Italy fails to qualify for this summer’s World Cup
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Supporters of the Italian soccer team packed bars around the North End of Boston Tuesday afternoon. Italy was playing in the final qualifying matchup to decide if they would make it to the World Cup this summer.
Italy was on the road against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The winner of the match would advance and qualify for soccer’s most popular tournament.
It was a solid start for the Italians. Striker Moise Kean scored 15 minutes into the match. The Azzurri had the lead and fans were feeling hopeful. Things changed with a few minutes to go before halftime.
Alessandro Bastoni made a poor tackle and was given a red card. Italy was now down to ten men for the rest of the game.
Bosnia was threatening and eventually got the equalizing goal in the 79th minute. The score was tied at 1-1 when extra time began. Nobody scored during the 30 extra minutes, and the game was decided on a penalty kick shootout.
Italy missed two of their chances. Bosnia had made their first three. One more and the game was over.
Former New England Revolution homegrown player Esmir Bajraktarevic took the shot. He buried the ball past Italy’s Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to win the match for Bosnia. Bajraktarevic made the shot to send Italy home. The 21-year-old Revolution academy graduate played for the Revs from 2022-2024.
Italy has not qualified for the past three World Cups. It’s a shocking run of poor play for a nation who has won the World Cup four times and as recently as 2006. Since 2006, their best finish at a world cup has been the group stages in 2010 and 2014 before not qualifying in 2018 or 2022.
Italy fans at Caffe dello Sport in the North End were frustrated and angry after blowing a lead that could have sent them to the World Cup.
“Disappointed three World Cups in a row, they’re not making it. It’s horrible. Disappointed,” one fan said. “My heart’s broken.”
Eddie Banks was one of the few Bosnia fans brave enough to watch the game at a pro-Italy spot in the city.
“We’re feeling great, obviously. Feeling ecstatic. After all these years we’re going to get to see them in the main stages like the World Cup,” Banks said. “We are neighbors in reality so we love the Italians but like I said somebody had to win and thank God it was us today.”
There were three other games for a European nation to claim one of the final spots in the World Cup.
-Sweden defeated Poland
-Turkey beat Kosovo
-Czechia beat Denmark
Turkey will join the United States, Australia, and Paraguay in Group D.
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