Italy approaches well but ends up overwhelmed by Sweden.
– We knew that it wouldn’t have been the easiest game for Italy. There Sweden, albeit with that slightly decayed noble air, remains one of the most famous national teams in the world, thanks to the tradition and diffusion it enjoys in Scandinavian women’s football. Always present at the World and European Championships and semi-finalist of the last editions of both, silver medalist at the last two Olympics, permanent presence and holder dell’Algarve Cup, the Gialloblù are a team of a very different caliber from the blue onescomplete with the winners of the last Champions League on the pitch (Rolfö, who scored today and who already scored twice in Barça-Roma a few months ago);
– Precisely for this reason, Italy’s initial approach was positively surprising. In the first twenty minutes Bertolini’s team is proactive, they maintained good aggression in pressing forward, winning second balls (despite a certain physical gap) and above all they weren’t intimidated in maneuvering and finishing, causing a couple of scares to a not flawless Musovic between the posts. A good start, but brief as a summer storm (climate change permitting);
– Sweden, especially from the half hour of the first half, decides that recreation is over. The Scandinavians raise their pace and center of gravity and begin to assert their greater technical caliber, even if they are not always very clean in the last step. And then to unlock it come the free kicks: three goals in 6′ before the break, two of which from corners. Italy very revisitable in duels and scoring, with goalkeeper Durante always too much on the line and almost unable to exit high from the massive Swedish blocks: a real no-fly zone in a small area;
– Perhaps the most worrying aspect of the Azzurri, even net of the technical gap, was the total emotional collapse after 1-0. It is undeniable that the bench was not very reactive in reading the match plan (Sweden had been starting to come out too easily for about ten minutes now), and that of five goals Italy conceded three identical ones from corners (two they even bear the same signature, that of Ilestedt) says a lot about lack of prompt countermeasures. But both Linari and her companions had been so precise, attentive and punctual in the first quarter of the match, when they completely lost the bar after the disadvantage;
– In view of the decisive match against South Africa continues among others theriddle first tip for Milena Bertolini. Today, in the 4-2-3-1 that was often redesigned into a 4-4-2, Beccari and Bonansea they acted as central attackers, but the latter in particular appeared quite detached from the game. Only one last quarter of an hour for the Roma center forward Giacinti, e 0 minutes for Girelli who had decided the match against Argentina. In this, the only certainty of the blues on a technical level continues to be the 2006 Giulia Dragoni, on the field today for an hour. Symptomatic of a generational change that is proving increasingly complicated.