Few positives for Italy after missing World Cup
Over 180 minutes of soccer, Italy showed exactly why it is not going to the World Cup.
The national team was poor during a 2-0 loss to Argentina on Friday and needed a late penalty — awarded on video review — to salvage a 1-1 draw against England on Tuesday.
Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958, and changes in the team were expected. But although interim coach Luigi Di Biagio handed debuts to 20-yearold players Federico Chiesa and Patrick Cutrone, much of the lineup for his first match in charge consisted of veterans held over from the qualifying campaign.
Chiesa was one of the few bright spots for Italy, which barely avoided going scoreless for a fourth straight match for the first time in the national team’s 108-year history.
The Fiorentina winger was brought on 10 minutes into the second half and impressed on the left flank, running at defenders. He was also the player who was fouled late, leading to Lorenzo Insigne’s equalizing penalty.
“We deserved the draw,” Chiesa said, “and it’s important for our morale and the atmosphere in the Italy camp.”
Chiesa, who turned 20 in October, and teenage goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma were the youngest Italy players on the field, and the duo could form the spine of the Azzurri for many years to come.
“I’m very happy because after making my debut I managed to play another match with the national team,” Chiesa said. “I always dreamed about making my debut for Italy but also to continue playing in the next matches.
Another positive for Italy was that the players seemed to have found their team spirit — which was sorely lacking in both World Cup playoff matches against Sweden and in several of the final matches of former coach Gian Piero Ventura’s tenure.
“I am happy because we showed no fear in front of 80,000 people, in an important stadium such as Wembley,” Di Biagio said. “Independent of the result, which is a positive one, I would have been satisfied with the performance anyway.
“What’s most important is the growth of these guys. These players have character, I can guarantee you that ... even when we were losing they never stopped chasing the draw and then they tried to win. We certainly took a step forward.”