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Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Sweden so happy - Apocalypse for Italy
Sweden stand tall amid Italy onslaught to book place at Russia World Cup
Given one last chance to seize a place at the World Cup
Italy pressed, they pushed, but they could not prevail, and as a result
next summer’s tournament will take place without them. It is their
first such failure in six decades, the Azzurri joining Holland
as Europe’s most notable qualifying failures. Both of them were
eliminated by Sweden, whose route to Russia has been far from
straightforward. Jakob Johansson’s goal in the first leg ultimately decided the tie in
the Swedes’ favour. Here his side’s only ambition was to repel at any
cost the waves of attacks rolling towards them, a job they did
heroically if not entirely nervelessly.
Carlo Tavecchio, the president of the Italian FA, famously said in
September that “not qualifying would be an apocalypse”. That day has
arrived, with Gianluigi Buffon tearfully admitting his 175th cap would
be his last and Daniele De Rossi – a substitute who when asked to warm
up in the second half refused because “I wanted them to bring on
attacking players” – also announcing his international retirement.
Meanwhile Gian Piero Ventura’s tenure as coach is surely over, even if
he said after the game he was yet to resign. His side had 75% of possession and 23 shots to their rivals’ four but
there was no way past the visitors’ determined rearguard, the four
Norsemen of the apocalypse. “We had no weapons left. We just had to sit
there and hope we could hang on,” said the Sweden coach, Jan Andersson. “We couldn’t do it in any other way, they are so skilful.”
Amid the disappointment there will also be anger. Ventura had
demanded “we get at the San Siro what they got in Stockholm” after
criticising the performance of Cuneyt Cakir, the Turkish referee, in the
first leg. They did not: both sides had penalty appeals turned down by
Antonio Mateu Lahoz, the Spanish official who took charge of this game. Italy
will be particularly puzzled that a 47th-minute incident in which
Matteo Darmian was kneed in the stomach by Mikael Lustig inside the
penalty area resulted in Sweden being awarded a free-kick for handball,
particularly as the ball seemed to strike the Manchester United defender
on the thigh. The particular irony here was that Mateu Lahoz had been unable to
spot even the most blatant handballs in the first half, when Darmian and
Barzagli might have been punished. Before both of those incidents, with
just nine minutes played, Andreas Granqvist seemed to trip Marco Parolo
from behind. Had the video officials who review key decisions in every
Serie A game also been used in this match, it would have been completely
different.
Italy were not good enough to find a way through Sweden’s defence but
this was still a marked improvement on the first leg. Much of the
credit for this must go to Jorginho, the Napoli midfielder who Ventura
had never previously considered worthy of so much as a place in his
squad. As he did last season, the 25-year-old has played more passes per
game than any player not just in Serie A but any of Europe’s major
leagues, but the coach had dismissed him in a specialist in “a role that
does not exist” in his side. This will be remembered as one of his many
mistakes.
He was Italy’s most creative player, and though he faded in the
second half he alone threatened to carve a way through the centre of
Sweden’s defence. In the 27th minute he lifted a perfectly-judged pass
over the visitors’ rearguard and into the path of Manolo Gabbiadini,
whose low cross zipped through a crowded six-yard box before being
battered over the bar by Antonio Candreva. Then in the 40th minute he
picked out Ciro Immobile, whose shot hit the onrushing Robin Olsen but
continued on its path goalwards until Granqvist booted clear.
Other than the penalty appeals Sweden never threatened. They were not
helped by a serious injury to Johansson, who was stretching for a
bouncing ball in an otherwise empty centre circle in the 17th minute
when his knee buckled, and left the field on a stretcher. They were
content to crowd the central areas, allowing Candreva and the
disappointing Darmian space on the flanks, relying on their ability to
reach any cross first, and booting any ball they got within touching
distance of upfield. Italy came close on occasion: Parolo’s late header and Florenzi
stylish volley both went just wide, while Lustig’s header looped on to
his own bar. Olsen, without being seriously tested, saved from Parolo
and the substitute Stephan El Shaarawy. But by any means necessary Sweden defended their narrow lead until
the last, a feat that for all their pain Italians should surely
appreciate.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.
