LONDON. Oct 8. (Agencies): Eight months ago. Italy was on a high after becoming the first team to
beat England at Wembley in a World Cup game. England were reeling as they faced the danger of missing soccer's greatest showcase for the second time in
How things have changed.
England are now in the driver's seat as the two European soccer giants meet Saturday in a decisive World Cup qualifier in Rome.
The English need only a tie to win their group and qualify automatically for next year's finals in France. Italy, the 1994 runners-up. must win — or else face a tricky playoff.
The showdown in Rome is getting such huge media coverage in England it's almost as though the World Cup final has come 10 months early. In Italy, there has been much less hype.
as if the Italians fear the worst.
An English success Saturday will mean so much to the game in the nation which calls itself the birthplace of soccer.
Four years ago. the national team was in disarray after Graham Taylor's blundering team failed to qualify for the 1994 finals in the United States. After months of cruel mockery from the media. Taylor quit and the nation looked to his successor. Terry Venables, to put a smile back on the face of English soccer.
The former Barcelona and Tottenham coach quickly restored pride and took England to the semifinals of the 1996 European Championship, where it lost in a penalty • shootout to the eventual winner. Germany.
Hoddle has maintained Venables' upward trend and created an imaginative team far different from the hit-and-hope performers under Taylor.
With up to seven players
available from the Manchester United team that downed Italian champion Juventus 3-2 in the Champions Cup last week. Hoddle already has a psychological edge over Italian coach Cesare Maldini. even though Italy is at home and downed England 1-0 at Wembley in February.
But England has improved since then, winning the Tournoi de France series of exhibition games in the summer — beating Italy 2-0 in the process. The Italians, meanwhile lost the Group 2 leadership with a 0-0 Ue at Georgia in their last game.
"I don’t think Italy are a very good team any more, said Don Howe, who coached England over two decades and has a wealth of knowledge of soccer at international level.
They are not invincible any more and the way English soccer has improved recently will surely give Maldini further headaches. There is no doubt that the Italians are very worried."
While the papers carry photos of the English players laughing and relaxing at training. Maldini. whose son Paolo captains the team, appears tense and under fire from his media. If Italy fails to win Saturday and then flops in the playoffs for second-place teams, he will be surely be looking for another job.
Giving nothing away about his likely formation at Rome's Olympic Stadium on Saturday. Maldini continued to play down the game, saying: "In my career as coach. I've played in all sorts of big matches. Some went well, some went badly. This is another important match, for met. for everyone.”
Maldini was reticent about his line-up. "everyone in the squad could play. Even if I've no real doubts. I'm still cauUous. I want to see how training goes today, tomorrow and on Friday and then I'll decide..I will name the side on Friday or Saturday."
For the Ume being, Maldini's biggest concern is the suspect fitness of the experience Ciro Ferrara, who pulled a muscle during Sunday's 2-1 league win of Juventus against Fiorentina.
Ferrara was due to undergo further medical tests on Wednesday while a definite decision on his participation will most likely be delayed until Friday.
If Ferrara is ruled out. then he will probably be replaced by Lazio's Alessandro Nesta.
Apart from Ferrara. Maldini's only other problem concerns his midfield replacement for the suspended Roberto di Matteo of Chelsea.
At the moment. Lazio’s Diego Fuser seems the favourite to line up with Dino Baggio and Demetrio Albertini.