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Semifinal sadness Round of four a letdown after stellar Euro 2000 buildup
Posted: Thursday June 29, 2000 07:13 PM
After a tournament full of attacking flair and goals, it has to be said that the two semifinals were a bit of a disappointment. France's golden goal victory over the unusually defensive Portugal may have ended in a dramatic penalty controversy, but however much you try to focus on the misfortune of Abel Xavier and the artistry of Zinedine Zidane, the fact remains that it was not a good game. It was, however, considerably better than the semifinal that followed on Thursday. Italy and Holland played out what was predominantly a boring draw, which was settled more by Dutch ineptitude than Italian prowess. The nature of the game, of course, was dictated by Dino Zoff's tactics. The Italian coach reverted to the defensive policy Italy employed in his playing days to frustrate the Dutch, who weren't able to turn their considerable possession into decisive penetration. Holland's ultimate failure to find a way through the Italian fortress was a huge disappointment for me as a football fan, even though, as I say elsewhere in this Web site, I have a vested interest in seeing the Italians win the title. In my view, a Holland-versus-France final would potentially have provided the perfect end to what's been an extremely entertaining tournament.
Not only were the Dutch one of the home teams, thereby guaranteeing a fantastic atmosphere in Rotterdam on Sunday night, but they also rival France for bona fide stars whose talents were primed for the big stage. Sadly for them, in the semifinal, Italy gave them enough rope to hang themselves, and they duly did. So, we are left with Italy against France, a match featuring two teams with an equal number of big names, but perhaps fundamentally a different attitude to the way the game should be played.
Will Gallic flair win the day? Will Italy grind out a result in a war of attrition? Will both sides open up? Or will we just be left with a stalemate that has to be settled by the lottery of penalties? There are probably as many potential scenarios as there are players on the field. The one thing I hope is that we haven't run out of great games at the vital moment. Terry Baddoo is co-host of World Sport, the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International. Baddoo is part of the World Sport crew that is in the Netherlands and Belgium covering Euro 2000.
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