Rome (Italpress) – Thirty years after the World Cup, in which it lost the final on penalties to Brazil, and almost 19 years after the match against Ecuador in June 2005, Italy will prepare to play two friendly matches in preparation for the continental event. He will return to the United States next March to play friendly matches with Venezuela and Ecuador. Two trial tests, in view of Euro 2024, with two national teams in full swing for the next World Cup. On Thursday, March 21 (10pm Italian time, 5pm local time – live on Rai 1) at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, home of Inter Miami, the Azzurri will face Venezuela, while on Sunday, March 24 (9pm Italian time, 4pm local time). (Timing – Live on Rai 1) They will face Ecuador at Red Bull Arena, in the New York area, in Harrison, New Jersey (tickets for both matches can be purchased starting Tuesday, February 6 at www.ticketmaster.com). The national team's first time in the United States dates back to 1976, when the Azzurri were invited to participate in the Bicentennial Cup organized by the US Federation on the occasion of the bicentennial of the American Declaration of Independence.
Italy, led by Fulvio Bernardini and Enzo Bearzot, started with clear success against the hosts (4-0), then lost the next two matches to England (2-0 to 2-3) and Brazil (1-4). The last precedent in the United States dates back to June 2005. On June 8, Marcello Lippi's Italy drew 1-1 with Serbia and Montenegro (goals by Zigic and Cristiano Lucarelli), the same result as the second friendly match played on June 11 in East Rutherford. In the New York area (goals by Luca Toni and Aiovi). In these two races, Lippi tested many of the elements that he would later call upon for the 2006 World Cup (Baroni, Barzagli, Grosso, Udo, Iaquinta, Peruzzi, Toni and Zaccardo), and laid the foundations for victory in Berlin. And obviously there is the 94th World Cup for the USA, where Arrigo Sacchi's Italy, led by Roberto Baggio (top scorer of the USA national team with 5 goals), beat Nigeria, Spain and Bulgaria, and then surrendered in between. Penalty kicks in the final against Brazil. In general, the national team, which played in 7 stadiums and in 7 different states, played 16 matches in the United States, achieving 7 victories, 6 draws, and 3 defeats (scoring 20 goals and conceding 14 goals). It will be the first confrontation in history between Italy and Venezuela. Vinotinto has never participated in the final stage of the World Cup, but this long drought could be interrupted given that he currently ranks fourth (9 points in 6 races) in the South American qualifying group for the 2026 World Cup, where, under the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams, he will qualify. The top six in the group. There are two precedents with Ecuador: a victory for the Azzurri (2-0, two goals from Vieri) in the final stage of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea, and a draw (1-1, one goal from Toni) in a friendly match in 2005. New York. The “Tricolor” participated in 4 World Cup finals (2002, 2006, 2014 and 2022), and its best position was in 2006 (round of 16). In the qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup, after the defeat against Argentina, he achieved a series of 5 consecutive useful results (3 wins and 2 draws), but he has only 8 points in the standings due to a penalty kick (-3). ). – Photography by IPA – (ITALPRESS). Ari/com 02 Feb 24 15:27 .
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