Brazil vs Italy (1982)

Brazil vs Italy (1982) was the final second round group stage match for Group C in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. The match was won by Italy 2-3 with Italian striker Paolo Rossi scoring a hat trick. The result eliminated Brazil from the tournament while Italy would go on to win it.

Brazil had won all five of their matches prior and were the pre-tournament favourites. ^[1][2] They were praised for their attacking style. Italy had come off an impressive 2-1 victory over Diego Maradona's Argentina. In the first round, however, Italy drew all three matches and qualified for the 2nd round on goals scored. Italy's striker Rossi had failed to score up to that point and there was considerable debate about whether he should be on the team.

The match put Brazil's attack against Italy's defence, with the majority of the game played around the Italian area, with the Italian midfielders and defenders returning the repeated set volleys of Brazilian shooters such as Zico, Sócrates and Falcao. Italian centre back Claudio Gentile was assigned to mark Brazilian striker Zico, earning a yellow card and a suspension for the following game against Poland. Enzo Bearzot's striker, Paolo Rossi, opened the scoring when he headed in Antonio Cabrini's cross with just five minutes played. Sócrates equalised for Brazil twelve minutes later. In the twenty-fifth minute Rossi stepped past Júnior, intercepted a pass across the Brazilians' goal, and drilled the shot home. The Brazilians threw everything in search of another equaliser, while Italy defended bravely. On 68 minutes, Falcao collected a pass from Junior and fired home from 20 yards out to draw the match. Now Italy had gained the lead twice thanks to Rossi's goals, and Brazil had come back twice; At 2–2, Brazil would have been through on goal difference, but at the 74th minute, a poor clearance from an Italian corner kick went back to the Brazilian six-yard line where Rossi and Francesco Graziani were waiting. Both aimed at the same shot, Rossi connecting to get a hat trick and sending Italy into the lead for good.

The result was seen by many as not only a defeat for Brazil, but a defeat of their attacking philosophy by the less talented but more organised Italians.^[3]

Match Details

References