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Final
Netherlands 4-1 Serbia (Euroborg Stadion, Groningen)Twelve months after winning the European Under-21 Championship for the first time, the Netherlands retained the trophy in style with a 4-1 win against Serbia in Groningen tonight.
Cries of "Foppe de Haan" rang round the Euroborg Stadion after goals from Otman Bakkal, Ryan Babel, Maceo Rigters and Luigi Bruins ensured victory, though an entertaining game was only made safe after Aleksandar Kolarov had been dismissed for a second bookable offence two minutes past the hour.The scoreline was tough on Serbia, who impressed throughout the competition less than a year after being granted full UEFA membership. But this was the Netherlands' night, and in particular that of De Haan. Before he was appointed coach in 2004 the Netherlands had never won a UEFA competition at youth or U21 level. Now winning has become a habit.[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
After leading Italy to a penalty shoot-out success against Portugal, goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano's only regret was that the game "could and should have been the final".
Replacing the injured Gianluca Curci during a 0-0 draw at the De Goffert Stadion, the goalkeeper fended off Manuel Fernandes' effort from the spot before Antunes put his kick wide to give Italy a 4-3 win on penalties. The victory sends Italy to next summer's Olympics, which Viviano called "one of the most important competitions of the World".
It was a dramatic turn of events for Italy and Brescia goalkeeper Viviano who traveled to the European Under-21 Championship with little hope of a first-team place. Given the Carlsberg Man of the Match award, he said: "I am very happy because I came here as a substitute. Unfortunately, our first-choice goalkeeper got injured so the coach decided to make me play. To be the most decisive player on the field in such an important game fills me with pride."
Victory in the fifth and sixth placed play-off saw Pierluigi Casiraghi's side reach one of their targets for the finals. "For us the minimum was to earn the Italian national team a place in the Olympic Games, and in the end Italy won't miss out." However, he did not deny his side had failed in their main aim, saying: "We came here to win the European Championship, because we have a top class team."
Having made 40 league appearances this season, the 21-year-old felt Thursday night's game "could and should have been the final. It was very though as we had to face Portugal who are such strong opponents."Things became even more complicated with Giuseppe Rossi's dismissal for a second booking 16 minutes before the end of normal time, but Casiraghi's boys proved to be "a group of exceptional lads with the necessary attributes to claim the final victory".Viviano will now be hoping to get a chance to impress in Beijing next summer. "I hope to be in the team for that tournament but that decision belongs to the coach," he said.
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
The conference centre that backs on to the Papendal training ground in Arnhem which Italy have used as their base at the European Under-21 Championship today hosted the 'Beijing Olympic Experience', and from the early stages of the Olympic Games play-off in Nijmegen there was a sense of inevitability around the Azzurrini's victory.
Portugal gave as good as they got but despite playing against ten men for over 40 minutes they could find no way through and, with Graziano Pelle drawing applause from the attendant Louis van Gaal with a cheeky chip in the penalty shoot-out that followed, Italy prevailed.
There are many myths about how the ancient Olympic Games were created, the most popular being that Heracles built the Olympic stadium in honour of his father Zeus. Heracles, renowned for his ingenuity, strength and courage, would have been pleased with both teams' early endeavour, typified by the performance of Antonio Nocerino shielding the Italy back line.A powerful, imposing figure, the Piacenza midfielder bears little physical resemblance to the most famous exponent of his role, Claude Makelele, but the speed with which his shirt became drenched in sweat bore testament to great industry.
In Brazil they call the Makelele position the volante (rudder), but while Nocerino was steering the Azzurrini, providing midfield impetus, there was little forward thrust, little ingenuity. That was mainly coming from Portugal, and led by Nani and Manuel Fernandes, Jose Couceiro's team always looked capable of conjuring something. First Nani whipped in a dangerous ball to the near post before Fernandes found the head of Ricardo Vaz Te with a pinpoint cross but the finishing touch was lacking. The pair were forcing the play, with the Benfica youngster catching the eye when he tracked back to dispossess Alessandro Rosina though he, in turn, was robbed by the omnipotent Nocerino.
A trio of Italy players spent much of the pre-match warm-up skilfully juggling the ball between them, but Nocerino had not been one of them. The 22-year-old was forced to wait almost 100 appearances before recording his first league goal and is hardly renowned for his attacking prowess, though he almost fashioned the opener moments before half-time when his ball sent Giuseppe Rossi through, only for Paulo Ribeiro to deny the striker.The game ebbed and flowed before the Manchester United forward was thrust back into the limelight 16 minutes from time, handed a second yellow card for dissent which placed the Azzurrini's aspirations of a 15th Olympic campaign in the balance.
The dismissal should have been the cue for Nocerino to become even more involved but the ball was bypassing midfield and it fell to Giorgio Chiellini to take centre stage, anticipating the play, dominating aerial battles and putting his body on the line. He ended the first period of extra time sporting a huge bandage after being caught by the boot of Nani.Italy were indebted to good fortune when Joao Moutinho's goal-bound header inadvertently struck Domenico Criscito before Yannick Djalo missed the chance of the game, firing over with the goal gaping. Antunes missed the decisive penalty in the resultant shoot-out as Italy secured a 4-3 win, begun by the outrageous effort by Pelle. Finally, ingenuity to match the strength and courage.
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Italy coach Pierluigi Casiraghi was celebrating a job well done after his side secured the last European place at the 2008 Olympic Games with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory against Portugal in the European Under-21 Championship in Nijmegen.
Casiraghi's side survived the loss of Giuseppe Rossi, who collected his second booking of the game in the 74th minute, to take the play-off to penalties where they successfully converted all four of their kicks.Portugal coach Jose Couceiro meanwhile, was left lamenting the injustice of football after Manuel Fernandes and Antunes failed to score in the shoot-out, but feels his side have a bright future.
Pierluigi Casiraghi (Italy coach): We played really well tonight, the players produced a very good performance. It wasn't easy, a great team like Portugal made it very difficult for us but we kept going and got our reward in the end. We expected a tight game and that's what we got, then we went down to ten men so it became even more difficult for us but the boys played very well indeed. Even if Portugal had the advantage of the extra man, we gave everything tonight and we made it in the end. We achieved our final objective.
Jose Couceiro (Portugal coach): Football isn't fair. We were the better team tonight, but missed a lot of crucial chances. We moved the ball well and played well in midfield but we were short up front without the suspended Hugo Almeida. It was not fair, we've done very well again tonight but we didn't get what we deserved. I expected us to control the game and we knew we had to take risks. Italy's main threat came from our mistakes in midfield. The only problem was that we didn't score; that's obviously why we lost. We're frustrated, we always expected more, but I'm very proud of what the players have achieved. This team is full of young players – eleven of them will still be eligible for the next European Championship. This is not the end, this is the start of something and the hard work will continue.
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
2008 Olympic Games Play-off
Portugal 0-0 Italy AET, Italy win 4-3 on penalties (De Goffert Stadion, Nijmegen)Emiliano Viviano was the hero as ten-man Italy edged out Portugal in a penalty shout-out in Nijmegen to end their European Under-21 Championship campaign on a high note by claiming a place in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Both sides came into this game having won their final group games last weekend but finished third in their respective sections. Neither was able to reproduce the attacking flair they had shown in their previous matches, however, with clear chances at a premium in a tense encounter.Italy lost Giuseppe Rossi to a second bookable offence late in the second period of normal time but held on to take the game to spot-kicks where Viviano saved from Manuel Fernandes. When Antunes placed Portugal's fifth penalty wide of the post Italy – for whom Graziano Pelle, with a nerveless chip, Riccardo Montolivo, Domenico Criscito and Raffaele Palladino all converted – could celebrate their Olympic berth.[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
They may have missed out on their primary goal at the European Under-21 Championship but there will be no shortage of incentive for Portugal and Italy as they meet at the Goffert Stadion in Nijmegen with a place in next year's Olympic Games at stake.
Both sides failed to reach the semi-finals having finished third in their groups, with neither able to recover from taking only one point from their first two fixtures. Although Portugal overwhelmed Israel 4-0 in their concluding Group A fixture and Italy defeated the Czech Republic 3-1, their four-point totals kept them out of the top two.Normally that would have spelt the end of their campaigns but a reprieve was provided by England's progress to the last four; as Stuart Pearce's team will not compete in Beijing, Portugal and Italy have another chance to keep their Olympic ambitions alive.
It is an opportunity both are determined to grasp, although history is on Italy's side. The most successful Olympic football team having taken part in 14 tournaments, the Azzurrini were bronze medallists in Athens three years ago and have also won seven of their eleven competitive U21 matches against Portugal.Coach Pierluigi Casiraghi treats such statistics with disdain, however, saying: "I don't care about the past. This is a special game, a kind of final. It is not followed by another match, it is not a group game and like all finals it will be decisive on its own, so it is useless to look at statistics. It will depend entirely on what happens during the game.
"Portugal are a completely different team to those we have played so far; they have a lot of quality and are technically and physically very strong," continued Casiraghi, who is likely to have captain Giorgio Chiellini and Luca Cigarini available after both shook off knocks."They have skilful players like Moutinho and Nani and strong midfielders in Veloso and Fernandes so we're quite well matched. We'll study them thoroughly as always but we have our style and some special players. We have to play independently from our opponents, because our players will always keep their own qualities."
Portugal coach Jose Couceiro has also studied the opposition in depth and believes his charges can use what has long been considered a traditionally Italian approach against its inventors. "Tactical preparation has improved on our part and many in Portugal may call it a lack of ambition," he said. "Well, that's what Italians have always done, they have studied the game since they were young. They know that there are moments when you don't take risks and just control the game. It will be a very even contest."
Portugal have played in only three Olympics, although two of those participations came in 1996 and 2004, and they finished fourth in the former competition - their best performance to date."I've protected the players by saying publicly that we wanted to reach the semi-finals and the Olympics," added Couceiro, who is set to risk Nani and Ricardo Vaz Te despite niggling injuries. "But they knew that we wanted much more. Unfortunately we couldn't reach that goal and now we have this new objective, qualifying for Beijing. We will do our best to get there."
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Semi-Finals
Netherlands 1-1 England AET, Netherlands win 13-12 on penalties (Abe Lenstra Stadion, Heerenveen)The Netherlands returned to the final of the European Under-21 Championship for the second year running following a thrilling 13-12 victory on penalties against England after their semi-final had finished 1-1 after extra time.
In total 32 spot-kicks were needed to decide the tie which eventually went the way of the hosts and holders when, almost three hours after kick-off, local Heerenveen hero Gianni Zuiverloon fired the winning conversion low to the right of Scott Carson.For Netherlands coach Foppe de Haan, it cancelled out bitter memories of losing 10-9 on spot-kicks to Nigeria in the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup two years ago, yet it was rough justice on an England team who had battled bravely throughout and played the additional half-hour with ten men after Nedum Onuoha had limped off injured.Maceo Rigters earlier saved the Jong Oranje with a thrilling overhead kick in the last minute to cancel out Leroy Lita's first-half strike for England, setting up a rousing finale and a final against Serbia in Groningen on Saturday.Serbia 2-0 Belgium (Gelredome Stadion, Arnhem)Goals at the start and finish of the match from Aleksandar Kolarov and Dragan Mrdja took Serbia into their second European Under-21 Championship final in three attempts as they held off the challenge of a hard-working Belgium side in Arnhem.
Kolarov's fourth-minute free-kick evaded everyone to give Serbia an initiative they were never to cede in a tense semi-final, and when substitute Mrdja ran clear to add a second with three minutes left, a squad that includes eight players who lost at this stage with Serbia and Montenegro last summer as well as three who featured when the 2004 final went Italy's way, knew they would have the chance of another U21 showpiece.Belgium, particularly Marouane Fellaini, had their chances but too often their attacks foundered on the centre-back pairing of Branislav Ivanovic and Dusko Tosic. Serbia now take on the Netherlands on Saturday night.
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Giampaolo Pazzini admitted that the atmosphere in the Italy camp has been "sweet and sour" as the blow of failing to reach the last four of the European Under-21 Championship has been softened by their chance of a place at the Olympics.
The Azzurrini were many commentators' tips to claim a sixth title in the Netherlands but they never really recovered from the disappointment of opening-day defeat against Serbia. A 2-2 draw with England followed and although Pierluigi Casiraghi's team beat the Czech Republic 3-1 in their final outing, it was only good enough for third place in Group A – though they could earn redemption by overcoming Portugal in the Olympic play-off."We were very disappointed that we are now only playing the play-offs rather than the semi-finals," said Fiorentina striker Pazzini. "We could still salvage something from our campaign here and depart the Netherlands on good terms."
Pazzini came into the tournament riding the crest of a wave. Seven goals in 24 Serie A appearances have apparently done enough to convince Viola coach Cesare Prandelli he could be a natural replacement for Bayern Munich-bound Luca Toni – a feeling no doubt enhanced by his eye-catching hat-trick against England U21s in March.Yet the 22-year-old has been unable to replicate that form in the Netherlands. "I expect many fans have been disappointed, not only by the performance of the team as a whole, but of me in particular," he said. "Personally I am unhappy with my performance at this championship. I have not showed all I have in me."
Some have accused the Azzurrini of coming into the tournament with a superiority complex, turning up in the Netherlands to collect their trophy but Pazzini is adamant the opposite is true. "I never experienced that - not in training, nor during the games. Things did not go to plan so there is nothing to do except feel sorrow and move on," he continued."On Thursday I'll do my best so that Italy qualify for the Olympics. We are being very conscientious preparing for our final game and we are really looking forward to giving a good performance."
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Despite Italy's elimination from the European Under-21 Championship, Giuseppe Rossi considers the opportunity to qualify for the Olympic Games as a "once in a lifetime" chance.
Although the Azzurrini managed a 3-1 win against the Czech Republic in their last Group B match, with Alberto Aquilani, Giorgio Chiellini and Rossi himself getting the goals, the Carlsberg Man of the Match believes his side are "just a bit unlucky" not to have earned more than a play-off against Portugal in Nijmegen on Thursday having finished third in the standings behind Serbia and England.Despite his obvious disappointment at missing out on the semi-finals, however, the Manchester United forward recognises a significant prize is still on offer, saying: "The Olympics is a great tournament. It's a once in a lifetime chance."
Rossi, who scored nine goals in 17 Serie A games this season while on loan at Parma, finally opened his account for the Azzurrini in his ninth U21 international appearance, skipping away from Czech defender Roman Hubnik before unleashing a fierce low left-footed shot that went in off the far post."Today was a great performance by everybody - we didn't deserve to go out," added Rossi, who echoed his coach Pierluigi Casiraghi in pointing to short but decisive passages of play against Serbia and England that ultimately undid Italy's challenge. "In 270 minutes of football, we have played badly for ten minutes. When you make a mistake you get punished and at this level you can't make too many mistakes. That's how football is."
Rossi had largely been held in reserve by his coach in Italy's first two games, making a 16-minute cameo in the 1-0 opening loss to Serbia before coming on as a half-time substitute against England three days later.However, in spite of an impressive display over 90 minutes at the Gelredome, his personal satisfaction is outweighed by collective disappointment. He said: "Of course it's a nice feeling but I would have preferred to go through instead of winning the Man of the Match award. But we will benefit from these three free days by having a rest and hopefully we'll go into the Portugal game fresh and trying to win."
The play-off game has been prompted by England's progress to the semi-finals. England are not permitted to play in the Olympics so the fourth and final European place at the tournament is to be decided by a play-off between the two sides who finished third in their respective groups.
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Italy coach Pierluigi Casiraghi said his side had not got what they deserved after the five-time winners bowed out of the European Under-21 Championship despite concluding their Group B campaign with a 3-1 victory against the Czech Republic in Arnhem.
England's 2-0 win against group winners Serbia in the section's other fixture left the Azzurrini in third place on four points and facing a play-off against Portugal on Thursday for a place in next year's Olympic Games, while Czech coach Ladislav Skorpil took comfort from his side's improved display despite ending the tournament in fourth position.
Pierluigi Casiraghi (Italy coach): We deserved to go through; in 270 minutes of football 15 minutes have cost us. Obviously we're very disappointed but five minutes against Serbia, when we conceded a goal from their only chance, and ten against England have been crucial. That's the only time we had problems but we have to accept that. That's football and we must pick ourselves up and carry on. I don't think we made any mistakes; apart from those two spells we played great football. Apart from that, we showed our quality and played very good football. The players created so many chances against Serbia and England, they did their best and couldn't do any more than that. In the group stage when you lose one game it's too hard to recover.
Ladislav Skorpil (Czech Republic coach): We played better than we did in the first two games, we got better in every match and improved all the time. Tonight was an unusual game, both teams had to win to stay in the tournament, whether to get to the semi-finals or the Olympic Games. In the first two games we played good football but without scoring so we changed things around a bit tonight and tried a new approach. I brought in Martin Kuncl and Martin Klein and they're two of the more attacking defenders in the Czech league; we tried something new. You have to try something different all the time. In attack we can be satisfied with our performance and Michal Papadopulos played very well. At this level, how you start a match is crucial and we let a goal in after four minutes. We managed to equalise but the decisive moment was their third goal just before half-time.
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Groub B - Matchday 3
Italy 3-1 Czech Republic (Gelredome Stadion, Arnhem)Italy failed to progress beyond the European Under-21 Championship group stage for the second season in succession despite ending Group B with a solid win against the Czech Republic in Arnhem.
The Azurrini had won five of the last eight competitions but paid the price for taking just one point from their first two matches. That left Pierluigi Casiraghi's side relying on England failing to beat Serbia and, although Alberto Aquilani's fine fourth-minute free-kick met with wild celebrations, the mood had become more muted by the time Giorgio Chiellini restored Italy's lead after Michal Papadopulos had levelled in the 14th minute as news filtered through that England were winning.Giuseppe Rossi added a third in first-half added time but England's 2-0 victory in Nijmegen ensured Italy would finish in third place, although they do have the consolation of a play-off against Portugal on Thursday with the winner qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games.England 2-0 Serbia (De Goffert Stadion, Nijmegen)Leroy Lita and Matt Derbyshire were on target in each half as England beat Serbia 2-0 to secure a place in the European Under-21 Championship semi-finals.
Their progress as Group B winners already confirmed, Serbia made nine changes to the side that started Wednesday's 1-0 victory against the Czech Republic, and England quickly capitalised on their lack of understanding in Nijmegen. Lita broke the deadlock inside six minutes from close range and after sustaining some second-half pressure, substitute Derbyshire sealed victory with a crisp 77th-minute strike though some of the gloss was taken off by a late Tom Huddlestone dismissal.The Tottenham midfielder will now miss the semi-final with the Netherlands in Heerenveen on Wednesday, while Serbia face Belgium in Arnhem in the other semi.
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Italy coach Pierluigi Casiraghi is calling for his players to maintain the momentum they built up in battling back from two goals down against England as they prepare to face the Czech Republic, bidding to keep their European Under-21 Championship aspirations alive.
The Azzurrini are the most successful side in the competition's history having won five of the last eight finals, but a return of one point from their first two Group B games has left their hopes of a sixth crown hanging by a thread. Even victory against the Czechs in Arnhem might not be enough for Casiraghi's team, who will be eliminated if England overcome Serbia, although a point would suffice should the section winners prevail in Nijmegen.Casiraghi is staying positive and points to Thursday's 2-2 draw with England for inspiration, saying: "We played a great second half, in both a physical and a football sense.
"We'll have to start again from that point, in terms of the spirit and willpower in coming back to get a good result, trying to win despite the fact that we were two goals down," continued the Italy coach, whose side met their opponents in a friendly last November, which finished goalless."This is the team we have to be against the Czechs. They're a strong, tough, physical team who fight for every ball and look to counterattack. They have some quality players, they're difficult to play against. Serbia and England had many problems creating chances against them because they keep the defence and midfield very close together. They never give too much space away."
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Italy playmaker Alessandro Rosina believes the Azzurrini are determined to rescue their underwhelming campaign in their final European Under-21 Championship Group B match against the Czech Republic tonight.
"These are tournaments in which no distraction is allowed because there is a major risk that you compromise everything - this is what has happened to us," said the Torino man, who pinpointed the failure to take anything from their opening game as crucial. "Against Serbia, despite the fact that we played well we ended up pointless, and against England, despite a fantastic second half, we paid dearly for our performance in the first 20 minutes. This certainly explains everything."
That haul of one point from their first two games has left the Azzurrini third in the table and staring at the prospect of elimination, and the 23-year-old admitted the five-time European champion had "committed some bad errors, because ultimately we have just one point. Each player has to look at himself, dig deep and pull out that little extra which is in each of us. We must put this extra effort at the service of the team, form a united block and recover with a victory."
One problem may be the failure of Italy's strikers to hit their best form although the gifted Rosina, who scored nine goals in 35 Serie A games this season, does not consider this the only reason for the team's stuttering form. "Obviously if we'd scored more goals we would be in a better position. We have had some problems, not just in attack, but now it doesn't help us at all to look back. We need to sort out what went wrong in the previous games, but we have to focus above all on the next game, which we must win – and hope that the other game will bring the result we want."
That "other game" takes place in Nijmegen with England playing group winners Serbia knowing victory will secure their place in the semi-finals behind their opponents, regardless of what Italy and the Czech Republic do in Arnhem. Rosina believes Serbia may use the opportunity as a chance to show what they can do, saying: "They have so many young players in their squad who want to prove themselves and who perhaps won't get that many chances to play in such big tournaments. Because they are doing well, they will give it their best until the final whistle."
Should Serbia win, a point against the Czechs could be enough to take Italy into the last four, although the player nicknamed 'Rosinaldo' in honour of his Brazilian-like ball skills recognises the Azzurrini have a tough assignment of their own, saying: "They got a draw against England in their opening match, and lost against Serbia in the final seconds. They are a very aggressive, well-organised team who do not concede space easily, so it won't be easy for us at all."
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Groub A - Matchday 2
Belgium 2-2 Netherlands (Abe Lenstra Stadion, Heerenveen)Sebastien Pocognoli's 70th-minute strike ensured Belgium joined the Netherlands in the European Under-21 Championship semi-finals after an entertaining draw between the Low Countries rivals.
With Belgium trailing 2-1 at half-time and Group A rivals Portugal beating Israel, Jean-Francois De Sart's side looked to be heading out of the competition. But Pocognoli made sure of their safe passage and a place in the Olympic Games when he drove powerfully beyond Kenneth Vermeer with 20 minutes left.The draw means the Netherlands finish top of Group A on seven points, two ahead of Belgium. Foppe de Haan's team will play their semi-final in Heerenveen on Wednesday while Belgium travel to Arnhem to play Group B winners Serbia.Israel 0-4 Portugal (Euroborg Stadion, Groningen)There was a rainbow over the Euroborg before kick-off but Portugal's hopes of finding a pot of gold here in the Netherlands ended despite this comfortable victory against Israel in their final Group A game. Belgium's 2-2 draw with the Netherlands some 60 kilometres away in Heerenveen consigned them to third place in the section, a point behind Jean-Francois De Sart's Belgians.
Leading 4-0 through goals from Manuel Fernandes, Ricardo Vaz Te, Miguel Veloso and Nani, everything looked rosy for Portugal until the 70th minute when news filtered through that Belgium had equalised against the Dutch. With the inspirational Nani departing on a stretcher in the same minute, suddenly the mood turned sour for Jose Couceiro's side.While Portugal must now wait for tomorrow's Group B deciders to find out if third spot will earn them a play-off for a berth at the 2008 Olympic Games, Israel's first U21 finals closed with this third successive defeat.
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini blamed "15 minutes of complete madness" for his side's 2-2 draw against England in a match he feels they "dominated".
The Juventus left-back scored Italy's opener on 35 minutes, deflecting home a corner from close range - "like pinball" - after Pierluigi Casiraghi's team had conceded two strikes in three minutes to England's David Nugent and Leroy Lita. "If you see the chances and look at the statistics, aside from those 15 minutes of complete madness, we clearly dominated," he said. "We had over 30 shots on goal. We created so much in attack."
Of the Azzurrini's awful beginning at the Gelredome, the 22-year-old added: "We had hoped to start the game better. We had ten or 15 minutes of total amnesia in which none of us were on the field. After that initial blackout, in which we jeapordised the result of the game, we hit back. After England's second goal we were a completely different side - the exact opposite of the one on the pitch until then."And once they had the bit between their teeth, Chiellini believes his team-mates were unstoppable. "Yesterday was the best we have played since Pierluigi Casiraghi took charge nine months ago." They could easily have won, although the defender insists "we can't blame our forwards, they created so many chances".
Italy must now beat the Czech Republic in their third fixture on Sunday and hope Group B winners Serbia deny England victory in order to reach the semi-finals."Unfortunately we didn't manage to find a winning goal and now we're hoping that Serbia draw against England in the last game," said Chiellini. "We have to win our last one and then see what happens in the other match. It is not over yet, and you can be sure that we'll give everything we have until the very end."
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Alberto Aquilani admitted there was "great bitterness" in the Italy camp after a 2-2 draw against England left them facing elimination from the finals.
The midfielder, chosen as Carlsberg Man of the Match, took the corner that led to Italy's first goal and scored the second as they came from 2-0 down to draw at the Gelredome last night. However, for all his contribution to a thrilling contest, he was left downbeat, saying: "There is great bitterness among us. We gave our all in such a big match. We came back from a two-goal deficit and we feel so sad because we could have won."
Having lost their opening game 1-0 against Serbia, Italy go into their final fixture against the Czech Republic on Sunday with destiny no longer in their own hands. To reach the semi-finals, they must beat the Czechs and hope Serbia avoid defeat against England.The 22-year-old Aquilani said: "I hope Serbia will be at their best and beat England, or at least do their best."
The Roma product demonstrated excellent technique against England with his 69th-minute equaliser also showing his striking ability from distance. Given his all-round excellence, it was no surprise the UEFA Technical Study Group made Aquilani its Man of the Match, for which the player was grateful. He said: "The people who made this choice showed that they know about football but I would have preferred to win the game and not the trophy."The atmosphere in the dressing room afterwards might not have been inspiring, but Aquilani at least was sure that he and his team-mates had worked hard. "We gave all we had, and from that point of view there is nothing to say," he said.Coach Pierluigi Casiraghi will require a similar performance from his side against the Czechs and hope Serbia do them a favour.
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
England manager Stuart Pearce underlined the positives of tonight's 2-2 draw against Italy in Arnhem which leaves his team second in Group B ahead of their match against already-qualified Serbia. However, Pearce's delight at seeing his men draw a game they had led 2-0 was validated by his opposite number's dismay – Pierluigi Casiraghi conceding this "was a bad result".The point keeps the Azzurrini one behind England entering the final round of fixtures.
Stuart Pearce (England coach): It's a great result. Just watching it, it was a fantastic spectacle. After the first 20 minutes it might have been five or six-nil. I'm so proud of the players and all credit for Italy coming back. The players should be in that dressing room very proud of the spectacle they put on. It wasn't all about skill - it was about guts and determination. I'd like to have won, we were two up, but I think there's enough bad points to work on ahead of Sunday. It's in our hands now, we're still unbeaten and I hope to remain unbeaten in this tournament.
Pierluigi Casiraghi (Italy coach): It was a bad result. During the first 15 minutes we played badly. We committed a few mistakes, conceded twice and it could have been worse. But we played excellent in the second half, had about 30 shots and could have won. Both teams played tough, attractive football and gave the spectators a match to savour. There were four goals and I think the people here would have enjoyed it.
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Groub B - Matchday 2
England 2-2 Italy (Gelredome Stadion, Arnhem)Italy came from two goals down to keep alive their hopes of qualification with a 2-2 draw against England in Group B as a Arnhem crowd of 17,000 were treated to a thrilling encounter.
England had looked to be cruising when David Nugent and Leroy Lita scored two goals in as many minutes midway through the first half but the Azzurrini responded perfectly. Ten minutes before the interval Giorgio Chiellini pulled one back and Italy threw caution to the wind as the second period wore on, eventually getting their reward midway through the half when Alberto Aquilani's raking drive crept in.The Azzurrini must beat Czech Republic on Sunday in Arnhem and hope an already qualified Serbia hold England to at least a draw in Nijmegen to qualify for the semi-finals.Czech Republic 0-1 Serbia (De Goffert Stadion, Nijmegen)A last-gasp goal from Bosko Jankovic earned victory against the Czech Republic and sent Serbia into the semi-finals of the European Under-21 Championship as the winners of Group B.
The sign welcoming visitors to Nijmegen bills it as "City of health", and having beaten Italy here on Monday, Serbia's prospects of reaching the last four of this tournament for the third finals running certainly appeared rosy.The Czechs shared a goalless draw with England in their opening fixture and looked to have held on for another point here, but three minutes into added time, Antonio Rukavina set Milan Smiljanic free down the right and Jankovic got ahead of Michal Kadlec to head his side through.The result, coupled with England's 2-2 draw against Italy in tonight's late game, ensures Miroslav Djukic's side will finish first in the section and play the Group A runners-up in Arnhem next Wednesday in the last four.
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Giuseppe Rossi expects England to put their "heart and soul" into tonight's match against Italy, but promised the Azzurrini "will be no less competitive" as they look to steal a march on their Group B rivals with a victory in Arnhem.
Born in New Jersey before moving to Italy as a child, Rossi is familiar with both camps having been tempted to Manchester United from Parma in 2004. He impressed during a spell back on loan with the Gialloblu this season, yet was keen to put speculation surrounding his future on hold in the wake of Monday's opening defeat by Serbia."My first thought is to do well in this championship here," he said. "Things didn't go as planned against Serbia; we were a bit unlucky. That's how football goes. You could be playing the best game of your life and then you can concede a goal in the last second of the match. That's the beauty of football."
Rossi played for just 16 minutes in Nijmegen as a replacement for Raffaele Palladino, and found it difficult to adjust to the pace of the match as Italy pressed in search of an equaliser following Dejan Milovanovic's 63rd-minute goal."It's kind of difficult when you go 1-0 down trying to recover the result but we were all trying to get a goal and it was just a bit unfortunate in the last couple of minutes when we missed a chance or two but that's how it goes," he said. "Now we have to try and gather all our energy and strengths and try to go into the England game trying to get three points.
"England are a good football team of course and they put their heart and soul into every match but we are not going to be any less competitive than them. We'll have to go out, play our usual game and try to get a good result," continued Rossi, who could face United colleague Kieran Richardson or former Newcastle United team-mates Steven Taylor and James Milner if selected tonight."I spent two and a half years playing in England and left many friends. There'll be no friends during this game but after the 90 minutes we'll be by the changing rooms talking and having a laugh."Who will be laughing loudest remains to be seen.
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Groub A - Matchday 2
Netherlands 2-1 Portugal (Euroborg Stadion, Groningen)With senior Netherlands coach Marco van Basten looking on from the stands the hosts turned on the style to defeat Portugal 2-1 and become the first side to progress to the semi-finals of the European Under-21 Championships.
Van Basten would have liked what he saw as Foppe de Haan's Jong Oranje played with a drive and vigour missing from their victory against Israel four days earlier. Goals in each half from Ryan Babel, a penalty, and Maceo Rigters and another commanding performance from Royston Drenthe made sure of the points, though a near capacity crowd in the Euroborg were made to sweat for victory after Miguel Veloso pulled a goal back late on.While the Dutch can now dream of the Olympics, Portugal must beat Israel on Saturday to have a chance of avoiding an early exit for the second year running.Israel 0-1 Belgium (Abe Lenstra Stadion, Heerenveen)Ten-man Belgium took a major step towards the European Under-21 Championship semi-finals by beating Group A rivals Israel 1-0 through Kevin Mirallas's 82nd-minute goal.
Mirallas’s winning strike in Heerenveen capped an inspirational display of front-running from the Lille striker in a Belgium team who played for 72 minutes with ten men following Marouane Fellaini's early sending-off. For Israel, this second successive 1-0 defeat brings elimination and how they will rue their failure to capitalise on the extra-man advantage.
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Italy have confirmed their position at the top of the FIFA World Rankings after the latest list was published this morning.
The Azzurri consolidated their leadership in a month where Euro 2008 Group B rivals France moved up two places to second after wins over Ukraine and Georgia.
Brazil have dropped down to third, while Argentina fell two spots and Germany are now fourth – their highest position in the last four years.
The next FIFA World Rankings will be published on July 18, 2007.
Top 10:
1 (1) Italy – 1,653 points
2 (4) France – 1,585
3 (2) Brazil – 1,484
4 (5) Germany – 1,467
5 (3) Argentina – 1,373
6 (7) Portugal – 1,323
7 (9) Spain – 1,273
8 (8) England – 1,240
9 (6) Netherlands – 1,220
10 (10) Czech Republic – 1,096
Italy’s match against England is decisive for the Under-21 European Championship, notes Gianfranco Zola, who tries to explain what went wrong.
The Azzurrini knew they had a tough group when they drew Serbia, England and the Czech Republic, but the opening 1-0 defeat to the Serbs has left them in a precarious position.
"Against England we will be in for a very tough game, but if we want to go all the way then we have to prove that we deserve to," said the former Chelsea legend, who is now a consultant to coach Pierluigi Casiraghi.
"I have faith in our players and know they will take responsibility and react. Personally, I would love to see the same performance as we saw against Serbia, but by taking some of the many chances we create. This is going to be a decisive test."
Goalkeeper Gianluca Curci is a major doubt after suffering a groin strain and will undergo tests this evening to see if he can recover in time for Thursday’s clash.
"I watched the Serbia game back and it confirmed to me that we controlled the match, especially in the first half with numerous scoring opportunities. If we had opened the scoring, we’d be here talking about a totally different game."
Obviously the 1-0 defeat was criticised in the Italian media, but Zola assures it was only down to bad luck.
"There was no problem with the attitude or approach of the squad. In fact, I am sure this defeat will help us to grow in the coming challenges."
Goals seem to be the Azzurrini’s main hindrance, although they have talents upfront such as Giampaolo Pazzini – who scored a hat-trick against England at the new Wembley – Juventus’ Raffaele Palladino and Parma starlet Giuseppe Rossi.
It’s not purely an issue for Italy, as in the opening four games of the European Under-21 Championship, there were only two goals.
"It can seem strange, but at this level all the teams are at a decent level, so it’s hard to get through their defences. We just have to archive this setback and look forward."
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Raffaele Palladino says Italy would "give everything" to beat England on Thursday after a shock 1-0 defeat by Serbia in their opening game in Nijmegen.
Italy were left bitterly disappointed after Dejan Milovanovic scored Serbia's winner in the Group B opener at the De Goffert Stadion, despite a hatful of chances for Pierluigi Casiraghi's side. Palladino knows a win against England in Arnhem is now vital."We will give everything and fight hard against England to win what is already a decisive match," said the Juventus striker, who added: "We had it in our hands against Serbia so it is even more disappointing. It was a strange game, we performed so well and created so many chances. Serbia barely had one opportunity but they were more clinical and scored the goal."
The 23-year-old accepts that Italy made a slow start, struggling to get possession, but insists his team put in a decent performance. "Apart from the first 15 minutes, when we didn't do very well because we started at too slow a pace, the game was always under control," he said. "We played nice, attacking football but weren't rewarded."Having been knocked out at the group stage of last summer's UEFA European Under-21 Championship, Palladino and company are determined not to fail again and the forward, who has won the Serie B title with Juventus, is adamant the Azzurrini can reach the last four. "Italy have the quality and skill to qualify for the semi-finals," he said.
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Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini bemoaned his side's profligacy after the five-time European winners opened their 2007 finals campaign in lacklustre fashion with a 1-0 defeat against Serbia in Nijmegen.
Pierluigi Casiraghi's side carved out four glorious opportunities at the Goffert Stadium with Raffaele Palladino and Giampaolo Pazzini particularly culpable, both failing to hit the target when unmarked in front of goal."We created three or four great chances, controlled the game and definitely deserved better luck, so we have to be truly disappointed," Chiellini said after Dejan Milovanovic's blistering 63rd-minute drive had given Serbia the points. "Even after Serbia scored we fought back well and, although they defended really well, [Pazzini] had the chance to level the game in the final minute but again we didn't make the best use of it."
When asked to pinpoint the reason his side had suffered an unexpected defeat, the Juventus left-back said: "Serbia scored with their only real chance while our major problem was that we were unable to take the chances we had created. We were clear on the Serbia goalkeeper on several occasions but the ball just didn't want to go in. They didn't have that many chances and that was the big difference between the two sides - they scored and we didn't. That's all that really matters. And give Serbia credit, they played well and have a lot of good players. They'll give other teams problems. I said before the match they were dark horses in this tournament and I hope we can get through with them. Now we know what we have to do."
With England and the Czech Republic playing out a 0-0 draw in Monday's other opening Group B game, the Azzurrini's second match, against England in Arnhem on Thursday, takes on even more importance. "Obviously we can't afford to lose against England now - we have to go out to win that game and we'll give everything to do that," Chiellini said. "We don't feel as if we're out of the tournament just yet. We know we are strong, we just need to stop thinking too much and focus on doing our best. We are still sure of our abilities. We've lost the first game but even then we've proved we have the quality to get to the semi-finals."
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Italy goalkeeper Gianluca Curci looks set to sit out Thursday's vital Group B fixture against England as he struggles with a groin strain suffered in the opening loss to Serbia last night.
The 21-year-old Roma player left the field midway through the first half in Nijmegen clutching the back of his leg after overstretching while making a save.Brescia's Emiliano Viviano replaced Curci in the 1-0 defeat and would start against England in Arnhem should the No1 fail to recover. Curci spent time with the physiotherapist today and will have further scans on Wednesday.
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Serbia coach Miroslav Djukic said his side "played like a team and could afford to wait for one brilliant individual moment" - a superb winning goal from Dejan Milovanovic - as they overcame Italy to move top of Group B.
Despite his charges setting the early pace, however, Djukic believes the Azzurrini and England, who were held 0-0 by the Czech Republic, remain favourites to progress.
Miroslav Djukic (Serbia coach): I'm satisfied because we showed we can play against a strong team like Italy. This is special from two aspects - tactically and because of the discipline shown during the game. After that, success always follows and I said beforehand that if we could do that, we could win. We played like a team and we could afford to wait for one brilliant individual moment. We got that, a great move and a great goal from Milovanović, but that was the product of our efforts throughout the game. I still think Italy and England are favourites in this group - we've got three points but that's nothing special. At the moment we're top but we'll continue with the same approach and look to play the same way, and if we do that we can expect to earn a place in the semi-finals. But we're not champions yet, it's just one match and we have to remember that.
Pierluigi Casiraghi (Italy coach): We played quite well tonight, we had several chances but unfortunately, we could not make use of them. We had a lot of the game and more of the possession, but we did not manage to fight back after falling behind and I think the result did not really reflect the performance of my team.
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
Groub B - Matchday 1
Serbia 1-0 Italy (De Goffert Stadion, Nijmegen)Serbia seized the early initiative in the European Under-21 Championship Group B as Dejan Milovanovic's fine second-half strike earned three points against five-time winners Italy in Nijmegen.
In what is widely considered the oldest city in the Netherlands, the new generation of continental superstars showed how one of football's strongest traditions - the failure to take chances proving costly - still holds true in the modern game.Italy spurned three excellent first-half opportunities and were made to pay 18 minutes into the second half when Milovanovic, one of four Serbia players on show who were involved in the 2004 final defeat by Italy, drilled in the only goal from distance.Czech Republic 0-0 England (Gelredome Stadion, Arnhem)Leroy Lita missed an 88th-minute penalty as England were held to a goalless draw by the Czech Republic in the other Group B game.
The second-half substitute grazed Zdenek Zlamal's right upright with his spot-kick two minutes from time after good work from David Nugent had drawn a handball from Roman Hubník. It would have edged a tense encounter at the Gelredome, which saw plenty of chances go begging after half-time.Kieran Richardson should have broken the deadlock on 49 minutes but contrived to apply too light a touch from two metres out. It marked the start of a vibrant spell. Daniel Pudil blazed over when he should have done better, though he almost made amends soon after, his fierce free-kick looking destined for the top corner before it was tipped on to the crossbar by Scott Carson. Next it was Nugent's turn, capitalising on a Lubos Husek slip and firing centimetres past the post. It was not a day for strikers.Italy next play a crucial game against on Thursday while, Serbia play the Czech Republic.
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Captain Giorgio Chiellini is convinced Italy's elimination in the group stage of last year's UEFA European Under-21 Championship was an accident that will not be repeated and believes the lure of yet another title will be powerful motivation for the Azzurrini as they prepare for their first Group B game against Serbia.
Italy went into their third and final Group B game in Portugal last summer top of the section but ended the day in third place, and out of the competition, as Daniel de Ridder's 74th-minute strike gave the Netherlands a 1-0 win that took them into the semi-finals – and set them on their way to lifting the trophy – at Italy's expense."We didn't feel inferior to any of the teams who got into the semi-finals last year," said Chiellini. "We still haven't come to terms with that defeat yet, because we were dreaming of such big things and to concede a late goal and be knocked out in such a sad way is too hard to forget. But having the possibility to play in another European Championship and fight for the title again will be a very strong motivation for this squad."
The Juventus left-back believes his side's approach to the finals will be all-important after a long and gruelling season, saying: "It is a question of going into the tournament with the right attitude - the one we showed against Spain in the play-offs. We've recharged our batteries over the last week and don't feel tired any more. We're all now really looking forward to doing well with the real hope of lasting the course over what will hopefully be a two-week tournament for us. The opening game is always the most difficult as it may be the one which determines the course of our team in the group, we’re all aware of that.
"Serbia are a very strange team in the sense they're capable of winning easily and losing heavily, as they showed in the play-offs when they lost 3-0 to Sweden but then beat them 5-0 away," the 23-year-old added. "They've got great individuals who are capable of doing anything and then ruining it all in a second. But if we assume England are our toughest rivals, Serbia are without doubt the outsiders of the group who could put the favourites in serious difficulties. So it's important to get that first win and set ourselves up for the rest of the group."
[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]
