Italians face acid test

The stars of scandal-hit Juventus have helped take fickle Italy through to Tuesday’s semi-final against hosts Germany
Franz Beckenbauer, who seems a ubiquitous presence at this tournament, will no doubt watch Germany’s semi-final against Italy with bitter memories. The countries met at the same stage in Mexico in 1970 and Beckenbauer suffered a serious shoulder injury when he was cynically fouled. Germany had used both of their permitted substitutes, so he had to stay on the field, his arm strapped to his thigh, nullified by the injury. Italy went on to win 4-3.
There are unlikely to be so many goals this time, but the prediction and analysis are elusive. In March, Germany went to Florence for a friendly and were thrashed 4-1.
You might say this Italian team is emerging from the shadows, one of which is the corruption trial that has begun in Rome. Juventus, who have several players in this team, are the chief defendants. Fabio Cannavaro, who captains Italy and Juve, has limited himself to saying he thought the chief defendant in the trial, Juventus’s director general Luciano Moggi, “did a good job”.
Germany’s collapse in Florence is history. The same might be said of their stuttering start to this tournament. Their defence in their opening group match, won 4-2 against Costa Rica, looked fragile, and they scraped home against Poland. Their only goal was scored by substitute Oliver Neuville, whose late goal in the 2002 tournament gave them a meagre win against Paraguay and whose 35-yard free kick so nearly got them a goal in the final against Brazil. Small wonder that Jürgen Klinsmann — now, it seems, forgiven for all that commuting between Los Angeles and Germany — should entrust him with the first penalty in the shootout against Argentina. Of course he put it away.
Italy are hard to work out. They have made erratic progress to the semi-finals. They were easy winners over a naive Ghana, but unimpressive in the ill-natured draw against the United States, when they were not even capable of exploiting the advantage of eventually having 10 men on the field against nine and conceded a sloppy own goal.
Victory over the Czechs was more impressive. Marco Materazzi rose formidably to head the Italians’ first goal, but tarnished it by dedicating it to the disgraced Daniele de Rossi, sent off for his vicious blow with an elbow in the face of America’s Brian McBride.
Italy’s apparently facile 3-0 win against Ukraine was illusory. All three goals were soft, and although it had been predicted that the only real danger would come from Andriy Shevchenko, the goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon, did not have to deal with a shot by Shevchenko until the 86th minute. Close analysis, however, suggests that Buffon had far too much to do for comfort. He made at least four agile saves, including a double save in the 57th minute. He blocked the first shot, after his left-flank defence had broken down, then was equal to the follow-up.
In the next minute Italy went up the field to score their second goal. Francesco Totti received a short corner on the left and crossed for Luca Toni to head in the first of his two goals. Since Ukraine also hit the bar, it could hardly be said the final score told the whole story.
With Germany’s strikers, Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose, finding incisive form, Italy’s defence will have to tighten up. No doubt it will be helped by the return to the centre of Materazzi, since it seems unlikely Alessandro Nesta, will be fit in time.
Were the Italians fortunate to come through against Australia in their first knockout match? Should Materazzi have been sent off, as he was, for a disputable “last man” foul? It is hard to feel sorry for such a ruthless player, guilty of a shocking foul playing for Internazionale in the Champions League And the Italian penalty, when the enterprising left-back, Fabio Grosso, after beating one man, was brought down by the next, Lucas Neill? Neill failed to tackle with his outstretched leg, whereupon Grosso fell over his body and the spot-kick was given. Guus Hiddink, Australia’s coach, insisted that it should have been no penalty at all. Difficult to decide, but when the Australians had a one-man advantage for so long, how much sympathy did they really deserve? So this semi-final between the hosts and the Azzurri hangs in the balance. There is no doubt Germany are a transformed team, their defence now tight where it was so porous; their attack not merely making chances but emphatically taking them. At least it is bound to be a better game than when the teams met in Buenos Aires in the 1978 World Cup. No goals for either side, no Beckenbauer still at the height of his powers (he had defected to the New York Cosmos).