CET6W世界杯看点：意大利悲情告别南非

In Rome, thousands of fans who packed into Villa Borghese to watch the game on a jumbo screen quickly turned against the defending champions when Slovakia scored its first goal. 'Lippi go home! Shame on you!' the crowd chanted.

The Italians entered the match dead even in Group F with New Zealand, each having two points and the same number of goals and differential. Some observers expected the Italians to drop their signature defensive approach in favor of forcing action. But during the first half anyway the Italians displayed little flair or energy on either offense or defense.

Four hours away in Polokwane, Paraguay and New Zealand's match Thursday turned into a blase, scoreless draw, so the Italians knew they needed a victory to avoid drawing lots for survival. Yet time and again the players struck the classic pose of this defensively minded soccer nation -- sprawling on the ground, palms up, pleading with the referee, or perhaps God, for help.

The Slovakians began the game in last place in the group but with the victory leapfrogged the Italians and Kiwis to earn a spot in the knockout round as the runner-up in Group F. The result was jubilation for a team that had been maligned in the Slovakian press for a loss and tie in its first two games. 'After the birth of my son, this is the greatest day of my life,' said Slovakian coach Vladimir Weiss. 'I want to say thank you to all of the people of Slovakia.'

It was an unlovable group of Italians that displayed such malaise Thursday. They played without the joy and swagger of the Paolo Rossi/Roberto Baggio squads that made so many fans across the globe fall for the Azzurri, whose blue jerseys became a worldwide icon.

They looked like the 2007 New York Yankees, a team of aging veterans to whom Mr. Lippi (think Joe Torre with a soccer ball) stayed faithful even as fans pushed for new blood.

Slovakia, meanwhile, chased every ball in every zone, acting every bit the part of a team on life support. It paid off in the 25th minute as Juraj Kucka intercepted a sloppy pass from the Italian backline, nudged a through ball to a cutting Robert Vittek, who then rolled a beautiful shot inside the left goal post past a diving goalkeeper.

Finally waking up to the impending disaster, Fabio Quagliarella nearly hit the equalizer in the 67th minute as goalkeeper Jan Mucha rolled on the ground out of position. But in a play typical of their effort, Slovakian defender Martin Skrtel was on the goal line to block the shot with his knee.

In the 73rd minute Mr. Vittek stuck a dagger into the Italians when he out-hustled defender Giorgio Chiellini to a cross and tapped the ball into the corner of the net.

Then the Italians mounted a furious effort, breaking through in the 81st minute as Antonio Di Natale knocked in a rebound. The goal set off the longest 10 minutes in Slovakian sports history, as the Italians attacked relentlessly leaving back just a single defender, and only a controversial offsides call in the 85th minute kept Mr. Quagliarella from equalizing again. Three minutes later Kamil Kopunek sent the Azzurri faithful to the exits, beating two defenders and Mr. Marchetti to a throw-in and hitting in a one-touch loop for the final insult.

Mr. Quagliarella's goal in stoppage time was too little too late. Mr. Mucha bounded off his line to punch two more Italian attacks out of harm's way. As the Italians shuffled off in shock, the Slovakians joined arms in a folk dance at midfield.

In Rome, fans walked away from group viewings in silence. 'This is a humiliation for the world champs,' said Giuseppe Teano, a 59 year-old who works for the Italian carrier Alitalia and watched the match in Villa Borghese.

His 14 year-old son, Luigi, called the match 'a 90-minute nightmare.'

足球对于意大利人来说不是宗教信仰，而是歌剧。周四，在约翰内斯堡埃利斯公园球场，卫冕冠军意大利队上演了一出堪比歌剧《游吟诗人》(Il Trovatore)的悲剧。

2比3，在一场黯淡的比赛中，意大利被世界杯新军斯洛伐克横刀斩落马下。这是蓝衣军团自1974年来首次止步于小组赛。

“我为球队的失利负全部的责任。”赛后，曾带领球队获得2006年世界杯冠军的主教练里皮(Marcello Lippi)说，“如果一只球队在这样关键的一场比赛中，心理上和身体上都没有做好准备，没有充分展现出他们的能力，这就说明球队的教练没有做好他该做的事情。”

在赛后的检讨中，里皮向球迷道歉，向他的球员道歉，向意大利人民道歉，向他在意大利足协里的老板道歉。他说，我没有把球队训练好。

在意大利首都罗马，成千上万的球迷聚集在波各赛公园的大屏幕前观看了比赛。当斯洛伐克打进全场第一个球后，球迷们当场倒戈。他们大喊：里皮下课！你真可耻！

本场比赛之前，意大利和同组的新西兰同积2分，在净胜球和胜负关系上也完全一样。一些足球分析人士预计意大利会放弃他们标志性的防守反击打法，在小组最后一场比赛中加强进攻。但在上半场比赛中，意大利队无论是进攻还是防守都没有展现出任何能力，更谈不上激情。

11位不可爱的意大利人踢了一场毫不赏心悦目的比赛。他们完全踢不出当年金童保罗•罗西（Paolo Rossi）或者忧郁王子罗伯特•巴乔（Roberto Baggio）所率领的军团那种快乐和华丽。他们领军的意大利队引发了全世界球迷对蓝色军团的狂热，他们的蓝色比赛服也风靡全球。

现在的这支意大利队全是一群高龄老将。球迷们强烈要求球队注入新鲜血液，可是主教练里皮却如闻耳旁风，不予理睬。

与意大利对斯洛伐克的比赛同时举行的小组另一场对决由在波罗克瓦尼的彼得莫卡巴球场进行，巴拉圭和新西兰0比0闷平。意大利人知道，他们需要一场胜利才能避免就此出局。然而，这只满脑子想着防守的球队在场上一次次地上演他们的经典动作：四肢伸开躺在地上，摊开双手，恳求裁判（也许是上帝）帮他们一把。

小组赛首轮战罢时，斯洛伐克在F组原本积分垫底。前两场一负一平的战绩令斯洛伐克队饱受国内媒体抨击。但是凭借这场胜利，他们超过意大利和新西兰，以小组第二的身份晋级淘汰赛。这样的结果无疑是洛伐克主教练魏斯（Vladimir Weiss）说，这是自儿子出生后，我生命里最重要的一天。

罗马的球迷们默不作声地散场。59岁的Giuseppe Teano就职于意大利航空公司（Alitalia），他在波各赛公园观看了这场比赛。他说，这样的失利对于世界冠军来说，是耻辱。

而他14岁的儿子Luigi则将这场比赛比喻成90分钟的恶梦。