It’s unclear when the term ‘slow starters’ was first attributed to Italy, but it remains one of football’s more curious cliches. Odd, because it’s essentially false, or at worst deeply misleading.
Since the 1962 World Cup the Azzurri have won eight of their 13 opening games with four draws and the only blot being Ray Houghton’s famous goal in a 1-0 victory for the Republic of Ireland in 1994.
There was certainly nothing “slow” about their performance in the humidity of Manaus. Roy Hodgson has every right to be proud of England’s display but lost amid the Wayne Rooney debate and praise for the likes of Raheem Sterling has been the realisation of just how good Italy were.
While placing Andrea Pirlo in the centre of your midfield may seem like an obvious thing to do, prior to Euro 2012 he was slipping out of the international reckoning.
It was Cesare Prandelli who made him the centrepiece of his vision for Italy – a team that maintains and controls, not just possession, but also the pace of the game.
Much was made prior to kick-off about the speed within the England ranks and how they could ‘frighten’ the Italian backline. Pace is an English obsession – which in 2014 after so many failures is still prioritised over possession – even if you have quick players it can get a little predictable.
Pirlo, Marco Verratti, Claudio Marchisio, Daniele De Rossi and later Thiago Motta, knew exactly when to go short, when to play it long, whether it should be rapid one-touch passing or a more methodical build-up.
The game ebbed and flowed under their control. The space in front of Leighton Baines was attacked regularly, the left-back given little protection by Rooney and then Danny Welbeck (see Italy’s second goal), as he was constantly having to deal with Antonio Candreva drifting inside, while maintaining a watch on Matteo Darmian bursting forward from right-back on the overlap.
It wasn’t a revolutionary idea but the execution was precise. Pirlo and De Rossi (231 touches of the ball and 213 passes between them) drew the England midfield into them before playing the ball into space.
If the pass wasn’t on they waited. It seems simplistic but is much easier said than done.
England were also up against a reshuffled Italian backline, shorn of captain Gianlugi Buffon and with centre-back Gabriel Paletta and Darmian holding just three caps between them.
Salvatore Sirigu was impeccable, Paletta solid and Darmian an energetic presence in defence and attack.
Up front, Mario Balotelli – in his first World Cup appearance – was outstanding. The focal point for Italy’s attack, he showed similar patience to his midfield players, holding up the ball, working hard and he took his goal well.
A measure of his performance was when Ciro Immobile, considered more worthy to start, came on, Italy’s control in the final third began to disappear.
With a strong core, the emergence of Verratti and Darmian, Buffon and Mattia De Sciglio to return and Prandelli having increased options up front with Immobile, Antonio Cassano and Lorenzo Insigne, this is an Italy side that means business. Already.
