Pointers of the World Cup matches
Italy vs Uruguay
- So we basically had two heavyweights in a virtual knockout game and we were still in the group stages.
- Italy needed only a draw to advance whereas Uruguay HAD to WIN to advance.
- The funny part was that either of the two teams could still win the group depending upon whether minnows England could pull off an upset over group favourites Costa Rica.
- The game started slowly and Uruguay conceded possession to Italy who were passing the ball around for fun but somehow Uruguay managed to get the first chance and Gianluigi Buffon playing in his fourth World Cup managed to pull off a wonderful double save!
- Ciro Immobile started the game along with Mario Balotelli but rarely managed to get into the free spaces and grasp the opportunities being provided by the Italian midfield.
- Balotelli jumped so high and landed on his Uruguayan counterpart and was given a yellow card, this is where we thought Balo was starting to lose it.
- The first half ended 0-0 with a lot of football going on in this wrestling game.
- It was a really average half for the neutrals since there was too much role play, diving, randomly falling down, going for a slam dunk etc etc going on.
- The second half started with a sense of urgency from the Uruguayans who knew that they needed to score.
- The Uruguayans brought on Pereira for Lodeiro and the Italians replaced Balotelli with Parolo at half time. Bringing off an already yellow carded Balotelli? Prandelli you just saved yourself a lot of trouble or so you would have thought xD
- In the 60th minute Italian talisman Claudio Marchisio was given a straight red card, some people questioned the decision but he went into the challenge with studs up and he wasn’t exactly close to the ball. So yea, correct decision Ref!
- Post the red card, Uruguay brought on Stuani for Pereira and you knew that they were going for the kill!
- Down to ten men, Prandelli reverted to a 5-3-1/5-4-0 formation and it was visible that Italy were pushing for a draw.
- Cristian Rodriguez then soon after missed the goal from about 12 yards out and the game was still 0-0.
- Prandelli decided to take off the rather anonymous Immobile for the Italian bad boy Antonio Cassano in the 71st minute hoping that he’d atleast shoot on goal!
- Verrati fell to the ground and his club teammate and originally Brazilian Thiago Motta replaced him in the 75th minute.
- Uruguay were getting frustrated with not being able to find the goal and Oscar Tabarez then decided that it was time to throw in Gaston Ramirez in place of Christian Rodriguez!
- Italy were trying to get forward and Uruguay were banking a lot on the counter attacks and this game had certainly come to life.
- Then came the 80th minute -- and perhaps the biggest talking point of the World Cup so far.
- Uruguay star striker Luis Suarez, maybe the best player in Europe this past season, was involved in an altercation in the Italy penalty box with defender Giorgio Chiellini. On replay, it showed that Suarez appeared to bite Chiellini on the shoulder, and photos of Chiellini's shoulder seemed to confirm it. Suarez was not disciplined on the pitch, and was able to stay on.
- Despite being a Liverpool fan, I have to admit that it was extremely disgraceful as to what Suarez did and after going through several stills and angles of the incident I’m certain that he bit Chiellini and his post match denial of doing so was probably something his legal experts told him to do. I might love and adore Suarez but there is no way in Earth this particular incident can be justified. He deserves a hefty ban!
- Anyway moving on! Perhaps Suarez not being sent off despite Chiellini showing his marks to the referee worked well for the Uruguayans as a minute later, Diego Godin headed in from a Gaston Ramirez corner and the crowd went wild.
- Uruguay were leading and Italy had a man sent off, not exactly what you’d expect after your player gets bitten.
- With Ballotelli and Immobile already off you didn’t exactly expect Italy to pull one back.
- This was probably an end to the World Cup careers of the peerless Andrea Pirlo and the ever so dependable Gigi Buffon. We’ll miss you guys and it’s a pity that we won’t be seeing you in the knockouts!
- Full Time Score : Italy 0-1 Uruguay