Spalletti’s Italy flies to the U.S.
Spalletti's Italy flies to the USA
Thirty years after the World Cup that saw it lose in the final on penalty kicks to Brazil and almost 19 years after the match with Ecuador in June 2005, Italy will return to the United States in March to play friendlies with Venezuela and Ecuador. Two probing tests, ahead of Euro 2024, with two national teams in the running for the next World Cup.
On Thursday, March 21 (10 p.m. Italian time, 5 p.m. local – live on Rai 1) at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, home of Inter Miami, the Azzurri will take on Venezuela, while on Sunday, March 24 (9 p.m. Italian time, 4 p.m. local – live on Rai 1) they will take on Ecuador at the Red Bull Arena, in the New York area of Harrison, New Jersey.
The national team’s first time in the States was in 1976, when the Azzurri were invited to the Bicentennial Cup organized by the U.S. federation for the 200th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence. Italy, led by Fulvio Bernardini and Enzo Bearzot, debuted with a clear success against the hosts (4-0) before losing the next two matches to England (2-0 to 2-3) and Brazil (1-4). The’last precedent in the US è was in June 2005. On June 8, Marcello Lippi’s Italy drew 1-1 with then Serbia Montenegro (goals by Zigic and Cristiano Lucarelli), the same result as the second friendly played on June 11 in East Rutherford, N.Y. (goals by Luca Toni and Ayovi). In these two matches Lippi provò several elements that he would later summon to the 2006 World Cup (Barone, Barzagli, Grosso, Oddo, Iaquinta, Peruzzi, Toni and Zaccardo), laying the foundation for the Berlin triumph. In between there’è obviously the World Cup in USA ’94, in which after an uphill start Arrigo Sacchi’s Italy, dragged by Roberto Baggio (with 5 goals the National team’s top scorer in the States), overcame Nigeria, Spain and Bulgaria only to surrender on penalties in the final with Brazil. Overall, the national team, which played in 7 stadiums and in 7 different states, played 16 matches in the USA, with a balance of 7 wins, 6 draws and 3 losses (20 goals scored, 14 conceded).
It will be the first face-off in history between Italy and Venezuela. The ‘Vinotinto’ has never taken part in the final phase of a World Cup, but this long fast could be broken since it currently occupies the 4° place (9 points in 6 matches) in the South American qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup, where by virtue of the World Cup’ enlargement to 48 teams the top 6 in the group will qualify. On the other hand, there are 2 previous meetings with Ecuador: success for the Azzurri (2-0, Vieri’s double) in the final phase of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea and a draw (1-1, Toni’s goal) in the 2005 friendly in New York. The ‘Tricolor’ boasts 4 World Cup appearances (2002, 2006, 2014 and 2022), with the best finish in 2006 (Round of 16). In the qualification round for the 2026 World Cup, after the defeat at home to Argentina, it has strung together a series of 5 consecutive useful results (3 wins and 2 draws), but in the standings it has only 8 points due to a penalty (-3).
