Italy U20 Coach Paolo Nicolato is preparing for the World Cup quarter-final, but admits they “should’ve killed off the game earlier” against Poland.
Andrea Pinamonti’s chipped penalty proved enough to beat the hosts, although they dominated the first half and were pinned back after the break, relying on Milan goalkeeper Alessandro Plizzari.
Italy U20 Coach Paolo Nicolato is preparing for the World Cup quarter-final, but admits they “should’ve killed off the game earlier” against Poland.
Andrea Pinamonti’s chipped penalty proved enough to beat the hosts, although they dominated the first half and were pinned back after the break, relying on Milan goalkeeper Alessandro Plizzari.
“The only regrets are that we should’ve killed off the game earlier, because we were doing so well,” Nicolato told Rai Sport.
“In the final 20 minutes, we felt a bit tired and started to struggle, especially as Poland are a very physical side.
“Obviously, I am satisfied with these lads, more every day. I am not even thinking of whether we’ll face Argentina or Mali in the quarter-final, but we’ll be ready no matter who we take on.
“Reaching this stage is an achievement for a team like ours, so we’ll see what happens.”
For the first time, Italy have reached the quarter-finals of the U20 World Cup for two editions in a row.