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SPORTS Diasabra 10 Juli 2021
Calling time: Restrained refs kept Euro 2020 games flowing

checks that it might not seem Unlike competitions, includ- mark player, Mathias Jensen.
one is even taking place. ing the Premier League, calls
like offside aren’t being dis- “It was the correct decision,”
In Sunday’s final at Wemb- sected on television forensi- Stones said. “He’s been
ley Stadium, Dutch referee cally with dotted lines and bumped from two sides.”
Björn Kuipers will oversee detailed geometry.
the match between England It produced a European
and Italy. “The time that is taken for Championship record 16th
the decisions has been really penalty, which was saved but
“We want the minimum in- quick,” Stones said. “It seems England captain Harry Kane
terference for the maximum that sometimes from our scored from the rebound.
(AP) — Playing at the Eu- turn on-field decisions cuts benefit and we want to inter- point of view, we want it to
ropean Championship has out pauses in games. vene (only) for clear and ob- be kind of checked a little bit Italy midfielder Marco Ver-
been a very welcome feel- vious mistakes,” UEFA chief more.” ratti, however, thought Eng-
ing for England defender “They wanted everything to refereeing officer Robert Ro- land was fortunate to be
John Stones. Thanks, in go quite swiftly and move setti said during the tourna- Not so on Wednesday, per- awarded the spot kick that led
part, to the refereeing. and keep the game flow- ment. haps, when Raheem Ster- to the 2-1 win.
ing,” Stones said Friday. “I’d “We need to find the correct ling won the penalty that led
While Premier League games like to see that maybe defi- balance in the line of inter- to England’s winner against “If I was the referee I wouldn’t
are often punctuated by long nitely coming to the Premier vention, because our target is Denmark in the semifinals. have awarded a penalty,” Ver-
pauses for drawn-out video League next season if they can to keep football like it is. It’s Bursting into the penalty area ratti said. “I think it was a bit
review checks, that hasn’t kind of, not speed the game, not acceptable to study all the in extra time, Sterling ap- of a generous penalty. But
been the case over the last but keep it flowing a little bit minor pushing or pulling, or peared to lose his balance fol- that’s part of soccer, it can
month with refereeing over- more. That would be a good minor contacts and marginal lowing a challenge by Joakim happen. It was an important
seen by UEFA at Euro 2020. thing that’s probably come contacts independently. The Maehle. The winger eventu- goal, because obviously they
A higher threshold for inter- out of this tournament.” laws of the game are clear.” ally fell to the ground after won the match, but it was a
vening to potentially over- So quick are some of the VAR a nudge from another Den- generous

Euro 2020 final: Where Italy and England can win or lose

Phillips gives the team a solid the most attacking depth of to the biggest game of his goal — and that came from
base, they should be over- all teams in the tournament coaching career, can he still the only successfully con-
matched. along with France, which make the right call? There are verted direct free kick of the
could be crucial if the final fewer doubts about Mancini, tournament. With Southgate
“The games against Spain (in goes to extra time. Italy’s king of cool on the often preferring two defen-
the semifinals) and England sidelines. sive midfielders sitting in
will be very different,” Ver- Italy’s squad isn’t quite so front of his back four, Eng-
ratti said. “The midfield is a stacked with high-profile WEAK AREAS land’s opponents can have
key section. We can perhaps names, especially up front, little space to operate.
make the difference there but has midfielder Manuel The semifinals perhaps high-
and must dictate the pace of Locatelli — one of the best lighted a couple of areas to be Italy’s defensive robustness
(AP) — It’s being billed as the game.” players in the group stage — exploited within two teams goes back decades and re-
the best team of the tour- and some reliable defenders containing few obvious mains a proud trait of the na-
nament against, in effect, Expect Mason Mount, Eng- in reserve. weaknesses. tional team. In all but one of
the host nation. land’s attacking midfielder, to Italy’s 38 matches since Man-
play a little deeper to help out COACHES’ CALLS England goalkeeper Jor- cini took charge in May 2018,
The European Champion- Rice and Phillips, or even po- dan Pickford came into the the team has conceded either
ship final between Italy and tentially a change of system. One is a Premier League- tournament as possibly the zero or one goal.
England at Wembley Sta- winning manager with ex- team’s biggest concern, yet
dium on Sunday has all the BENCH DEPTH perience of coaching in three has been virtually error-free There have been 23 clean
makings of a tight and tense other countries and a num- until a ragged performance sheets in that time, with
title match.
This is probably England’s ber of Europe’s top clubs. against Denmark when his Leonardo Bonucci and Gior-
biggest strength. Get this: The other’s only stint in club kicking was poor and his oft- gio Chiellini enduring figures
Here’s where the game could The full backs from Chelsea’s management lasted three questioned composure was at the heart of the defense.
be won and lost: Champions League-winning years and saw him get rel- shown up. They’re so close, they’re go-
team, Reece James and Ben egated. ing on vacation together after
MIDFIELD DISPARITY Chilwell, have played one As for Italy, England likely the tournament.
game between them at Euro Euro 2020 is showing, how- will have noticed Spain fre-
Midfield is the department 2020. ever, that Southgate’s abilities quently getting in behind “They have those two war-
where Italy undoubtedly has should not necessarily be re- Italy left back Emerson Palm- riors at the back who have
the edge in terms of quality The two players England garded as inferior to Roberto ieri, who came in as the re- seen all this before,” South-
and experience. coach Gareth Southgate was Mancini’s — at international placement for injured starter gate said.
able to bring on at the start of level, anyway. Leonardo Spinazzola.
Marco Verratti is one of the extra time against Denmark The potential for a 0-0 draw
few genuinely world-class in the semifinals were Jordan Southgate has had a set ap- Emerson, who only appeared should not be ruled out.
midfielders at the tourna- Henderson, the Champions proach this tournament, fleetingly for Chelsea this
ment, Jorginho is a newly League and Premier League- modelled on the pragmatic season, is a naturally attack-
crowned Champions League winning captain of Liver- way France won the World ing full back and could leave
winner and is the conductor pool, and Phil Foden, widely Cup in 2018, where system gaps behind him, especially
of play in front of the de- regarded as the future star of and structure has trumped if Italy loses possession and
fense, while Nicolo Barella English soccer. Among the the temptation of bowing to England can break quickly.
— at age 24, the youngest of unused subs were Manches- an individual player, however
the trio — has been a revela- ter United forwards Marcus high-profile or talented they TIGHT DEFENSES
tion coming off a title-win- Rashford and Jadon Sancho, are.
ning season at Inter Milan. a player who has just been These have been the two best
signed for $100 million from Almost every call Southgate defenses at Euro 2020.
While England’s hard-work- Borussia Dortmu has made has proved to be
ing, central-midfield pairing England probably has had the right one. When it comes England has conceded one
of Declan Rice and Kalvin