us from that damn penalty farce! On Zola, maybe it was the UK press hype at the time which made it seem to me more demanding that he played. He had a lot of fans in England long before his Chelsea days.

Lomba, I guess you mean the penalty with only a couple of minutes to go that saved us from going out? As for the Norway game, Baggio was clearly seen mouthing, "he's mad...mad!" Shaking his head as he walked off. Yeah, that was another nail biter of a match. I remember Maldini being almost a passenger as the saying goes! He couldn't be subbed as all three had been made.

Bagg, on Cruyff, Maldini, and Baggio...you could probably add Platini to the list. It's almost unthinkable that those guys could have the careers they did and not be part of a World Cup winning side.

In the earlier days of the World Cup they only had 16 teams...I actually thought the 24 was a nice size. With 32 there are always going to be some group stage games the majority of the neutral fans won't be bothered with.

[Lombardiamia]

No Carlo I wasnt referring to Baggio's penalty, cause that was our second goal and won us the match in the extra time. I was referring to Baggio's first goal in that WC, when w equalized against Nigeria in the 88th minute. It was a fantastically taken goal right when everyone was thinking that we were going out. Some even say that an airplane had already been booked for our return to Italy.

This game -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFFXdDAKnU8

[Bagg10]

[Carlo Romano]

Thanks for posting the film clips, guys...ah, the class of Baggio!

Lomba, the rigore meant more to me as it saved our asses. Just another line of thinking, of course we needed his first goal too. But oh, the poor marking which let Nigeria score. I'd forgotten that!

[Lombardiamia]

To me, the first goal from Baggio meant the most because we were nearing the end of the match and their needed to be 'lo zampino di un fuoriclasse'... IMO, even if the match had gone to the penalties, we'd still win cause that first goal gave Italy the mental superiority and shifted the balance of the match towards us. You're right about defending. One would have expected better from players like Baresi, Maldini, Costacurta & Bergomi back there..

[Carlo Romano]

Lomba, it might have been a completely solid defence if Beppe Bergomi had been there. I don't remember the specific incident but after being red carded against Norway in '92, Sacchi never forgave him and but for the fact his replacement Cesare Maldini had more sense and called him up for France '98, Bergomi would have never been selected for la nazionale again.

Guys like Mussi, Tassotti, and Benarrivo were good but not in the class of Bergomi! Mussi and Benarrivo had more pace and were better at prompting attacks but they couldn't defend like Bergomi and that's what a defender is paid first and foremost to do. Or I should say, it was the case at one time. With calcio moderno, Italian defending tends to be caught out more because current defenders are being asked to attack as much as defend. They did that back then too...but the real emphasis was placed in shutting the opposition down. Up to a point, Tassotti could do that...ask the Spanish!!!

Parma were strong in those days. Having mentioned Benarrivo in Sacchi's Italia, I also remember Gigi Appoloni used in central defence and I don't know why we didn't see Enzo Minotti used in midfield. I'd need to check to be sure...offhand I can't recall him appearing more than once and that was as a sub. Ossio and Melli were unlucky not to be called up. Exceptionally strong competition in Baggio and Signori. Unfortunate timing, just like Zola, but at least he got a bit of a chance at Euro '96. Until that penalty miss against Germany! Dio Mio!

If he sees this post, Gio might verify Sacchi was not a popular Azzurri coach, particularly at Euro '96. How glad most of us were when he resigned, accepting Berlusconi's invitation to go back to Milan.

btw, I haven't forgotten my promise to do a profile on Trap's Inter but that's not a topic for this thread.

[Lombardiamia]

I remember that Parma side quite clearly Carlo. Coming up from Serie B and immediately making a hit in Serie A and thereafter in Europe with Nevio Scala. Though not Italians, in that squad there were 2 other great players whom I still remember very clearly. Thomas Brolin & Faustino Asprilla. The latter also managed to shutter Milan’s dominance in Serie A of 58 league matches without a loss! Of course Milan still went on to win another league (a squad who would buy the latest Ballon D’Or winner – JP Papin – as a reserve striker surely would play on a different level than anyone else), but that Parma did manage to beat the inbeatables. I believe that in those days, many many Italian followers had adopted Parma as their second favourite team, including me.

With regards to Sacchi, surely all of Italy was relieved to rid of him. He was always a very good tactician, but we seemed to have failed in building some decent team spirit with the Azzurri. Presumably, he was much more at ease with a group of players whom he could train & see every day, rather than one whom he would see for a few days every now & then.

[p_maldini_3]

what do you guys think of prandelli as lippi's replacement?

[Messinterista]

Won't be happy unless its Don Fabio.

[juventino_italiano]

[Lombardiamia]