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Football, two victories taking to the World Championship The first match with Hungary had left a bitter taste in our mouth. Italy took the lead twice but their rivals in the end managed to draw owing to errors made by the defence, thus spoiling Trapattoni's debut as the national team coach. After this interlude, with the two successive matches of Italy with Rumania and Georgia we expected to see a different group, i.e. a more dynamic and convincing team than that seen in early September. And as it always happens when the most winning trainer in Italy leads teams, positive results soon arrived. With respect to the match with Hungary, which was played at a time when Italian players still were not engaged in cup or championship tournaments, this time the Italian team proved to be in better form and mainly to be able to fit the tactical situations required by the two matches, which in theory were expected to be similar but then turned out to be very different. In the last weekend Italy first played at the San Siro stadium with Rumania, in theory our most dangerous rival in our way to qualify for the World championship in Japan and Korea in 2002.  However, right in the day when Maldini set his record of 113 matches played with the national team, a record set in the stadium where he grew up as a Milan player, Italy managed to easily win by 3-0, surprising everybody for its good game. The tactical scheme adopted, with Totti playing just behind the two forwards, finally seems to have solved the problem that complicated the life of many trainers before Trapattoni. First Vicini and Sacchi, then Maldini and Zoff: all of them had doubts about permanently placing a forward (Baggio-Zola-Del Piero) in the team with the risk of compromising the team tactical balance. Totti's recent exploits have brought together everybody. And Trapattoni, too, has made his debut with clearer ideas: in his opinion, Del Piero is not complementary to the Roman player, but is rather a valid substitute when Totti is absent.  Indeed, the three goals made to Hungary were the result of the combined action of Inzaghi, Del Vecchio and Totti. But good signals also came from the game shown and the effective schemes adopted by players. Only three days after it was the turn of Georgia to play with Italy at the "Conero" stadium of Ancona. It had to be an easier match than that played with the Rumanians, and instead it turned out to be a match to play with all necessary precautions.  Once again Trapattoni had to try another scheme, choosing Del Piero because Inzaghi was ill with influenza, in order to get over Georgia defence. But as soon as Italy took the lead thanks to a penalty for a foul against Totti, Trapattoni chose a midfielder to contrast theirs rivals' rapid game. After these two matches, thanks to whom Italy ranks first in its group, what mainly reassures us is how the team is managed. With respects to his predecessors, Trapattoni seems to have more experience in alternating players during the match as well as understanding their psychological conditions. There is still a long way for qualifying for the World championship, and it was the trainer himself who dampened all enthusiasm, by saying that Japan and Korea are still very far despite these two victories. But what really means is the fact that the experience our coach has accumulated in many years seems to be a guarantee for the future. And this firstly owing to his ability to choose players and roles at the right time. But also and above all thanks to the fact that Trapattoni is able to put up with the pressures that unavoidably affect the national team. His smiles, availability and self-confidence, when compared with the excessive silence or irritability of his predecessors, convey what every supporter asks for, i.e. the certainty that the Italian team is in good hands and that the task will be carried out with no straying.  Then, at the 2002 World Championship, Trapattoni, too, will finally have the occasion to prove his talent.  Paolo Ghisoni

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