""It is gutting to be honest. I know Italy are a big nation. I have played against a lot of big nations before and I think, at the minute, they are not at the level they once were. It is frustrating, I feel like they were there for the taking.""
""Tonali scores a good goal from the edge of the box, and it gives them a lift. The crowd was getting on their backs at times and we wanted to stay in the game as long as possible. The second goal killed the game off.""
""We could have played the ball better at times. I thought times we played through the press and there was lots of space and I think we maybe rushed our attacks.""
Paddy McNair lamented Northern Ireland's missed chance in their World Cup play-off semi-final against Italy, which ended in a 2-0 defeat. Despite a strong first half, Italy scored two second-half goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean. McNair felt Italy was vulnerable and that Northern Ireland could have capitalized on their weaknesses. The team struggled to create chances, managing only one shot on target. Key players were absent due to injury, contributing to the team's youth and inexperience.
Read at www.bbc.com
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