Memories of Italy Vs Argentina

It was the summer of 82 and Italy had been placed in the same group as Brazil and Argentina with the team to come in first place being the one to progress through to the semifinal. Italy up in till that point like the other two teams in its group had also played three games yet unlike Argentina and Brazil had not won any of its games, in rout to becoming the first team to qualify to the second round of a world cup without wining a single game. This in contrast to Scotland in 74, who became the first team in the world cup to be eliminated in the first round without loosing a single game.

Italy in Spain 82 qualified to the second round by virtue of obtaining three draws, first to Poland (0-0) then to Peru (1-1) and last but not least to Cameroon (1-1) which in my opinion did not really reflect the quality of the Italian team of the time, which held in its ranks players the likes of Rossi, Tardelli, Antognoni, Cabrini, Conti and their legendary goal keeper Dino Zoff. Italy had not won a single game from their first three this I was not denying however in all truth, they could have won all three and perhaps should have as in their first match against Poland, their creative midfielder; Antognoni hit the cross bar. It was against Peru however that Italy would score thanks to Conti;18 minutes in to the first half. This only to see Peru level the score with 7 minutes remanding in the match with a goal that some credit to their defender; Diaz though in reality the ball unluckily for Italy bounced of their central defender Colovati; sending Zoff the wrong way as the ball slowly made its way in to the net for the equalizer.

As for the third and last game Italy played in the first round, it saw them tie Cameroon by the same score as they had done against Peru and in a similar fashion of scoring first and then giving up the equalizing goal. It in a way was a strange goal that saw Italy go ahead as Graziani headed the ball past Cameroon's Nokono, who picked a most inopportune time to give up his first goal and the only one he would in the tournament, as it was but a slip that allowed this weak header to put Italy up 1-0. Cameroon however would come back to equal matters, one minute later via a goal by Mbida at the 61 minute mark which in all truth should have been ruled offside yet was not though this did not matter for a draw was enough for Italy to progress along with Poland to the next round.

Italy had made it to the second round though not many gave it a chance to go through to the semifinal in a group that included the winners of four years ago with Maradona and Brazil the team which without much room for doubt was showing not only the most consistent football in the tournament but also the best. Italy in all this one could say had a great team, with the players to make a difference yet they were not coming up with the results they should have while in all this I felt they could stage an upset of at least Argentina.

Maradona was great, this held little doubt in anybody's mind but despite this factor he could be controlled if not stopped; as Belgium had shown through heavy marking which limited his activity though he did have a slight miss on a free kick that hit the bar which prevented him from getting on the score sheet. Maradona could be defeated or so I had seen on that first day of play but it would not be easy as to a large extent it had to be in part to his not being in full form as he did tend to have such days, not that his teammates at the time were of such a great help to him as in all truth their time was past.

Maradona however was not one to take lightly as he had demonstrated against Hungary whom he scored two goals against apart from his passes which led to their other two goals in what went on to be a 4-1 rout of the team that had beaten El Salvador by 10-1. Maradona was in good form yet fortunately for Italy; his team was only the same which had won the world cup in having the same players but not in quality of play which would not render him the help he would be so much in need of. This the case since players like Kempes, Ardiles and Bertoni were producing well below what they had four years ago.

The game started this I will never forget, with me watching it at the house of relatives of mine, in Argentina who naturally were all supporting the blue and whites while I was doing likewise for the "azurri" of Italy. The first half for the most part was a boring defense minded affair with both teams locked in the midfield, which they fought with everything they had in order to gain control of. As for Maradona, this man was being watched very carefully and at times brutally by a defender by the name of Claudio Gentile, who was like a shadow; following him all over the field where ever it was he went. Some of the fouls by Gentile looking back were unfair and without a doubt today would have led to a red card but in those days with rules being more liberal on defenders it was only a yellow card that Gentile was booked with. Of course in all this I could see the cause of the anger in those about me that supported Argentina but I can not claim to have been against it as It was keeping this player capable of it all, at least in control, even if in an un sportsmanship like manner.

The first half ended 0-0, with everybody in my Argentine family being not only clearly against Italy but me, as they could see that my frame of mind was for an Italian victory. It was their teasing that led me to declare that I felt Italy would win in the second half, in spite of Italy not only not having won a game so far in this world cup. As for the second half it started with Italy moving back in to defensive positions to play the counter attack in an attempt to free up the midfield and take advantage of the vacant spaces left when ever Pasarella, Tarantini, and Olguin went forward in attack.

This was a stroke of genius by Berzot which did not take long to show results as 11 minutes in to the second half, Tardelli would receive a pass in the middle of the Argentine defense on a run which would see him pass off the ball to Antognoni, who would in a perfectly timed relay pass find him in the penalty box and in the clear. This being perhaps Italy's first real scoring chance which Tardelli did not waste by striking an almost perfect crossing shot to beat Argentina's Fillol and give Italy a 1-0 lead. Goal was the shout heard from me in the middle of Argentine supporters who really were not all that pleased at what had occurred and less so to have it reminded in their presence by my shout that they were loosing.

The game at that moment continued in the same fashion it had been till that moment only with Argentina putting on more pressure, which the commentator as well as those around me felt was bound to end up in an equalizer for their team if not the one to go ahead goal. It was a nerve raking moment; reminding me of what I had been through four years ago, in all those matches specially the one against Holland, where we had also taken the lead only to loose.

Argentina attacked while Italy was dangerous on the counter, something I was hoping would lead to the one that put it away for Italy. Argentina however kept coming and fouls increased around Italy's penalty box. As Gentile had to resort to such tactics for what others could stop Maradona, and it was precisely off one of his free kicks that the tying goal almost came when he rattled the outside of Italy's left post. The ball had not gone in but close they were and all around me who supported Argentina could feel it yet one thing about Italy is that they were comfortable in defense, specially in the one that saw them hang on with everything they had. Several of my family members were telling me that I should support Argentina as they continued to cheer on yet for me it was Italy, win or loose.

Argentina a few minutes after Maradona's near miss would have another when a header by Pasarella, almost surprised Zoff who barely managed to get his right hand on it just before the ball went in, sending it off the past. So close had they been that even the commentator was saying it would be just a matter of time before another goal came and so did it occur, though not the way those around me would have hoped as it was Italy who went up 2-0. This occurring when Rossi got the ball on a one on one situation with goalkeeper Fillol, who managed to save his shot which should have been buried. Italy however managed to follow up on the play when Conti took the ball from a Fillol rebound to pass back to an oncoming Cabrini who found the back of the net, giving Italy a 2-0 advantage at the 67 minute mark of the match.

Italy was up and Argentina was definitely down and perhaps out as time was running low, this being all that my second loud scream of goal reminded those present as my voice was heard all through out not only the house but neighborhood as well. Me probably being that only one who was longing for an Italian win. Anger and frustration were for those around me as they had gone done 2-0 but as I explained it was not my fault that the team I wanted to win was doing just that, this an argument that managed to calm down those who felt mine was betrayal to their cause.

Argentina would go on to get on the score sheet and pull to within one when Daniel Pasarella found the back of the net off a free kick at the 83 minute mark of the game, in an effort that in all truth came just a little to little a little to late. Argentina however did make it more interesting at the end as this goal did give them as well as my Argentine family a glimmer of hope which made me suffer slightly at the end even if Italy did manage to hold on to win their first match in a world cup since they beat Austria 1-0 back in the last world cup before going on a winless streak that would last five games.

The game however despite Argentina's last minute efforts ended 2-1 with me celebrating though all telling me Brazil would undoubtedly beat us but this did not matter for me on that day as I had seen my team win. Brazil was for another day and time, for the time was at hand to celebrate.

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