Spain 1 – Italy 1: The Return of ‘La Forza Azzurri’

For ninety minutes, two world powers dazzled fans across the globe.  In the opening game of Group C, Italy drew Spain 1-1 as the Spanish began their quest to repeat.  Although the Spanish played as expected, the Italians shocked everyone with their newly adapted style of play. 

Perhaps the most surprising things were the lineup and formation selections by

Spanish manager Vicente del Bosque and Italian manager Cesare Prandelli.  While the majority of professional teams adopted the 4-5-1 as the preferred formation over the past few years, both sides changed course.  The Italians, known for their defense, played a 3-5-2 with Antonio Cassano nearly making it a 3-6-1.  To play with three defenders was an incredibly bold move by Prandelli.  Furthermore, Daniele de Rossi was moved from his defensive midfield position to sweeper.  This genius move cleared the way for the Italians to put another skillful player on the field. 

Meanwhile, Del Bosque shocked the world when he benched striker Fernando Torres.  Del Bosque also abandoned the 4-5-1 and selected the 4-3-3 that Johan Cruyff’s Netherlands team made famous in the 1970’s.  The decision to go with six midfielders, three acting as forwards, was a very risky move.  Everyone assumed that Torres would get the call to start with David Villa injured.  It was just four years ago when Torres scored the game-winning goal to win the title for Spain.

From the opening whistle, it was obvious that this game would be special.  Spain played like we all knew they were capable of.  They passed the ball around well, but found it very difficult to break down the Italian defense.  While some say this was a Spanish flaw, I argue that it was brilliant Italian tactics.  Prandelli studied the Spanish and realized that they only have problems when you apply high pressure and overpopulate the midfield.  The decision to only play three defenders, and Antonio Cassano’s role as a midfielder/withdraw forward gave the Italians between five and six midfielders at all times.  This was something that the Spanish were not accustomed to, and it showed.

Although the managing was the big story, I must mention some of the players and highlights.  For the Italians, everyone played well.  Andrea Pirlo still has it.  His through ball to Antonio Di Natale for the Italian goal was flawless.  Though maligned for not shooting on his breakaway, Mario Balotelli played admirably.  He worked hard, held the ball up well, and distracted the Spanish defense, which created additional space for his teammates.  In fact, while the announcers and analysts criticized Balotelli for not shooting, not one mentioned that it was his hustle that created the opportunity.  Daniele de Rossi was phenomenal in the sweeper position.  Christian Maggio and Claudio Marchisio stood out for their attacking runs.  The Italians should be very happy with the result.  This will give them confidence going forward, and it is obvious that their manager is world class.

For the Spanish, maybe expectations were just so high that they could not be met.  However, they played good.  The Italians were just well prepared.  Andres Iniesta was a constant threat.  David Silva played well and his assist on Fabregas’s goal will be mentioned as best pass of the tournament.  Fernando Torres looked a bit unconfident when he entered as a substitute.  The Spanish need him to find his classic form. The one area that was exposed was their defense.  It was unknown how they would fare without Carlos Puyol, but after watching Italy’s attack it is fair to say that they must score plenty of goals to win the tournament.  It is doubtful that they will have numerous 1-0 victories as they did in South Africa.

The Italians came to play the defending champions and they got it right. They showed no fear.  If Prandelli prepares and utilizes his team this effectively, then every team in the tournament should take caution.  However, it will be difficult to expose their opponents in such a manner again. The Spanish must go back to the drawing board, and hope that teams cannot replicate the Italians. However, they must develop a plan B because Germany’s Joachim Loew surely watched and took notes.  I trust that Del Bosque will find a solution, but it might be too hard for him and his players to accept that they also may need to evolve. 

By Lorenzo Zignago