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Old 23 Apr 2006, 10:29 PM   #12
Autogolazo
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Join Date: Feb 2000
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Default Re: Arena Interview on "Los Tecnicos"

Wow, this is a frickin' goldmine, but that's why I watch this show (Los Tecnicos) religiously. You get this kind of detail from every World Cup coach. I've never seen Arena open up like this, tactically speaking.

He's drawing all of this on a piece of paper that the camera focuses on.

He and the Argentine interviewer are sitting poolside in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

I'm now at about 10 minutes and I had to post again, so much stuff:

1. Ghana is "not the most disciplined" team and has a "lack of WC experience" but are "very fast".

--Bruce makes the point that he only prepares heavily for games 1 and 2, that Ghana will show everything it has to show in their first two matches which he can see and besides, he'll have separate tactics for the Ghana match based on group positioning.

2. On Italy, a classic quote following his first statement about Italy compared to the Czechs--"Italy is easy to know, not easy to play against."

--He does NOT think Totti will be ready, at least not to start. He pencils in Del Piero as the attacking mid based on the left side (much like Nedved), but says Del Piero's position makes Italy either a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2.

--The Argentine asks him about Camoranesi, "one of ours", the guy says, meaning he was born in Argentina. Bruce says he knows all about him, that he played in Mexico with Cruz Azul. The guy says, "He's fast". Bruce demurs...."He's QUICK" The Argentine's English doesn't allow him to understand the difference, but we do.

--Then Bruce says, to clarify, IN SPANISH, "Delanteros" and he points out Toni and Gilardino. He says Toni might be the fastest guy on the team. I found this hard to believe, at 6-5, but whatever....

--Bruce says the two central backs are a strength for Italy.

--Bruce says the outside backs for Italy (Grosso and Zambrotta) are NOT a strength, and seems to emphasize this.

At the end of the section on Italy, the Argentine interviewer asks:

"Do you study?"

Bruce smiles and says, "Yes."
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