Azzurri qualities come to the fore
Monday, July 3rd, 2006
The ultimate triumph for coach Marcello Lippi was not so much the semi-final berth itself but the manner in which it was achieved. By their own thespian standards, Italy have strolled into the final four with minimum fuss and maximum application. Those qualities have been missing from Italian international outings in the last two tournaments.
The 3-0 quarter-final victory over Ukraine hinted that Italy may be finally firing on all cylinders. And while their main strength is derived from the back-line they are also starting to find their feet further up the park.