“Twenty-seven seconds into the second half, Switzerland went 2-0 up against Italy in their last-16 clash in Berlin. But, hang on, didn’t Italy take the kick-off? Yes, they did — and they made a complete mess of it. Luciano Spalletti’s team started the second half with two players by the ball (the striker Gianluca Scamacca and midfielder Nicolo Fagioli), six players lined up along on the halfway line (three on the right and three on the left) and two players just deeper than the centre circle (the centre-backs Gianluca Mancini and Alessandro Bastoni). …”
NY Times/The Athletic (Video)
NY Times/The Athletic: Italy went backwards at Euro 2024, every time they played it looked like the first time
NY Times/The Athletic: Switzerland 2 Italy 0 – Holders dumped out, Vargas stars, Yakin wins tactical battle – The Briefing
The worst kick-off routine at Euro 2024 — and how Switzerland made Italy pay
Leave a reply
“It is the walk. A penalty shootout means the walk and the walk is the bit where football stops, where this game of instinct, noise and mayhem is reduced to stillness. There is no scope to think until that epic trudge when, pushed to the limit of physical endurance after a draining game, an intense tournament, a wearing season, think is all you can do. When your mind becomes an enemy. …”
Scissors Kick 