ITALY WASN'T ALWAYS a World Cup disappointment. At times like these, when the national team feels like the butt of all jokes, it's important to remember this peninsula has produced some of the memorable victories in the history of the sport.

Italy has always made life difficult for itself. It contested 1982 World Cup against the backdrop of a match-fixing scandal that had implicated one of the heroes of the tournament, Paolo Rossi. Italy advanced the second round despite drawing its first three games, trumping Cameroon only on goal difference. A win over Argentina followed, but they had to beat Brazil to finish first in their mini group and reach the semifinals.

There, the Azzurri shut out Poland before defeating West Germany 3-1 in the final. But the game against Brazil was the highlight of the World Cup. It was a battleground of ideologies as much as it was a football match for spoils. Brazil had reprised the free-flowing style of play that helped them win three World Cups between 1958 and 1970. Though Italy was trying to come out from its defensive shell, it still had that organizational streak.

The lineups

What the pregame formations looked like.

Italy's lineup is made of today's heroes. Francesco Graziani comes into the tournament as Italy's leading scorer with 23 goals. No one else in the team has reached double digits. Rossi has come under heavy criticism but retains the faith of head coach Enzo Bearzot. Gaetano Scirea is more of a libero here than a center-back, and the formation often morphs into a back three. Falcao, Zico, and Socrates are the brightest lights in Brazil's XI. Is it a coincidence all three spend parts of their careers in Italy?

The match

Reviewing the most important plays, including random thoughts about the teams and players in action. You can watch the game here.

1' The pitch at the Estadio de Sarria in Barcelona has been cut in a psychedelic pattern. It flows left to right in usually orderly fashion up until the corners, where the mowing lines run diagonally for some reason. There are random white marks along the field as well. Maybe it's the perfect metaphor for the match on hand: a clash between two contrasting styles of play on a sweaty day. It's like opposite streams converging in open water.

3' Brazil has just put together seven quick touches in typically silky-smooth style, but the ball goes out to touch. The Italians are winning duels, though, and showing how sticky they can be.

5' Rossi scores early for Italy! The Azzurri need just six passes to go from their goal line to the back of the net. Bruno Conti drives most of the play forward and shows some trickery to get past two defenders. It's almost as if Italy isn't as rigid as it seems. His outside-the-foot pass to left-back Antonio Cabrini switches play nicely. Cabrini is much quicker with the ball and delivers a cross for Rossi at the far post, and he sends the header the opposite way. That's Rossi's first goal for Italy since 1979. He had spent most of the intervening years serving a ban for alleged match-fixing.

9' Graziani gives Brazil another scare as he combines with Rossi on the counterattack and shoots wide. The Brazilians have had more of the ball but haven't produced a single attempt on target. Italy's Gabriele Oriali is the one who gets the entire play going, dispossessing Junior in midfield after a bit of pinball action.

11' Brazil should be level! Serginho is all alone but somehow scuffs it wide without anyone really pressuring him. Brazil doesn't exactly weave through Italy's defense as it much as it wills the ball forward. Scirea tries to clear his lines, but his attempt hits a body and allows Serginho to streak in on goal.

12' There's the equalizer! It largely comes down to Socrates and Zico as they exchange passes down the right side of the field. Socrates splits two defenders with a forward pass to Zico, who holds off his man and plays a delightful backheel pass to escape pressure. Socrates has loads of space ahead of him and Zico immediately spots an opportunity to release him into the area. A few touches later, Socrates slides a shot inside Zoff's near post. There's a temptation to criticize Italy's defending here, but that's probably an unstoppable sequence. Socrates and Zico simply decide they're going to score.

14' Gentile is a tough-tackling defender, and he comes and absolutely cleans out Zico from behind. That's an easy yellow card. Gentile has had a tough couple of games. He had to man-mark Diego Maradona in Italy's last game against Argentina and now has to follow the legendary Zico around the field. The yellow also rules Gentile out of the World Cup semifinal.

23' Brazil is bossing this game, even if it's struggling to create genuine scoring changes. Italy has been chasing shadows the last 10 minutes. Gentile's partner Fulvio Collovati is now taking a turn as Italy's rampaging center-back and barges into Serginho. Conti then tries to scythe down Toninho Cerezo. It's all the Azzurri can do right now. Brazil is playing a game of keep away.

25' Rossi restores Italy's lead! The goal comes out of nowhere. Goalkeeper Valdir Peres collects Giancarlo Antognoni's free kick and throws out wide to Leandro, who picks out Cerezo in the middle of the field. He's under very little pressure when he makes a diagonal back pass to no one in particular, and Rossi beats two Brazilians to the ball. He takes two touches and blazes a shot past Peres. Frankly, the 'keeper should've saved it. It's right at Peres, but he can't push it away.

30' The players' jerseys are soaking in sweat. They're wearing cotton kits and it isn't being very kind in these sweltering conditions. People make fun of this generation for the short shorts, but without them, they'd be in serious trouble. The moustaches are also incredible. An 18-year-old Giuseppe Bergomi, who comes on for injured Collavati, could pass for someone much older.

33' Socrates gets a great chance to equalize. Cerezo's cross from the right finds his teammate in a gap of space, but he misjudges the header and sends it directly into Zoff's grateful arms.

40' Even if Brazil isn't exactly cutting Italy apart, it's not giving its opponents a second to sit and relax. Brazil's defenders try to move the ball out of their half as quickly as possible, and in a matter of seconds, the Selecao have found their way into Italy's penalty area. Falcao takes a shot off a desperate clearance attempt, and a deflection carries it out for a corner kick.

42' Zico's shirt is ripped nearly in half and he goes over to the referee to complain. Gentile does grab a handful as the Brazilian tries to latch onto a wonderful through ball, and could've conceded a penalty. Instead, the referee calls the play dead for a handball against Zico. But what a move that is. Cerezo spins out of trouble and leaves two Italians in his wake, and Socrates picks up possession before threading the ball through three collapsing defenders. Zico just can't make clean contact.

47' Brazil is back to its sophisticated football. There's so much running off the ball. Falcao surveys the legion of blue ahead of him and lays off for Junior, who knows his teammate is going to set off on a run into space ahead of him. The pass reaches Falcao in the penalty area, but he steers his shot wide of the far post.

51' Italy almost does to Brazil what Brazil does so well against everyone else. Oriali's crunching tackle on Eder releases Conti on the counterattack. He runs about 20 yards to the left, only to leave the ball for Rossi and race into the space ahead. Conti takes down Rossi's looping ball and sidesteps a defender before poking wide. Who says Italy can't play football? Brazil is letting Italy have lots of the field, and the invitation has been accepted.

55' Zoff looks anything but 40 as he storms off his line to deny Cerezo on the edge of the area. Once again, it starts with a delectable through ball. Zico buys time as he carries the ball up the field, and then suddenly slides a 25-yard pass that takes out four Italian defenders. Zoff lambasts his teammates afterward. But some of these Brazilian moves are impossible to defend. The Selecao aren't just building up from the back but going for the jugular with low-percentage passes that are almost always right on the money.

58' Moments after Zoff punches clear, he's under pressure again. The ball bounces off a head and goes beyond Bergomi. Zoff watches as it it falls to Serginho and kicks out his legs to keep the Brazilian from making clean contact. The clearance is wide enough for Antognoni to collect the ball and launch another counter. Graziani floors one defender before galloping into the area and squeezing a pass to Rossi, and somehow he misses without anyone but the goalkeeper in his vicinity. It's two-way traffic and the speed minimum is 100 mph.

68' Brazil equalizes again! Falcao lets it rip, and power alone beats Zoff here. It's a well-constructed goal, too. Junior ponders as he marches into Italy's half and skips past Conti after a lovely drop of the shoulder. Junior eats up a number of yards before flicking a ball out wide. Falcao waits for the defender to bite, shifts the ball from his right foot to his left, and winds up for the shot. It's unstoppable.

72' Italy can't get out of its own half. Brazil is jumping onto loose balls and twisting defenders inside out. Bergomi loses possession but Scirea scampers into position to deny Brazil's attempt. Zico teases Gentile for a bit but can't get a decent shot off. Italy is living off scraps.

75' ROSSI GETS HIS HAT-TRICK! It's 3-2 Italy. Conti's corner kick creates all kinds of chaos as Bergomi, Zico, and Socrates all attempt to get their head to it. Tardelli reacts first, and although he mishits his volley, it finds Rossi in the six-yard box. Junior is keeping Rossi onside as he's too slow to come off the post, and the shot goes in. Italians back home couldn't understand why Rossi was playing before. Now he has 10 goals for his country — and six of them have come in World Cups.

80' Socrates doesn't really think he's scored the equalizer here. It's a half-hearted appeal. The linesman flags the play offside long before he fires into an open net. Zoff comes out to close to the angle and is relieved to hear the whistle blow.

85' Fans are chanting "ole" as Italy completes passes. The Azzurri really are trying to play the ball forward when no one would begrudge them for wasting time. They're still curling it in for Rossi and looking to score. Cabrini goes on a lung-bursting run before realizing no one's with him. He has no choice but to play it back.

88' ITALY GETS A FOURTH! Or at least it should. Antognoni is all alone on the left side of the goalkeeper's frame when he smashes home. It's another well-executed counterattack that only happens because of Graziani's dogged effort to keep the ball in play on the opposite end of the pitch. The linesman rules Antognoni offside, but it doesn't look like he is. Oscar is definitely a yard in front of the Italian midfielder. Maybe even Junior.

89' ZOFF SAVES THE DAY! Brazil nearly equalizes off Eder's free kick, but Zoff, who's been nimble all game, dives to his left to collect Oscar's headed attempt. The Brazilians think the ball crosses the line as Zoff bobbles it, but we don't have goal-line technology to confirm whether it did.

90+1' Zoff again punches clear, and it's at this moment when Italy's achievement seems clearest. Italy hasn't just repelled Brazil but played some beautiful football of its own. It could've scored more. Defeat feels like a hammer blow to Brazil's samba heritage, and for some it really is the end of football as it's supposed to be played. But to say that takes away from Italy's own accomplishment here. This is a triumph of collective will, and Italy's win only emphasizes that the best don't always win.