Pirlo predicts tough task for ‘scared’ Italy

Sweden’s Jacob Johansson celebrates scoring the winner against Italy. (AP)

LONDON: Former playmaker Andrea Pirlo joined the criticism after Italy’s 1-0 defeat to Sweden on Friday left the four-time champions on the brink of missing out on the World Cup for the first time in 60 years.
Italy, whose last failure to qualify for the finals was in 1958, have to beat Sweden by two goals in the return leg tomorrow in Milan to avoid what the head of the federation Carlo Tavecchio has dubbed the “Apocalypse.”
But their toothless performance on Friday — the latest in a series of lacklustre displays — has done nothing to reassure their supporters that Gian Piero Ventura’s side is up to the task.
“Italy looked like a scared team that was playing for a 0-0 draw. In Europe, that is not enough,” Pirlo told Sky Sport Italia.
The 38-year-old, who confirmed his retirement last week, also had little sympathy for Ventura’s complaints about the referee.
“It’s a red herring,” he said. “Playing in Europe is not like in Italy, where you get a free kick for even the slightest contact.
“In these matches you need to be above all that and give 100 percent; it’s in these matches that you see the real players.
“It will be tough for Ventura to find the right words to say to the group.”
• Anthony Hudson has backed his New Zealand side to get the result they need to make it to Russia after they held Peru to a 0-0 draw in Wellington.
The hosts overcame a lack of possession and territory to get the result against their more fancied opponents, with All Whites’ goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic making a series of impressive saves in the intercontinental playoff first-leg.
Ryan Thomas had arguably the best chance but his 85th-minute shot flashed centimeters wide of the right-hand post and the sides head to Lima all square ahead of the second-leg on Wednesday.
“It is a really strong result for us, big result and we are pleased with where we are at,” All Whites coach Hudson said.
“But our feet are right on the ground. We haven’t achieved anything yet. We still want to get to Russia. All we have to do is score one goal and that puts added pressure on them.
“We are very confident we can go there and score.”
• Australia coach Ange Postecoglou accused the Honduras media of being disrespectful to his team and said his players had used it as motivation before Friday’s 0-0 draw in the first-leg of the playoff.
Australia missed a number of chances in San Pedro Sula but had the better of a scrappy game played on a soggy pitch and will head to the second-leg in Sydney on Wednesday confident of qualifying for the finals in Russia next year.
Postecoglou took exception to a local newspaper that dismissed his team as “11 kangaroos” in a headline and used the post-match press conference to berate the home journalists.
“Maybe you thought we were going to be easy,” Postecoglou said. “I saw in the newspaper you said it was 11 kangaroos out there, but kangaroos can play football, eh?
“We had two players (Aaron Mooy and Mat Ryan) who play in the (English) Premier League, we’ve got players in the first divisions in Europe.
“All I heard was we have a simple game plan and no stars — that was our motivation. We do our talking when the game comes.”