Italy v. Netherlands All due respect to @Gilmoy, I need to start the threads going forward due to the nature of the conversation. Y'all, please consider your tone in discussion, and that most of you are not regular visitors to this forum. Please lower your hostility and aggression (yes, I have seen it increase). But, I will note that this is largely surrounding officiating decisions. Thus, I have set up a Ref discussion thread here. Please take all ref discussions/opinions there. And, as a reminder: Please read the the Mod Warning.
Booo! Hup Holland! But seriously this has the potential to be a really fun game. Italy has been a really impressive team this World Cup in the way that they attack and don't bunker down like a lot of the other teams looking to get a result. It's been refreshing; I hope they try to take the game to the Netherlands in this one and we see a really good back and forth game (that the Dutch win)!
The Lionesses under Wiegmans still are unbeaten in a tournement. https://www.ad.nl/wk-vrouwenvoetbal...an-onverslaanbaar-op-eindtoernooien~a6a596e2/ EK 2017: Nederland - Noorwegen 1-0 (Groepsfase) EK 2017: Nederland - Denemarken 1-0 (Groepsfase) EK 2017: Nederland - België 2-1 (Groepsfase) EK 2017: Nederland - Zweden 2-0 (Kwartfinale) EK 2017: Nederland - Engeland 3-0 (Halve finale) EK 2017: Nederland - Denemarken 4-2 (Finale) WK 2019: Nederland - Nieuw-Zeeland 1-0 (Groepsfase) WK 2019: Nederland - Kameroen 3-1 (Groepsfase) WK 2019: Nederland - Canada 2-1 (Groepsfase) WK 2019: Nederland - Japan 2-1 (Achtste finale)
Oh, no! That's surely not the way I want Italy to win this game! I want a battle with all of the best players on the pitch!!! Come on Lieke! I want you OK for Saturday!
I completely disagree with people who said the Dutch shouldn’t have celebrated so intensely, but it did seem like she might have pulled something after celebrating her penalty goal.
It's the early game on Saturday, so in the afternoon heat. Stamina may be an issue with these two teams that have each played their regulars every match. Italy brought a player off in the first half against China who apparently was struggling with the heat. We'll see who can best hold up. I saw Martens hunched over and seemingly in a bit of pain on the sideline after her PK goal. Let's hope it is minor.
Italy's defense needs to be better as a unit against the Netherlands than they were against China if they want to improve their odds of advancing. They got the shutout, but most of that was players performing well as individuals instead of as a cohesive unit. The chances that China created and ultimately wasted won't be spurned so easily by the Netherlands.
This is a real worry. I have to wonder why all of the other finalists had the luxury of playing at 21:00 or at 18:30 at max, while Italy and Netherlands only have to play at 15:00. Maybe there is balance of games played in the evening and in the afternoon for every team, but Italy anyway didn't actually play their round of 16 match in the evening. Anyway, at least two high-profile Italian players were trailing on the pitch on Tuesday, basically unable to run in any way (Bonansea and Girelli). Of course it probably also has to do with Italy's condition not being optimal, but weather condition are surely involved. I have to wonder who's going to suffer the heat more: Italy or Netherlands? On paper, you'd say Netherlands, since Italian climate should get our girls more used to those temperatures, but what we've seen on the pitch suggests that there are Italian players who are already gassed and I am not sure a 4 days break can be enough for them to recover. On the other hand, there are Ducth players used to very different conditions, like the ones from Barcelona. Well, I guess we'll just have to wait for Saturday for an answer.
Why would Italians mind the temperatures at all? They were born and are playing in a Southern country and should be used to such temperatures But hey
France has issued a Red Alert for the weather, being temperatures are going to reach dangerous levels all over the country, especially for feable persons or those with heavy physical jobs. I wonder if those conditions are present on saturday, if the match can be played because of the health issues.
I am always amused at the representation of Italy that people from Northern Europe have, as a sort of tropical paradise where the sun always shines! If it can somehow be close to the truth for southern Italy, in the North the weather is not much different from central Europe and average temperatures in Milano are not very far from those you use to find in Paris or in London. For records, by far most of Italian NT's players at this WWC come from the north of Italy (Milano, Torino, Brescia, Bergamo, Trieste...), including: Giuliani, Gama, Bonansea, Girelli, Giacinti, Bergamaschi, Giugliano, Galli, Rosucci, Cernoia... (basically more than half of the roster, even more if you just consider the usual starters). So, no, since Italian National league is played mostly in the winter season (with a break in the summer), Italian players aren't particularly used to such temperatures.
Ahem, those Southern Europeans take a nap during the heat of the day, not playing a high profile football match.
Health and safety is a question for me 3pm is where the sun is at its highest in the day. 34C expected tomorrow at kick off time.
France has issued a Red Alert for the weather, being temperatures are going to reach dangerous levels all over the country, especially for feable persons or those with heavy physical jobs. I wonder if those conditions are present on saturday, if the match can be played because of the health issues. Saturday, June 29th in Valenciennes.
I hope at the very least water breaks will be scheduled. Of course, changing the time of the match for health reason should be considered.
The Spanish paper El Mundo reports about a 17 year old boy who died because of labour during the heat of the day in the Spanish province Cordoba today. FIFA can't hide themselves for having that match on that hour if it turns ugly. In my opinion health authorities must scrutinise this match and put it to a stop if it's getting dangerous. https://www.elmundo.es/andalucia/2019/06/27/5d152682fc6c832c3c8b45fe.html Ola de calor Castro del Río Un menor de 17 años muere por un golpe de calor cuando trabajaba en el campo en Córdoba CHEMA RODRÍGUEZ | EFE Córdoba Viernes, 28 junio 2019 - 13:10La familia del joven es muy conocida en el municipio. Su muerte ha causado una honda conmoción entre sus compañeros del instituto, que terminaron las clases hace pocos días.