Italy 0-1 Uruguay: Farewell to the Azzurri.
The Italians are masters of tactics. But the Azzurri lost in a do-or-die battle against Uruguay precisely because of their opponent's clever tactics and timely bursts of brilliance.
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| Italy was eliminated from the 2014 World Cup after their defeat to Uruguay. |
SCORING
Uruguay:Godin (81')
RED CARD
Italy: Marchisio (60')
The decisive nature of this match made both teams approach the game very cautiously. Most attacking moves were stopped at the edge of the penalty area, or blocked from the flanks.
It wasn't until the 31st minute that the first truly noteworthy moment of the match occurred. In a beautiful one-two combination with a teammate, Suarez broke down the left wing, but his shot was saved by Buffon in a one-on-one situation. The Italian goalkeeper then made another excellent save on the rebound. The first half ended 0-0.
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Needing a win to advance, the Uruguayan team tried to increase the pace of the game in the second half, especially after Balotelli had to leave the field due to injury. In the 51st minute, Cavani was fouled by defender Bonucci inside the Italian penalty area, but referee Marco Rodriguez refused to award Uruguay a penalty.
In the 59th minute, midfielder Rodriguez broke free on the left wing in an open position, but his rather careless shot went wide of Buffon's goal. Exactly one minute later, the Azzurri were reduced to ten men after the referee showed Marchisio a red card, but this was a somewhat harsh decision as the Italian midfielder's tackle on Arevalo wasn't particularly aggressive.
Marchisio's somewhat unfair red card caused coach Cesare Prandelli to frantically make substitutions, but these were cautious. This ultimately cost the four-time world champions dearly at the end of the match.
In the 66th minute, while the Italian defenders were focused on Cavani, Suarez unexpectedly appeared, but his powerful shot from just outside the penalty area was saved by Buffon. However, in the 81st minute, Uruguay's patience paid off. From a corner kick, the ball deflected off defender Diego Godin's shoulder and into the net, leaving Buffon helpless. The score remained unchanged until the end of the match, and Uruguay secured their place in the next round.
Uruguay played very cautiously for most of the match to avoid the Italian counter-attack trap. Ultimately, La Celeste were rewarded with a precious, single-goal goal from Godin. For the Azzurri, this was the first time in history that the Italian national team had been eliminated in the group stage of two consecutive World Cups.
| The referee harmed Italy. With a header that beat Gianluigi Buffon, Diego Godin became Uruguay's hero, sending La Celeste into the Round of 16. However, a major contributor to Italy's elimination was referee Marco Rodriguez. In a seemingly ordinary challenge between Claudio Marchisio and Arevalo Rios, the Mexican referee sent off the Italian midfielder, a decision that could be considered too harsh. As a result, playing with 10 men against 11, the Azzurri lost to their South American opponents and were eliminated from the World Cup after the group stage. |
STARTING LINEUP
Italy:Buffon, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini, Darmian, Verratti (Motta 75'), Pirlo, Marchisio, De Sciglio, Balotelli (Parolo 46'), Immobile (Cassano 71').
Uruguay:Muslera, Caceres, Gimenez, Godin, A.Pereira (Stuani 63'), Alvaro Gonzalez, Arevalo, Lodeiro (M.Pereira 46'), Rodriguez (Ramirez 78'), Cavani, Suarez.
