QF #2 - June 30 - Italy vs Ukraine [R]

[DJT]

Quarterfinal #2

ITALY vs UKRAINE

Friday, June 30
12:00 PM PDT / 1:00 PM MDT / 2:00 PM CDT / 3:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM ADT / 4:30 PM NDT / 9:00 PM CET
Hamburg

Live Television:

OMNI 1 (Italian)
RDS
Sportsnet

Repeat Television:

4:00 PM PDT
5:00 PM MDT
6:00 PM CDT
7:00 PM EDT
8:00 PM ADT
8:30 PM NDT
- TSN

8:00 PM PDT
9:00 PM MDT
10:00 PM CDT
11:00 PM EDT
12:00 AM ADT
12:30 AM NDT
- Sportsnet Ontario

10:00 PM PDT
11:00 PM MDT
12:00 AM CDT
1:00 AM EDT
2:00 AM ADT
2:30 AM NDT
- Sportsnet East

11:00 PM PDT
12:00 AM MDT
1:00 AM CDT
2:00 AM EDT
3:00 AM ADT
3:30 AM NDT
- Sportsnet Pacific

12:00 AM PDT
1:00 AM MDT
2:00 AM CDT
3:00 AM EDT
4:00 AM ADT
4:30 AM NDT
- Sportsnet West

[loyola]

Harsh for Ukraine to be 3-0 down at this point after the way they started the second half with 2 very good chances to make it 1-1 and another chance to make it 2-1 Italy. But as a neutral fan I like the idea of an Italy-Germany 1/2 final.

I thought Italy's first goal was poor goalkeeping, just too bad.

Congrats to Italy.

[Gian-Luca]

Ukraine perhaps deserved a goal, but a win for Italy never seemed to be in all that much doubt. What was good for Italy as well is that they didn't pick up a single yellow card & get Materazzi back as well, so they will have all players barring De Rossi (who will be available for the final or the 3rd place match) & probably the injured Nesta (who has now gotten injured in the first round 3 World Cups in a row) available against Germany.

Its up to Portugal now to provide us with a new World Cup winner, if we're to get one. Otherwise another country will be adding to their Cup tally (unless you count the Eastern part of Germany, if you want to be pedantic).

Oh by the way, I have absolutely no complaints about the first names of any of the goalscorers in today's Italy match. [8D]

[Vancouver Fan]

It bodes well for Italy that when there is a lapse there is someone like Buffon who can bail them out. Only 1(own) goal against the whole tournament. They will be hard to beat. Toni with 2 goals was just a matter of time.The Germans will have their hands full.

I'd love to see Italy v, well anyone in the final. :)

[nolando]

I love ya VF, but about 6 billion of my closest friends and I would rather see anybody play in the final EXCEPT Italy. SNOOZEFEST...

[Vancouver Fan]

In past years I'd agree but this years Azzurri are at the very least as fun to watch as those zany Germans. I thought that todays performance(and a couple of others)would erase the notion of Italy being boring. The key is for them to keep 11 men on the pitch.

[Grizzly]

Report on the game from Montreal KGB headquarters. Believe it or not despite thinking all week that I would support Italy for once in my life because I didn't think Ukraine deserved to be in the quarters when I woke up this morning I realized that it was not possible for me to support Italy and was actually pulling for Ukraine. Italy is the team I have always hated and I won't even bother to justify it by reasons such as defensive play and diving, it is just one of those unfounded, illogical biases that one has in sports.

Ukraine had maybe their strongest performance of the tournament and at times did threaten to score. However, even had they managed to tie the game they never looked at all threatening to win it. If 3-0 might be a tad too high certainly 2-0 reflected the game accurately. Again I have to say I didn't see much from Ukraine to suggest that in most other groups they would have qualified for the second round. Certainly Australia, Ghana and the US gave Italy a much better game. Ukraine seemed to have a very poor defence and a shaky keeper. One would have thought that their strikers would have been better with Shevchenko and Voronin but they failed to score a goal other than on a penalty against any other team than Saudi Arabia (and it was these goals against SA that basically got them this far in the tournament). Maybe they are both the types of strikers who need good service as opposed to guys who can break a game open like Wanchope. It seems that this is the type of striker we have often had for the Canadian national team as well. Sheva had a good run near the end though he finished it off by diving. Italy for its part was pretty impressive in my opinion, very good defence but an ability to strike quickly and score.

One thing that bothered me about Ukraine's performance was that once it got to 3-0 it seemed like they didn't try to win the game and were just trying to keep the score down. There were 20 minutes left to play and in my opinion you have to risk a blow out for the chance to possibly tie the game even if it is unlikely. Did anyone else notice how slow Milevsky was coming off the field when Belik came in? It was almost like he was trying to waste time. When he gets to the bench, instead of hollering at him Blokhin gives him a high-five.

[GRE004]

quote:Originally posted by nolando

I love ya VF, but about 6 billion of my closest friends and I would rather see anybody play in the final EXCEPT Italy. SNOOZEFEST...


Count me in as one of those 6 million, I have been shouting this from the mountain tops for everyone to hear. They play good defence but that is about it. Geht Deutschland!!

So they win again, surprise, surprise ;) I don't think the end result was in any doubt (No offence Ukraine) but they had the easiest match of all the teams in the quarterfinals (I wonder why that was :(). Maybe when they play a tougher opponent (like my Germans :)) we will see what they can do.

Time to send these primadonnas packing!!

[Vancouver Fan]

quote:Originally posted by GRE004


quote:Originally posted by nolando

I love ya VF, but about 6 billion of my closest friends and I would rather see anybody play in the final EXCEPT Italy. SNOOZEFEST...


Count me in as one of those 6 million, I have been shouting this from the mountain tops for everyone to hear. They play good defence but that is about it. Geht Deutschland!!

So they win again, surprise, surprise ;) I don't think the end result was in any doubt (No offence Ukraine) but they had the easiest match of all the teams in the quarterfinals (I wonder why that was :(). Maybe when they play a tougher opponent (like my Germans :)) we will see what they can do.

Time to send these primadonnas packing!!


Well ,I wouldn't consider the Czechs and Ghana easy opponents.It's funny how Italy scored as many goals in 90 min as Brazil, France ,England , Portugal ,Germany ,Argentina combined scored in 330 min. Combine that with their good defence (which I'm glad you pointed out)and I'd say that they're rounding into form.

[The Ref]

I wonder if Germany will beat the crap out of Italy since they are playing at home.

[Gian-Luca]

I wonder if they won't.

[Jarrek]

Strongest performance from the Ukraine at the World Cup to date yet.

Unfortunately, when you play such a team as Italy, when you give them three chances to shoot on the net, they'll usually score three goals.

Ah well, it was a good run.

[loyola]

I don't understand the hate toward Italy in this WC, Brazil looked a lot poorer than the Italian did in this tournament. I've never been a huge fan of Italy but I think they've been playing quite well in this tournament (except the USA game) and they deserve credit.

I look forward to this game.

[Gian-Luca]

I've stopped wondering by the way.