Updates and news
The aim of this website is to collect all knowledge and analyse every aspect of Italia'90. The site is a work in progress, with also published material being continuously revised. We will only begin publishing match reports from the 1990 World Cup tournament when all qualifiers have been covered. We are currently (August 2019) working on UEFA qualifiers Group 5 and also revising qualifying Group 1.
Next up:
– Scotland v France, March 1989 qualifier (by Domizio)
To receive updates on twitter, please follow @1990qual (kaltz) and @1990worldcup (Domizio).
Scotland 2-1 Cyprus (UEFA group 5)
On this occasion, there is admittedly not a whole lot that we've got to go on. Our tape from the game consists merely of highlights, and clocks in at just over 13 minutes in total. Fortunately, we do have some knowledge about both teams from previous qualifiers, and also from Scotland's friendly away to Italy, so we are able to say with a sound level of confidence how the two teams shape up.
The Hampden stands appear well populated, apart from the curva to the cameras' right, where there's huge areas with no people at all. This will later reflect in the attendance figure, which is some 15k lower than against France the previous month. Still, over 50 000 for a game against Cyprus must be considered solid.
Austria 0-1 Italy (friendly)
25 March 1989, Vienna: Early on, you often find yourself looking for something which can break the mundanity of players interpassing in order to find their rhythm, such as an unexpected manoeuvre. On this occasion, it arrives with just two and a half minutes on the clock, after some highly expected charged battles in the centre of the pitch. While I say 'unexpected', I guess that is what you should be anticipating from Austria's defender Kurt Russ. He's hardly an orthodox player, just sticking to his position and looking after his man, such as is the case on this occasion, with him being set up as a man-marking centre-back. Russ accepts a pass from midfield man Andy Herzog from the left, and seems to be in with a shout. However, his quick dash is quickly brought to a halt when he's scythed down by Italy captain Giuseppe Bergomi. He'd made it as far up the pitch as 30 yards from goal. It was not your household centre-back move, but it was an inspired moment by the First Vienna man. Read more...
Previously: Czechoslovakia v Switzerland (1989 qualifier)
Previously: Wales v Netherlands (1989 qualifier)
From the news archives
One of the last qualifiers covered at italia1990.com is Iceland v Soviet Union (31 August 1988) from UEFA Group 3, provided by our writer kaltz. In addition, we give you the front page of the Icelandic newspaper Tíminn on 1 September 1988: Its headline was not so much the result of the game, as the naked person who entered the field. This is allegedly the first time this phenomenon was witnessed on a sporting venue on the island. Insular innocence stolen.
(Thanks to @WC1930blogger for notifying us.)
From the archives
Greece 1-4 Yugoslavia, 5 April 1989
Group 7 Quiz
Who was Belgium's regular libero in the 1990 qualifiers? And who's the player in the middle in the picture to the right? Test your UEFA qualification group 7 knowledge with our new group 7 quiz. Difficulty level: Difficult . . .