Italy makes history!

I kept debating with friends since one week before the World Cup Italy won't make it big at all, and Paraguay might lead this group. I didn't expect that Italy will be out that early. I thought they will get only to second round, and nothing beyond.

This could be the worst performance I ever seen for Italy. They were lost in the field, no possession, no good passes, and nothing else to remember out of this world cup. We all saw the very exciting Italian drama last night,



People kept telling me that Italy always start slow then they improve slowly, and you just find them in the final. This is true indeed! But people also forget the so many times that Italy started slowly and were knocked out too early. I will combine Euro and World Cup records, and I will go backwords:

- Euro 2004: Italy was knocked out at group stages
- World Cup 2002: Italy knocked out at second round from South Korea golden goal.
- Euro 1996: Italy left at group stages.
- Euro 1992: Italy didn't qualify
- Euro 1984: Italy didn't qualify (Italy was the World Cup champion at that time)
- Euro 1976: Italy did't qualify
- World Cup 1974: Italy left at group stages beating only Haiti.
- Euro 1972: Italy did't qualify
- World Cup 1966: Italy left at group stages after losing to North Korea 0-1.
- Euro 1964: Italy did't qualify
- World Cup 1962: Italy left at group stages
- Euro 1960: Italy did't qualify
- World Cup 1958: Italy didn't qualify
- World Cup 1954: Italy left at group stages
- World Cup 1950: Italy left at group stages

You can see that Italy leaving early, is not that something very shocking, as much as it might sound. I add, that in 2009 Confederation Cup, Italy lost to Brazil 0-1 and to Egypt 0-1 (by the way, Egypt beat Italy in Youth World Cup 4-2 in same year). Yes, Inter won the 2009 Champion League, but with a coach from Purtogal and not a single Italian in the line start up in the final.

What was shocking to me, not the early exit, as much as the bad performance of the Azzuri. I could not believe my eyes how bad they were. The ball could not move around till Perlo went in. The defence was extremely bad. Five goals in three games was beyond any team that would accept. I felt I was watching a normal team from Asia.

Slovakia was not that great team too. It was not Spain nor Germany, or even Ivory Coast. The team had so many gaps and spaces, missed many chances, and tactically, they played a very open game. I could not believe my eyes, they were winning 2-0 and still attacking and not taking care of defence nor paying attention to wasting time. They almost paid the price for that.

Is there something about signs of Italian football losing something of its magic? Will we see Italy in 10 years the same way we see Uruguay, Hungary or Poland today?