It started with the rain. A substantial rain, enough to affect the match, enough to make the players slip and fall helplessly time and time again, to make the ball no more than a naughty nuisance that just seemed to exist for the very sake of mocking the players, as it rolled and diced around the pitch, skillfully avoiding the players in style.
Bulgaria was a competent adversary. They had nothing to lose, their honour to win. And maybe secretly they vowed to make Italy pay, to at least prove they were worthy of their place in the Championships.
Then there was the penalty. Indeed it was a foul, but fouls like that have been ignored by various referees so far. So maybe Italy had reason to feel unjust; but nonetheless the penalty was converted. One goal down.
At the other stadium, Denmark and Sweden had entertained the audience to a more than enjoyable 1:1 at half-time. Italy, in theory, still had a chance– as long as they won their game, and Denmark & Sweden do not go to a 2:2 score, Italy would still see the dawn of day.
The second half got off to a flying start. The quick equalizer brought Italy right back into the game, and right back into the competition. Spirits rose. Elsewhere, however, Denmark took the lead again, and a 2:2 draw seemed suddenly very realistic.
The Italians on the field obviously did not know this. More and more attackers joined the game, substituting defenders, a rarity for Italy, and the irony seemed all too mocking. For me, at least.
Cassano was the only player who really showed class in the daunting raining. His goal, late as it was, became the last cry of courage for the Italians. Cassano celebrated, then cried, as he learnt of the 2:2 result that they had so feared. A sad ending for probably the only Italian who did his best.
The perfect Italian nightmare. Perhaps at the end of the day, while they licked their wounds, they would still have some reason to believe they had done not too bad, only to be beaten by fate, and a 2:2 draw. After all, long before the matches began, the Italian media had already been speculating about a friendly draw between Denmark & Sweden.
Those two countries, of course, answered harshly to any such speculation. Their professionalism, in my mind, should not be doubted. Denmark could not settle for a draw less than 2:2, therefore they had to attack– when they took the lead, on the hand, Sweden could not afford to lose, thus it still was a very competitive match. And after all, the final goal, Sweden’s equalizer that finalized the score at 2:2, came at a late 89 mins, after a frantic effort to equalize. Denmark and Sweden owed each no obligation to draw– so when Denmark was ahead Sweden was in trouble. The final outcome, which happened to be acceptable for both teams, came at the hard effort of both teams. They deserved to qualify for the next round.
So what did go wrong for the Italians? You might get several answers. Totti’s unprofessionalism, for one. Vieri’s poor performance. The Italians playing conservative football, first by defending all day long versus Denmark, then giving up a perfect lead versus Sweden. Maybe it all ended in one place– Italy’s poor will. They seemed just unwilling to win, to put in the effort, with the exception of a few brave players like Cassano.
The rain, the 2:2 draw, their own below par performance, in the end these elements all formed the perfect Italian nightmare. I only hope, at the end of the day, that the Italians see the true reason behind their "bad luck", and not just remember this as another conspiracy against them.
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