Uruguay and Italy have reached this final of the U-20 World Cup in very different ways. Although both have suffered a lot in some sections, They base their game on opposing styles. Uruguay more physical, Italy more technical.
“Italian football was historically defensive, but everything changes and improves. Now we think about having the ball, playing in the opponent’s field and being protagonists from possession of the ball, towards that we are evolving”, said Nunziata, the Italian coach, in the preview. He has players who make you want to pass the ball to them. Baldanzi may be the most talented, but he is surrounded by others like Ambrosino or Casadei, the tournament’s top scorer (7 goals). And from the bench others are waiting like Pafundi, who qualified for the final with a great free-kick in the 86th minute.
Technical players who will fight against the grass of La Plata, which was already affected enough in the semifinals last Thursday between Italy itself and South Korea. The Uruguayan style is better adapted to it, which Ignacio Sosa defined very clearly: “We have three eggs, not two.” He is one of those who personify the Uruguayan way of playing. A number 15 (he exchanged his shirt with Fede Valverde, who was present in the semifinals to support his compatriots) will fight for a place in the eleven with Damián García because Luciano Rodríguez returns.
The right winger from Liverpool from Montevideo was sent off in the round of 16 and banned for the next two rounds. He arrived as one of Uruguay’s stars after the great U-20 South American he played at the beginning of the year, but in this tournament he has yet to score. With the doubts of Ferrari and Abaldowill be one more warrior for Broli. “There is no fatigue, we are going to give the rest. Beyond the names, what we are not going to give up is our way of playing, we are very clear about that”, explained the coach of a team that has left a clean sheet in five of the six games they have played these weeks in Argentina.