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Strategy Against Italy: Penalties

June 25th, 2006 | By: Chris Heidrich | 43 Comments »

Looking around the various news sources in Australia you’d be forgiven for thinking the only way to beat Italy is to get a draw and take our chances with penalties. I find it hard to believe they’re talking to Viduka already about whether he’ll be taking one, given his recent run of two misses from 12 yards.

Last time I checked, lads, there’s 120 minutes of football that have to be played first. Hell, why not try to decide this one in 90 minutes – there’s a novel thought.

I don’t feel like Australia is a team that can sit on a one or two goal cushion and kill a game. In fact, I think they’re a better team when they’re chasing a goal, especially if the opposing team is trying to defend that lead harder than they are trying to create chances of their own (see Croatia). Perhaps this lends itself to the penalties discussion. If Italy are leading for long periods, Australia will be confident of getting an equalizer.

Italy’s record in pens is not that great, Australia’s isn’t that bad and they’ve got a great shot stopper in Mark Schwarzer and a bunch of cocky lads in the squad who are itching to take one should the occasion arise.

Penalties are a lottery, no matter how much confidence you have. If the game goes that way, I won’t be nervous like an England fan watching his team step up. But at the same time, I reckon Australia is good enough to finish this game in 90 minutes and it would be nice to see more stories of how we might just do that.

Tags: Australia, Australia vs Italy, Italy, Penalties, Round of 16

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Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 43 comments.

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By jaime h | June 26th, 2006 at 7:20 am

Australia will beat Italy!! I guess Australia 3 – Italy 1.

go go go….

By Tom | June 26th, 2006 at 7:53 am

I think we’ve got a good chance tonight. The first round of this tournament suggests that if its still close late in the second half, the Aussies will finish stronger than the Italians and might just get a result.

The big worry for me is that if Italy lead late in the game the spaces will open up for Inzaghi and Gilardino to run into.

Posted from Australia

By Dave | June 26th, 2006 at 8:19 am

Aussies will win tonight 2-0.
I will jump into the sydney harbour after that happens tonight.

Posted from Australia

By marco | June 26th, 2006 at 8:30 am

every one says italy will go defensively but i can see australia trying to do it and then they will get punished for it .. and i dont think guss can get into lippis head .. lippi came out and said that guss is being very cheaky about how the match is a david and goliath one. also buffon wants revenge for last yr agauinst guss (and so do most italians) so this could again mean trouble for asutralia

Posted from Australia

By Chris | June 26th, 2006 at 8:41 am

Well lets hope the Italian’s love of theatrics (remember last world cup?) gets stomped on by the ref. Oz’s hard and aggressive style is one of the main reasons we have made it through to this stage. Italy know this, and will be using our ‘bully’ label for artistic effect

Expect plenty of writhing in agony, tripping over their own ankles, only to bounce up again to take the free kick.

Posted from Australia

By simon | June 26th, 2006 at 8:52 am

mates, there is a soothsayer amongst us…!! someone predicted in the lead-up to the last game that kalac would hash it badly in the croatia game… and i think he predicted a 2 all scoreline too…. Whoever it is please come forward and tell us your thoughts on this game… I’m already getting missed beats thinking about the outcome…!!

Posted from India

By DT | June 26th, 2006 at 9:42 am

Italy is much tougher than Croatia. And so far, they have played better than Brazil.

We need everyone to be at their best in order to beat Italy. Kalac and Viduka shouldn’t play in this game if we want to progress.

Posted from Australia

By enzo | June 26th, 2006 at 9:46 am

Everyone should look at the game between Australia and Brazil before making a definitive negative comment that Australia will lose. Australia played extremely well against Brazil and was unlucky not to have scored a few in the first half. I believe, that in life, there is luck and bad luck. Italy is a great team, but Australia has played Brazil and it wasn’t until well into the 2nd half that it scored its first goal. The nervousness we all have is due to the fact this is it, win and we move on, lose and we come home. That’s why there is so much tension – but, hey, who doesn’t love that adrenaline rush? Can’t wait for 1.00am. And then who ever would have thought Australia would play so well for 3 games and reach the second round. Great stuff.

Posted from Australia

By enzo | June 26th, 2006 at 10:03 am

I am more than certain that in extremely important games such as this any coach, and particularly Hiddink, will have plan in case of penalties. If penalties is to be the case then Italy will be far more nervous than Australia. Italy’s record for winning penalty shootouts in the WC finals is, if I am not mistaken, a big fat ZERO, and all Italian players are aware of this. But to play for penalties is playing Russian roulette. Australia cannot afford to take such a risk at this point in time. We must go out for a definitive win in the 90 mins.

Posted from Australia

By pharkdat | June 26th, 2006 at 10:35 am

OH A DUDA DAY!

PLEASE DONT KILL ME WITH LAUGHTER BEFORE THE GAME!

Posted from Australia

By konno | June 26th, 2006 at 10:52 am

enzo

you are the backbone of this blog!

hope we win for for you..

Posted from Australia

By enzo | June 26th, 2006 at 12:00 pm

konno, with our positive outlook (yours, mine, and so many others on our site, our chance of winning is equal to Italy’s because when the whistle is blown for the game to start it’s 0-0. After that anything can happen.

Posted from Australia

By enzo | June 26th, 2006 at 12:15 pm

Also, konno, nice sentiment, but I hope the Socceroos win for themselves and for all of us who have followed them with passion and confidence. This, for Australian football, is history in the making. These games will be remembered by us, aficionados of the beautiful game, for the remaining years of our lifetime in the same manner that the English have never forgotten 1966 or Brazil 1958 etc.,

Posted from Australia

By SydWest | June 26th, 2006 at 12:16 pm

Croatia has always had the edge over Italy, we beat the Cros we have a decent chance against Italy

well if pigs fly and we lose i willjust go Norton St

maybe we did the Italians a favour in taking out the Cros, coz if it was the Cros they would be worrying about losing outright instead of thinking about it going to penalties

Posted from Australia

By Gary | June 26th, 2006 at 12:16 pm

Well i have been at the 3 games so far and if we sit back and try to tie up the game for a penalty shoot out we will be slaugherted.

We are an awesome team who might lack WC experience but we make up for it with extreme passion and hunger for success…We need to drive for goals and then try and hold them but never lose the urge to push fwd and score….

Lets make this one count and march on into the Qtr’s…
We can do it—-

My score is 2-1 Aussie with Kennedy to score the winner!

Posted from Germany

By Gary | June 26th, 2006 at 12:22 pm

As a follow up….given the way we played and the results we have had so far…

If the refereeing improves and we as a team take the chances we make we will win…Its a pretty simple formulae, Luck we haven’t had so Vs Italy it only looks good for us…

Just think, We did it in the Americas Cup in 83, why not the world cup in 2006…

Bring it On !!!!!1

Posted from Germany

By troy | June 26th, 2006 at 12:22 pm

best form of defence is attack, the other team cant score when the ball is in there defence. attack attack and attack. italy will not be as fit as the aussies so the aussies can just keep running. should be a good contest. every team is bad when they sit back and defend. thats because players are good enough from distance to cause keepers problems and not forgetting lobbying the ball for headers.

everytime croatia went back to defend the aussies looked like they could score and did and croatia is meant to be an outstanding defence.

and i dont think viduka will take a penalty. too many options outside of that one. schwarzer would be a better choice.

we are with you australia. go aussies.

Posted from Australia

By simon | June 26th, 2006 at 12:27 pm

As Enzo says, its 0 – 0 at the start. Reputations do not win a game. We had the croatians saying theirs was the team with all the 1998 glorious past behind them… The only thing they forgot to realize was the fact that glorious past was indeed BEHIND them…!! We would do well to remember for our own sakes not to be overawed by a team’s credentials… Just get on the field and play the match of your lives… Carpe Diem…..using LATIN TO DESTROY THE ROMANS… lol…!!

Posted from India

By konno | June 26th, 2006 at 1:39 pm

yeah i do hope they win for everyone else…

wished i still smoked… still hours to go and i am a nervous wreck…

Posted from Australia

By Angelo Abruzzese | June 26th, 2006 at 2:50 pm

Enzo and company,

Have you guys seen the stuff that is being posted to the Italian blog?

Nothing but rude neanderthal like commantary, mostly anti-Italian rethoric and defamatory comments.

While here I do not see any Italians coming on and mouthing off, I applaud you for keeping the blog in order.

Hopefully the Game will be entertaining and not some wild west affair.

Good luck to both sides god knows we will need it to keep the Ref from being the Star of the Show.

Posted from United States

By enzo | June 26th, 2006 at 3:21 pm

Angelo, you are paying them a compliment by calling them neanderthals. Perhaps you should have gone further back in time when man’s ancestor still walked on all fours.

Posted from Australia

By konno | June 26th, 2006 at 3:46 pm

hope its 4 games or more gary. wish i was there! hope you are having a ball! Germany is a beautiful country.

Posted from Australia

By Martin | June 26th, 2006 at 4:01 pm

@Angelo. Yeah I posted a few comments on the Italy site and yeah, at times it’s not pleasant. But this is life.

Hope the game is not spoiled by the ref either, let the men play football. What did Van Basten say “It’s a mans game”.

BTW, nice website.

Posted from United States

By Trapper | June 26th, 2006 at 4:30 pm

Mark:

My toilet is blocked up at the moment.