Let's just be honest: Roberto Baggio dragged that Azzurri side into that final. Italy would have gotten nowhere near it without him. That's why it was like the making of a Greek tragedy when he missed that penalty.
No one is questioning the results. But shouldn't we expect better football from a side whose second team would challenge for the title in a league that's not the best? The aim for this side in Champions League. Based on what we have seen of late, would you feel comfortable going into a fixture against Barcelona?
Hard to Say, I bet not maybe right now, but by the time the quarterfinals happen, as long as we get better overtime probably. I'd say with everyone fit, I'd be confident against Barcelona.
Here is the roster: https://www.worldfootball.net/teams/italien-team/wm-1994-in-den-usa/2/ Here are the results; https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/usa1994/teams/team=43954/matches.html And Saccho thinks he is a footballing GENIUS. And has the nerve to complain about Juve's approach to football, LOL. Yep, THAT SQUAD and he plays for 1-0's and 2-1's. And of course a big 0-0 in the final while leaving the best PK taker in the world on the bench for extra time. And he still gave up goals anyway to everyone except Norway until the final. Despite his pleas for "beautiful football" NOW, 1974 Holland he wasn't.
Too much is made of Baggio's missed pk in 1994. Everyone seems to forget than both Franco Baresi and Daniiele Massaro missed their chances. Even if Roby made his, kick the next shooter up was Brazil's Bebeto and if he would have made his ensuing kick, Italy will have still ben eliminated. The chances of him missing were very low as he was a regular pk shooter. I was at the final in Pasadena that day and Roby didn't play well because he was injured but if weren't for him, Italy will have most likely been eliminated early on in the tournament. Every Italian fan in the stands was begging for Signori but Arrigo brought his favorite , Alberigo Evani who made his pk. Signori a forward, was used as a midfielder throughout the tournament. As a matter of fact, even though Sacchi had picked 95 Italian players in his 4 years as CT, he mostly relied on players who had either played for or came up with him at both Parma and Milan in 1994. Dino and Roby Baggio were the only Juventini to start but he had no choice but to pick them. He didn't pick Roby for Euro 1996 though. Antonio Conte also played but only in mop up duty in 1994. GK 1 Gianluca Pagliuca RB 8 Roberto Mussi 35' CB 6 Franco Baresi (c) CB 5 Paolo Maldini LB 3 Antonio Benarrivo RM 14 Nicola Berti CM 13 Dino Baggio 95' CM 11 Demetrio Albertini 42' LM 16 Roberto Donadoni CF 10 Roberto Baggio CF 19 Daniele Massaro Substitutions: DF 2 Luigi Apolloni 41' 35' MF 17 Alberigo Evani 95' Manager: Arrigo Sacchi
That's fair, but the initial projections for Dybala were that he could get close. I don't think he'll ever reach the same stratosphere.
Not that I ever cared for their style of play , skill or putting any team over the top, I think however that Drogba, Rooney and Beckham in their day will have definitely created a lot of interest and sold a lot of merchandise. The problem is or was, traditionally, English league players usually stink in Serie A but they may have gotten the league newer TV contracts and sponsorships similar to what Ronaldo is doing now. That may not sound like much directly but indirectly, it definitely means a lot. CR7's arrival at Juve this year has the world talking about the league again and other top players from around the world also want to come to Italy. That is something that has been missing since maybe 2006 or pre-calciopoli.
BTW, have been out here in San Jose for the past week. Leaving early am. My son took us for a tour of Avaya. Great little stadium. Will have to come out next year for a live game. Also just got back from Caffe Calcio in Little Italy. Juve stuff all over that place. Great little find.
Yeah that's cool! Little Italy is really little. They are trying to get it off the ground but the Italians that are left out here are spread out throughout the entire Bay Area and are all either mostly older Italian-Americans who never have really been to Italy and who are now kind of old and retired and do not want to start businesses. The other Italians who are here are educated professional engineers working in and around Silicon Valley and no one cares or has intention to open up a deli, bar , gelato or restaurant. I think if and when it ever gets going, most Italians will be gone. As for the Avaya , I give the owner John Fisher (who started GAP blue jeans in San Francisco) a lot of credit for building it. The problem with him is he is trying to build the business and retail park around the stadium and has neglected the team. He hired GM Jesse Fioranelli from AS Roma two years ago but he underestimated the league. He went out and got a Swedish coach who brought over a few Scandinavian players who failed miserably and couldn't play that well. MLS is a strange blue collar type league and you have superstars failing and maybe players with lesser names to well. He recently hired former Lazio , Parma and Inter midfielder Matias Almeyda who had success with Chivas in Mexico but it remains to be seen what he will do out here. If he can bring in players the way he played , that would be great but those types of players traditionally don’t or won't come to MLS until they are over 33 years of age. I hope he can start a new trend though so let's hope for the best.
Not sure where this should go, so I will put it here. It is about time we clarified the handball rules in the VAR era. The rulings have been all over the place. However, simplification my result in more PKs with players aiming for arms in the area. The easiest solution for this and all the wrestling that goes on in the box is to change the scoring system and award 1 point for a PK and 2 for a goal from anywhere else. Then call all the fouls in the box. That would clear things up right quick and end the silliness of the "handbal"l offenses when someone hits the ball 100 mph into a guys arm who is 5 feet away. https://www.football-italia.net/132740/marelli-handball-rules-will-change