Games were two. One, friendship, it was quarrelsome. Another, with Breira, who simply asked to deploy Rocco’s Padua defense
Trembling, trembling, the Northern Irish witches returned. Mancini’s Italy will play a pass for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Monday evening in Belfast. Sixty-three years ago, to be precise, he was eliminated from the World Cup for the first time in Belfast, Italy. Unforgettable fight and then losing game. A double black Wednesday, the first in December and the second in January.
Belfast, 4 December 1957. Northern Ireland-Italy, 1958 World Cup qualifiers in Sweden. A draw is enough to win. Coach Alfredo Phoni: Scudeto won with Bolt in 1953 and 1954 with Inter. But he changes to the national team. Within all criminal origins: Giggia, Schiafino, Montori, Da Costa.
The first game is a bluff. The Hungarian referee prevents Salt from reaching Belfast. His plane crashed in London. The Irish, seeing that the stadium was full, promised the Azzurri to play a friendly match anyway. Break the trap. The Irish will be used to soothe the nerves of the Italian players in view of the valid competition for the World Cup.
Chiapella told us about the fight that took place that Wednesday in Belfast in December of the years he came to coach Napoli. Irish referee Mitchell led the match. Bash from Orby in the game, fist fight between players. “It was a boxing match. Ferrario and I handled it well, we were as big as the Irish and we brought down many of them, ”Chiapella said. The friendly ended 2-2.
The qualifying competition was held on Wednesday, January 15, 1958. The atmosphere in the stadium was good enough for what happened in December.
Phony was accused of not deploying a defensive formation to remove the required tie. Brera instructed the technical commissioner to play Rocco-trained Padova’s defense. Phony made a busted formation: Bugatti (Naples); Vincenzo (Inter), Corradi (Juventus); Inverness (Inter), Ferrario (Juventus), Segato (Fiorentina); Gigia (Rome), Schiafino (Milan), Pivatelli (Bologna), Montori (Fiorentina), da Costa (Rome).
Midwives McCloy (13 ‘) and Kush (28’) scored in the first half. Da Costa (56) scored in the second half. Twenty minutes from the end, Zsolt sent Giggle to a response foul. There was no way to balance. This is the first time Italy has lost the World Cup.
Northern Ireland-Italy match on Monday for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In each qualifying round the first will go directly to Qatar and the second will face the playoffs with the other runners-up. We are not in the dramatic situation of 1958, but we are close to it.
Victory this time around is inevitable as Switzerland will be able to claim the top spot in the group by hosting a much-asked Bulgaria. The Irish are not qualified either, but they know their fighting prowess and pride. At home, they drew with Switzerland and Bulgaria (0-0), beating Lithuania 1-0. Clean sheet in three home games of world qualification. Not a good sign.
Prone to fits of apathy. Unable to type with boxing gloves on. Internet advocate. Avid travel enthusiast. Entrepreneur. Music expert.
