No issues besides the missed penalty right? Handanovic is a great keeper though. Cassano always has that pained expression on his face. Breathing heavy. Who would you replace him with out of Balotelli, Rossi, Cerci, Immobile and Destro? 26 goals in 39 games for Balo.
Oh come on man, the penalty miss was disappointing but can't center leaving him out on that. Out of that list, I'd move Cerci to my midfield (as a winger) and include Cassano. My mids: Candreva Cerci Insigne Verratti pirlo ddr marchisio bonaventura/florenzi (I like florenzi in the middle as a warrior)
People always seem to forget that Cassano almost died with a heart ailment. For someone to still be playing at the level he plays at, is simply incredible in my opinion. Yeah he missed a pk but was still one of the better players for Parma against Inter.
Right now, I would easily take Rossi out for Cassano until my eyes show and tell me different. And if Rossi does get fit enough to go to Brazil, then all 6 of those forwards should go. Yeah missing a PK should have zero bearing on Cassano going to Brazil especially considering Balotelli/Pirlo will take them in Brazil (plus Candreva, Cerci, De Rossi, and if he goes…Diamanti are all more than capable). I don't like this at all. Marchisio is our only destroyer and has to start in midfield. Insigne does track back (his biggest consistent asset IMO if selected for the Azzurri) but this lineup is not sturdy enough in midfield…you have two forwards and two "offensive" wingers + Pirlo. You need more grit in the middle. If Balo and Rossi start together then Cerci and someone like Insigne can't. Take out Rossi and put in Marchisio for better stability if you want to stay ultra offensive but still maintain toughness. I read two articles last week that said sources mentioned Immobile's effectiveness and Prandelli's awareness of his performance during those tests (while doing a general search on Immobile). One was ForzaItalianFootball if memory serves me right.
This will be my last speculated 23 man lineup on the site. This is the best case scenario IMO. I'm leaving Verratti out because Prandelli has made some disturbingly dismissive comments over the weekend that suggests he's out. Montolivo is in because we all know he's going. And I'm still holding out hope for both Destro and Immobile based on recent comments as well. BUFFON: No explanation required. SIRIGU: He's cemented number two. PERIN: Tough decision. My gut says go here for number 3. CHELLINI: The best we have in defense. BONUCCI: Essential Juve 3. BARZAGLI: Three musketeers complete. PALETTA: Seems to be a lock for that fourth spot. I'm not complaining. DE SCIGLIO: Can play both left and right. CRISCITO: He's Prandelli's preferred second option here. ABATE: My Milan bias picking him perhaps. But he, Maggio, or Romulo will get this spot. PIRLO: Obvious. DE ROSSI: No doubt. MARCHISIO: Engine in the midfield. MONTOLIVO: Why fight it…he's in. MOTTA: Playing well for PSG. CANDREVA: Having a great season at Lazio, and Prandelli will take him. DIAMANTI: I think he will definitely go now that Verratti seemingly won't PAROLO: The most borderline choice, but no to Giacc until reality hits me in the face. IMMOBILE: 20 goals by a 24 year old Italian. Something to be proud of. DESTRO: Goal every 85 minutes. In a just world Gilardino stays home. Lets pray. CERCI: Same versatile reasons for picking him already stated in the past. BALOTELLI: Starting to play much better at the right time. Keep it up. CASSANO: Flair and fantasy. I would be cool with this 23…not perfect but at least in the 9-9.5 range.
I still attain that Italian clubs employ too many foreigners. When I think of the great defenders of the past Ferrara and Vierchowd were reserves with the national team , you have to wonder where or how these players can not be developed anymore? Bonucci would have been considered average when those guys played. Incredible!
Of course they have too many foreigners. They also have too many politicians telling people this is the inevitable consequence of globalization. The truth is, it is nothing of the sort. What we have now is people from poor places, making a run for the USA and Europe to find better money. True globalization would mean that those less developed countries would finally be able to sustain themselves so the people would not have to escape in order to find a better life. The people that did travel to other countries at that point would do so on equal footing. People talk about Italians being racist because they do not adhere to this process of forced 'globalization' but who else is going to safeguard their culture and homeland? I don't have a problem with the Oriundi or new Italians like Balotelli or SES, however I loathe to think of the day that the Italian national team becomes like France, where having a natural born Frenchman is becoming more of a rarity.
Balotelli was born in Palermo. He is Italian. I'm not talking about ethnic groups, the color of a persons skin or their background but I'm, talking about national teams who have players who were born in their respective nations. What is the point of having a World Cup team with national team players who are not born and bred in their respective countries? I mean why even bother with it if that is the case? The idea of the WC initially was to have an all star team of each nation not just a bunch of foreigners representing their adoptive countries.
Not every foreigner that enters Europe plays pro-soccer. Some, like Balotelli's parents are simply unskilled laborers. So it's still the same thing. Poor people went somewhere better. Meanwhile, the people that were already living there get pushed farther into the background in the name of globalization, because it is never going to end. More and more immigrants will keep coming until anything resembling true Italian culture will be relegated to the history books. I was born in Italy, my dad is Italian, and the Italian kids still had some nice names to call me. I wonder what they had in store for him?
I was born and raised in the SF Bay Area and my father was from Calabria and my mother from Abruzzo so I am Italian -American but if I were to choose which nation to represent , I'd have to pick the USA. Not that I'd want to but I learned to play the game in the USA and I shouldn't have a choice to decide, especially not at an advanced age, say 18-30. I lived and worked in Italy and have dual citizenship but I'm still not really Italian. I mean I am Italian in America but am American when I am in Italy and although I've acquired a Tuscan accent and sound like a native and no one could really tell where I was from until they saw me wearing my American clothes, I'm still not really Italian. Still , none of this has anything to do with the fact that Italian born players playing for the national team. Anyone can go out and sign a bunch of Brazilian or Argentine Italians and through their great grandfathers can claim an Italian passport but that was not the initial intention of Jules Rimet or the World Cup, for that matter. The idea of the WC is to have national players representing your country. What is the point of placing a bunch of foreigners who don't even speak the language correctly or never went to school in Italy on a national team? Even Camoranesi (God Bless him) couldn't recite the national anthem and that is sad. Giuseppe Rossi learned how to play soccer in New Jersey but I give him the benefit of the doubt as he at least moved to Italy when he was 12 and learned to play the game more or less in Italy. No way he would have been as good as he is had he stayed with the NY Red Bulls organization. He would have probably went on to play at the University of Virgina or Maryland and would have been a pro for only the last 2-3 years at this point. I just don't think its fair for other hard working Italian players and who have been trying to play professional forever that their clubs betray them and go out and sign a bunch of ringers and I don't retain all the foreign players who play in Italy are that much better than their Italian counterparts. In many cases, they aren't but if you don't groom and cultivate homegrown players, of course the only other option is to sadly sign foreign talent. Italy use to have the best defenders and GK's on earth and now we have Brazilian and Argentine ones? I don't believe we could have developed another Bergomi, Baresi, Maldini or Scirea or even another Zoff or Buffon.
Ok enough with the anti-globalization political shit. Anyways, could someone tell me again why Balotelli should be there? He is so ********ing ineffective.
I want him to at least pretend that he gives a ******** about his team. We seem to think Balotelli will all of a sudden magically remember how to play well because of 1 game in 2012.
never underestamate the magic feet of Cassano if he can get Amauri to score he can get anyone to score.
I've said it forever…Balotelli is overrated and inconsistent. He should still make the team because you can't name me five Italian forwards having a much better year than him if we discount the old players like Toni/Totti. What I will say is that he should not be guaranteed a starting spot at this point. I also think that playing in the World Cup will probably motivate him more than any Serie A game can. Doesn't mean he should be in the starting 11, but off the bench he can be very useful. So yeah I take him, but utilize him off the bench instead…. We live in a world where logic and evidence make our decisions for us. Your childlike hope isn't enough. Imagine going to your boss…oh we lost millions of dollars this week, but May we'll be unstoppable!!!! Amauri only has 7 goals this year lol. He's not having a Luca Toni season.
Does Balotelli have any history of scoring goals off the bench? He strikes me as the kind of spoiled child who will sulk if he isn't started. It's probably a moot point anyway; I can't see Prandelli leaving him off the plane. I agree, however, that starting him over the likes of Immobile, Destro, Cassano and hopefully Rossi makes no sense.
This was tough to watch - Zvoni and Panucci vs Mario. The kid has a point. When Milan loses it is all his fault right? Never mind the other 10 players on the pitch?