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Spain will need to break June 22 jinx
INNSBRUCK, June 19 (Reuters) - Spain will have to break a 22-year hoodoo if they are to beat Italy in their Euro 2008 quarter-final showdown in Vienna on Sunday.
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'La seleccion' have suffered three painful penalty shootout defeats in quarter-finals at major tournaments in matches played on June 22.
They lost to Belgium on spot kicks in the last eight of the Mexico World Cup in 1986 after a late Juan Senor goal earned them a 1-1 draw in Puebla on June 22. A decade later they were beaten on penalties by England after a 0-0 draw at Wembley in Euro 96, Fernando Hierro and Miguel Angel Nadal missing from the spot. They then lost to co-hosts South Korea on penalties after another goalless draw in the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals.
With the clock running down in extra time, Spain appeared to have grabbed a 'golden goal' winner from Fernando Morientes only for Egyptian referee Gamal Al-Ghandour to disallow it, saying the ball had rolled out of play before Joaquin crossed. Several players kept their heads down during the shootout and Joaquin, by now carrying an injury, missed his spot kick, allowing South Korea to triumph.
However, June 22 has not been lucky for Italy either. They were eliminated on that date in the group stage of Euro 2004 in Portugal with five points. They beat Bulgaria 2-1 but went out because Sweden scored a last minute goal to draw 2-2 with Denmark and both Scandinavian sides qualified.
In Euro 88 they lost the semi-final to Soviet Union 2-0 in Stuttgart also on June 22. Spain have never beaten Italy at a major tournament outside the Olympic Games. So is another quarter-final penalty shootout defeat on the cards or could it be fourth time lucky for Spain?
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Spain have been awesome in the group stage, but were they in their comfort zone? This will be the real test for them.
This time round, they have the star-power to beat Italy. Extra time goal from Villa and/or Torres!!
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Spanish PM: We Will Beat Italy
The Prime Minister of Spain, Jose Rodriguez Zapatero, is confident that ‘La Furia Roja’ will beat Italy this Sunday, and has predicted a 3-2 scoreline.
Spain, as is usually the case in most major tournaments, have made an excellent start to Euro 2008, topping Group D with maximum points, and scoring eight goals in just three games.
This Sunday they will be up against Italy, who they have not beaten competitively for 88 years, however the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Rodriguez Zapatero is confident of success.
“The objective is to shake off this curse that follows the national side,” Mr Zapatero said.
“Our football is top quality, but every time we play in a major competition we have problems with confidence.
“However, our team is better than Italy’s and I think that we will win the game 3-2.”
Spain have not got past the quarter finals of a major tournament since 1984, when they lost in the final of the European Championships to Michel Platini’s France.
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Cannavaro To Spanish PM: You Are Wrong
Fabio Cannavaro has told Spanish Prime Minister Jose Rodriguez Zapatero that he is very wrong in thinking that Spain will beat Italy this weekend.
Mr Zapatero earlier today predicted that La Seleccion would end their 88-year curse of having not beaten the Azzurri, and knock them out of Euro 2008.
However World Cup-winning captain Cannavaro, who was forced to withdraw from the Euros due to injury, disagrees.
“I have a different opinion to Zapatero,” the 34-year-old stated.
“He thinks that Spain will win 3-2 and I believe Italy will win 1-0.
“They have more individual quality than us, but we have a better group solidarity. We are more of a team and that is our winning weapon.”
Cannavaro decided to stay with the squad in Austria and Switzerland despite his injury, and was given special dispensation by UEFA to sit on the Azzurri bench.
Italy and Spain last met competitively in the quarter final of the 1994 World Cup in America, with Arrigo Sacchi’s men winning 2-1 thanks to a last-gasp Roberto Baggio strike.
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Barzagli Out Of Euro 2008
Italy have been stung by the news that Andrea Barzagli will play no further part in Euro 2008 after injuring his knee in training.
Barzagli was forced to pull out of today's session and tests have since confirmed that the 27-year-old defender will require surgery after rupturing the meniscus in his left knee.
Though Barzagli was not expected to start against Spain in any case, Azzurri boss Roberto Donadoni now has scant cover for the centre-back position, with only Marco Materazzi and the unexperienced Alessandro Gamberini left to deputise for current first-choice pairing Christian Panucci and Giorgio Chiellini should the need arise.
The news is especially bitter for Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg, who had just completed the signing of the defender from Palermo weeks ago.
There is no word yet on how long Barzagli is expected to be out of commission for, but the recovery from even less severe knee meniscus injuries are measured in months rather than weeks.
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Aragonés And Ramos Argue In Training
There was tension in the Spanish camp during training on Friday after Sergio Ramos reacted angrily to coach Luis Aragonés' comments and to be calmed by team-mates.
With only two days to go before la Furia Roja face Italy in the European Championships quarter finals, the first signs of anxiety appear to have materialised, Marca report.
During a press conference on Thursday, Aragonés stated that Sergio Ramos "does things that he should not do away from the pitch" after revealing the pair had spoken in private.
That comment did not go down well with the defender and he brought it up during a ten minute team talk on the training pitch in front of fans and reporters.
With things threatening to become heated, Carlos Marchena led the way by taking Ramos aside and with a gesture of defiance he agreed to sit away from the group.
Aragonés will have to talk to the player again to ensure that the row does not cause problems before Sunday's match, but the effect of incident was clear to see on some of hte players' faces.
Fernando Torres was the player sent to speak to the media after training, but he refused to say what more had been said and joked that the Aragonés and Sergio Ramos were arguing about music.
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Originally posted by a-Lost-9uY:
during last UEFA cup which Zenit won,
its last 8 matches had been unable to clear handicaps..
until the Final where Zenit won Rangers by 2goals where Zenit cleared its handicap..
will Euro08 be the same too?haha
as 3matches in a row ardy being upset..
will Italy upset Spain? we shall see..
well, this match is abit more equal..both good teams, just one has a slower start of the 'engine' than the other...but pirlo out suspended rite?....then italy just couldnt make it
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Italy bank on flying full-backs and Luca Toni power
Up for grabs: Luca Toni's height will be key
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Italy struggled to get through to today's quarter-final after disappointing against Holland and Romania. But after beating France there are signs they can trouble Spain, particularly with their direct style. They may not be as pleasing on the eye or technically proficient but they will pose problems for the Spanish.
Italy's reliance on Luca Toni
Coach Roberto Donadoni's game plan is based around the physical presence of centre-forward Luca Toni. Since his regular inclusion, Italy have transformed themselves into a very direct team with little of the fluid passing associated with the AC Milan side of recent years. Whether they are hitting balls out of defence, aiming set plays towards him or crossing from deep areas, he is the focal point of all their attacking play.
Toni has been criticised for poor finishing at this tournament, and having seen him play only sporadically prior to Euro 2008, I felt he was cumbersome and short on quality.
However, I think he has been unfairly judged because, although he has squandered chances, he has shown himself to be more mobile, intelligent and technically gifted than I gave him credit for. Indeed, not only does he hold up play when the ball is hit towards him, but he also has the mobility to run behind defenders. Yet his main strength is getting his head to crosses. He may not have scored in this tournament yet, but most of Italy's goal attempts have come as a direct result of his aerial prowess. With Spain's centre-backs not being dominant headers of the ball, expect Italy to use Toni even more.
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All three goals Spain have conceded have come from poor defending following crosses or being outmuscled by a big centre-forward.
Who will supply Toni with crosses?
As in the World Cup two years ago, the full-backs are a key element in Italy's attack. Italy do not play with width in midfield or up front and therefore more reliance is put on the full-backs getting forward at every opportunity.
With Christian Panucci playing at centre-half, following injuries to other defenders, Donadoni has been forced to pair Fabio Grosso and Gianluca Zambrotta in the full-back positions. Both are better attacking players than they are defenders and their ability to get forward at pace will cause the Spaniards difficulties.
Spain, like Italy, have not played with wingers in the tournament and that will suit Grosso and Zambrotta, because their path forward will not be blocked until they get into more advanced areas.
Combine that with Toni's ability in the air and Italy's obsession with crossing the ball as early as possible and we could see both sides reaching double figures for attempted crosses, albeit from deeper positions.
Who will partner Toni up front?
Alessandro Del Piero, Antonio Di Natale, Mauro Camoranesi and Simone Perrotta have all tried to give Toni support from withdrawn positions. But in the last game and late on against Romania, it was Antonio Cassano who had the greatest effect.
There is a trend for the second centre-forward to play in a semi-wide position, and that is how Cassano plays for Sampdoria and Italy. He is unpredictable both in the quality of his play and his on-pitch behaviour, yet he has the ability to unlock defences with sublime passing angles and exceptional ball manipulation.
He will constantly pick up the ball 10 yards in from the left flank, cut infield on to his favoured right foot and either cross delicately for Toni or reverse balls back into the area he has vacated for the overlapping Grosso. However, he doesn't always put himself in scoring positions, and if he is included there will be a greater onus on Perrotta to feed off Toni's knock-downs.
How will Italy cope without suspended pair Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso?
Gattuso is not as much of a loss as Pirlo. While Gattuso's energy can be replicated, Pirlo's vision and technical ability cannot. Statistics show that Pirlo's passing success rate is extremely high, but the more remarkable fact is that a good percentage of those have been long passes towards Toni.
While many other players hit hopeful balls to their big centre-forward, Pirlo passes with precision and guile. I expect Daniele De Rossi and Massimo Ambrosini to occupy the holding midfield positions, with Perrotta playing further forward.
All three will give Italy stability and energy but none can open up defences with imagination. That is why the full-backs plus forwards Cassano and Toni are key to breaking down Spanish resistance.
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QC falls into the sea WC saved
