I'll be honest, wasn't impressed with the 3-0 to Brazil even if in the Confed Cup, and I'll take 4-0 (embarrassing as it is) over Spain in the circumstances they occurred (injury ridden) over a 3-2 disaster against Slovakia. Lippi 2010 was a disaster. Much happier and I mean MUCH happier with Prandelli's last two years than the second reign of Lippi.
Agreed. Lippi is an immense CT with talent. He's not so good at giving youth a chance. Bearzot was good at both...building the 78 team and then nurturing the 82. Unfortunately, he fell into the same trap as Lippi and stayed with the old guard in 86. We paid dearly for that one.
2006 Italy was 100 times better. In 2012 Italy reached the final in the worst possible way only to get smashed by spain. In 2012 We only really won 2 games, and they weren't even comfortable wins. Depended on draws in the group stage, and in quarterfinals. We were lucky to beat England on penalties which is not even a complete win. 2006 Italy would have destroyed 2012 Italy like 3-0 or 4-0. Buffon 2006 >>> Buffon 2012 Cannavaro >>>> Chiellini Materazzi >>> Barzagli Grosso >>> Bonucci Pirlo 2006 >> Pirlo 2012 (I will never forget that long amazing shot Pirlo scored against Ghana in 2006) Guttuso >>> Marchisio Camerounsi >> De Rossi Del Piero >>>>>>>> Montolivo Totti >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Cassano Toni >>>>>>>> Balotelli (Balotelli only works under encouragement, Toni scored great goals)
It all worked out in the end but let's keep in mind that De Rossi before he elbowed Brian McBride in 06, started over Gattuso allowing him to find space. Otherwise it may have gone differently for both Rino and Daniele.
2 things need to be noted. 1. less games in the euros 2. i miss calculated how many things need to be calculated 3. 2006 was the world cup. more diverse teams to adapt to. 4. they had to play the hosts, at a ground they only failed to win in once and had never lost. 5. it was the world cup. its THE event, its like comparing who was better, team x that won the CL, or team x that won the EL. 6. the 2006 actually became the champs. 7. it was the world cup, that team would pissed all over the euros 2012 because the pressure was zero, we dont take it seriously and everyone for once expected italy to fail, even montolivo managed to play well due to no pressure ffs 8. montolivo is lame. there you have it. 2006 team kicks arse
thats true, DDR was set to be italys leader (doesnt mean he would have been) but gattuso was simply incredible which we would not have seen had DDR not got that red, however you forgot the biggest factor in italy winning the world cup, and that is zaccardo scoring the og in that game. after that lippi put zambrotta on the right and grosso on the left, we all know grosso was fundemental in winning the wc. who would have thought an OG would indirectly win us the wc?
Or for that matter, who would have thought a player like Grosso doing what Paolo Maldini couldn't do in 4 straight World Cup Finals and that is winning the trophy almost on his own from the left back position.
haha yea but there is something you havent realised. we didnt win the world cup BECAUSE of maldini. just look at the proof. maldini=we lose on pens every time (or golden goal). Madlini retires=we win the 1st tooney without him
The best way to understand all this is using an analogy to @elvesuvio's anus. 2012 was like his normal a-hole. It was pretty big but nothing special ended up happening. 2006 was like his a-hole last week, so big it tore in two and nobody was expecting it to put out like it did.
No fair. You needed to write this immediately after the Euro final when your mind would have been befuddled by the opiate of European Runners up success!!