Italy, Poland play to drab, 0-0, draw

Press, 16 June 1982, Page 14

Italy, Poland play to drab, 0-0, draw

NZPA-Reuter . Vigo Italy and Poland played to a dull 0-0 draw in their opening group one World Cup soccer match at Vigo yesterday morning. 'j It was the. first time in five World Cup campaigns that Italy has failed to winits opening match. The Italians, champions in 1934 and 1938, demonstrated all, the inhibitions that have marked their World Cup performances in recent years while,,, the Poles, emerging from a troubled domestic scene, performed with typical, dpggedness,. For: a period in the first half. it. seemed the .Italians might carry all before them •as /‘Giancarlo. Antognpni or-

- chestrated their play from the mid-field, setting , up a series of-probing attacks. . But the. effort evaporated .in the second half and, with the > flame-haired 3;..Zbignew . Boniek • playing superbly ■. well, it ..Was Poland who were more■ deserving, of a gqal. ... ■’ Even when they .'were pressing in the-first half,', the Italians lacked the.necessary' thrust in front of the goal and the side’s .manager, Enzo Bearzot, will have been particularly worried . by;;: the.. ..form of Paulo Rossi — his’ comeback after. a two-year suspension for alleged involvement in a bribery scan-. dal was far from His place may well be in ■ jeopardy for the remaining first-phase matches against Peru and Cameroon. Poland’s best spell came iri;

the opening minutes of the second half when three times it had free kicks in front of the, goal. From , one, the ? Italian , goal-keeper’. Dino Zoff? made an agile save from a deflection of Gaetano •Scirea. : ’ .Italy’s mounting lack .of success- and Poland's forthright approach brought . three bookings from the referee, Michel Vautro, of France — Giampjero Marini ?,and Gaetano Scirea, of Italy, and Boniek, of Poland. The game was played in cool, damp conditions before a crowd of about 30,000. Italy and Poland are paired with Peru and Cameroon — who met this morning in La Coruna — and both still have a good chance of the second phase of ' the 24-team competition.