½ finals.
03.07.90 (20.00) Napoli, Stadio San Paolo
ARG – ITA 1:1 (0:1, 1:1, 1:1) p. 4-3
(-60000) Vautrot FRA, Listkiewicz POL, Mikkelsen DAN
ARG: Goycoechea – Ruggeri, Simon, Olarticoechea, Serrizuela – Giusti,
Burruchaga, Basualdo (99 Batista), Calderón (46 Troglio) – Caniggia,
Maradona (c)
ITA: Zenga – F.Baresi, Bergomi (c), de Agostini, Ferri – Maldini, Donadoni,
De Napoli, Giannini (75 R.Baggio) – Vialli (71 Serena), Schillaci
0:1 Schillaci 17, 1:1 Caniggia 67 h
Penalties: 0:1 F.Baresi, 1:1 Serrizuela, 1:2 R.Baggio, 2:2 Burruchaga, 2:3 de
Agostini, 3:3 Olarticoechea, (3:3) Donadoni (save Goycoechea), 4:3 Maradona,
(4:3) Serena (save Goycoechea)
booked: Giannini / Batista, Olarticoechea, Caniggia, Ruggeri
sent off: Giusti (103)
Standing from left: Walter Zenga, Paolo Maldini, Fernando de Napoli, Riccardo Ferri, Beppe Bergomi; Crouching: Franco Baresi, Giuseppe Giannini, Roberto Donadoni, Toto Schillaci, Gianluca Vialli, Luigi de Agostini
Mega-disappointment – Italy was expected to win the world title at home. Blame was distributed in every direction – first, the venue. Naples was blamed by the Italian players and huge number of Italians, mostly from the North. Naples as a whole was blamed for not only unpatriotic, but outright hostile to its own national team. Locals were not exactly helpful, having to chose between their own god, Maradona, and the national team of Italy, which had 3 players of Napoli, but only De Napoli played against Argentina. The rest of team was made of… well, of regular enemies, normally trying to beat their own team and kick and push Maradona around. Those others preferred to play in Rome, not in Naples, expressed by somewhat mysteriously – in Naples, the Italians felt as if playing with chains, but in Rome they always felt free to fly. Vicini made mistakes, hard to miss: he started with Vialli, who disappointed so far and in this match again, so had to be replaced eventually, but Baggio was left out and used as a substitute, but Vicini fielded him too late. As a whole, Italy was not convincing so far and unlike 1982, sluggish and difficult start was not followed by gradual improvement and building of strength. The usual hopes that in the upcoming match Italy was finally going to unfold so far hidden qualities never materialized and even if the team was practically unbeaten, it did not look as winning team either. Playing for bronze medals was not at all what the whole country wanted from the team – hosting the World Cup automatically demanded victory and no excuses.
04.07.90 (20.00) Turin, Stadio Delle Alpi
GER – ENG 1:1 (0:0, 1:1, 1:1) p. 4-3
(-63000) Wright BRA, Pérez COL, Quiniou FRA
GER: Illgner – Brehme, Kohler, Augenthaler, Buchwald – Berthold, Hässler
(68 Reuter), Thon, Matthäus (c) – Klinsmann, Völler (33 Riedle)
ENG: Shilton (c) – Pearce, Walker, Butcher (72 Steven), Parker – Wright,
Waddle, Platt, Gascoigne – Lineker, Beardsley
1:0 Brehme 59, 1:1 Lineker 80
Penalties: 0:1 Lineker, 1:1 Brehme, 1:2 Beardsley, 2:2 Matthäus, 2:3 Platt, 3:3
Riedle, (3:3) Pearce (save Illgner), 4:3 Thon, (4:3) Waddle (missed)
booked: Brehme / Parker, Gascoigne
If Italy was only blamed to mythical extend, England went in the opposite direction – the tears of Gazza were hailed and made an emblem of this team. Yes, this was biggest English success since Mexico 1970. The boys were heroes, only a bit unlucky. Could have been world champions, if only Waddle did not miss the net… but that happens and look at Gazza’s face! England was hardly great so far and struggled a lot, even was lucky to go beyond the first round – and that was the objective view, omitting the tears of a player, who should have scored goals instead of crying.