Forza Italia!Forza Milan! wrote:Italy played very well and dominated. Uruguay got an early goal, and were content to defend it. They also fouled Balotelli every three seconds.
Osvaldo was Italy's worst player. Marchisio was Italy's best.
Forza Italia!Forza Milan! wrote:abundance wrote:Uff it's a bit like when Totti broke his leg few months before the world cup - well that was more heartbreaking for me.
Yeah, but this is worse I think.
Totti broke his leg, which is better than tearing ligaments, so his injury didn't allow him match fitness, but he was fresh for the World Cup. And the way Lippi used the squad his relative rustiness wasn't a catastrophe.
Cassano's problem is a bit serious. Will Prandelli risk playing him, and what will more time off do in terms of kilos? Add to this Giuseppe Rossi's injury, and it totally sucks.
As long as Italy avoid Portugal and France in the group stage, I would be happy with the draw. If Italy draw Ukraine or Poland, that would be just awesome.
Other than that, I am quietly optimistic about Italy's Euro2012 campaign, even after the Rossi-Cassano double blow (hope they will be fit by then). Italy have finally re-discovered their historic mentality, we can start hoping again... Almost the entire team is already selected:
GK: Buffon, Sirigu, De Sanctis
Def: Chiellini, Bonucci, Ranocchia, Barzagli, Maggio, Criscito, Balzaretti, Abate/Casani
Mid: Pirlo, Montolivo, De Rossi, Marchisio, Aquilani, Motta, Nocerino/Pepe
Str: Cassano, Rossi, Balotelli, Pazzini, Matri/Osvaldo
We already more or less know the starting line up & shape, and its very Italian-style:Buffon
Maggio - Bonucci - Ranocchia - Chiellini
De Rossi - Pirlo - Marchisio
Montolivo
Cassano -------
Balotelli
We already know the most likely back ups in case of injury: Viviano, Cassani, Ogbonna, Astori, Giovinco, Pepe, Osvaldo, Gilardino
I am sure if some other player shows excellent form over the next 6 months, Prandelli can make an adjustment or two. But it is great to have created a group so quickly, who are starting to get comfortable with each other already. This has been a very well planned, structured re-engineering of the Azzurri. Prandelli has accomplished in 18 months what most coaches would take 3 years to complete. I am satisfied.
Prandelli's Italy so far relies more on attacking fullbacks to cover the wings.Murray wrote:Italy could do with some wingers.
But not that numpty Pepe.
. Perhaps the fantasista will have to be Giovinco (10) who is having a great season, but he is more of a trequartista. 
Fug-Q wrote:Italys strike force for the Euros should be Cassano just behind Di Natale ,Totti,Miccoli and Matri as subs.I put Matri in there because he has more of a physical presence than the others and might be a good option.
Pirlo wrote:Bit of nostalgic fun - since 1990, choose a 23 man Azzurri!
Buffon, Toldo, Peruzzi
Benarrivo, Zambrotta, Nesta, Cannavaro, Costacurta, Baresi, Maldini,
Pirlo, Albertini, Donadoni, Gattuso, D.Baggio
Cassano, R.Baggio, Totti, Del Piero
Vieri, Inzaghi, Montella, Chiesa
Mentions - Pagliuca, Apolloni, Conte, Berti, Torricelli, Di Livio, Di Biagio, Tommasi,
bluenine wrote:Pirlo wrote:Bit of nostalgic fun - since 1990, choose a 23 man Azzurri!
Buffon, Toldo, Peruzzi
Benarrivo, Zambrotta, Nesta, Cannavaro, Costacurta, Baresi, Maldini,
Pirlo, Albertini, Donadoni, Gattuso, D.Baggio
Cassano, R.Baggio, Totti, Del Piero
Vieri, Inzaghi, Montella, Chiesa
Mentions - Pagliuca, Apolloni, Conte, Berti, Torricelli, Di Livio, Di Biagio, Tommasi,
Nice selection, Pirlo. I will only make a few changes, as most of those names picks themselves. (Changes in Bold)
Buffon, Toldo, Pagluica
Grosso, Zambrotta, Nesta, Cannavaro, Costacurta, Bergomi, Baresi, Maldini,
Pirlo, Albertini, Donadoni, Gattuso, D.Baggio, Giannini, De Rossi
R.Baggio, Totti, Del Piero, Vieri, Inzaghi,
Mentions: Bennarivo, Zola, Cassano, Toni, Berti, De Napoli, Maggio, Chiellini, Panucci, Vialli, Peruzzi, Ferri, Di Biagio, etc etc
Pirlo wrote:bluenine wrote:Pirlo wrote:Bit of nostalgic fun - since 1990, choose a 23 man Azzurri!
Buffon, Toldo, Peruzzi
Benarrivo, Zambrotta, Nesta, Cannavaro, Costacurta, Baresi, Maldini,
Pirlo, Albertini, Donadoni, Gattuso, D.Baggio
Cassano, R.Baggio, Totti, Del Piero
Vieri, Inzaghi, Montella, Chiesa
Mentions - Pagliuca, Apolloni, Conte, Berti, Torricelli, Di Livio, Di Biagio, Tommasi,
Nice selection, Pirlo. I will only make a few changes, as most of those names picks themselves. (Changes in Bold)
Buffon, Toldo, Pagluica
Grosso, Zambrotta, Nesta, Cannavaro, Costacurta, Bergomi, Baresi, Maldini,
Pirlo, Albertini, Donadoni, Gattuso, D.Baggio, Giannini, De Rossi
R.Baggio, Totti, Del Piero, Vieri, Inzaghi,
Mentions: Bennarivo, Zola, Cassano, Toni, Berti, De Napoli, Maggio, Chiellini, Panucci, Vialli, Peruzzi, Ferri, Di Biagio, etc etc
'Lo Zio' hardly played in the 90s after that expulsion v Norway until France98.
Even that famous Parma defence - Bucci - Mussi, Apolloni, Minotti, Benarrivo couldn't get a look-in most of the time! Or Ferrara!
Still say that Euro96 was a disaster thanks to the bland selection by Sacchi who had completely lost it by then, we really should have taken that tournament
Pirlo wrote:bluenine wrote:Pirlo wrote:Bit of nostalgic fun - since 1990, choose a 23 man Azzurri!
Buffon, Toldo, Peruzzi
Benarrivo, Zambrotta, Nesta, Cannavaro, Costacurta, Baresi, Maldini,
Pirlo, Albertini, Donadoni, Gattuso, D.Baggio
Cassano, R.Baggio, Totti, Del Piero
Vieri, Inzaghi, Montella, Chiesa
Mentions - Pagliuca, Apolloni, Conte, Berti, Torricelli, Di Livio, Di Biagio, Tommasi,
Nice selection, Pirlo. I will only make a few changes, as most of those names picks themselves. (Changes in Bold)
Buffon, Toldo, Pagluica
Grosso, Zambrotta, Nesta, Cannavaro, Costacurta, Bergomi, Baresi, Maldini,
Pirlo, Albertini, Donadoni, Gattuso, D.Baggio, Giannini, De Rossi
R.Baggio, Totti, Del Piero, Vieri, Inzaghi,
Mentions: Bennarivo, Zola, Cassano, Toni, Berti, De Napoli, Maggio, Chiellini, Panucci, Vialli, Peruzzi, Ferri, Di Biagio, etc etc
'Lo Zio' hardly played in the 90s after that expulsion v Norway until France98.
Even that famous Parma defence - Bucci - Mussi, Apolloni, Minotti, Benarrivo couldn't get a look-in most of the time! Or Ferrara!
Still say that Euro96 was a disaster thanks to the bland selection by Sacchi who had completely lost it by then, we really should have taken that tournament
There are several surprise new faces in the 32-man long-list for Italy at Euro 2012, including Mattia Destro, Antonio Di Natale, Ezequiel Schelotto and Marco Verratti.
Coach Cesare Prandelli named his squad this evening, although the Juventus, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain players won’t begin training until next week, as they still have official commitments at club level.
Novelties include Rubin Kazan defender Salvatore Bocchetti and Udinese veteran Di Natale, who have not played under Prandelli’s reign before.
The real surprises are in younger players who have not figured in the senior Italy squad, such as Siena striker Destro, Juventus man Emanuele Giaccherini, Atalanta winger Schelotto, 19-year-old Pescara creative midfielder Verratti and Bologna midfielder Alessandro Diamanti.
Giorgio Chiellini’s presence depends on tests, as he limped off during today’s 3-1 win over Atalanta with a suspected thigh strain.
The list will be cut down to the final 23 for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine on May 29.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Gigi Riva will not be travelling with the Italy squad for this competition due to ill health.
Goalkeepers: Buffon (Juventus), De Sanctis (Napoli), Sirigu (Paris St. Germain), Viviano (Palermo);
Defenders: Abate (Milan), Astori (Cagliari), Balzaretti (Palermo), Barzagli (Juventus), Bocchetti (Rubin Kazan), Bonucci (Juventus),
Chiellini (Juventus), Criscito (Zenit San Pietroburgo), Maggio (Napoli), Ogbonna (Torino), Ranocchia (Inter);
Midfielders: Cigarini (Atalanta), De Rossi (Roma), Diamanti (Bologna), Giaccherini (Juventus),
Marchisio (Juventus), Montolivo (Fiorentina), Thiago Motta (Paris St. Germain),
Nocerino (Milan), Pirlo (Juventus),Schelotto (Atalanta), Verratti (Pescara);
Forwards: Balotelli (Manchester City), Borini (Roma), Cassano (Milan), Destro (Siena), Di Natale (Udinese), Giovinco (Parma)
Murray wrote:There are several surprise new faces in the 32-man long-list for Italy at Euro 2012, including Mattia Destro, Antonio Di Natale, Ezequiel Schelotto and Marco Verratti.
Coach Cesare Prandelli named his squad this evening, although the Juventus, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain players won’t begin training until next week, as they still have official commitments at club level.
Novelties include Rubin Kazan defender Salvatore Bocchetti and Udinese veteran Di Natale, who have not played under Prandelli’s reign before.
The real surprises are in younger players who have not figured in the senior Italy squad, such as Siena striker Destro, Juventus man Emanuele Giaccherini, Atalanta winger Schelotto, 19-year-old Pescara creative midfielder Verratti and Bologna midfielder Alessandro Diamanti.
Giorgio Chiellini’s presence depends on tests, as he limped off during today’s 3-1 win over Atalanta with a suspected thigh strain.
The list will be cut down to the final 23 for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine on May 29.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Gigi Riva will not be travelling with the Italy squad for this competition due to ill health.
Goalkeepers: Buffon (Juventus), De Sanctis (Napoli), Sirigu (Paris St. Germain), Viviano (Palermo);
Defenders: Abate (Milan), Astori (Cagliari), Balzaretti (Palermo), Barzagli (Juventus), Bocchetti (Rubin Kazan), Bonucci (Juventus),
Chiellini (Juventus), Criscito (Zenit San Pietroburgo), Maggio (Napoli), Ogbonna (Torino), Ranocchia (Inter);
Midfielders: Cigarini (Atalanta), De Rossi (Roma), Diamanti (Bologna), Giaccherini (Juventus),
Marchisio (Juventus), Montolivo (Fiorentina), Thiago Motta (Paris St. Germain),
Nocerino (Milan), Pirlo (Juventus),Schelotto (Atalanta), Verratti (Pescara);
Forwards: Balotelli (Manchester City), Borini (Roma), Cassano (Milan), Destro (Siena), Di Natale (Udinese), Giovinco (Parma)
Murray wrote:There are several surprise new faces in the 32-man long-list for Italy at Euro 2012, including Mattia Destro, Antonio Di Natale, Ezequiel Schelotto and Marco Verratti.
Coach Cesare Prandelli named his squad this evening, although the Juventus, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain players won’t begin training until next week, as they still have official commitments at club level.
Novelties include Rubin Kazan defender Salvatore Bocchetti and Udinese veteran Di Natale, who have not played under Prandelli’s reign before.
The real surprises are in younger players who have not figured in the senior Italy squad, such as Siena striker Destro, Juventus man Emanuele Giaccherini, Atalanta winger Schelotto, 19-year-old Pescara creative midfielder Verratti and Bologna midfielder Alessandro Diamanti.
Giorgio Chiellini’s presence depends on tests, as he limped off during today’s 3-1 win over Atalanta with a suspected thigh strain.
The list will be cut down to the final 23 for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine on May 29.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Gigi Riva will not be travelling with the Italy squad for this competition due to ill health.
Goalkeepers: Buffon (Juventus), De Sanctis (Napoli), Sirigu (Paris St. Germain), Viviano (Palermo);
Defenders: Abate (Milan), Astori (Cagliari), Balzaretti (Palermo), Barzagli (Juventus), Bocchetti (Rubin Kazan), Bonucci (Juventus),
Chiellini (Juventus), Criscito (Zenit San Pietroburgo), Maggio (Napoli), Ogbonna (Torino), Ranocchia (Inter);
Midfielders: Cigarini (Atalanta), De Rossi (Roma), Diamanti (Bologna), Giaccherini (Juventus),
Marchisio (Juventus), Montolivo (Fiorentina), Thiago Motta (Paris St. Germain),
Nocerino (Milan), Pirlo (Juventus),Schelotto (Atalanta), Verratti (Pescara);
Forwards: Balotelli (Manchester City), Borini (Roma), Cassano (Milan), Destro (Siena), Di Natale (Udinese), Giovinco (Parma)
Murray wrote:I'm surprised he didn't pick Quagliarella
BoBo Vieri 32 wrote:Cassani, Aquilani and Pazzini's poor form has cost them a place. I'm surprisee he did not take more strikers in his initial squad; there's alot of good ones who missed out.
Goalkeepers: Buffon (Juventus), De Sanctis (Napoli), Sirigu (Paris St. Germain), Viviano (Palermo);
Defenders: Abate (Milan), Astori (Cagliari), Balzaretti (Palermo), Barzagli (Juventus), Bocchetti (Rubin Kazan), Bonucci (Juventus),
Chiellini (Juventus), Criscito (Zenit San Pietroburgo), Maggio (Napoli), Ogbonna (Torino), Ranocchia (Inter);
Midfielders: Cigarini (Atalanta), De Rossi (Roma), Diamanti (Bologna), Giaccherini (Juventus),
Marchisio (Juventus), Montolivo (Fiorentina), Thiago Motta (Paris St. Germain),
Nocerino (Milan), Pirlo (Juventus),Schelotto (Atalanta), Verratti (Pescara);
Forwards: Balotelli (Manchester City), Borini (Roma), Cassano (Milan), Destro (Siena), Di Natale (Udinese), Giovinco (Parma)
worms. wrote:It's a pity that Italy have resorted to playing a Ghanaian.
bluenine wrote:
Goalkeepers: Buffon (Juventus), De Sanctis (Napoli), Sirigu (Paris St. Germain), Viviano (Palermo);
Defenders: Abate (Milan), Astori (Cagliari), Balzaretti (Palermo), Barzagli (Juventus), Bocchetti (Rubin Kazan), Bonucci (Juventus),
Chiellini (Juventus), Criscito (Zenit San Pietroburgo), Maggio (Napoli), Ogbonna (Torino), Ranocchia (Inter);
Midfielders: Cigarini (Atalanta), De Rossi (Roma), Diamanti (Bologna), Giaccherini (Juventus),
Marchisio (Juventus), Montolivo (Fiorentina), Thiago Motta (Paris St. Germain),
Nocerino (Milan), Pirlo (Juventus),Schelotto (Atalanta), Verratti (Pescara);
Forwards: Balotelli (Manchester City), Borini (Roma), Cassano (Milan), Destro (Siena), Di Natale (Udinese), Giovinco (Parma)
Trying to second guess Prandelli's starting line up:Buffon
Maggio - Barzagli - Ranocchia - Chiellini
De Rossi - Pirlo - Motta
Montolivo
Cassano - Balotelli
The ones in bold are the question marks.
Ranocchia's poor form could make him lose his place, with either Chiellini replacing him in the middle (with Criscito/Bocchetti at LB) or Bonucci/Astori/Ogbonna/Bocchetti replacing him like-to-like.
Montolivo is likely to start, though Prandelli may be tempted to use Giovinco as a trequartista. Or put Motta in that place, and Marchisio in his place.
Balotelli, you just cannot trust him to be a starter. Maybe Borini/Destro will replace him like to like, though I would love to see Di Natale in his place, Prandelli is unlikely to start with Cassano-Di Natale combo (as that negates the advantage of Maggio's crosses). I think Di Natale is more of a Cassano back up, or a tactical option for a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3. Giovinco is also most likely an insurance policy on Cassano, rather than a trequartista option.
If only Inter could provide Samuel, Sneijder, & Milito to Prandelli in place of the ones in bold, Italy would be a serious contender!!
Pirlo wrote:worms. wrote:It's a pity that Italy have resorted to playing a Ghanaian.
worms. wrote:It's a pity that Italy have resorted to playing a Ghanaian.
worms. wrote:Pirlo wrote:worms. wrote:It's a pity that Italy have resorted to playing a Ghanaian.
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