Azzurri Thread (40 Viewers)

Seven

In bocca al lupo, Fabio.
Jun 25, 2003
39,326
Definitely this, he was adamant that they could win it before the tournament :D

Even his current avatar is the result of a bet to that effect
Belgium could have won it. Portugal did with a way worse team.

And it has nothing to do with that. I will never feel bad for Italy winning. I like the country, I usually like their players, I always want them to go far. But they didn't 'crush' Spain. Conte's Italy was a team of soldiers who fought for every inch, but they were just not capable of 'crushing' teams.

Oh. And my current avatar is the result of me being too lazy to remove it.

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Ocelot

Midnight Marauder
Jul 13, 2013
18,943
Belgium could have won it. Portugal did with a way worse team.

And it has nothing to do with that. I will never feel bad for Italy winning. I like the country, I usually like their players, I always want them to go far. But they didn't 'crush' Spain. Conte's Italy was a team of soldiers who fought for every inch, but they were just not capable of 'crushing' teams.

Oh. And my current avatar is the result of me being too lazy to remove it.

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Whatever your motives, Italy dominated those teams.
 

Seven

In bocca al lupo, Fabio.
Jun 25, 2003
39,326
Whatever your motives, Italy dominated those teams.
They were the better sides and 'dominated' them in the sense that they were very difficult to play against. But that 2-0 against Spain for example was a very fair result. When you talk about crushing teams, I think of creating enough chances to beat them 3, 4-0. That wasn't the case against Spain. And it wouldn't be the case against Gibraltar either. That's just not what Conte did with Italy. He created a fighting machine that made it tough for everyone to play against them, but it wasn't a team that would just steamroll over others.
 

Gigiventus

Senior Member
Mar 3, 2017
3,276
They were the better sides and 'dominated' them in the sense that they were very difficult to play against. But that 2-0 against Spain for example was a very fair result. When you talk about crushing teams, I think of creating enough chances to beat them 3, 4-0. That wasn't the case against Spain. And it wouldn't be the case against Gibraltar either. That's just not what Conte did with Italy. He created a fighting machine that made it tough for everyone to play against them, but it wasn't a team that would just steamroll over others.
Refresh your memory then, the only reason it wasn't 4-0 was because De Gea turned into prime Casillas. We dominated every aspect of that game.

 

Seven

In bocca al lupo, Fabio.
Jun 25, 2003
39,326
Refresh your memory then, the only reason it wasn't 4-0 was because De Gea turned into prime Casillas. We dominated every aspect of that game.


Dude, I don't understand why this is so important to you. I'm not denying that Conte's a good manager. He took a mediocre side and turned it into a fighting machine. And I would have loved for them to be European champions. But truth is, they did lack quality. Kind of like Portugal now, they would not really be remembered as one of the great teams anyway.
 

Gigiventus

Senior Member
Mar 3, 2017
3,276
Decided to look at the reaction from last year. Hear it from Marca themselves
http://www.marca.com/eventos/marcador/futbol/2016/eurocopa/octavos/ita_spa/

Some quotes:
"Spain stops being a champion team"
"The giant, Italy, strikes fear in the body of Spain form the start. Won every 50-50 ball and caused misery in Ramos and Pique."
"Under a flood, Spain takes a bath in Saint-Denis" (Giving/taking a bath is an expression in spanish were you are completely overcome by the opponent)
"The game couldn't have begun worse, with Juanfran making mistakes, Nolito geting everything wrong and the midfield losing every ball."
"Spain slightly shook off Italy but the chances continued to be exlcusively for the Azzurri"
"[...] Ramos didn't score an own goal by a miracle[...] Pelle a nightmare for the Madrid player"
"The goal that Italy deserved[...] Italy had everything very clear. At 33' 1-0"
"La Roja was a cartoon of itself at the hands of Conte's army. A tactical bath by any measure from the Italian boss to Del Bosque"
"Before the break another big save by De Gea that avoided the second goal[...] Spain had their bags packed at the door"


and that was only stuff from the first half! I have to say I enjoyed reading this again. Fucking loved this game.

- - - Updated - - -

Dude, I don't understand why this is so important to you. I'm not denying that Conte's a good manager. He took a mediocre side and turned it into a fighting machine. And I would have loved for them to be European champions. But truth is, they did lack quality. Kind of like Portugal now, they would not really be remembered as one of the great teams anyway.
Of course they lacked quality. Doesn't mean they didn't crush (or dominated) Spain and that you aren't wrong.
 

Seven

In bocca al lupo, Fabio.
Jun 25, 2003
39,326
Decided to look at the reaction from last year. Hear it from Marca themselves
http://www.marca.com/eventos/marcador/futbol/2016/eurocopa/octavos/ita_spa/

Some quotes:
"Spain stops being a champion team"
"The giant, Italy, strikes fear in the body of Spain form the start. Won every 50-50 ball and caused misery in Ramos and Pique."
"Under a flood, Spain takes a bath in Saint-Denis" (Giving/taking a bath is an expression in spanish were you are completely overcome by the opponent)
"The game couldn't have begun worse, with Juanfran making mistakes, Nolito geting everything wrong and the midfield losing every ball."
"Spain slightly shook off Italy but the chances continued to be exlcusively for the Azzurri"
"[...] Ramos didn't score an own goal by a miracle[...] Pelle a nightmare for the Madrid player"
"The goal that Italy deserved[...] Italy had everything very clear. At 33' 1-0"
"La Roja was a cartoon of itself at the hands of Conte's army. A tactical bath by any measure from the Italian boss to Del Bosque"
"Before the break another big save by De Gea that avoided the second goal[...] Spain had their bags packed at the door"


and that was only stuff from the first half! I have to say I enjoyed reading this again. Fucking loved this game.

- - - Updated - - -



Of course they lacked quality. Doesn't mean they didn't crush Spain and that you aren't wrong.

So basically they write Spain sucked and that's why Italy won. Which isn't completely untrue.
 

pitbull

Senior Member
Jul 26, 2007
11,045
don't understand why Ventura has to start both Bellotti and Immobile, I think they'd be better off having Insigne there as an SS with the rights to roam around. they'll not beat swedish giant defenders with strength or aerial ability
 

Seven

In bocca al lupo, Fabio.
Jun 25, 2003
39,326
don't understand why Ventura has to start both Bellotti and Immobile, I think they'd be better off having Insigne there as an SS with the rights to roam around. they'll not beat swedish giant defenders with strength or aerial ability
Where did you see the line up?

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pitbull

Senior Member
Jul 26, 2007
11,045
Where did you see the line up?

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Buffon
Barzagli Bonucci Chiellini
Candreva Parolo De Rossi Verratti Darmian
Immobile, Belotti​

it's the predicted line-up from FI, GDS, CDS and Tuttosport, it's what everyone expects from Ventura. probably it all depends on whether Belotti says he's ready or not today though. I don't think 352 is a bad choice as Italy lacks reliable fullbacks and defensively 352 is a solid choice, I just think that Italy shouldn't play 2 CFs upfront, especially not with that middle 3, I expect them to struggle offensively unless Sweden fucks up and let those 2 predators smell blood
 

Alin

FINO ALLA FINE!
Jul 27, 2015
6,390
Ventura as a coach simply complicates everything and makes this play-off against Sweden seem way tougher than it really should be tbh...
 

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