9/7: Azerbaijan vs. Italy [R]

[BrianCappellieri]

SoccerAge (http://www.soccerage.com/en/13/h0692.html)Euro 2004 Qualifier Preview: Azerbaijan-Italy

Talking about Azerbaijan-Italy as a do or die clash might seem laughable, but this is exactly what this match represents for Giovanni Trapattoni.

[ArmanAgha]

1-0, own goal by azarbaijan

2-0, del Piero goal 64th

[BrianCappellieri]

74' Azerbaijan 0 - 2 Italy
14' Guliyev (Caution)
32' Ahmadov (o.g.)
62' Fabio Cannavaro (Caution)
64' Alessandro Del Piero

[BrianCappellieri]

FT Azerbaijan 0 - 2 Italy

[SueB]

Crap game for Italy. The lucky (no other word for it) own-goal changed the game in their favor, but up till then, the Azerbaijanis played them equal. The second goal was a beaut of a free kick from ADP. But no hint of imagination on how to score from the run of play. Against Azerbaijan! Congrats to the Azerbaijani people, who filled the stadium and put on a nice spectacle. Great field, too.

[BrianCappellieri]

SoccerNet (http://www.soccernet.com/europe/2000/20020907/reports/60625_full.html)Del Piero Stunner

A superb second-half free-kick from Alessandro Del Piero ensured Italy a 2-0 win over Azerbaijan in their European championship qualifying Group Nine match on Saturday.

[soccerfan220]

nice job, italy. Pirlo was subbed in. Was that his first cap?

[bert patenaude]

Originally posted by SueB
Crap game for Italy. The lucky (no other word for it) own-goal changed the game in their favor, but up till then, the Azerbaijanis played them equal. The second goal was a beaut of a free kick from ADP. But no hint of imagination on how to score from the run of play. Against Azerbaijan! Congrats to the Azerbaijani people, who filled the stadium and put on a nice spectacle. Great field, too.

Cannot agree with you more. I've said it before and I'll say it again - Italy has no midfield creativity. Italy will continue to play dull unimaginative soccer as long as Gattuso and Tomassi are on the field together. The tactics of the 21st century have passed the Italians by.

[soccerfan220]

passed Italy by? Don't forget, they still, won, and in the 21st century, in EURO 2000, they got to the final. i think it's just a stupid coach.

[bert patenaude]

Originally posted by soccerfan220
passed Italy by? Don't forget, they still, won, and in the 21st century, in EURO 2000, they got to the final. i think it's just a stupid coach.

True enough but the Federation is protecting Trappatoni after a dismal World Cup.

[retnicf]

Anyone know where I could find these goals (or highlights) online?

tks

[BrianCappellieri]

Not sure about online but if you have RAI International, The International Channel, or WNYE they showed the highlights on the news. Might be replayed later tonight.

Also saw France-Cyprus and San Marino-Poland on their news programs.

Hopefully the Interface Greek news will have their highlights againts Spain as well.

[supersport]

I only got to watch the first half, and from what I saw, changes need to be made. Trap, has to go. To see Italy struggle against Azerbaijan just isn't right, Italy should have had a field day with them. What will Italy do when they face some real competition?

[BrianCappellieri]

I'd imagine they'd sit on a small lead and then due to defensive errors late on after embracing the beloved strategy of catenaccio, they'd lose the game. :)

http://www.soccerage.com/en/00/58129.jpg
SoccerAge (http://www.soccerage.com/en/13/h0896.html)Italy Win In Azerbaijan

Italy collected their first three points in the Euro 2004 qualifying Group 9, thanks to a 2-0 win over Azerbaijan in Baku.

It wasn't such an easy match for Trapattoni's men, who looked quite slow and out of shape for most of the 90 minutes. Their first real chance of the match came after 28 minutes, when Inzaghi hit the post with a fine header.

Seven minutes later, the Azzurri took the lead thanks to an own-goal by defender Ahmadov, who deflected inside his net a cross by Tommasi.

In the second half Italy controlled the match without big worries, scoring the second goal after 20 minutes with a superb free kick by Alex Del Piero.

[retnicf]

http://www.raisport.rai.it/raiSportSezioneIndex/0,5785,_75_67_2012,00.html

Azerbaigian (4-5-1): Kramarenko 5.5, Agayev 5, Karimov 5.5, Ahmadov 4.5, K.Guliyev 5.5, S.Aliyev 6.5 (43' st Nabiyev sv), E.Guliyev 5, Sadigov 5.5, M.Gourbanov 5 (23' st Musayev sv), Imamaliev 5.5, G.Gourbanov 5.5 (45' st Ismaylov sv). (12 Hasanzade, 9 Yadullayev, 10 Vasilyev, 11 Niftalyev).
All Sadygov 5.5

Italia (4-3-1-2): Buffon 6, Panucci 6, Nesta 6, Cannavaro 6, Coco 5.5, Gattuso 6, Di Biagio 6 (12' st Ambrosini 6), Tommasi 7, Del Piero 7, Inzaghi 6 (33' st Pirlo sv), Vieri 5 (12' st Montella 6) (12 Toldo, 13 Iuliano, 14 Oddo, 15 Zauri).
All. Trapattoni. 6

Arbitro: Vassaras (Gre) 6
Reti: 32' pt aut. Ahmadov; 20' st Del Piero
Angoli: 8-4 per l'Italia
Recupero: 1' e 3'
Ammoniti: E.Guliyev, K.Guliyev e Cannavaro per gioco falloso.
Spettatori: 37 mila.

[NGV]

Originally posted by supersport
Trap, has to go. To see Italy struggle against Azerbaijan just isn't right, Italy should have had a field day with them. ?

Azerbaijan isn't a good team. Jugding by their qualifying results for Euro 2K and WC 2002, though, they're much tougher when playing on their home turf (for example, Azerbaijan tied Portugal 1-1 in their home Euro qualifier, after having lost 7-0 when they played them in Portugal earlier that year). If Italy struggles in its home games, that'll be a cause for concern - but, unless you're playing Liechtenstein or San Marino, away qualifiers are almost always a little tricky.

[live4lazio]

Agreed that Italy needs to work on the midfield. And the defense. Defense is shaky right now because they do not have Maldini anymore. This was only their second game playing without him and they looked nervous to me, resorting frequently to booting the ball upfield in desperate clearances. Nesta and Cannavaro are still two of the best, but it will take some time before they get comfortable. The midfield was a disaster. Very few good services to Del P and Pippo. Was Vieri even there? He looked very ineffective. But the key problem was how the Azerbaijanis managed to run through the Azzurri mid like a knife through hot butter. More than once I saw a white shirted player make an unchecked run from the defensive end to the Italian box. Where was the marking and the midfielders playing defense? There were too many balls and opposing players getting through the midfield and penetrating the italian defense. If Azerbaijan had anyone who could put a shot on frame, Italy might well have been toast.

[NGV]

I didn't see the game, but I don't think the issue is so much that tactics have passed Italy by - if stifling defense, good goalkeeping and a 1-0 win were somehow obsolete, you wouldn't have seen the undermanned Germans in the World Cup final. The problems have more to do with the players - it's fine to rely on defense when you've got the best back line in the world, but now that Maldini has gone downhill and retired, they're down to two world class defenders - and if Cannavaro or Nesta get injured, that'll be big trouble. And as far as defensive midfield play goes, Gattuso and Ambrosini aren't exactly Davids, Vieira or Keane.

This is all pretty old news, though - the lack of midfield creativity goes back to '99, and it was clear at Euro 2K that there was a big drop off in talent from Maldini to whoever the fourth defender was. So, it's up to Trap to compensate for that, either by changing the way Italy play or bringing in new or different players. So far it hasn't really happened.

[BrianCappellieri]

They are showing 'EuroCopa' highlights on La Republica Deportiva on Univision.

Really freak own goal which the goalie still almost saved but it had crossed the line.

Del Piero's FK sure was a beauty though.

[BrianCappellieri]

World Soccer News (http://www.wldcup.com/news/2002Sep/20020909_14995_world_soccer.html)Clock ticking for Trapattoni

Under-fire Italy manager Giovanni Trapattoni's future has been further called into question following the national side's struggle to a 2-0 win in their Euro 2004 qualifying group nine match against lowly Azerbaijan at the weekend.