From: shadlin@garnet.berkeley.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer
Subject: scot-ital result
Date: 19 Nov 1992 00:51:19 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu


Scotland and Italy played to a 0-0 draw, but it was a pretty costly
draw for the Italians.  The match was played in pretty horrible 
conditions (the corner flags, at only 4-5 feet off the ground) were
blowing like crazy, it was raining/sleeting, and quite cold.  Italy
began with Mannini and DiChiara at the outside backs, Maldini and
Baresi in the center.  DiChiara was injured in a collision about
10 minutes into the game and stretchered off.  Costacurta entered at
center back and Maldini went back to his normal spot on the left side.
He (nor Costacurta) never appeared to get into their groove.  Both of 
them came very close to giving the game away.  Maldini attempted to play
the ball back to Pagliuca with his head, only to give present one of 
the Scots (Durie, I believe) with the ball 15 yards from the goal and the
keeper way out of position.  He played it poorly.  In the midfield
the Italians had Bianchi, Eranio, Albertini, and Lentini (on the flank).
It was a strange combination.  Bianchi, who normally plays on the right
side, was in the center (#4).  Signori and Baggio played up front.  Signori,
in my opinion, was a bit disappointing (and replaced by Donadoni).  Baggio
showed his normal flashes of brilliance, but ultimately was left alone
by midfielders that appeared too timid to go forward.  I am a big
Albertini fan, but him and Eranio at the same time is too much for me.
Zola, Zola, Zola!!!  I said that it was a costly game for the the Italians
because they lost Baggio also.  It was hard to tell what he injured (his
hand, his arm, his back?), but in any case he left the match and 
Italy finished with just 10 men.  I don't know the name of the Scottish
players, so I can't provide any info.

Italy got the best of the first half, but ultimately was lucky to get
a point.  The Scots completely outplayed them in the second half (and that
is coming from a big fan of Italian calcio that follows Serie A quite
closely).  Costacurta and Maldini were terrible in the back, if Eranio
had left the field nobody would have noticed, Lentini all of the sudden
appeared too timid to take his man on, and Donadoni (who I put with Baggio
and Zola as one of the three top attacking Italian players) was 
very unimpressive in his twenty minutes.

Overall not a very impressive exhibition of soccer.  I look forward to 
reading others' comments.  Please let me know the status of DiChiara and
Baggio's injuries.

For those who wrote me and told me the starting time, thanks!!  Rickey's
Sports Bar in San Leandro put the game on for us.  I went there just
about every day in June for the European Nations Cup.  This morning I 
called and asked if he would try to get the game, we went down there
thinking our chances were about 50-50 of seeing the match, and by
12:05 we were watching the game (with announcers from Mexican TV)
on a large screen TV.  Anyone in the Bay Area might want to know 
about this place!!

Ken Shadlen
University of California at Berkeley
shadlin@garnet.berkeley.edu

Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer