Italy coach Marcello Lippi did not waste any time in reviewing his team's 2-0 semi-final victory over Germany, staying awake during the night watching the entire game again on video.
DUISBURG: Italy coach Marcello Lippi did not waste any time in reviewing his team's 2-0 semi-final victory over Germany, staying awake during the night watching the entire game again on video.
"I'm tired, I just slept two hours because I wanted to watch the whole game again, including extra time," Lippi told a news conference on Wednesday.
"I went to bed at 5 am and I was up at seven as I usually am. I liked what I saw though, it confirmed the impression I had at the end of the game. We beat a quality side and there was everything you want from a game at that level," added the Italy coach.
"It was a very important victory, probably the most important of my career -- apart from Sunday's of course," Lippi said referring to the World Cup final in Berlin where Italy will face the winner's of Wednesday's semi-final between France and Portugal.
Lippi took a big gamble in extra time when he took off two midfielders and brought on strikers Vincenzo Iaquinta and Alessandro Del Piero and he said there had been a number of factors behind that tactical move.
Immediately after the game Lippi said that he had been keen to avoid the "lottery" of a penalty shootout, fearing that Italy would have struggled to win such a contest.
But on Wednesday he said that he had responded to the way the game had opened up as the players tired after a high-tempo 90 minutes.
"In the final stages the game became split between attack and defence and it was end-to-end. Now our defence is pretty good and we have a good keeper behind them so I wanted to find some quality in attack. Also with those players on the field we had a decent number of good penalty takers," said Lippi.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}