Article 2 - Euro 92 & USA 94
After my introduction, let me share my trials and tribulations with my favourite teams, Italy, Manchester United and Internazionale in this order.
Italy, as anyone who read Article 1 would have recalled became my first favourite team ever on the basis of my preference for the traditional royal blue Italy kit in my Subbuteo set over the light blue and white stripes of Argentina.
It came as a big surprise for me then to not find Italy in Euro 92 at all. I had not followed the qualification process at all as I was not aware of this tournament and was just learning the ropes on the various international and continental tournaments.
As Euro 92 approached, it caught my attention and when I was reading more on it on The Straits Times, I didn’t see Italy in the list of participants. I had thought maybe there was a mistake in the print or they might be involved in another tournament that summer. As I probed, I found out from my father that Italy had not qualified for Euro 92.
Without Italy, there was no vested interest in Euro 92 but I still kept myself abreast of what was going on in the tournament. I was delighted that an underdog team like Denmark with Manchester United’s Peter Schmeichel playing a key role, won the tournament.
Moving on, I was in better tune with the qualifiers for USA 94, keeping track of the scores through newspaper and Teletext. Italy entered the tournament as one of the favourites with the reigning World and European Player Of The Year, Roberto Baggio in their ranks. There was also the AC Milan players in their ranks who had emerged champions of Europe in an impressive fashion in May of 1994.
The tournament started on a downer with a 0–1 defeat to Ireland. I had missed that match as it was in the wee hours of the morning and I was confident Italy would win. I watched the next match against Norway. Very quickly in the match, Pagliuca was sent off for handling the ball outside the penalty area and to my disappointment, Roberto Baggio was withdrawn for Luca Marchegiani to stand in goal. Italy won this match deservedly through a towering header by Dino Baggio. In the final league match, Italy scrapped a 1–1 draw against Mexico to qualify as one of the best 3rd placed teams in the group stage. Italy would have been knocked out if the tournament had 32 teams like they had in editions after 1994.
As Italy approached the Second Round match against an impressive Nigeria team, I remember over-hearing conversations by others tipping Nigeria to knock Italy out. I was charged up for this match as I hoped Italy would prove the naysayers wrong. Unfortunately, I had overslept. There was no alarm clock for me to rely on and as a 10-year-old, I was expected to sleep the night out by my family. When I woke up, I was praying that Italy was winning and had not been knocked out.
I turned on the TV to see Nigeria leading 1–0. I prayed and hoped that Italy would find an equaliser and my prayers were answered. With a few minutes left, Roberto Mussi went down the right flank, pulled the ball back for Roberto Baggio who squeezed in a precise shot into the corner, 1–1. As the regulation time ended, they showed highlights of the game and I saw the goal Nigeria scored as well as Zola’s unfair sending off. In the 2nd half, Italy had the momentum and a wonderful piece of play between R.Baggio and Benarrivo saw the Parma full-back flattened in the penalty box. Baggio stepped up and scored what proved to be the winner. Italy was through to the quarter-finals.
Thanks to FIFA TV on YouTube, I watched this match from start to the end recently. I would say Italy deserved the win because, for most parts of the match, Italy was on the front foot looking to take the game to their opponents. Italy missed some good chances to score and they were unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty in the first half. Nigeria’s goal was lucky and against the run of the play. In 1994, the newspaper articles wrote about Italy scrapping through, making no mention at all of Italy’s dominance in play.
In the quarter-final, Italy played against Spain and Italy made a good start, taking the lead through a piledriver by the other Baggio, Dino. They had better of the play until Caminero’s shot took a fortuitous deflection off Benarrivo for Spain’s equaliser. With the game edging towards extra-time, an Italy counter-attack started by Nicola Berti from his own half, to Giuseppe Signori who bravely hooked the ball, in the face of an oncoming challenge by Nadal, for Roberto Baggio to run into space. Baggio had rounded Zubizaretta but the angle towards goal had tightened, with a quick swivel, Baggio squeezed the shot in for the winner despite the despairing efforts of the Spanish defenders to block it on the line.
The match ended in controversy as Italy were lucky to get away from giving a penalty away deep into stoppage time as Mauro Tassotti caught Luis Enrique in the face in an off-the-ball challenge. Enrique was left enranged and bloodied. No immediate punishment for Tassotti, Italy held on to qualify for the semi-final against Bulgaria.
Bulgaria was one of the surprise packages of USA 94 led by their superstar striker, Hristo Stoichkov. They had knocked holders Germany out in the quarter-final to qualify for the semi-final. The world waited to see if they could continue their giant-killing act in the semi-final.
There was to be no late show in this match as Italy wrapped up the game early thanks to 2 great goals by Roberto Baggio within 5 minutes of each other. Italy cruised for the rest of the game despite giving a penalty away with a minute left for the 1st half to end. Stoichkov scored but Bulgaria couldn’t find the equaliser. I had watched this match secretly hoping not to be caught by my parents as it was a school day on the morning of this match.
I came from a strict family that placed a lot of emphasis on excelling in education. They feared due to lack of sleep, I might sleep during my classes rather than focus on the lessons being taught in school. I went to sleep with the score at 2–1 and thankfully Bulgaria couldn’t find an equaliser.
Italy suffered a blow in the semi-final when Baggio had to be stretched off due to a hamstring injury.
In the final, Italy faced Brazil. The Brazilian team have been impressive throughout the tournament especially the strike duo, Romario and Bebeto. Italy was hanging on to the fitness of their star man, Baggio. The final was billed as Romario vs Baggio.
I had completely missed the final including extra-time. When I woke up, like for the 2nd Round game against Nigeria, I was praying that Italy had won the final. To my surprise, the match was not over yet. It was going to the penalty shootout. I could still watch some part of the final.
First stepped Franco Baresi who missed most of the tournament through injury to be fit for the final. He skied his kick, next stepped Marcio Santos for Brazil whose penalty was saved by Pagliuca. I was delighted and breathed a sigh of relief as Brazil had not gained an advantage yet. Albertini scored next, Romario hit the post but it went in, 1–1. Evani scored, 2–1, Branco scored 2–2. Massaro was next and his penalty was saved by Taffarel. Dunga scored 2–3, advantage Brazil. Italy’s last penalty taker was Roberto Baggio. Everyone knows what happened next.
As a 10-year-old kid, it was devastating to see my favourite player miss the final spot-kick to hand the World Cup to Brazil and to see my favourite team lose the World Cup final. It’s unfair but people remember Baggio for this missed penalty more than any of the brilliance he showed in his career. He had defied all odds to last 120 minutes played in sweltering heat with the use of only one good leg and a heavily bandaged second leg.
It’s unfair that he got all the blame as before him, two other players had missed their penalties and even if Baggio had scored, Brazil might have scored the next one to win the World Cup. He had an impeccable record from the penalty spot for club and country before and after this moment but will always be remembered by neutrals for this miss.
On the balance of things, it’s probably fair that Brazil won the World Cup as the best and most consistent team in the tournament from its start. Italy had a team that was of high quality but if it wasn’t for Roberto Baggio rising to the occasion from the 1st knockout stage match onwards, they would not have made it this far. For all the talent available, Arrigo Sacchi couldn’t name a settled team and formation throughout the tournament and that prevented the team from building on any stability.
