Official Italy vs U.S.A. PRE Match Thread [R]

Haven't you bothered reading any of the threads? Not once has a US fan said, "we just had a bad game"...

 

I think Italy will play at a much more confident and difficult stance than they did today against Ghana. The match against Ghana showed a very creative Azzurri attack-force, and knowing Lippi, he will study the Czech tactics and not be any lighter against the Americans. I predicted the Americans to do better against the Czech, (hoping even for a tie), but now they're too disillusioned to win against Italy.

 

Hate to be mean,,,but iran and the us might have the worst teams in the tourney.

 

I'm sorry to the poster above me, but your post is idiotic. The USA has a formidable side, they got beat by a powerhouse, it's that simple. I expect a much different USA team Saturday, I hope Italy can capitalize on their chances more often unlike today where we should have won 5-0 instead of 2-0. The Czech's are good, so I don't think it's fair to criticize the USA so much, a lot of teams would lose to the Czechs...they are better than they showed, I'm pretty sure about that. Now they might not be good enough to beat the Czech's but if they played again they would probably play a better game. I just hope that Italy beats the USA to cement their place in the next round.

With that said, if the USA doesn't play 110% and play their best, Italy will have a field day.

 

It's not mean. It's wrong, but not mean.

The US clearly has a better team than Trinidad and Costa Rica, just by looking at head to head results. We're also pretty level with Mexico.

We may have had one of the crappiest games, sure, but France and Argentina weren't two of the worst teams to go to Korea, either. And Trinidad wasn't playing against the Czechs - nor were, say, Poland.

 

Nice one Tom, this is the same lineup I just told my dad I wanted to see this weekend.

 

No indeed. It is much more dire a mood than that. Sort of like none of us expect to ever see a good game again.

 

Whatever we do, Lewis better not be at left back again. That was the real cause of the first goal.

I've always liked the idea of Reyna being more of a defensive midfielder.

 

Don't you get the feeling this is a dangerous game for Italy this weekend?
I'd be more worried as a US fan if Ghana had won today. As it stands, Italy is ripe to be upset...

In the states, when we bet on games there's a saying: "you're never as good or as bad as you looked last week." Point spreads are often skewed based on blowouts because the general public tends to chase last week's winners. This is what is now happening with the US and Italy. We know the US isn't as bad as they appeared today. Yet, you can't find many who give the US a chance against Italy based solely on today's result. If they're going to play a good game in this tournament it's going to come this Saturday. And you can't convince me that the Italians won't be looking ahead towards their game with the Czechs. No one wants to draw Brazil in the second round if they can help it, so it's not as if Italy will be worried about just winning on Saturday to ensure they go through. They want to win the group, which means they'll have to beat Czech Rep. They might say all the right things in the days ahead, but in your heart of hearts you know that after today they're already counting the US game on Saturday as 3 pts and are thinking about the Czech game next week (as are most of the Italy fans on this board).

As a US fan, Italy winning today was a better result as far as the US' chances go this Saturday than had Italy lost. If you're an Italy fan, this weekend's game should make you nervous, based soley on the circumstances...

 

After watching the ball movemenet Italy had and their size Im just praying for a draw. Only negative thing Italy had in the Ghana game was indecisiveness in the box. Could of been jitters from opening the WC. Either way the US right now is beyond overmatched. Bruce better do some coaching and mixed somethinga round. Give the Italians something new.

 

Actually, this first game made me much more nervous then this Saturdays game. The US really never scared me much but if we would have played the US first i would have been just as nervous. I just wanted to get that game out of the way, now i think they can start to roll especially with Zambrotta and Gattuso coming back within the next two games.

 

Why you all so depressed its not over yet have some faith

I think this will like in 2002 with Turkey you guys play the hardest team First




Also make sure watch in WED when Poland wins the war vs Germany

 

Italy will eat USA for lunch.

Cmon. Next to Germany they have the strongest Defense and a relentless offense

 

While I really appreciate your optimism, I am going back to my fetal position. Thanks.

 

I think you are deluding yourself. The Ghana loss to Italy means that US can only shoot for 3rd in the group (forget Italy!). From looking at the way Ghana and the US each played today, the US may very well end up 4th in the group. Worse, the US may not even score a single goal and be 32/32.

 

Prediction:

Italy 1-0 USA.

"Prove me wrong Brucie!!!"

 

Why is it that every time Italy plays a game, it is apparently "ripe for an upset"? Is it not possible that Italy can beat the USA, must their always be some kind of "miraculous comeback" on the part of the Americans? The fact is, Italy is not the same team that entered the cup in 2002. Lippi is not a fool, the past coach, Trappatoni would have probably assumed that Ghana was a free game to win, and would havel ed the team to a draw or defeat. Lippi is simply not like that, and he won't assume that the USA is simply ripe for the taking either. The USA is most definitely vulnerable, but Lippi won't relax himself on the USA (as it should be).

This match is just as critical for Italy as it is for the USA. Naturally, Italy is in a more comfortable footing after that victory over Ghana. However, that does not mean Italy is simply clear out of the water. Any kind of mistake with the USA could lead to elimination from the Group E. In my opinion, Italy is going to play harder against the Americans, try to outgoal the Czech Republic so it can assume the crown as first place of the group. Also, a victory over the USA would assure Italy at least a passage to the knockout phase. So please, you people that are predicting a come-back victory because the USA is "down and has more motivation to win" - you're simply wrong, and the tournament is open. Italy can win against the USA, it won't be an arrogant team against a powerful underdog America. It's a strong, - perhaps more confident now - and kicking Italy that can upset the USA just as the Czech Republic did.

 

someone else will come in last. japanese and iranian already collapsed, with south korea and saudi arabia looking more hopeless than ever, asian countries are coming up short, once again.

 

I think most of us know that the USA is not a bad team; however, I firmly believe that today's result confirmed what many of us suspected, namely, that they can't seriously compete with top-tier sides.

You look at these boards and listen to the American commentators on ESPN and other media outlets, I think you can find them all guilty of over-analyzing these games. Simply put, the Czechs (as the Italians) are techically-better than the US on every area of the pitch . . . . period. And that will generally translate into a win for the "technically-superior" side.

So much was made out of formations, certain physical attributes, tactics, and (my favorite) "the USA lacked urgency." The fact of the matter was that they were outclassed by a better side today in the Czechs. And if Italy play to their potential, the same or worse could occur this weekend.

I think that the last WC and FIFA rankings really inflated the outlook for the American side this go-around; they were deluded into thinking that they were something that they are not, and they got exposed when that epiphany came to, earlier against the Czechs.

 

I do. On Saturday. I'm just gutted over today right now. That fetal position someone was talking about sounds pretty good. Think I'll go give it a try until then.

 

You forgot something.. Japan and Iran both scored a goal. US has a big fat goose egg and the largest deficit so far in a match. If the US doesn't change fast, they will be 32/32.

 

US by far in the worst 3 teams at the world cup