Italy vs. Romania
Dr. Gator reckons that the Italians are finished after getting Mullered by the Dutch last round. The Gypsy Kings are looking to fulfill that prophecy and get their own campaign kick-started after a really defensive effort against France.
posted by gooner71 @ 8:12 AM
67 Comments:
How much are we loving Group C - the Group of Death. This group brought the competition to life on Monday and I'm hoping that it'll do the biz again today.
Wayne Coyne lookalike Donadoni has made five changes to his side, with Barzagli, Materazzi, Gattuso, Ambrosini and Di Natale all out. I think it's too late - his squad choice was too old and too conservative. Surely there are better, younger players in Serie A? As Gooner mentioned, I'm pegging the Azurri to go out. I expect them to win today but to lose to the French next week.
Here are the teams for today:
Italy vs Romania
Italy: Buffon, Zambrotta, Panucci, Chiellini, Grosso, Camoranesi, Pirlo, De Rossi, Del Piero, Perrotta, Toni
Subs: Amelia, De Sanctis, Gamberini, Barzagli, Gattuso, Di Natale, Borriello, Ambrosini, Quagliarella, Cassano, Aquilani, Materazzi
Romania: Lobont, Contra, Tamas, Goian, Rat, Radoi, Petre, Codrea, Chivu, Mutu, Daniel Niculae
Subs: Popa, Stancioiu, Marica, Cocis, Sapunaru, Ghionea, Nicolita, Moti, Marius Niculae, Cristea, Dica, Radu
Referee: Tom Ovrebo (Norway)
Right, my award for Most Tuneless Singing goes to the Romanians. That was appalling.
Let's not forget that another player with plenty to prove today is Adrian Mutu, who plies a lucrative trade in Serie A. He's scored buckets of goals in Italy - can he stick the knife into his employer's heart today and will they treat him like they did that Korean bloke who had the temerity to score the winner in the 2002 WC second round match?
A spirited start. The Italians are looking a good deal more attacking than they did against the Dutch, with Del Piero captaining the side once again. What a story!
Gooner's favorite Romanian, Rat, is having a lively opening to the match.
I watched the Cristian Mungiu abortion drama "Four Months, Three Weeks, Two Days" last night on Netflix, so I have to admit it's somewhat coloring my view of Romanians today. Not the most flattering portrait of Romanian life, I have to admit.
Oh, Del Piero was nearly in there. He's leading by example, putting this side on his back. He took the ball down well, nicked it to Perrotta and then when the little chip cross came in it was Del Piero who got to the near post but put his corner just wide.
The Romanians are showing no signs of being easy to break down here. They've clearly set out their stall just as they did against the French on Monday. It's not pretty and at some point they'll need to actually score in order to get through to the next round.
Pirlo sets up for a dangerous free kick....
It's telling that it was Christian Chivu who cleared that out and then Adrian Mutu who made a key challenge in the box against Grosso.
It's an Italian siege on the Romanian goal at this point. They've already had six corners and several free kicks. A goal must be coming. How long can the Romanians hold out?
Del Piero with a cheeky backflick nearly put Toni in there. He's been excellent so far.
Oh, Mutu was straight in there on goal. It was a tight angle and he at least made Buffon work there but he'll need to do better than that to beat the big Italian.
Grosso put a long ball over and Toni just couldn't keep his header down. He's not much on getting off the ground, is he?
A long free kick from Tamas produces another fine save from Buffon.
Chiellini is another Italian past master at incredulous gestures. He's given up a key free kick here...
Chivu takes and it deflects onto the Italian post! Wow!
What a match this is shaping up to be - it's swinging back and forth nicely and anything could happen.
Two Romanian players went down in a heap after that chaotic sequence and one is having to come off. Rat, thankfully, is being patched up and will continue.
Dica has come on for Radi, which is a good attacking switch for the Romanians. They're going for it.
Nicolae looks a completely different player from the one who wandered through Monday's match.
Half way through this half and it's been difficult to take your eyes off it. Plenty of good chances for both sides.
Good free kick opportunity here for Del Piero....
And he hoofs it well over the bar. That didn't look like the Alex Del Piero of old who would have just bent that ball into the corner.
Mutu seems to have switched over to the right hand side in order to give Fabio Grosso something to think about rather than his usual galloping runs up the side.
Codrea saved his team there after Toni knocked down to Perrotta. The Italian was trying to walk the ball in and Codrea lunged at him to keep him out.
The Italians are ending the half on a high here. Toni just went close again with Lobont saving well.
From the corner, there's a massive scramble and Lobont saves well again. Incredible performance from the Romanian keeper.
On the replay, Toni could have been more selfish there. He typically has his back to goal and looks to knock it down to a teammate but he might try more headers on goal.
Pirlo is caught by Mutu, who's shown the yellow card. First booking of a fairly fought match.
Rat is in trouble now. The plaster he had stuck on in the middle of the half is gushing blood and he looks like someone who's had a rough Saturday night on Merseyside.
Into stoppage time of the first half.
Half-time: 0-0.
A thoroughly absorbing match, even without the goals. This one could easily go either way. One false move and either side could be looking at an early exit from the tournament.
There's a lot of chat during half-time about the "goal" that was chalked off for offside right before the half. The Italians were aggrieved but while Toni was onside, several of his teammates were offside. I've never bought the "inactive" interpretation of the offside rule.
Second half starting....
It's as you were with the two sides.
Pirlo did well to wriggle through the Romanian defenses, he got a good ball over buy Lobont tipped it away from Toni.
If anything, the Italians are too Route One, too much being aimed at Toni's head. They'll have to mix things up if they're to proceed.
Buffon is proving his reputation as the best keeper in the world. I'd have it this way:
1. Buffon
2. Cech
3. Van der Saar
4. Casillas
5. Ankergren (got to give a nod to LUFC!)
GOAL! Mutu has finally come good and the crowd's going barmy. The Italian defense completely fell apart. It was Route One from the back, a long ball was too cautiously nodded down by Zambrotta and Mutu was sharp to pounce on it.
Romania 1-0!
What are the Azurri made of? That's the big question now. Zambrotta may just have put his side out of Euro 2008.
GOAL! It's 1-1! What a match! Christian Panucci has put his side back in it. A long corner comes over, Chiellini keeps it alive and Panucci is there at the near post to stab an easy one home.
Now what? While we were hyperventilating, Antonio Cassano has come on. What more can this match offer us?
Petre was nearly in there but he took to long on the ball and Grosso got back to block well.
Lots of changes going on here. Petre is withdrawn in favor of Nicolita, who was disappointing on Monday.
Chivu has picked up a yellow.
Andrea Pirlo has picked up a yellow card - he's been disappointing today.
Oh, that was close. Cameronese played the ball wide to Cassano, who did well to beat his man, slipped through for Del Piero who then played Toni in but the big man was too static to take advantage.
A draw keeps Italy alive in this tournament but will it be enough. I don't think so. They really need a win today. A lot depends on the later result too.
Grosso saves his side again. Nicolae and Nicolita almost combines to finish the Italians off there.
After that Panucci goal, I certainly expected an Italian assault on the Romanian goal, but it hasn't transpired that way. If anything, the Romanians have had the better chances in the last ten minutes.
Twenty minutes to play.
Lobont fielded a long cross on his line and half of the Italian side appealed for it to be called a goal. I'm sure we'll see several angles of that one again.
Goian picks up a second yellow card of Euro 2008 and he'll be out for the third match against the Dutch now.
Pirlo launches a long free kick but it's well cleared out.
You have to say that this has been a very evenly poised match and a draw would probably be the fairest result.
Lobont pulls off another brilliant save, this time from De Rossi, who was played in by Toni's chest down. Toni has been a terrific target man but you have to question his goal production.
Del Piero is coming off after a busy game and Quariarella is coming on. He hands over the captain's arm band as he comes off - he'd just run out of gas.
Another big scramble in the Romanian box that ends with Contra chesting cooly to his keeper. More desperate defending from the Romanians.
After the Croatian keeper Borucs performance yesterday and Lobont's massive game today, you'd have to say that Central European goalkeeping is in fine fettle these days.
Penalty! Nicolae has gone down in the area and unbelievably the referee has given a penalty! It looked soft at first glance.
Mutu sets up to take....
Oh what save from Buffon!! He's kept Italy in Euro 2008. That would certainly have been it.
Perhaps Buffon was a bit fortunate. It wasn't a good penalty from Mutu, basically straight down the middle. Buffon had dived to his left and was able to readjust. He got a hand to it and it rebounded off the toe of his boot and then out. Wow!
Ambrosini is set to come on. That's an odd switch. I'm not sure what he has to offer to the game at this point.
Inside the last ten minutes. Grosso crosses but Goian clears out.
Yes, Cameronese is coming off. He's done a tremendous amount of donkey work today.
Has Tommy Smyth ever seen a penalty call that he approved of? What a berk!
Toni takes a tumble but the referee isn't impressed and neither am I. He should have been booked there.
Mutu is coming off and he looks inconsolable now after that penalty miss. That really would have put Romania in pole position to go through to the quarterfinals.
Cassano tries an audacious chip from an impossible angle and that won't make his coach or teammates happy.
Into stoppage time now. We've seen some late goals in this tournament. Will we see another twist in the tale here?
De Rossi hacks Contra down and picks up a yellow card.
One more free kick opportunity for Romania...
Tamas hits a long, ambitious effort that was always rising.
Perhaps time for one more Italian chance. The Italian players are launching themselves to the floor every time they're in the box. Desperate gamesmanship.
Full-time: Italy 1 Romania 1
Possibly the best game so far of a brilliant tournament. It had everything. Two goals, disallowed goals, denied penalties, penalty misses, the lot.
Italy are still alive but on life support with an epic match against France to come. Romania will fancy their chances particularly if the Dutch win today and rest players on Tuesday. It's all to play.
And now we've got France vs. the Netherlands in a bit over an hour. Lovely jubbly!
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