ITALY IS ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN TEAMS OF THE WORLD AND IT HAS SOME OF THE GREATEST PLAYERS OF THE WORLD. ITALY DIDN'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING TO QUALIFY FOR THIS WORLD CUP BECAUSE THEY WERE THE RUNNERS UP OF THEWORLD CUP OF 1994. THIS TIME THEY HAD A HOPE TO WIN THE WORLD CUP BECAUSE THEY HAD PLAYERS LIKE ROBERTO BAZIO, D. B. BAZIO, MALDINI AND DEL PIERRO. EXCEPT ONE OF THEM ALL OF THESE ARE IN THE WORLD TEAM AND THEY ALL ARE VERY GOOD PLAYERS.

THIS TIME IN THE WORLD CUP THEY PLAYED VERY WELL IN THE FIRST ROUND BUT IN THE MATCH WITH CHILE THEY MADE A DRAW LUCKILY AND THEY ALMOST LOST TO THEM. BUT ANYWAY THEY QUALIFIED FOR THE SECOND ROUND AND ALSO WON THE SECOND ROUND EASILY. BUT IN THE QUARTER-FINALS THEY HAD TO PLAY AGAINST FRANCE. IT WOULD BE NO PROBLEM FOR ITALY TO WIN THE TEAM OF FRANCE OF 1994 BUT FRANCE GOT SOME VERY GOOD PLAYERS THIS TIME AND IT WAS A VERY CHALENGING MATCH AND THEY ENDED UP IN THE GAME WITH A DRAW SCORE.

AFTER THAT THEY HAD ADDED SOME MORE TIME BUT STILL IT WAS A DRAW. THEN THEY HAD THE PENALTY KICKS. IN THE PENALTY KICK FRANCE'S KEEPER SAVED GOALS ALLOWING FRANCE WIN ITALY AND ONE OF THE THEM WERE MISSED BY THE GREATEST PENALTY SHOOTER D. B. BAZIO. SO UNFORTUNATELY ITALY COULD NOT QUALITY FOR THE SEMI-FINALS AND LOST WITH FRANCE IN THE QUARTER-FINALS.