Northern Ireland v USA

Words Nigel Tilson

NORTHERN IRELAND LOSE 2-0 TO ITALY IN OPENING WORLD CUP QUALIFIER Northern Ireland began their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualification campaign with a disappointing 2-0 defeat to group favourites Italy in Parma on Thursday.

The four-times world champions, with their attacking verve and slick passing, did the damage in the first half with clinical finishes from Domenico Berardi and Ciro Immobile. However, it was not all one-way traffic as Northern Ireland had their chances in the second half in the European Qualifying Group C encounter at the Stadio Ennio Tardini. Italy opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Alessandro Florenzi found the lively Berardi down the right. He beat the offside trap, cut inside and sped towards goal before slamming the ball high into the net from an angle. The Azzurri’s forwards and attacking midfielders, with their clever one-twos, were on the front foot for most of the first half and doubled their lead in the 39th minute thanks to a swift counter attack. A rare first half Northern Ireland raid on the Italian goal was broken up and the ball fed to Immobile down the left. The striker raced forward, with Craig Cathcart unable to catch him, and fired the ball low into the corner of the net from 15 yards.

After the break Northern Ireland almost got in when a Josh Magennis flick-on was met by Whyte whose rasping effort from 12 yards found the side netting. Whyte then pounced on a poor back pass from Manuel Locatelli but his effort was blocked by Italian keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma who moments later pushed away a close range strike from Michael Smith. Another Smith drive was deflected over the top before Magennis got on the end of a Jonny Evans cross and the striker’s flick was palmed away by Donnarumma. Stuart Dallas broke down the left and fed substitute George Saville but the Italian defence snuffed out the attack. Steven Davis, who equalled Peter Shilton's British international caps record of 125 on the night, was more influential in the second half with some neat, incisive passing. Davis let fly in the 83rd minute, although his strike was comfortably dealt with by Donnarumma. And towards the end the Northern Ireland captain produced a neat reverse pass to the onrushing McNair who blasted over the top.

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