Portugal Friendly 2/12 (R)

[phillips10]

Trap has cooked up a "Real Madrid" style 4-2-3-1 formation for the match w/ Portugal...

Toldo; Panucci, Cannavaro, Nesta, Zambrotta; Zanetti, Perrotta; Camoranesi, Miccoli, Delvecchio; Corradi


http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/feb11h.html

[retnicf]

0-0 at the half. Eurosport.com seem to say that Italy have had the run of play...

Italy-Portugal 45' : Half time in Genoa!! Italy on top - but it's 0-0 at the break!

[Dante]

How can the expect to score when Donkey Delvecchio is playing...

blah :mad:

[fischetts]

Italy 1 - 0 Portugal.

From what I've read, Miccoli put in a fine performance, always a threat inside and out of the box. Corradi scored his goal on a rebound from a Miccoli header.

Is Cannavaro still wearing the Captain's armband?

Fiore subbed in in the 80th, how was his return to the Nazionale?

Camoranesi was solid, however, Rui Costa has now blasted his inclusion in the squad. All I have to say is that if the Argies have such an abundance of talent that Bielsa feels they do not need such an excellent athlete, why can't Trappatoni call him?

The way Miccoli is playing, I hope Inzaghi never makes it back in the squad. He is a poacher, and the service coming from the Italian midfield is nothing like that he gets from Milan/got from Juventus. Miccoli is more of a threat.

My choice for an Italian lineup:

Toldo

Panucci Nesta Cannavaro Zambrotta

Pirlo Ambrosini


Fiore Miccoli Totti Camaronesi

Vieri

[bigshow]

Originally posted by fischetts
Italy 1 - 0 Portugal.

From what I've read, Miccoli put in a fine performance, always a threat inside and out of the box. Corradi scored his goal on a rebound from a Miccoli header.

Is Cannavaro still wearing the Captain's armband?

Fiore subbed in in the 80th, how was his return to the Nazionale?

Camoranesi was solid, however, Rui Costa has now blasted his inclusion in the squad. All I have to say is that if the Argies have such an abundance of talent that Bielsa feels they do not need such an excellent athlete, why can't Trappatoni call him?

The way Miccoli is playing, I hope Inzaghi never makes it back in the squad. He is a poacher, and the service coming from the Italian midfield is nothing like that he gets from Milan/got from Juventus. Miccoli is more of a threat.

My choice for an Italian lineup:

Toldo

Panucci Nesta Cannavaro Zambrotta

Pirlo Ambrosini


Fiore Miccoli Totti Camaronesi

Vieri I like it , even though this lineup has one too many members. GK and Defense would stay the same. I would line up the midfield and forwards like this:

Fiore Pirlo Camaronesi

Totti


Miccoli Vieri

[fischetts]

sorry, scratch ambrosini, although i dunno, pirlo is a defensive liability. Who are the up and coming Italian defensive talents? We need a Davids-type midfield destroyer. Also, I'd like to get in ADP, although his nazionale form is usually borderline mediocre.

[SueB]

Good performance. I didn't watch after the goal, but Italy was pretty much dominant. Portugal certainly had a few chances, but Italy was forcing the action in all parts of the field. Miccoli was very very impressive. He plays with such confidence. I hope it lasts.

The goal was scored on a rebound of a blistering shot from Miccoli (not a header) that the keeper could only parry right back in front of the goal. Corradi (what a forceful player - Vieri had better stop getting "hurt" or he'll lose his place). got there first and roofed it one-time before it hit the ground, if I remember.

Delvecchio was actually playing sort of a wing position, and he did a decent job. My reaction was the same as Dante's when I saw him in the starting lineup, but he did fine. How can you complain of having three forwards in the game, along with Camaronesi and Zambrotta.

Boy, was it wierd seeing Zambrotta wearing #3. But then again, seeing anybody besides Maldini wearing #3 is wierd.

I also hated seeing Panucci get the start but he was very dangerous on the numerous corner kicks. I just worry about his defensive liabilities.

Perrotta and Zanetti were workmanlike in midfield and nothing really needs to be said about Nesta, Cannavaro and Toldo. Stellar as usual.

BTW, what's this I hear that Yugoslavia was held at home by Azerbaijan? If so, this is wonderful news for the Azzurri.

[phillips10]

They needed this....Trap finally generating something positive.

Great for Corradi, hopefully he can be the Vieri fill-in as opposed to Inzaghi from now on..

Yugo was held 2-2 yesterday, a good day all-around...