Official Italy vs Ukraine POST Match Thread [R]

[ursula]

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Italy 3 :: 0 Ukraine
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This thread is neutral and strictly moderated.

Please take strongly partisan discussion to the
team boards (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6919151&postcount=3) or to the World Rivalry board (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=160).
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No Flames - No Trolls
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[goliath74]

Congrats to Italy. But Ukraine have nothing to be embarassed about.

[The C0SM0polite]

That was great to see Shevchenko applaud the Italian fans.

[zeelati redded]

That was good game. The score is not true to the actual game, but good game.

[Autologic]

Despite the loss today, props to Ukraine for making to the quarter finals for the first time. At least they put in a better 2nd half effort.


Forza ITALIA!!! BRING ON ZEE GERMANS!!!!

[leonidas]

i think like the brazil-ghana game, the scoreline doesnt do justice for the losing team. if soccer were a fair sport, this wouldve been a 2-1 affair i'd say.

still have my doubts about the 2nd goal...but it doesnt really matter in the end.

italy did just enough to win (as has been the case with brazil for example), and whether through luck or buffon, they still havent let the opposing team score a goal.

i think italy are capable of making it to the finals, even if they havent shown their best.

as for ukraine, if they had a guy who could finish...maybe if they had voronin, things couldve been a bit different...at least a goal scored or something. this was their best half of football if that means anything. overall, good job, and i think they'll be around in 2010.

[midnightman]

Surprisingly entertaining game!

[ripped]

well deserved victory for Italy but lets not forget Ukraine is the weakest opponent Italy has faced in this WC. 3-0 is an impressive scoreline but does italy has what it takes to beat germany? i'm sort of 50/50. what do u guys think?

[Maruti]

i think like the brazil-ghana game, the scoreline doesnt do justice for the losing team. if soccer were a fair sport, this wouldve been a 2-1 affair i'd say.

still have my doubts about the 2nd goal...but it doesnt really matter in the end.

italy did just enough to win (as has been the case with brazil for example), and whether through luck or buffon, they still havent let the opposing team score a goal.

i think italy are capable of making it to the finals, even if they havent shown their best.

as for ukraine, if they had a guy who could finish...maybe if they had voronin, things couldve been a bit different...at least a goal scored or something. this was their best half of football if that means anything. overall, good job, and i think they'll be around in 2010.


I think you are my brasilian soulmate. I second everything.

Not so sure about them being around in 2010. The team isn't the youngest and there would have to be a generational change for that to happen.

p.s. Barzaglia almost scored a second og against Italy :) that wwould be fun

[lethargytartare]

A surprisingly impressive display by Ukraine, despite the score.

It looked to me like that header off the crossbar just crushed the Ukraine side emotionally and they looked unsettled the rest of the way.

Italy showed flashes of brilliance, but looked vulnerable at times, especially when the match had phases of up'n'down play.

Props to both sides for an entertaining match.

[eaver]

i think like the brazil-ghana game, the scoreline doesnt do justice for the losing team. if soccer were a fair sport, this wouldve been a 2-1 affair i'd say.

still have my doubts about the 2nd goal...but it doesnt really matter in the end.

italy did just enough to win (as has been the case with brazil for example), and whether through luck or buffon, they still havent let the opposing team score a goal.

i think italy are capable of making it to the finals, even if they havent shown their best.

as for ukraine, if they had a guy who could finish...maybe if they had voronin, things couldve been a bit different...at least a goal scored or something. this was their best half of football if that means anything. overall, good job, and i think they'll be around in 2010.

Very true, although i would add Cannavaro to buffon, both are invincible.

[gumbacicc]

I thought the Ukranians did deserve a goal today. The scoreline was a bit harsh. They did well considering their personnel.

The play for Italy leaves much to be desired. However, can anyone score on the defense? I have been watching football for over 20 years and I have a tough time thinking of a more formidable Italian defense than this one.

For all of you who keep bashing Italy, you can cry all you want. This team has gone 23 matches without losing, including nice wins over the likes of the Czech Republic, Germany (4-1) and Holland (3-1 away) just to name a few. IMHO that speaks wonders for the individual quality on this side and the fact that they can beat anybody.

[goliath74]

Surprisingly entertaining game!

Ukraine are a very pragmatic team. they know their limitations. had they not allowed the early goal, it would have probably been a more closed up game

[lethargytartare]

still have my doubts about the 2nd goal...but it doesnt really matter in the end.


just watched it frame-by-frame, and Cannavaro is indeed just offside at the moment the ball is played. His attempt at the header probably should have seen the goal disallowed.

[cipro]

I thought the Ukranians did deserve a goal today. The scoreline was a bit harsh. They did well considering their personnel.

The play for Italy leaves much to be desired. However, can anyone score on the defense? I have been watching football for over 20 years and I have a tough time thinking of a more formidable Italian defense than this one.

For all of you who keep bashing Italy, you can cry all you want. This team has gone 23 matches without losing, including nice wins over the likes of the Czech Republic, Germany (4-1) and Holland (3-1 away) just to name a few. IMHO that speaks wonders for the individual quality on this side and the fact that they can beat anybody.

And Nesta is not even playing. :eek:

[SptsNaz]

Yeh, good game. Italian experience and confidence prevailed as I thought it would

Tough break for my country, but I'm definitely not ashamed as to how far they got.

[bestianera]

the second goal shouldn't have been awarded: both Toni and Cannavaro were offside when Totti kicked the ball (german television gimmicks: do you think we can trust them, Leonidas?).
there was a clear penalty kick on Camoranesi when the teams were 2-0

the referee (and the linesman) made some mistakes but I liked the way he controlled the match; it helped that italian and ukranian players were very collaborative

2-1 wouldn't tell the story: you could sense Italy could have geared up anytime if they needed to.

Cannavaro & Zambrotta MOM

[rat2k5]

congrats to Ukraine for trying. However Italy was too much and for most of the match they were in cruise mode. More like a training match. Seemed they could do what they wanted at anytime in the game. If they had to they could bring it up another gear.

[Unico10]

I think it was 5 minutes between Ukraine best chance to tie and Toni's 2-0.

Those 5 minutes could mean WC#4... not so much for what they meant in today's final score, but for Luca Toni getting untracked.

Here you have a streaky guy that can score 4 or 5 times in the next 2 games and win the cup for us.

[Sempre]

I thought the Ukranians did deserve a goal today. The scoreline was a bit harsh. They did well considering their personnel.

The play for Italy leaves much to be desired. However, can anyone score on the defense? I have been watching football for over 20 years and I have a tough time thinking of a more formidable Italian defense than this one.

For all of you who keep bashing Italy, you can cry all you want. This team has gone 23 matches without losing, including nice wins over the likes of the Czech Republic, Germany (4-1) and Holland (3-1 away) just to name a few. IMHO that speaks wonders for the individual quality on this side and the fact that they can beat anybody.

Italy's defense wasn't solid today though - even if people keep
harping on the one goal conceded stat. Grosso was really slipshod
on the left and even Zambrotta got beat once or twice, leaving the
Ukraine players many chances on crosses. And though Buffon was
great as usual I felt the Ukraine had several chances through the
middle. It was an open game.

Italy's performance was great from the point of view of attack -
lots of nice passing, dribbling, runs, intelligent movement. Totti,
Camoranesi, Zambrotta, and Toni were all quite good. It's sad that
after watching a game like that anyone would act as though Italy
is only a defensive team. They are capable of entertaining too. ;)