Group F: ITA, PAR, NZL, SVK

Calum1903 · May 11, 2010

No Perrotta? Strange one.

GreatKalu · May 11, 2010

Calum1903 said:
No Perrotta? Strange one.

Simone hasn't been at his best of late. Though he was fundamental to them on the left, working well with Grosso. Interesting to see who takes up his spot.

Dwa Milan · May 11, 2010

madtherchot said:
Simone hasn't been at his best of late. Though he was fundamental to them on the left, working well with Grosso. Interesting to see who takes up his spot.

probably Marchisio
it's actually a pretty decent squad without the expense of fantasista like Cassano or Totti.. that's still a pretty Okay squad although it still depends on who will get boot for the 23 squad list ..
I assume Lippi will probably cut 1 keeper, 2 defenders, 2 midfielders and 2 strikers

Calum1903 · May 11, 2010

madtherchot said:
Simone hasn't been at his best of late. Though he was fundamental to them on the left, working well with Grosso. Interesting to see who takes up his spot.

Like Dwa Milan says, I would guess Marchisio will replace him as the mobile one in the midfield. I would still have taken Perrotta.

I've repeatedly defended Lippi for leaving out both Cassano and Miccoli on an individual basis. I can also understand why he wouldn't want to take Totti. However, even I would have to admit he's gone too far in not picking any of them. These guys may all have a tendency to behave like children and cause trouble, but given the complete lack of a match-winner in that squad, I would say picking one of the three was a necessary gamble.

GreatKalu · May 11, 2010

Calum1903 said:
Like Dwa Milan says, I would guess Marchisio will replace him as the mobile one in the midfield. I would still have taken Perrotta.

I've repeatedly defended Lippi for leaving out both Cassano and Miccoli on an individual basis. I can also understand why he wouldn't want to take Totti. However, even I would have to admit he's gone too far in not picking any of them. These guys may all have a tendency to behave like children and cause trouble, but given the complete lack of a match-winner in that squad, I would say picking one of the three was a necessary gamble.

Yep. Italy certainly lacking a game changer.

Anyway, I'll leave my final verdict till I see them play as a team. Lippi surely knows how to get more out of one, than simply a sum of its individual parts. Problems is, does he have the time to build a strong team? Especially since, first thing he's got to work on is the defense ... of all things.

Pedro · May 11, 2010

Awful squad... the more I think about the more it seems to me Italy and Slovakia will have an exciting fight for place 2 (paraguay #1 obviously)

Calum1903 · May 11, 2010

madtherchot said:
Yep. Italy certainly lacking a game changer.

Anyway, I'll leave my final verdict till I see them play as a team. Lippi surely knows how to get more out of one, than simply a sum of its individual parts. Problems is, does he have the time to build a strong team? Especially since, first thing he's got to work on is the defense ... of all things.

Looking at the squad, particularly the absence of Totti/[insert fantasista], I'm guessing Lippi is looking to rely heavily on pace on the counter attack. Italy are going to be too static to play a possession-based game, and sitting deep suits their defenders anyway. They'll be looking to Pirlo and De Rossi for quick, accurate distribution to Di Natale and Rossi/Iaquinta, and Marchisio (this is where Perrotta should come in!) to get up in support of whichever striker he goes with.

That's a guess though. The only certainty is that it's going to be absolutely hideous.

GreatKalu · May 11, 2010

Calum1903 said:
Looking at the squad, particularly the absence of Totti/[insert fantasista], I'm guessing Lippi is looking to rely heavily on pace on the counter attack. Italy are going to be too static to play a possession-based game, and sitting deep suits their defenders anyway. They'll be looking to Pirlo and De Rossi for quick, accurate distribution to Di Natale and Rossi/Iaquinta, and Marchisio (this is where Perrotta should come in!) to get up in support of whichever striker he goes with.

That's a guess though. The only certainty is that it's going to be absolutely hideous.

Yeah, thats perhaps the only kind of competitive team/system you could make out of this squad. It can work ... Iaquinta and Di Natale aren't the slowest strikers you'd meet. But the big problem for me is ... the defense isn't as good as it was. Surely, it will let in more goals than it did in 06. That is, unless Lippi gives them a monumental speech, which transforms them into Cannavaro or Thuram from the last WC.

Also ... Calciopoli part II should be well underway! Certainly gives Lippi less work to do in that regard ...

Revolution · May 11, 2010

I'm happy to see Rossi and to not see Legrotalie. But aside from that... our midfield is the only part that looks really decent: Pirlo, De Rossi, Cossu, Montolivo, and some youth in the form of Candreva and Marchisio.

---------Di Natale-----Rossi
---------------Someone
-----De Rossi--Pirlo--Montolivo
Criscito--Bonucci--Chiellini--Cassani
--------------Buffon

Sasha · May 11, 2010

No Legrotallie=We will win this thing.

Bravo Lippi! :proud:

Players that will be dropped IMO:

De Sanctis, Maggio, Cossu, Pepe, Quagliarella, Bonucci, and Palombo.

Australiano1980 · May 12, 2010

MilanoMichael said:
No Legrotallie=We will win this thing.

Bravo Lippi!

Players that will be dropped IMO:

De Sanctis, Maggio, Cossu, Pepe, Quagliarella, Bonucci, and Palombo.

Maggio is a good FB.. i would give him a chance..

Lisa · May 12, 2010

Congrats to Jersey Boy for making it, I'm happy for him.

Ragazza · May 12, 2010

Cristina said:
Italy - PRELIMINARY SQUAD

Goalkeepers:
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)
Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli)
Federico Marchetti (Cagliari)
Salvatore Sirigu (Palermo)

Defenders:
Gianluca Zambrotta (AC Milan)
Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus)
Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)
Christian Maggio (Napoli)
Leonardo Bonucci (Bari)
Fabio Grosso (Juventus)
Domenico Criscito (Genoa)
Mattia Cassani (Palermo)
Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa)

Midfielders:
Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan)
Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan)
Daniele De Rossi (Roma)
Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina)
Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus)
Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria)
Antonio Candreva (Juventus)
Andrea Cossu (Cagliari)
Claudio Marchisio (Juventus)
Simone Pepe (Udinese)

Forwards:
Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli)
Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal)
Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus)
Antonio Di Natale (Udinese)
Marco Borriello (AC Milan)
Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina)
Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria)

LOL...no inter players

thank you!! i'm so happy materazzi isn't on the team!!

if he had been selected i would have...would have just...just vomited

AC_Wesley · May 17, 2010

Italy's slogan in their bus is:

Il nostro Azzurro nel cielo d'Africa
(Italian Azzurro on African sky)

Cristina · May 18, 2010

AC_Wesley said:
Italy's slogan in their bus is:

Il nostro Azzurro nel cielo d'Africa
(Italian Azzurro on African sky)

New Zealand by far has the one, Kickin’ it Kiwi style. :tongue:

Revolution · May 18, 2010

AC_Wesley said:
Italy's slogan in their bus is:

Il nostro Azzurro nel cielo d'Africa
(Italian Azzurro on African sky)

Yea just saw this today, Spain probably has the best one: Hope is my road, victory my destiny

The Italian definitely tugs my heart strings, it's quite moving, but maybe not the most powerful.

Ragazza said:
LOL...no inter players

thank you!! i'm so happy materazzi isn't on the team!!

if he had been selected i would have...would have just...just vomited

Why would there be any Merda players on the Azzurri? To quote Lippi: "Inter are not Italian."

AC_Wesley · May 18, 2010

Revolution said:
Why would there be any Merda players on the Azzurri? To quote Lippi: "Inter are not Italian."

Yea, and if there were any the slogan would be entirely different.

''We buy victory.''

Sven · May 18, 2010

The French one:

"This bus should be Ireland"

dhorasoo · May 18, 2010

sven said:
the french one:

"this bus should be ireland"

Haha, good one

Jasper · May 18, 2010

Those slogans are from the teams or from organizers of the toiurnament? Where can I see all of them?

Cristina · May 18, 2010

Lippi will shorten the list to 27 players today, reports are saying Grosso could be one of the cuts (competing with Bocchetti/Cassani), along with Sirigu and one of Camoranesi/Cadreva/Cossu.

Jasper said:
Those slogans are from the teams or from organizers of the toiurnament? Where can I see all of them?

Slogans were made by users on fifa.com, and people voted for the one they liked best.

Here's all of them: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/newsid=1209257/index.html.

Wet Ones · May 18, 2010

Can't wait till Italy are knocked out in the first round :proud:

Cry Cristina Cry! :devil3:

Lisa · May 18, 2010

Say bye bye to Grosso and Candreva

http://www.football-italia.net/may18p.html

taucho · May 18, 2010

do you have his selections ? appreciates it

Ragazza · May 18, 2010

Revolution said:
Why would there be any Merda players on the Azzurri? To quote Lippi: "Inter are not Italian."

exactly...i enjoy the irony...it's delicious

fiume_1987 · May 18, 2010

at least some sense left in Lippi - I personally never thought he would leave his hero Grosso out, but he did it. Guess that means either Zambrotta or Criscito would play LB with Cassani/Maggio as RB. Still their defense is total shite compared to what they once had...

Congo Powers · May 18, 2010

antonini is the best option italy has at lb imo.

silly lippi

Fiero · May 18, 2010

Football wise it's a good move, hopefully Zambrotta also will be on the bench. But I really don't understand Lippi, he took with him most of the 2006 generation, and dropped the hero? Not saying Grosso deserves to go to South Africa, but half the squad doesn't and they're only there because of 06, so why drop Grosso at the last minute?

Jasper · May 18, 2010

Grosso has always performed when I've watched Italy NT. I'm very surprised by this. Though I can hardly blame Lippi.

Sasha · May 18, 2010

Lippi isn't 100% senile.

Group F: ITA, PAR, NZL, SVK

Which 2 teams will advance out of Group F?

Italy

Paraguay

New Zealand

Slovakia

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