Italia vs Croatia ECQ (R)

Baggio was injured and Sacchi was an ego maniac who couldn't accept that everyone rightfully gave credit to Baggio for carrying him to the final. Cassano was absent. I guess you can say he was hurting too if you want.

 

Wait, Cassano brought us to the final? I thought it was the team. That's like saying Torres carried Spain to the Euro 2008 final and won it for them, even though we all know it was the abundance of talent elsewhere that was the reason he could even score or create. 2012 was the year Pirlo completed nearly 3000 passes and was a clear cut Ballon d'or candidate (would have likely won if Messi and Ronaldo didn't exist).

 

I think most people are just bummed that Cassano only ever became half the player he could have.

 

Comparing Baggio to Cassano too is... I don't think I have to say much. Baggio without injury problems likely scores upwards of 450 goals in his career and is top 3-4 all time in history (I'd put him above Cryuff to be honest). He legitimately carried a less than stellar Italian team for the most part, all the way to the 94 final. Cassano had a superior striker in front of him, and Pirlo who was playing out of his mind. Alongside the best back line in the world.

 

I wouldn't mention them in the same sentence.

 

Im not saying he is like him im saying that a player can only do so much when a coach makes the wrong decisions.

 

Sacchi made tons of wrong decisions in 94, only for Baggio to continue to bail him out.

 

As per usual from you a wall of text and you have nothing to say.

 

Only to someone who understands so very little. Are you waiting for zonalmarking to publish their match review so you can parrot them?

 

Cassano is a fantasista just like Baggio, Del Piero, Totti were/are. Unfortunately he didn't apply himself like those players did. But the talent has always been there.

 

Well Cassano is not Baggio and Prandelli put out a half injured team instead of making the tough choices the same choices Max made though Juve still lost.

 

No doubt at the end of the day he is the Allen Iverson of calcio you either like him or hate him.

 

Who? I don't watch NBA.

 

he was a controversial figure with good amount of talent.

 

2 chances in the first half... nothing in the 2nd. Sorry but this provincial level stuff.

Have a look at the table. Croatia have a goal difference of +13, we have +4.
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/qualifiers/season=2016/standings/round=2000446/group=2002435/index.html
It looks like it might come down to the game against Norway just to secure 2nd place!

I don't know what the media talk is in Italy or if they care but we're just a mediocre team right now. Even England outplayed us in a friendly.

 

You can say the same thing about Spain and Netherlands. Netherlands is fighting just to keep third place. I watched the Spain vs Belarus game yesterday, and it was shocking to see how bad spain were playing, just lucky from one goal that came from a free kick just outside of the penalty that resulted in a header and a huge mistake from the belarusian goalie. Spain are always all over the place without a game plan.

Comparing player by player doesn't usually work. For example on paper Belgium are better than Wales, but what happened? Wales 1-0 Belgium. Same with Netherlands and Iceland. So just because not all our players are world class doesn't mean we aren't good. Most of these world class players other teams have are overrated in my opinion. There is NO team at the moment with a team of 11 world class players at least in europe. Germany now are missing Lahm and Klose and are not living up to expectations. Losing to poland by 2 goals, getting a draw with Ireland at home. France losing to Albania in a friendly but with their strongest squad. Seriously we are not an amazing team yet, but the truth is nobody in europe really is at the moment. Every team is having some problems.

 

Spot on. Had one chance actually in the second, that crap parolo effort. But yeah, one chance. Wow! We've been the same for decades. Can't score goals. The England friendly I wouldn't read too much into because it is just that, a friendly, and we've never really given it our all bar here and there. On that same token maybe we should, because come the tournament itself it's either hit or miss. We should be like Germany and Brazil. Play every game to win and score lots of goals.

 

Germany's record since 2002

runners up
exit group stage
3rd place
runners up
3rd place
3rd place
winners

They're having a minor world cup hang over if you even want to call it that. They don't give a shit. They've achieved the ultimate and they know they're going to qualify for euro in a canter and once they're there turn it on. They have the players and the experience to do it . They'll hit their form soon and have an amazing squad. Losing to Poland in Poland is no shame, it's a tough venue.

Spain have won 3 of the last 4 major tournaments so like Germany as you pointing out whom are both '' struggling '' that doesn't matter. They've been consistent while we have been struggling for a long time now constantly dishing up shit performances and struggling to score a ********ing goal. Netherlands finished 3rd at the world cup and made the final there one before that. In the last two world cups we have gone out in the group phase.


Not good enough.

 

Germany has, but Spain was also out in the group stages last world cup.

 

I understand that even predicted they would, and hence why I said won 3 of the last 4 tournaments. They're allowed to ******** up, if anyone can, they can.

 

Match Summary:

This was a strange performance by Italy because they were basically playing without a genuine midfield. Pirlo usually drifted back into line with the centre backs and in concert with Astori & Bonucci either launched balls over the top, or sprayed them out wide to runners Candreva and SES. Of the other two midfielders Marchisio focused on making runs down the left hand again starting them from very deep and Parolo mainly stayed tucked in on the right hand side because he had more defensive duties.

But essentially the plan was to play very direct with not so much patient build up play but instead passes directly into the feet of the runners who played some quick passing combinations and tried to get in behind defenders either with dribbling skill, quick one-two passing or sheer pace. See attack summary below. Overall SES and Candreva (MotM) were very successful in this (Marchisio as well in the 1st half). Pelle also played some very intelligent flicks and short passes combining well and demonstrating that he is more than just a thug with a powerful shot.

Here is a summary of all of the attacks which led to shots at goal:

11': Astori passes to Darmian who makes a short run passes to SES who plays a one-two with Marchisio before setting off on a run into the box after playing a crossfield pass to Candreva . Candreva provides a good cross into the box which Pelle dummies and SES scores (given incorrectly offside)

16': Pelle header from Pirlo set piece

32': Pirlo intercepts pass in own half longish pass to Marchisio who sets off on run into box passes to Pelle who cuts back for SES who pokes weak shot straight at keeper

35': Pirlo set piece. Pelle header is handled. Candreva converts spot kick

46': Pirlo launches long ball from deep in own half over the top for Pelle who hits it well but straight at keeper

61': Parolo from deep plays a ball through to Candreva who sends it central to Pelle who chips it over to De Sciglio who smartly heads it into the path of Candreva who crosses to three unmarked players in the box at which point SES heads over. (Best chance)

68': Bonucci launches long ball for Candreva out wide who dribbles, rounds last defender and passes back to Pirlo who shoots over

70': De Sciglio passes down the line to Candreva who dribbles down flank crosses to Pelle’s feet who passes back to Parolo who prods a weak shot directly at keeper

So overall the plan was to build from a solid defense, draw the Croats out and get in and behind their defense with quick attacks. But because Italy were willing to cede midfield control they were at times under pressure with Croatia having a number of good opportunities to score.

In conclusion, Conte most likely decided on these players and tactics because of who was available to him. The 4-3-3 and the tactics employed v Croatia may appeal to some but will likely run into problems when Italy play sides who are content to sit back and close down the spaces. Italy looked ok in this match because their transitions were quick and they were able to exploit spaces that were there.
Also consider would they have been able to withstand a genuinely strong attacking midfield given that same amount of freedom to build attacks against us (ie. is the result different with Modric?)

Tournaments are won and great sides are built around great midfields. Italy doesn't necessarily need to go back to the days of tikItalia under Prandelli but they do need to when possible field quality passing midfielders who can control possession and consistently generate genuine scoring opportunities. This needs to be the plan going forward but with some olders players perhaps on the way out and a number of untried new faces knocking on the door for selection who knows.

 

Well as @Pirlopurity points out-- when we start winning silverware, then we can take it easy.

At the moment, one could say we're going backwards. We've already seen at the last 3 tournaments that too many old players/and not enough depth kills you when you go into a tournament where it's 3 games a week.

So what are we doing now? We're playing the same players instead of giving experience to young players who guess what... we are going to need them to win tournaments.

I mean the only change we made to the World Cup failure squad is add 30 yo's Parolo and Pelle... and now we create a massive 3.5 chances a game. LOL

 

Because El Shaarawy and Pirlo put their chances over the bar, and Parolo passed his straight at the keeper didn't mean they didn't have chances.

Those are different games, you were talking about this one. We had chances, just couldn't finish, much the same as the other games too. We need finish.

 

Cede midfield control?
Most of Croatia's attacks were on the counter, and they started to defend the lead immediately after getting it, not to mention for a large part of the second. Italy struggled again in attack, and on the counter.

 

A lot of Italian possession was in their own half with a lot of useless sideways passes b/w the centrebacks and Pirlo (who dropped back b/w them) whilst they were looking for opportunities for long passes forward.

Passes:
Astori - 96
Bonucci - 95
Pirlo - 92
Next highest
Darmian - 45


Croatia created more attempts at goal (see your stats) and had a much slower build up in midfield.

Croatia highest passes:
Rakitic (midfielder) - 64
Brozovic (midfielder) - 58
Srna (attacking fullback) - 43