Yes, Mexico celebrates and why not some of the best football one could have hoped for
were still to come in that tournament.
We'll conclude that special tomorrow, following the game between England and Holland.
In the meantime, over in Frankfurt, two more teams are warming up for the next clash in
the European Championship.
We'll preview that in just a moment.
And welcome back those of you who may have just joined us.
The countdown is on for the Group 1 match between Italy and Spain.
Earlier this morning, also in Group 1, West Germany beat Denmark 2-0.
While rejoining us now in the studio, Frank Aroch and Johnny Warren.
Frank a fascinating match, this one perhaps on promise the better one of the two on the
program today.
Both of these teams impressed very much in the first match.
They've been very impressive and I'm expecting a very good game and probably easily to get
through with one goal advantage.
How say you John, Spain was pretty impressive against Denmark.
Yes they were, the only question mark you put up is having seen Denmark again today,
just what an effective opponent they were.
But having said that, I think Spain were clearly superior, the 3-2 scoreline, albeit with one
in the goal which was offside.
Certainly wasn't a clear indication Spain were vastly superior.
Italy I was very impressed with, I feel their team is the team for the 1990 World Cup more
than this championship.
If they can get a little bit more out of Iali in this game than they got in the first round,
in the first match, I'm going to sit on the fence and I think it's going to be a draw.
But having said that I haven't picked one yet.
Fascinating Frank that you should be picking Italy for this one.
The hidden suspicion with Italy is that they are working towards the 1990 World Cup.
Do you think they are ready for this one?
They are better organised than Spain.
Probably Spain's got two or three players of world class, especially Butorganje.
But I fancy Italy because they are absolutely magnificent in defence.
And probably the best defensive players have been produced all the time by the Italians.
And they've got some very talented forward players and midfield players.
So you expect that the Italians can bottle up these players of real class that the Spaniards
have like Michel and Butorganje and that's the end of the story?
Definitely.
I'm convinced in that way.
Yes I agree, the cleanliness of the defensive work.
I know it's something you've worked on with the Australian team, clean defending.
What do you attribute that to with the Italians?
Because they are reading the game and the basic of the Italian game in the last 20 years
as always is very well organised and good defence.
They've been working on that one and they are masters of that skill.
And having said that one it is the basic of every good game.
You have to gain the possession of the ball and you can't do it without being really organised
and very fit and usually exceptionally fit players.
Well just on that, I mean the Spaniards too have been well organised and play a very similar
game.
And they did four years ago in France in the last championship when they made the final.
But they do have a less efficient defence historically than the Italians have.
And on the other hand the Italians have some very classy strikers, Vialdi for example.
I defence Italy because of the pedigree of the team.
They've been winning big competitions.
They won three times the World Cup and they've been very successful.
But very different players.
It doesn't matter.
It is, they've got a typical school.
It is definitely different than any other nation in Europe.
Well with this school they have failed in the past.
I mean they did in Mexico, they did in Argentina to an extent.
Every big team would last no more than six years.
So you can't really put your money on the same team for two World Cups.
I think that they've got extremely talented and young players.
The other teams are, you can see the numbers before or behind the names, it's 29, 30, 27.
The Italians are probably the youngest side.
How many of these players, Frank, would you expect to see in the Olympics?
According to someone, very much informed, seven players out of that 16 will be in the
Olympic team.
Well Maldini, young Maldini who's just 19 years old will be one of them, I fancy in
Seoul.
He will be, according to reports, marking Michel today.
So he's a, Michel is a real class player, an elegant midfielder, a beautiful runner off the ball,
taking decoy runs and so on.
A real danger man for Spain today.
He's growing every year.
I never rated him until, I've seen him twice last year, but he's really one of the classiest
players at the moment in Europe and definitely he was absolutely magnificent in that game.
In the first match?
Yes.
That will be a classic confrontation if that report that you have there, Liz, is correct
because two very key players.
And I agree with Frank, I thought he was outstanding in the first game for Spain.
Yes he was.
The counter-attacking game that Spain plays, you're saying as the pictures come in from
West Germany, the referee is Erich Fredriksson of Sweden and it'll be quite a match out there
today.
The counter-attacking game, Frank, that...
It's not going to be successful against Italy.
The Italians are always having very well organised their last line and I'm quite certain that
if Butergania and the other attacking players are not going to produce something extraordinary
they will lose the game.
He had an outstanding game too I felt the first game Mancini.
Okay Mancini is one of the scorers.
Okay I have to cut you off there John, the commentator is ready at the Parkstadion in
Stuttgart so let's go over for the match between Spain and Italy.
John Watson, it is fascinating Italy having much better of a play, cannot penetrate.
Spain playing the inferior role and it's fascinating to think what the two coaches will say to
those players during the half time break and we'll discuss the possibilities of the second
half in just a moment.
Welcome back, nil-nil at the break in the match between Italy and Spain and Frank Aroch
and Johnny Warren, certainly the Italians having the upper hand.
What fascinates me is that why couldn't they penetrate thus far and how long will it take
them?
I think that Viali had two excellent chances to score a goal but his first touch wasn't
good enough but really Italy is playing at least 50% better soccer than or football than
Spain and it is a big surprise for me they never put together one single good attack
and never had the Spaniards.
In what ways specifically is Italy, what is it that they are doing so well that the Spaniards
are not doing?
I mean apart from the fact that it might be the case that the Spaniards have decided to
take a defensive role in this.
I don't think so, it is purposely done by them, we mentioned on the very beginning that
Italy is exceptionally in defence and I think that they have done a good job on them.
First class, there is only one team in it isn't there but it is almost as if you could
step into that game and play yourself that they are making it look so easy, always support
around the ball whether they have possession or don't have it, making it all look so easy
and just putting Spain under so much pressure, so much so that you have players like Michel
that hasn't been seen and hence so at all and once the players like that are out of
the game the forwards are out of it as well.
I think it is significant and probably their best chance was a back pass or only chance
that they are going to play.
They are much faster on the ball, they are always on the ball and two or three of them
are out.
And very smooth and fluent attacks, very very impressive again, Italy even more so than
the other evening.
Well we might ask just what one can do about that in a minute but let's have a look at
some of the things that happened in that first half.
There was a very good Italian move that evolved ten minutes in, eventually it was Dialli,
the star striker who shot over.
As I said the first two touches of Dialli were...
They've been off haven't they?
Yeah, I couldn't believe it that he couldn't control it with his first touch because otherwise
it would be a...
Excellent situation.
It was a good try but it wasn't the real Dialli we've been seeing in the last ten years.
It seemed to me Frank that there was a lot of worry, too much worry in the Spanish defence
there wasn't it?
They were just ball watching.
There was four or five of them bunched together with Dialli on the flank there, free man.
They're playing their own system and they're not picking up the man early enough because
the Italians are well known that they're extremely good in getting in good positions just like
this one.
The bounce again the first touch was slow.
That's the real killer instinct from Mancini the way he quickly played that free ball to
Dialli.
It was an excellent great vision to be able to do that and finding Dialli who's always
available despite the Spaniards having the numbers back, he's still able to find space.
This was another nice very crisp Italian attack which Spain almost scored an own goal.
Significant there that the deflection came off Butragueño coming back into the defence
indicates just how much pressure the Spaniards have been under in the first half.
Talking about Butragueño up front and the lack of penetration or lack of adventure from
the Spaniards up front, those two guys up there, Bachero and particularly Butragueño
have been getting no service at all have they?
This is the incident which happened away from the ball, the yellow card incident with Ferri
fouling Michel and it's worth a second look at this just analysing this.
We didn't see it at all did we?
We'll see it on the replay.
It looks a good act, I think there's a foul either way and Ferri very unlucky for me to
receive the yellow card.
Well I thought he pulled him down.
He pulled him down though the first over he got a knock in his face.
Perhaps then the referee didn't see all of the incident, certainly Ferri appeared to
rugby tackle the guy, from that replay I wouldn't argue with the fact that he probably got Albert
in the first place.
This is the one that eventually the Italians came possibly as close as they did in the
first half of scoring when the cross ricocheted off the post.
The client had it at Ambrose but that was the closest because they hit the cross bar
from the right side and immediately he started to take care of it.
It is a cross bar and it would be a goal because number two.
Too short.
Probably the shortest player on the pitch.
This is what you were referring to I think John that this is the best move of the Spaniards
which was an Italian back play.
Yes almost an intercept and I think that indicates just how little Spain have been in the game
in this first half which must be a disappointment to their supporters.
Well the pressure then must be on the Spaniards and given let's assume that they are not going
for a draw here I think as Trevor Brookings said given the 2-0 victory by West Germany
earlier today it would be pretty silly to go for a draw here for any team.
Frank what would Miguel Munoz have to do with this side to make something of it?
I don't know is there anything that he can do because it was so obvious that Italy is
a better side and they are better organised and they are faster on the ball and they have
got fluency which is probably the most important in every game.
I would say Italy has got that fluency because they know each other according to commentator
Madsen.
Eight of them played together in under 21 which is a big advantage and I think that
team is going to be a very strong team in the next four or five years.
Well sure Azzelio Vicini their coach was the under 21 coach who took over from Berdzot
and hence the promotion of these players so he knows these players and they have been
together a long time but there must be a counter, there must be an attempt to counter.
You can try anything.
You could be thrust into that position where you are playing a side similar to this.
You have to take your chances and I would say I would put at least one player wide on
the left or right side because the 274s up front are not getting good and the Italians
are masters in covering those two so-called spearheads and to put one or two even wide
players and take chances would be the only solution.
When you are dominated like this for an entire half like it was there is a chance that a
very negative attitude will set in on your part and you must fight that mustn't you?
If it is the case you have to do something, probably change one player at least one player
immediately in half time.
John just as we look at those highlights again that is a very difficult thing to counter
at half time when you have been dominated like this unless Munoz is saying to his men
well look you have done well it is still 0-0, there is still a chance, who knows?
Butragueño might make a run through, you might get a good pass, a free ball from Mitchell
which he can play.
We have seen three or four games at the moment Les where the team has been outplayed first
half has got up and won the game so the Spaniards are not out of it by any means.
Obviously they would be down irrespective of what the coach says.
I think the players all realise that you know when you are being given a hiding and they
have certainly received one in the first half.
Very difficult to pick themselves up again but strange game but they have really got
to keep a better eye on Bialy who what amazes me is how he can get so much space with three
or four defenders back picking just him and the Mancini up.
He is a talent of a real player, always to get in right places at the right time and
he is always over there.
The confidence is really with the Italians I mean there was a lot of mistakes in the
first half by the Spaniards in midfield, we have seen balls given away quite regularly
whereas the Italians just weren't doing that.
I would say that they didn't give away the balls, in fact the Italians have been winning
all the time, they have been cutting down all the angles and they have been closing
down everyone and they put some pressure time to time two or three players have been chasing
the man with the ball and it is not easy to really play against the Italians in that situation.
Would you be contemplating any substitutions if you were the Spanish coach man?
I would do immediately.
Yes?
Immediately but as we see they didn't do anything.
Put some men on the wide with an extra attacker up?
Yes, yes, definitely.
And what you feel that the width would gain you that perhaps that advantage?
At least the Italians would be forced to reorganise their team and then pull back one more player
and in that case it wouldn't be that certainty in the last line.