It ends even before it begins. There will be no final with Portugal and, above all, for the second consecutive time, there will be no World Cup for Italy. No Russia 2018, no Qatar 2022. The Azzurri, beaten by Macedonia in the 92nd minute of the playoff semifinal, by a shot by Aleksander Trajkovski, are overwhelmed by boos from the people of Palermo who feel betrayed along with sixty million other Italians.
The usual exaggerations. Yesterday the Favorita stadium should have pushed us with cheering and enthusiasm over the limit set by a very modest opponent. Today he gulps down the bitter cup of elimination from the World Cup e pours all kinds of contumelia on Roberto Mancini and his boys, the very ones who less than a year ago, gave us the victory of the European Championship and were hailed as if they were authentic champions.
What are we? Where do we go? Only hope, last Goddess, kept me hooked to the passage of at least this first round. To then cultivate the illusion that the Turkey (missed the 2-2 penalty with less than ten minutes to go) got rid of Portugal and offered us an easier or, in any case, possible hole compared to Ronaldo and his brothers.
Instead I made a mistake (and it matters little) and Roberto Mancini made a mistake (and it’s worth a World Cup). He probably should have been more uncompromising with the president of the Federation, Gravina, and demanded a longer break to prepare for the match. He probably trusted too much of the men who had given him the European triumph and did not change enough, especially in attack, where it was not clear why he also excluded him from the bench. Scamaccato insist against all evidence, with Ciro Immobilethe worst in the absolute sense.
Certainly, when he made the last two changes (Chiellini for Gianluca Mancini and João Pedro for Berardi) was thinking of winning it in extra time because up to 90 ‘there was no way and, to tell the truth, there weren’t too many chances either. So the game was over, in less than five minutes (Trajkovski scored in the 91 ‘and 58 “), with the captain on the field in his last presence (115: thanks anyway) and the rookie from Cagliari in the first (perhaps he was already needed after the interval, since it was his last deviation on the fly from Florenzi’s shot).
I wrote before the game that in case of elimination only the coach would have paid and I am still convinced of that. In my opinion, there is no need for someone to invite him to leave, it will be a decision that will mature without pressure and without anger. First, because he is too proud to remain in spite of a situation to the contrary. Second, because it is difficult to be proud of a European title if you have not managed to eliminate Switzerland first and then North Macedonia.. Who will not leave will be Gravina (he explained it, three days ago, in an interview with Repubblica) because, in his words, CONI is not hostile to him as it was for Tavecchio and, above all, its majority in the Federal Council is large and firm.
Maybe, but if we’re out of the World Cup, it’s not just the players to blameOf jorginho who missed the penalties with Switzerland, the defense beheaded by injuries or by some overrated element (Insigne, for example). We are also out because our clubs, as well as filled with foreigners, are weak in Europe, our League is a small garden managed like a chicken coop and the Football Association swells its chest in victories, but it does not know how to analyze and heal from defeats..
The one last night was terrible for the modalities (shooting from a distance with time expired, Donnarumma who does not push hard enough also because he sees her late, but above all no one who drives away the possible threat with a kick) and the consequences. If you lose from North Macedonia who, moreover, in the group with Germany, had won 2-1 away from home, you are not entitled to extenuating circumstances either.
Our opponents have made two shots on goal. One, also by Trajkovski, saved (45 ‘) and the goal. However, it was understood around half an hour of the second half, with the entry of Spirovski and Askovski, that the coach Milevski, faithful to a 4-4-2 defensive, he would have liked to try something different. Italy, out of breath and confused, left a few more meters of pitch to the opponents, appearing less and less in the Macedonian metacampo. And when that happened, the mistakes of the first half were repeated. Too much frenzy, many inaccuracies, hindrances and hesitations, predictable crosses, continuous advances. A bad performance, certainly not mitigated by the couple of occasions that happened on Berardi’s feet, the first of which, at 29 ‘of the first half, really sensational. On the mistake of goalkeeper Dimitrievski, the Sassuolo player was good at harpooning the ball, but, while the door was still wide open, he exhaled a soft and almost central shot on which the Macedonian number 1 had the strength to remedy by blocking.
Pure tickling, on the other hand, a roll of Immobile in a fall (high), a conclusion by Insigne (deflected) and an initiative by Bastoni, who reached the area, where he pretended to serve Immobile again, always positioned behind the opponent. On the other hand, five minutes from the break, following an error by Gianluca Mancini, Churlinov flew to the area before being providentially recovered by Florenzi. In one way or another, the most continuous, in the offensive phase, it was Berardi who, however, became a bit readable with his claim of the left at the far post, a bit was imprecise with a right-footed shot, a bit unfortunate when Alioski, now in the goalkeeper area, deflected a half turn destined in.
Having said all this, which is little, what do we want to discuss? We would almost certainly have gone out at the hands of Portugal or Turkey, but if we don’t even get to play it, losing from number 73 in the Fifa ranking, it means that the next third world is us.. And that the European victory was an exception. Wonderful but unique. And, a few months later, propitiated by an indispensable fortune.
THE TABLE
Italy-North Macedonia 0-1 (0-0)
Markers: 45 ‘+ 2 st Trajkovski (M)
Italy (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Florenzi, Mancini (44 ‘st Chiellini), Bastoni, Emerson; Barella (32 ‘st Tonali), Jorginho, Verratti; Berardi (44 ‘st Joao Pedro), Immobile (32’ st Pellegrini), Insigne.
Coach: Mancini
North Macedonia (4-4-2): Dimitrievski; S. Ristovski, Velkoski (41 ‘st Ristevski), Musliu, Alioski; Churlinov, Ademi (13 ‘Ashkovski), Bardi, Nikolov (13’ st Spirovski); Trajkovski, M. Ristovski (27 ‘st Miovski).
Ct: Milevski
Referee: Turpin
Ammoniti: Spirovski (M)
Expelled:
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