Match 41: Slovakia - Italy :: PBP [R]

I know Italians will disagree with me but they really should have brought Rossi and Balotelli, 2 young guys that play with fire and passion and a sort of chip on their shoulder, something the Italians seem to be lacking right now. They are complacent against a moderately weak group. This may be the weakest in the WC actually. You guys probably don't believe me but I had Paraguay first and Slovakia second in my ESPN bracket

 

That shot of Buffon showed the internal stress going on, rubbing the face.

 

c'mon SLOVAKIA!!!! shock the world!

 

Slovakia to face the winner of Group E (probably the Netherlands) if the result holds.

And Italy just cost me a few points on the office pool, but if Italy comes back and wins, I get partial points. Damn it Italy! You're the defending champs! Play like a champion!!!!

 

Wreckless by Cannavaro, needs to be careful not to get sent off. Luckily its Webb who is levelheaded.

 

That is why this selection was detrimental because it doesn't have a healthy mix of youth and age. You HAVE to have some youth in their because they eventually would be the future leaders, having a bit of experience in the World Cup.

 

Brilliant defending right there by Slovakia.

 

Balotelli? yeah right, the guy is a cancer , next thing you know Italy would have been France v2.0

 

Unless he relapses to his police days i.e. matching the level of "threat"

 

this is insane from italy

 

Exactly. I remember seeing the Italian line-up and thinking "wow, more than half of their starters are over 30." They have Bochetti, Crescito and Bonucci on the bench but those guys rarely see time. It is funny how everyone in Italy is obsessed with how Balotelli is a headcase when he is quite clearly one of the most talented players to come out of that country in a long time and I bet he would have shown more than the guys on the field right now. Rossi as well. The Italians are really proud of Serie A and as rightfully they should be, it is ridiculous that they made it a necessity to play in that league in order to play for this national team, sad.

 

Italy might have better chance if somehow the Slov earn a red

 

Better than the crap they have out there man. Results speak for themselves and some of these guys look like they don't give a damn.

 

Yep, Oh the days of Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. Powerhouses that have been impressively split into 5 different, and good teams between them (Sloakia, Czech, Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia). Really impressive

 

OMGGGGGG that is sick. What an awful gash, what the hell happened. Oh just saw it. Jesus awful accident.

 

wow , champion and runner up going out in the first round

has this happened before

 

nice one rino, cultured feet.
edit - -doesnt even clean the blood from his studs, what a guy.

 

woooooww..what happened.. that looks bad

 

Usually I follow the tourney in Toulon to see the possible up and coming youth for National teams but I didn't this year. What's the deal with their future? Watching Serie A I don't recall much emphasis (other than maybe a Balotelli) on youth players. Seems the mentality for this World Cup was to play with what won it for us the last time.

 

no way! that guy needs some stitches and ketamine, no way should he be playing on.

 

Just the most recent confirmation of what I've been saying for years: Gennaro Gattuso is a talentless hack.