South Africa 2010

Italy KO against Slovakia. Italy eliminated after first round

24/06/2010

Italy returns home. After losing 3-2 against Slovakia, the National Italian team does not go beyond the first round and finishes in last place in the standings, while Paraguay and Slovakia advance. The loss was the synthesis of an incredible match, the tears of Quagliarella and di Natale when the whistle blew at the end of the match, the image of a team that was destroyed by a verdict that no one could have ever expected. But not much was done to avoid this elimination. At the Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg nothing worked, and the final minutes of the match were not enough to qualify Italy.
Under the shots by Vittek, who scored twice, and Kopunek, a cycle ends. Italy starts off with Pepe-Iaquinta-Di Natale on offense and the desire to win, but it was definitely not a good day for the Italians. On 6’, Hamsik takes the first shot for Slovakia but misses. On 25’, Vittek sends a diagonal shot into the corner of the net and scores.
Italy is stunned, and unable to react and, as Lippi would say afterwards, unable to find the right motivation to set the match back on the right track. The first half ends with a shot by Strba that Marchetti deviates in a corner kick. , In the second half, Lippi sends in Maggio on the right touch for Criscito (Zambrotta moves to the left touch) and Quagliarella in for Gattuso. And Maggio immediately puts Di Natale in front of the net, but his shot is off to the side.
On 11’, Pirlo goes in for Montolivo. Italy almost scores with Quagliarella but Skrtel saves on the line of the net, perhaps inside the net. But Italy just is not in the match and on 28’ Vittek scores again after anticipating Chiellini after a corner kick. The Azzurri react with Di Natale who scores on 36’. The referee then annuls a goal scored by Quagliarella for offsides and Italy takes in the third goal by Slovakia: a lob by Kopunek who gets in between Cannavaro and De Rossi.
Quagliarella then puts together a “gem” towards the end of the match and is definitely the best player on the field for Lippi, but Pepe wastes the chance to tie the score.