World Cup 2010 – Italy vs. Slovakia: Half Time Report
Four time World Cup winners, and current holders, Italy go into the match against Slovakia with their qualification hopes on the line. The group is wide open and any of the four teams (Italy, Slovakia, New Zealand, Paraguay) can qualify for the next round. Itay stuck to their tried and tested system with De Rossi holding the midfield, and Iaquinta upfront on his own. The Slovakians, on the other hand, have two upfront in Jendrisek and Vittek with influential player hamsek on the wings alongside the former Chelsea man Stoch.
The game started off at a cautious pace with both teams showing signs of nerves. The first chance of the game fell to the Slovakian Captain Hamsik in the 5th minute. The Italian defence was caught napping but Hamsik’s left footed shot went wide of the goal and the score stayed 0-0.
Iaquina had the ball in the back of the net but the referee blew his whistle and stopped the play because he had fouled a Slovakian player before pulling the trigger.
The play was continuously being broken up with players on both sides taking their opponents down after a couple of passes were made. The first player to be booked was Strba, the Slovakian midfielder.
The Slovaks took the lead in the 25th minute when Vittek shot past Marchetti, who could do nothing about a very well placed goal into the bottom left corner. A misplaced pass by De Rossi was intercepted by Kucka and passed into the feet of Vittek who made no mistake whatsoever. The reaction of Italian Coach Marcello Lippi said it all. The Italian was very displeased by his midfielder’s mistake which could cost them the game.
Cannavaro, the Italian Captian, was booked in the 30th minute of the game, as he rather cynically blocked the run of Kucka, who was Slovakia’s best player in the first half closely followed by the Captain, Hamsik. Cannavaro was lucky to escape a second booking when he commited yet another foul on Hamsik, in the 34th minute.
Marchetti was called into action from the resulting freekick after an outrageous shot, from 35 yards out, looked like it was going to be nestling in the back of the net but it was pushed away for a corner by the Goalkeeper, as Buffon looked on from the bench.
The best chance of the half for the Italians was headed over from close range by the Italian forward. The Italians got more and more frustrated as the half wore on and it culminated in a very high tackle by Gattuso on Strba, who had to be taken off on a stretcher for what looks like a bad injury.
The first half ends with the score 1-0 to the Slovaks. As it stands, the Italians are going out of the world cup whereas the Slovaks go through in second place behind the group leaders Paraguay.
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