VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: England Vs Italy, Euro 2012 quarterfinals

  • Breaking
  • 24/06/2012

By Louis Anderson-Rich

Hello and welcome to Olympic Stadium in Kiev where we have England taking on Italy in the last quarterfinal match of the tournament.

Both these teams have exceeded expectations in this tournament so far. Italy play with a backdrop of footballing scandal and corruption back home, and England look to put past knock-out nightmares behind them.

We’ll bring you live updates throughout the match, including all the big plays and goals.

Make sure you refresh your page occasionally.

---------------------------

LIVE COMMENTARY: England 0 (2) – (4) 0 Italy (Extra time)

Diamanti a former West Ham United player steps up to win it for Italy….GOAL! ITALY WIN!

Ashley Cole…his 98th appearance for his country…SAVED!

Antonio Nocerino the substitute with a chance…Slots it in coolly!

Ashley Young for England…HITS THE CROSSBAR!

Andrea Pirlo, certainly my pick for man of the match in this game…can he continue his form…Chips it in straight down the middle!

Rooney now…he’s had a pretty poor game to be honest…but can he redeem himself…HE DOES!

Montolivo steps up…MISSES IT!

Now it’s the England captain Steven Gerrard stepping up against Buffon…Scores it.

So it looks like Italy will have the first opportunity and it’s Mario Balotelli up against his Manchester City team mate Joe Hart…GOAL!

Penalties – England haven’t won 5 of their last penalty shoot outs in international football.

121 Min: and there goes the whistle so on to the lottery that is the penalty shootout!

120 Min: Italy win a free-kick after Maggio went down softly against Gerrard, this could be their last opportunity…

119 Min: Pirlo launches a fantastic ball across to Maggio, his cross goes very high up but somehow finds Montolivo, and he has a shot that doesn’t trouble anybody.

117 Min: Maggio out on that right side…wins a corner for Italy…Diamanti swings it in and Italy pile the bodies in but no one can get a head to it.

116 Min: Italy still looking to finish off this game without the need for penalties…

115 Min: Diamanti with the ball down that right side again! Great cross! Nocerino puts it in the net! Oh no it’s offside!

114 Min: Diamanti has found Maggio own the right and he gets a decent cross in which falls on to the feet of Balotelli! He doesn’t react! And the ball is cleared away.

113 Min: Nocerino finds Diamanti who reveres the ball out to Maggio who shoots but it hits Cole and ricochets off…Italy still trying to find a way through…Pirlo plays in Balzeretti down the left side, he fizzes a low ball across to Nocerino who hits it first time! Just rises over the bar!

111 Min: So this free-kick is in a decent position as well out front…Balotelli shoots and skies it…

109 Min: Italy win a free kick in a very handy position almost on the byline outside the box on the right side…Diamanti to take it…puts it in towards Balotelli but its headed away by Carroll as far as Pirlo who puts it back in but Terry heads that out…Italy still on the attack…Carroll concedes a free-kick.

108 Min: another chance for Italy and it’s Diamanti down the right, he tries to bend one in with his left foot but it goes well over the head of Balotelli who was in the middle.

107 Min: Abate charges down the right side and manages to get a cross in, Lescott slips but Terry is there to clear it.

105 Min: Italy get the second half of extra time underway…

106 Min: Pirlo beats Rooney, trying to open himself up for a shot…England break with Carroll…decides to go back to Cole…Rooney’s dropped very deep and spinned it out to Young…Henderson over to Johnson, he runs at the defence and picks out Walcott who dinks a nice little ball across the face of the goal, but it turns out it has gone to far and into touch and that will bring the first half of extra time to a close.

105 Min: getting the feeling that we’re edging closer and closer to penalties at the moment…

103 Min: Pirlo tries to find Diamanti down the right but he can’t and Ashley Cole comes away with the ball but he can’t find Carroll.

101 Min: Italy moving at pedestrian speed as they try to find a way though…Diamante with a cross, it’s gone to no one but it has got past Joe Hart and his post and gone out! So close for Italy!

100 Min: Balotelli in some space is one-on-one with Lescott, he gets a shot off but it doesn’t trouble Hart.

99 Min: Balotelli jinks around from abou 25 yards out and decides to have a crack but it takes a deflection and falls safely into the arms of Joe Hart.

98 Min: Carroll wins another long ball from Hart and gives it to Rooney who puts it wide for Young who whips a cross in but Buffon claims.

96 Min: Pirlo on the ball…forced back to his defenders…long ball from Balzaretti to Diamante but his cross is blocked and now England break…Walcott plays it to Rooney who again is swamped by blue shirts.

95 Min: Gerrard with a chance to whip one in which he does! England players called for offside though…

94 Min: Scott Parker is coming off for Jordan Henderson, the young flash-in-the-pan 22 yr old.

93 Min: Carroll’s doing well in the air off those long balls but he can’t link up with Rooney at the moment…Maggio fouls Ashley Young and also gives him a yellow card.

92 Min: Diamanti on the ball, to Montolivo who gives it to Balotelli who can’t hold onto the ball…Italy back on attack though and it’s Nocerino in some space…Italy looking for options around the 18 yard area, they can’t do much with it though and Nocerino’s shot from distance sails over the bar.

91 Min: long ball from Lescott can’t find anyone and now Pirlo breaks for Italy…now Balzaretti..Montolivo..his pass is cut out by Terry…

The teams are called back to their positions and it will be England to get the first half of extra time underway.

Decent conditions at Olympic Stadium as well…this is of course the first instance of both a goalless draw and extra time at Euro 2012 so far.

So the energy bars and drinks come out for the players who will really be searching inside themselves for that extra 5 or 10 percent.

93 Min: and there goes the whistle for extra time!

92 Min: England on the break now and it’s Rooney to Walcott…cross goes in from Rooney but Italy come away with it but Rooney has won it back from Pirlo…plays it to Young…who plays it to Cole on the overlap, nice cross from him! Meets the head of Carroll who puts it square to Rooney who tries a bicycle kick! Well over the crossbar what was he doing!?

91 Min: Abate has come off for Maggio…his first action is a throw deep in England’s half…Pirlo looking for an opening, but can only find Ashley Coles head.

90 Min: three extra minutes to go in normal and time and it does feel like it will be going to extra time…

89 Min: Nocerino looks to be through from a great Pirlo ball in! He shoots! But Johnson is right on his tail to block it…Corner to Italy…Well off the mark…

88 Min: Carroll wins another long ball from Hart and takes it down neatly, Walcott kind of cramps his style though and the attack breaks down.

87 Min: Hart hoofs a ball down to Andy Carroll who wins it in the air, he dribbles with it on the edge of the box and takes a shot which is blocked, falls to Parker who tries to play through Walcott but again it goes to far.

86 Min: Games almost slowed down to a standstill now…

84 Min: England start from the back…long ball from Hart finds Carroll who gives it to Parker…England have to go back though…long ball from Terry aimed for Young who gets a head on it but it goes into the hands of Buffon…

83 Min: Gerrard free kick goes in and English players have gone down in the box but the ball is cleared, out to Scott Parker who shoots which is blocked, Parker manages to keep the ball in play but Balzaretti goes down and England in the nature of good sportsmanship kick it into touch…

82 Min: Wayne Rooney out on the left side finds himself swarmed by four Italian defenders but England have won it back and Barzagli has given away a foul and picked up a yellow card…another good position free-kick for England.

80 Min: Bonucci plays Diamanti who has a shot with his first touch of the ball! It was on target but Joe Hart gets down to it.

79 Min: second sub for Italy as De Rossi comes off for Nocerino.

78 Min: Alessandro Cassano is coming off for Alessandro Diamanti…Long throw in for Italy…Marchisio picks it up on the edge of the box, tries to chip a cross in but it’s blocked and Italy win the corner which is punched brilliantly away by Hart.

76 Min: Carroll wins a free kick in a decent position, can England find that one moment of blinding inspiration…Gerrard knocks it forward…Rooney gets his head on it! But there isn’t enough power on it and Buffon moves across to stop it from sneaking into the bottom corner.

75 Min: Pirlo goes wide to Balzaretti…back inside and it’s Montilivo with a shot! Blocked by the English defence…Balotelli picks it up on the edge of the box and lays it off to Marchisio who has a shot! Blocked again.

74 Min: De Rossi to Pirlo who plays another brilliant ball to Balzaretti, England win a free-kick though.

73 Min: Gerrard seems ok which will be a boost for England who need his midfield surges.

72 Min: England’s attacks are breaking down far to easily at the moment and Gerrard has gone down with what appears to be cramp.

70 Min: Long ball from Hart down to Carroll who heads it down to Young, gives it to Rooney who can’t do much with it…goes back to Parker who tries to play through Walcott but the ball isn’t weighted well.

69 Min: So no goal so far…maybe I just jinxed it though…

66 Min: Balotelli breaks forward for Italy but is cut out…De Rossi takes an audacious shot which is blocked.

64 Min: Gerrard for England, to Parker who goes wide to Cole..now Young goes to Rooney who’s dropped deep, out to Johnson who puts a cross in for Carroll who goes for a bicycle kick! Blocked! Falls to Young! Deflected shot goes out…corner for England…Gerrard whips it in but Carroll fouls.

63 Min: Montilivo has played a nice ball through to Balotelli who is now on the right of the box, held up by Lescott…plays it back to Pirlo who plays a fantastically weighted pass to De Rossi who shoots first time! Into row Z.

62 Min: Carroll’s first touch is weak and he can’t keep it under control…

61 Min: So Walcott is on for Milner and Carroll is on for Welbeck…

59 Min: Marchisio plays a nice lob over to abate who wins a throw deep in England territory, balls been brought down by Balotelli in the box with his back to goal and he goes for an audacious overhead kick!

58 Min: Ashley Young has gone down with after a head clash and it looks like Andy Carroll and Theo Walcott will be coming on from the substitutes bench.

57 Min: Abate over on the right…back to Cassano who tries to put a cross in but it comes off Cole straight back into Cassano’s path, cross from the byline from him! Inches over the bar.

56 Min: Pirlo the ball in midfield he plays a nice one-two and then looks to release Abate who is running into the box but Cole puts it out for a corner that is eventually headed away by Terry.

55 Min: England are stretched here as Cole loses it down the left side, MOntilivo looking dangerous on the edge of the box but he’s shut out by the English defence…England try to break but Gerrard can’t get around Balzeretti.

54 Min: Milner with a shot about 30 yards out that stays low and goes wide…

53 Min: And now Italy come straight back at the English defence it’s Balotelli who’s slipped in! Has a shot! Blocked! Another shot blocked! And now Montilivo who shoots! Over the bar! England’s goal living a charmed life right now…

52 Min: Pirlo slips it through to Montilivo who tries to play it out wide first time but loses it…Italy have got it back though…Abate down the right side puts a good cross in! Balotelli is there! Misses the header!

51 Min: Italy with a chance to get forward…Parker goes in with a slide tackle on Pirlo who wins a free-kick…

50 Min: Gerrard with the delivery which is headed away very safely.

49 Min: Gerrard loses and then regains possession in the centre of midfield…goes to Milner who loses it on the right… England have got it back though and it’s Rooney he’s dribbled it into the box and wins a corner.

48 Min: Abate with the ball for Italy down the left flank, he fires in a great cross! Headed away by Johnson though and it’s a corner to Italy that Hart punches away, is only cleared as far as Montilivo who puts a ball back over to De Rossi! First time volley and he drags it wide from 7 yards out!

46 Min: England get us underway and are right on attack! Ball fizzed into the box from Milner but it goes behind all of the English players inside it.

The teams are now back out and England are about to get us back underway…

45 Min: no added time and that’s halftime at Olympic Stadium.

44 Min: Welbeck to Johnson who plays a misplaced pass…now Italy with the ball…it’s Balotelli on the left, tries to whip a ball in to the box but instead it goes straight into the arms of Hart.

43 Min: Balotelli looks to redeem himself with a shot from outside the 18 now though! Decen shot but it’s just gone over.

42 Min: Reminiscent of Nwankwo Kanu that previous chance…

41 Min: Italy with the ball around the 18 yard box now with players trying to shoot but the blocks always there…now Italy work down the left side, Pirlo with a fantastic pass onto the head of Cassano deep in the box! He heads it back square to Balotelli who gets a foot on it! And puts the ball over the bar from 6 yards out!

40 Min: Young out on the left with some space…England can’t find room though and try to press the right side but Milner gets the ball and does nothing with it, safe to say he’s been pretty ineffective so far.

38 Min: Cassano picks the ball up from not far out and has a crack! Hart saves! Certainly stung his gloves…

37 Min: Rooney wins the ball from a long hoof up field from Hart, he goes down in the middle of the field but no free-kick awarded, something that we haven’t seen many of which is quite a nice change with this tournament…

36 Min: Nice ball out wide to Balzaretti from Pirlo again…De Rossi advances and has it in the middle, tries to play a ball through but it’s cut out with ease.

35 Min: Johnson gives the ball away down the right…Pirlo gives it to De Rossi now…Montilivo inside to Pirlo who holds onto it…No way through for Italy though as the English defence holds very strong…

34 Min: Balotelli has come very deep in his own half and backheels th ball into the feet of Cole…England can’t do anything with the position though.

34 Min: Cassano over on the left, he cuts back inside and takes a low shot that was never going in.

32 Min: Right down the other end now and England are breaking forward, Welbeck collects it deep and heads up field he gives it to Rooney who lays it back to him Welbeck with the first time shot! Scuffed it and it goes over the bar.

31 Min: Balotelli to Balzaretti now they go to work the other side…Throw in for Italy deep in England’s half…right back to the Italian defence…but now heres Montilivo who dinks over a great ball to the feet of Balotelli! He shoots! But it’s weak and goes into the arms of Hart.

30 Min: Pirlo switches the ball again to Balzaretti…So many white shirts around whenever Italy attack though…it’s that two rows of defence tactic that England have working for them.

29 Min: De Rossi plays a great ball through to Pirlo who gives it to Montilivo and then Balotelli who takes a shot! Goes to the left of the goal and out.

28 Min: Nothing on for Italy at the moment as they keep it at the back…Marchisio switches the ball but Cassano is robbed by an English player.

25 Min: Rooney with the ball now gives it out wide to milner who puts in a first time cross but it doesn’t which Rooney due to some great defending from Bonucci…now Italy break away down the other end! Balotelli in plenty of room after Pirlo picked him out with a pass! Lescott is scrambling across! And Lescott makes the tackle…

24 Min: Both teams beginning to go the long ball route…it’s a bit of a stalemate in midfield…Pirlo surging forward now but Lescott is there to stop him.

23 Min: Rooney switches it to Johnson who boots it into the oncoming Italian defence and has to go all the way back to the keeper…Abate now with a decent ball down the wing to Balotelli who goes up against Lescott…Balotelli is gives away a foul.

22 Min: Pirlo with a fantastic searching ball to the oncoming Balzaretti down the left…He plays it back inside to Cassano who shoots but it’s gone well over.

21 Min: Italy with a corner…Pirlo whips it in…Cleared away by the head of Joleon Lescott.

20 Min: Balotelli down the right, he rolls it back in field…now Cassano weaving on the edge of the box tries to go for a shot but it’s blocked by England and the attack breaks down…

18 Min: Pirlo with the ball as a gap opens up down the right for Italy…Marchisio has played a nice little ball into the box for Cassano! But Hart comes out to claim it…

17 Min: Montilivo finds Balotelli, who goes down and wins a free-kick right on the right touchline…dangerous position for Italy…Pirlo hits aterrible delivery that goes to long, it’s been recovered by Balzeretti though and his resulting cross is just as bad as it goes out.

15 Min: Cassano with space down the left sid, goes back out to Balzaretti but it’s blocked by the English…England have regained possession and Gerrard looks to counter attack but there are no white shirts in fron of him so he holds it up…Rooney arrives an tries to put a cross in but it sails harmlessly into touch.

14 Min: Milner out on the left goes inside to Rooney who lays it square to Johnson…Johnson with a tantalising little ball that meets the head of a diving Rooney! Over the cross bar.

12 Min: Corner from Gerrard is good but Wayne Rooney is muscled out of the air rather uncharacteristically…Johnson out on the right byline, another cross in to Rooney but that’s too high for him…But the clearance has only gone as far as Young on the left, crosses it in, Buffon punches it away falls to Parker who shoots first time! Goes well wide.

11 Min: Corner goes short…ball kept in play by Rooney, he puts a ball across to Welbeck! Barzagli gets his leg in the way, corner to England…

10 Min: Parker tidies up a Johnson dispossession…England on the left…Steven Gerrard wins a corner for England

9 Min: England with Ashley Young on the left, he gets a decent delivery in but Milner can’t get his head to it and Balzareti tidies it up…Italy breaking here as Cassano strides forward…his pass through to Balotelli is very poor however.

8 Min: Bonucci with a long ball down to Balotelli who almost gets on the end of it but Hart gathers…

7 Min: Pirlo with the ball in the centre of the field…Parker concedes a free-kick.

6 Min: Spritely start from both sides…Parker in the centre of midfield…he carries it into the box but an Italian toe gets in the way and the Italians are right back down the other end with the ball…can’t keep it in play though.

5 Min: Great start from the Azzuri who are attacking again but it’s picked up by Parker and he moves it out wide to Ashley Cole…now Glen Johnson on the right…He plays it inside to Young who gives it back out to James Milner, fizzes the ball across the penalty box! At the feet of Johnson who shoots it right at Buffon from 12 yards out! Saved!

4 Min: Marchisio out on the right hand side he cuts it back to De Rossi who has a shot from out of the 18 yard box right in front of the goal, it hits the post! Fantastic shot and that is a big let off for England!

3 Min: England hardly had a touch of the ball so far and Pirlo plays a long ball forward which is only just cutout by Lescott, back to Montilivo on the wing he crosses but can’t find anyone with it.

2 Min: Crossed ball in from Italy and this should be easy for Terry to clear but it becomes a problem, Hart ran out and there was some confusion until Terry punted it away.

1 Min: Italy get the last quarterfinal of Euro 2012 underway, who will move on to face Germany in the semi-finals!...Italy with some early balls forward and it’s Balotelli with the games opening shot from way out which trickles into Hart’s arms.

Quite a few players for the England side are on yellow cards. If they are thinking to the future at all then I wonder if we can expect a rather reserved game from them…

So the teams have made their way out of the tunnel and the national anthems are about to get underway…

------------------------------

Starting XI’s:

England

Joe Hart, Glen Johnson, John Terry, Joleon Lescott, Ashley Cole, Steven Gerrard (c), Scott Parker, James Milner, Ashley Young, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck

Italy

Gianluigi Buffon (c), Ignazio Abate, Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Federico Balzaretti, Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, Riccardo Montolivo, Daniele De Rossi, Mario Balotelli, Antonio Cassano

Pregame Banter:

Italy is restoring pride in a tarnished national game while England is shaking off past inhibitions.

The European Championship is turning out better than expected for the English and Italians, who meet on Sunday in the quarterfinals.

The Italians are providing a welcome distraction from another match-fixing scandal at home after setting out in the tournament under siege from fans - and the police.

England also entered Euro 2012 at a low ebb after a hastily appointed new coach was given the task of putting together a team which could just compete credibly.

But they've already managed to register a first competitive victory over Sweden and triumph over the host of a European Championship when they beat Ukraine to advance as group winners.

In Kiev, England's task will be to chalk up a more significant first - beating a major footballing power in the knockout rounds of a tournament away from home soil.

Not surprisingly, coach Roy Hodgson believes that victory would give England "a bit of an extra glow.

"It would put one of those nasty statistics for a team of England's stature to rest," he says.

Previous knockout victories outside England have been restricted to the World Cups against Paraguay (1986), Belgium and Cameroon (1990), Denmark (2002) and Ecuador (2006).

England's last meeting with Italy in a tournament saw the hosts win the third-place match at the 1990 World Cup. Italy also defeated England 1-0 in the Euro 1980 group stage.

While England is battling the weight of history, the Azzurri are progressing at Euro 2012 despite Italian football being immersed in police investigations. It's not unfamiliar territory for the Italians, who won the 2006 World Cup after a domestic footballing scandal.

Defender Leonardo Bonucci remains in the squad despite being investigated for allegedly helping fix matches while he played for Bari in Serie B in 2009-10.

Keeping the Euro 2012 run going is helping to restore some pride in Italian football, though the side plays down the trouble back home.

"We don't really take it as extra motivation - this team always has great professionals and great players," midfielder Daniele De Rossi says. "It's just a characteristic that Italians carry. Overcoming difficulties is in our DNA."

Pride appears to have been restored in the England team for very different reasons.

Fabio Capello's sudden resignation in February threw the side's Euro 2012 plans into turmoil. But like Italy, the English progressed through the group stage unbeaten and even the public back home appears to be falling back in love with the team.

"There's definitely a spirit there," midfielder Scott Parker says.

"People say spirit doesn't win you tournaments, but, ultimately, that's our base. I'd like to think we have that base back."

"Trust me," he adds. "It goes a very long way. You don't want to be surrounded by negativity, or reading things that aren't nice about yourselves or the team."

The team has been immersed in Italian influences since 2008 due to Capello.

And the man set to lead the Italian strike force is also very familiar to them: Manchester City's Mario Balotelli.

England players will also know just how easily the hotheaded striker is prone to losing his cool on the pitch. So will they try to rattle him?

"I'm too much the purist coach to go along that line ... I'm sure if he misbehaves they'll have a word in his ear," Hodgson says.

Wayne Rooney up front for England is every bit as prone to allowing his fiery side to boil over. After all, he was forced to sit out the first two group stage matches after being suspended for kicking an opponent in the last qualifier.

But Italy captain Gianluigi Buffon says: "He's the driving force of their team."

To stifle Italy's flair, Hodgson has stressed the need to remaine disciplined just like in the previous five unbeaten matches since he took charge.

"The particular challenge with Italy is in the midfield area where they have a lot of very gifted and experienced players," Hodgson says. "Players who are technically good on the ball."

Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker could have a busy night in the Ukrainian capital shackling Andrea Pirlo, the passing and set piece maestro.

"We'll make certain the wide players won't get themselves too wide to leave gaps to the side of our central midfield players, and one of the two front players will drop a bit deeper to avoid the two central ones being dragged forward," says Hodgson, who worked with Pirlo at Inter Milan.

While England has no injury problems, Italy on Sunday could sorely miss top defender Giorgio Chiellini, whose tournament could be over due to a leg injury.

That isn't concerning another defender, Leonardo Bonucci, too much.

"From the play shown thus far we can say that Italy is stronger than England," he says. "But other factors come into play on the pitch, such as ruthlessness and the desire to win, which we don't lack."

3 News

 

 

 

source: newshub archive