In 44 years, I’m counting 13 positive results or what is on average a good tournament every 3.38 years. 1968- Euro Champs 1970- WC runner up 1978- WC fourth place 1980- Euro fourth place 1982- WC Champs 1984- Olympics fourth place 1988-Euro fourth place 1990 -WC third place 1994 - WC runner up 2000- Euro runner up 2004 - Olympic bronze 2006- WC Champs 2012 - Euro runner up It’s just a cycle they are going through. As soon as they develop more Italian players, Italy will be back. It’s just a matter of time.
Exactly this. And all those that say they play beautiful football or are “exciting” are probably playing FIFA on their PlayStations or only checking the box scores. They play junk football
Reminder that it was the 0-1 loss to Portugal that cost Italy it's top seeding for WC qualification. https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2015/06/16/world/friendlies/italy/portugal/1987009/ https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/italy-0-1-portugal-azzurri-lose-5895652 Things to note: -played at home -No Ronaldo -2nd/3rd stringers like Sirigu, Ranocchia, Bertolacci, Soriano started this "must win" game -Pirlo played (wtf) -Portugal had nothing on the line, they already had a top seed What an all round sham. Can't believe this was allowed to happen.
OK, I admit that I wasn't happy with Portuguese game against Morocco. But, today they play for results, which is very effective with their coach Santos. They had beauty in 90's, early 2000's - 2006. Rui Costa, Luis Figo, Conceicao, Joao Pinto, Vidigal, Costinha, Baia, Abel Xavier, Deco, Baia, Fernando Couto, Dimas, Rui Jorge, Jorge Costa, Coentrao...many great central players, wingers...even defenders. It's similar to Italy. Italy deserved WC 1994 title, same as Brazil, no bad sides in both teams, same is with Spain, which deserved that first title much earlier than in 2010. At least in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006. It seems nice when real Golden Generation wins the title. Netherlands should also win the title in 1998, come in 2002, great team in 2006. If we observe the talent, some things were better in Italian team at World Cup 1994 than at World Cup 2006. Panucci was younger. Maybe few greater players in 1994, like Albertini instead of De Rossi? Beauty doesn't win always. But destiny remembers and awards the persistent ones. I noticed that Joao Mario doesn't exist on this WC...similar like Moutinho. They switched so many RB and LB players: Paulo Fereira, Bosingwa, Miguel, Coentrao. They wander in defence and on GK position. Morocco had fanatical, must win approach, Portugal saved energy, but they kept everything under control. Maybe I like Portugal through my visits, or it's maybe my several Portuguese friends, but without them, World Cup would be bad, just like it's bad without Italy, Netherlands, Chile.
Looked like boateng brought down the Sweden striker on that breakaway from behind. No call or look from VAR. TedeSCHIFO!
Very suspect that there was no look from VAR. That was a clear penalty. Also suspect is how the TSN panel didn't talk about it.
Scandinavian people are generally very kind. Because of that, stories of Iceland, Sweden, Denmark seem as nice World Cup stories, if they all progress in the knock-out stage. The same is with Finland. But Sweden covers much more sports: handball, football, earlier great in tennis (Edberg, Bjorkman, Magnus Norman, Thomas Johansson), winter sports (ice hockey). Fans with Viking horns. Sweden stands great with England in the football history, very bad moments for England. England was mostly better in Friendly games. https://www.11v11.com/teams/england/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Sweden/ Only Eastern European countries and few from Balkan Peninsula can be annoying if we only observe Europe. Mostly in sense of development, human values, culture...they really left behind others. We could see that when Albanian players of Switzerland scored two goals against Serbia, when they celebrated with Albanian symbol, black eagle, also Kosovo flags on their shoes. Strange, if they play for Switzerland, why don't they adapt on Swiss culture and their values. Serbs also said, that German referee must be convicted in Hague Tribunal?? Because he made bad decisions. Too many politics over there, and they all live in Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Austria, to avoid the poverty in their own countries.
Where did the ref get 5 minutes of injury time from? There was a goal, second yellow to Boateng, and substitutions. Should have been 3 minutes tops.
Finally an Italian referee for Japan -Senegal... Gianluca Rocchi (born 25 August 1973) is an Italian association football referee.
I’ll never forget that biscotto. You can forgive but I’m calabrese and we are like elephants. We will hold that grudge to the grave lol tell me again we shouldn't hate them for this fix:
They shouldn't be hard to beat as long as we don't underestimate them. Portugal will give us a lot of problems though.
I hope Rugani pulls his pants down and pisses in ronaldo's mouth when he inevitably is rolling on the ground after getting "fouled"
The Swiss national team is an embarrassment in terms of cultural adoption and pride. I have no problem that more than 80 percent of the team is from a different country , or born in a different country , and no problem they aren't ethnic Swiss ( German/Austrian/French or even Italian ). My issue is that these players are now Swiss national citizens and don't seem Swiss culturally in the least. They seem more concerned with politics and where they came from , despite representing their current country as you said. They only really play for Switzerland for their career status and not for pride. They don't give a fvck about the shirt to put it bluntly , as they wear Kosovo flags on their shoes and display eagles. And that's not even taking into account the other players from other countries on that team. Is this what it took for the Swiss to be relevant on the World stage ? Because they aren't even that good imo. The Swiss National football team has no sense of itself. What the fvck is Swiss about them besides the citizenship's they have? A Swiss team on paper.
Harry Kane hat trick... 2 penalties and an offside fluke goal lol i swear if italy had half the luck some of these teams get
Every day watching this tournament, increases my anger at those who put us in this mess. Am hoping for a first time winner (like Croatia) or else Brazil.