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The Italians were
impressed by the Dutch demolition of Yugoslavia but say their
Euro 2000 semifinal in Amsterdam on Thursday will be a whole
different ball game.
"They're a great squad with great players who can change a
match at any moment," striker Francesco Totti said when asked
what he gleaned from the Netherlands' 6-1 quarter-final rout of
the Yugoslavs on Sunday.
"Kluivert, Davids, Zenden -- they have got five or six
players who are very important to the team."
But Totti said the expansive Dutch game would suit the
Italians down to the ground.
"Playing the way they do they leave a few holes behind their
midfield," he said. "We have created five or six good chances
per game so far. We have to do the same again and make the most
of them."
"It will be totally different from their Yugoslavia match,"
Totti vowed. "They'll be facing a team who can cause them a few
difficulties."
The Dutch produced perhaps the most fluid performance of the
tournament to crush the Yugoslavs and start as favourites
against an Italy side wich has carved out four functional but
unspectacular victories to reach the semis.

 

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Patrick Kluivert may stand alone in Europe after the three (four) killer goals he smashed against Yugoslavia, but come Thursday evening and the semi–final against Italy he will have a shadow called Alessandro Nesta.

Nesta has set his mind and his aims are clear – and he doesn’t want the Dutch hitman to get in the way.

“I’ve won the Italian Championship, the European Super Cup and the Italian Cup. Now I want to go all the way at Euro 2000. It will not be easy to beat Holland, but the odds are against us and the idea of playing with all the public against us is very exciting,” he said.

“If I play well and calmly it will all be thanks to our coach Dino Zoff. When I began playing with the national team I was very shy. Now I feel perfectly at ease as if I were playing with my club. I have Zoff to thank for that - he has really helped me out.”

 

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If Italy were supposed to be
shaking in their boots at the thought of facing the six-goal
Dutch in Wednesday's Euro 2000 semifinal, there was little skgn
of it at the Italian team camp on Monday.
The Netherlands may have won over their biggest critic Johan
Cruyff with their 6-1 destruction of Yugoslavia on Sunday but
Italy were staying cool and even London bookmakers were sticking
to their view that France would win the title.
By soccer tradition, Italy can be relied on to form an
immovable object every time someone else produces an
irresistible force.
So, predictably, there were no expressions of awe in the
Italian camp at hat-trick hero Patrick Kluivert's predatory
powers, Dennis Bergkamp's brio wih the ball or Edgar Davids's
midfield mastery.
Italy had spotted what the Netherlands team's four
unsuccessful opponents so far at Euro 2000 had not seen -- a
weakness in the Dutch game.
"They leave a few holes behind their midfield," forward
Francesco Totti said tartly.
"Playing the way they do is a bit risky, if you ask me,"
said captain Paolo Maldini.
Everybody was asking him, of course. Only Italy, who play
the Dutch in Thursday's semifinal in Amsterdam, stand between
the co-hosts and next Sunday's final in Rotterdam.
Cruyff, the greatest ever Dutch player, gave up sniping at
the team through the media and described their performance as
"fantastic".
He told the team to forget his harping and enjoy the future.
Bookmakers, nevertheless, insisted France, who play Portugal
in Brussels on Wednesday, remained favourites at 6-4 with the
Dutch second at 7-4.
Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard tried to calm down any signs of
euphoria and worried about whether left back Arthur Numan would
overcome a foot injury in time for the semifinal.

 

[Lazia]

Like "Tottina" said before: "I only fear the Dutch fans!".

AVANTI GRANDE LAZIO!
FORZA AZZURRI!

 

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THat is true..The mental state for the Italians is to keep they heads up high..
and play their game:::::

 

[nasty nick]

italy fear holland

 

[nasty nick]

italy don't fear anybody...........

 

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HOLLAND FEARS ITALY!!!!

 

[Abdul]

HOLLAND FEAR ITALY

 

[flarg]

The only problem is if there is a penalty shootout.. baad sh | t.

[Edited by flarg on 28-06-2000 at 17:56]

 

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If we end up in a penalty shoot that would really bite!
The odds are against us on this one..