Third place match.
07.06.90 (20.00) Bari, Stadio San Nicola
ITA – ENG 2:1 (0:0)
(+51000) Quiniou FRA, Hansal ARG, Röthlisberger SUI
ITA: Zenga – F.Baresi, Bergomi (c), de Agostini (68 Berti), Ferrara – Maldini,
Vierchowod, Giannini (90 Ferri), Ancelotti – R.Baggio, Schillaci
ENG: Shilton (c) – G.M.Stevens, Walker, Steven, Parker – Wright (73 Waddle),
McMahon (73 Webb), Platt, Dorigo – Lineker, Beardsley
1:0 R.Baggio 70, 1:1 Platt 80, 2:1 Schillaci 85 p
What is there to say… The match for 3rd place already had no meaning for teams and fans. Reserves got chance to play precisely because of that. Lose or win, no big deal. No wonder actual photos of teams are hardly available. Robson pretty much said in advance the match was not important, so why photograph… England lost, so what. Problems were presented in full during the important games, but even that was hardly something to worry Robson – he was leaving the national team anyway. Shilton made a record in both age and number of appearances for the national squad, simultaneously pointing at heavy problem: England already had no world-class goalkeeper behind Shilton. The following decade will make this problem particularly bad. There were other shaky elements in the team and no solution, but England made its best finish since 1970 and although bitter, the mood was – or at least presented as – upbeat and optimistic. Reality replaced by illusions and the English were not alone in that.
Bronze medals spelled out grand failure for Italy. They did not deserve better – from what was displayed on the field – but… since they were hardly worse than the rest, why not winning? Just and unjust criticism piled up – and Vicini was justly criticized for some obvious mistakes he made, but still he had a big standpoint for defense: Italy was unbeaten. Six wins and one tie – elimination came from penalty shootout. Right, wrong, whatever… Italy finished with bronze and nobody was happy of that.