C1: Netherlands 3 - 0 Italy - 09/06/08

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I certainly underrated Holland very much. And they surprised me quite good.
I certainly overrated Italy aswell, they're not the WC06 side anymore.

Three goals to nil was totally unexpected.

Good football from the Dutch, they've demolished Italy.
I knew they were very good in the offensive line, but not in this level. Well done.

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Van Basten proud to make history

Marco van Basten believes his Netherlands team "can have nice dreams" if they continue to play with the quality which enabled them to brush aside Italy in Berne. The legendary striker was proud to watch his team make history – and finally get one over on the world champions after losing four times to the Azzurri as a player. His opposite number and former AC Milan team-mate Roberto Donadoni was philosophical in defeat, saying: "It was definitely a bad night but we'll take stock of what happened and look to the future."

Marco van Basten, Netherlands coach
You could say that I'm proud. I'm proud that we won against the world champions, and at the way we played football tonight, scoring three goals and playing until the last minute. It was a historic result because in the past we have never beaten Italy 3-0 – this was a serious performance. The players responded in a wonderful way and played like a team, showing amazing spirit. If we play with this quality we can have nice dreams. Until the very last minute we tried to play proper football, and made life difficult for the Italians. In spite of their pressure we continued playing and I have to congratulate my team for pushing on and scoring.

We cannot talk of a new era, we have won one game – the first in our pool. I'm very happy to beat a big opponent but we have only taken one step. If you have the spirit we had tonight you're able to do nice things, but there are a lot of other good teams here. In several areas we were better than the Italians but they have many good and experienced players in their team. I'm convinced they'll recover as they have too much class not to. This is only one game, and we will prepare in the same way for the others. If we lose to France, we have problems again. This is only the first step, and we'll have to see if we can repeat it against France and Romania.

Roberto Donadoni, Italy coach
When we went 1-0 down things got complicated and for the second we were not quick enough to recover our positions after the corner. We looked strong physically and created a few chances but it wasn't our night. I think the Netherlands played as well as we expected them to. We knew they were capable of creating chances and making life difficult for us and that's what they did but we made mistakes and paid for it. It started badly and ended up worse but this is already history and we need to think about the next game against Romania. We need to recover physically and mentally so we can put things right straight away.

If we're not optimistic we should go off on holiday instead of taking the flight to Zurich. The players need to put this defeat behind them, understand the mistakes we've made. As of tomorrow we'll start working on them so they don't happen again. We were naïve at conceding goals on the counterattack. We took a corner and were not attentive enough afterwards. We didn't defend properly. Obviously in the light of this result, we're happy that France and Romania drew. It's to our advantage but also shows that Romania are a team who'll make it difficult for us.

euro2008.uefa.com - Tournament - Matches

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Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands) is the official Man of the Match.

euro2008.uefa.com - Fanzone

[skeeta]

The first goal wasnt offside. The referee's discretion is in deciding to allow play to continue and/or to "authorise" the player to leave the pitch (which would mean that he also needs the referee's authorisation to return).

Section 11.11. of FIFA's Advice to Referees:
11.11 DEFENDER LEGALLY OFF THE FIELD OF PLAY

A defender who leaves the field during the course of play and does not immediately return must still be considered in determining where the second to last defender is for the purpose of judging which attackers are in an offside position. Such a defender is considered to be on the touch line or goal line closest to his off-field position. A defender who leaves the field with the referee's permission (and who thus requires the referee's permission to return) is not included in determining offside position.

The interpretation is there to avoid the possibility that a defender caught in extremis will go to ground (or even just step over the end line) in an attempt to put the attacker offside.

Which has actually happened (and I bet you wouldn't need three chances to guess where).

This particular incident seems a rather harsh application of the interpretation, but it is worth pointing out that from where I was sitting it looked as if Panucci was deliberately trying to get the ref to blow the whistle. He got up quite quickly after Holland scored.

The referee has the opportunity to use his discretion by blowing his whistle and stopping play and/or authorising the player to leave the field. In fact, it would seem to me that the ref should blow the whistle if he believes the player really is "pole axed" both so that he can get treatment immediately and because the injury gives the attacking team an unfair advantage.

Frojdfeldt chose not to exercise that discretion in this particular instance, but that doesn't mean he didn't have any.

As expected, Donadoni is getting crucified in the press, but appears to be sticking to his guns, even going so far as to say that he didn't think that Italy had played particularly poorly.

The Romania match is now a heck of a lot more interesting than it looked to be 24 hours ago.

[lionel]

what a great match of football! the best of the tournament so far. football is a beautiful game!

I agree with 'skeeta' the first goal was on-side, I read in the newspaper today, the head of the referee association of the country wrote an article saying it wasn't offside...

Italy played like shit and gifted the victory to the dutch who came to this match very well prepared and played beautifully but I wouldn't say they are so good because the team they faced was awful.

except pirlo, italy showed no quality at all. but there are still 2 matches...

but the big surprise of the day was holland and holland's relatively underrated players!! what a beast is ENGLAAR!! amazing to tihnk he's 28 years old playing for FC Twente...
and giovanni van brockhorst was brilliant! my man of the match, because of holland's second goal! he saved the ball from the line and ran all the way to make a brilliant cross to kuyt...

can't wait for the remaining matches in this group!

matches like this make interest in big tournaments.

[Forza_Roma]

It wasn't a great match...not in terms of quality on the field. But, in terms of excitement and drama....oh yaaaaaa, this game had it all.

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Germany coach Joachim Loew has admitted that he too, just like so many others, was unaware of the clause in the offside rule, which deemed Ruud van Nistelrooy's goal against Italy last night as legitimate.

Goal.com - Euro 2008 - Germany - Germany Coach Admits Not Knowing Offside Rule

[azzurri]

I dont think any1 cares considering the way Italy played.

If it was a close game though, that has to be the most ridiculous rule ever written. He isn't on the field, clearly isn't involved in the play, yet he is deemed as active. It's bullshit.

[apetimberlake]

Originally Posted by azzurri

I dont think any1 cares considering the way Italy played.

If it was a close game though, that has to be the most ridiculous rule ever written. He isn't on the field, clearly isn't involved in the play, yet he is deemed as active. It's bullshit.

I disagree.
This rule helps prevent players from dropping behind the play in order to prevent a goal.

[Forza_Roma]

It's a good rule, but Panucci did not intend to go off the field....he was struck by Buffon. If he intentionally walked off the field...then ya...but he was injured in game action literally seconds before the goal went in. Even if he wanted to return to the field....there was no way he would be able to get up in time to do so.

[Jager]

In the grand scheme of things, if you have to lose, you might as well lose like this, because this forces change of atitude and makes things more urgent.

Now the mission is certainly more clear. I really would like another crack at Holland, and I hope we get it.

However, I know that our long jinx in this tournament will no doubt continue. We just don't play well in this. Maybe when we host it, we'll eventually play well.

[apetimberlake]

Originally Posted by Forza_Roma

It's a good rule, but Panucci did not intend to go off the field....he was struck by Buffon. If he intentionally walked off the field...then ya...but he was injured in game action literally seconds before the goal went in. Even if he wanted to return to the field....there was no way he would be able to get up in time to do so.

If i was in Panucci's boots i would have gotten up in a NANO second to get back on the pitch.

Panucci was not stretchered off.....he was fine.

I think this rule is to prevent what Panucci was intending to do, draw an offside when Italy was in trouble by dropping off the field.

[azzurri]

Originally Posted by apetimberlake

I disagree.
This rule helps prevent players from dropping behind the play in order to prevent a goal.

Yes, but Pannucci was already out play. It's not like he jumped out of bounds right when the cross was sent in to play Ruud offside. It was a legitimate collision b4 the ball was played out wide for the cross.

[D-Kin]

I think a bit of common sense was needed but unfortunately referees never seem to have any.