Italy Uses Super-Subs to Sink Czechs : Group A: Schillaci and Baggio finally start, and both score in 2-0 victory.

Still stinging from criticism that accompanied Italy’s unimpressive 1-0 victory over the United States Thursday, Italian Coach Azeglio Vincini made two surprising changes to his team’s lineup before Tuesday’s game against Czechoslovakia.

Vincini added strikers Roberto Baggio and Salvatore Schillaci to the starting lineup, replacing the tandem of Andrea Carnevale and Gianluca Vialli. Baggio and Schillaci--each a magnet for controversy in this World Cup--scored a goal apiece against the Czechs, as if to confirm Vincini’s reluctant choice.

With their 2-0 victory Tuesday night, the Italians also finished first in Group A, and, effectively, gained the home advantage as their second-round match will be played in Rome against a third-place team. Czechoslovakia finished second in the group and will play in Bari, meeting the second-place team from Group C, either Costa Rica or Scotland.

Italy also became the first team in the tournament to receive the maximum six points, two for each of their three victories.

The victories have whipped Italian fans into a frenzy of joy, even as they have sniped at the team’s coach and players when they have failed to perform up to the lofty standard set by tradition and expectations. The capacity crowd of 73,303 at Olympic Stadium was less critical than in previous games and reserved its shrill whistles for Italy’s more conservative, defensive play in the second half.

Making his third lineup change in as many games, Vincini might be responsible for having encouraged a nation of second-guessers. When Schillaci scored Italy’s only goal in the opener against Austria--only minutes after coming in late in the game--Vincini was criticized for not starting Schillaci the next game.

Baggio, on the other hand, got his first World Cup start Tuesday, after serving as the world’s most expensive bench-warmer. Vincini was widely criticized for apparently not caring for Baggio, who last month earned the highest transfer fee ever in soccer, $13.5 million.

Together, Schillaci and Baggio are the highest-scoring Italian League players on the national team.

Still, the coach refused to start them. In announcing the lineup changes Monday, a stoic Vincini said Vialli was not playing because he had an injured thigh muscle. Speculation had it that Vialli’s lackluster play thus far was more the reason.

As for Carnevale’s departure to the bench, Vincini had already shown his displeasure for the veteran striker by pulling him after the first half of both previous games, both times inserting Schillaci.

Schillaci and Baggio made their presence felt, scoring sparkling goals and creating chances for others through hard work and dazzling skill.

Schillaci struck first, and quickly. Giuseppe Giannini lofted the ball to Schillaci, whose header sailed over the outstretched hands of Czech goalkeeper Jan Stejskal in the ninth minute.

Schillaci was being set up for headers all night, a shot that seems to be his specialty. He scored on a header against Austria.

Schillaci was already a national hero after the Austria game, but the quiet, intense player also has endured prejudice reserved for southern Italians. Some fans were quoted in the Italian press as remarking that they would rather have lost the game than have had a Sicilian score the goal.

Still, the goal was welcomed Tuesday night, as Italy continued to squander scoring chances. Conversely, Italy is the only team in the tournament to have not allowed a goal.

The Czechs appeared out of sync and failed to mount anything more than a token attack in the first half, for which they had to endure the hoots of the fans. However, the team was without key midfielder Lajos Kubik, who sat out the game with a suspension.

Baggio played a tentative first half and was admittedly nervous.

He settled down in the second half and scored Italy’s second goal, “The kind of goal you put in a picture frame,” Vincini said in an uncharacteristically descriptive outburst.

Baggio slashed in toward the Czech goal, dribbling the ball from the left wing. He faked defender Miroslav Kadlec left and then veered right. Goalkeeper Stejskal rushed out to challenge Baggio, but the Italian put it in from 15 yards.

As his teammates celebrated the goal, Baggio flopped to the grass, lying flat on his back and smiling.

“Yes, I do feel like a monkey has been taken off my back,” Baggio said, still smiling. “I’m relieved. I hope to play again from the start of the game. But I do not decide that.”

Asked by the Italian press to whom he would dedicate his goal, Baggio at first named his pregnant wife, Andreina, then settled on the Fiorentina fans. “They deserve it after five years.”

Baggio didn’t appear to be joking, but a case could be made for sarcasm, given the current sentiment about Baggio in Florence. It’s getting to be an old story. After Baggio was sold to Juventus for the highest transfer fee in soccer history, days of rioting ensued. This animosity spilled over to the national team, which arrived in Florence about the same time.

All the while, Baggio was fighting for a spot on a team already rich with strikers. His salary did not impress Vincini, and it just might have irked him.

“It was a very difficult period of time,” Baggio said of the early weeks with the national team. “Also, because of what occurred in Florence. I’m calm now, because I always have done my duty.”

Never more than Tuesday night. Whether that is good enough to get him in the starting lineup again, along with Schillaci, is up to the poker-faced Vincini. His duty is to win games. It appears he has found two players who can do that.