Yes we can. Italy has the defence that can stop Brazils forwards, and the forwards that can punish the Brazilians defence. Of course midfield will be the problem. Pirlo, De rossi, and Gattusso, are decent, but are not earth shattering, I am interested to see how Enzo Maresca will progress in Spain, with Sevilla. he should get a lot of playing time there. He is a good 2 way midfielder something Italy has not had since Bruno Conte. But I think the key player for the Italians will not just be Totti, but I think it will be Zambrotta. with his running down the wings the way Antonio Cabrini used to do it back in the 80,s that can cause problems for Brazil. In all my years of following The Azzuri they tend to play better when nobody expects them to do anything, just look at 82, 94, 2000. Hopefully by next June the fans and media will be on there backs because trust me the more criticsm they face, the better they play. Good luck to them Forza Azzuri
I am surprised that people worried about the Italian midfield. I considered Pirlo and Gattuso the top 5 players in their position. Gattuso is a classic defensive midfielder that is getting rarer and rarer in football, but the need for an enforcer in midfield is becoming more important in the modern game. Italy happens to have one of the best pure defensive midfielder in the world and he is also in his prime.
Nice observation. And I happen to be a huge Pirlo lover. The man can pass all day long; he has such beautiful control of the ball. Free kicks are becoming his speciality, too. Another good midfielder is Camoranesi, a big part of Juve's success last season.
Yes, I also rated Camoranesi very high. The only real weakness on the Italian NT is Bonera. I do not think he is that bad. He is just not yet there when comparing with the rest of the team. Totti, Gattuso, Pirlo, Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Nesta and Buffon are rated by many as top 5 players in their position. Camoranesi is rated by some on that level too. The Cassano-Gilardino combo can be the best in the world by 2006(okay, you cannot beat Adriano-Ronaldo-Ronadlinho-Robinho).
-----Chiellini is not yet there, in my opinion. I think that he has the potential to be great, has shown flashes of brilliance and I wish we (Fiorentina) still had him but if the NT starts him at left back then than position goes from being a great strength to a weakness. And I cannot see him improving a whole lot this season unless he is loaned out and gets plenty of playing time.
Cassetti is a name mentioned frequently for the rightback position. I have no recollection of this player, but I saw his name being mentioned.
Italy have a number of options at RB--Oddo, Panucci, Cassetti. These are players who can bring the ball forward and can cross it. Sadly, Bonera and possibly Zaccardo are the only RBs we have who can defend; Oddo--and especially Panucci--are prone to all sorts of defensive lapses. IMO Zambrotta deserves his spot at LB. He's made it his own. Bonera will have to do for now, even if he doesn't go forward. My thinking is that Camoranesi offers creativity on the right flank and can make up for Bonera's lack of adventurousness.
In all my years of following The Azzuri they tend to play better when nobody expects them to do anything, just look at 82, 94, 2000. Hopefully by next June the fans and media will be on there backs because trust me the more criticsm they face, the better they play. Good luck to them Forza Azzuri[/QUOTE] I would tend to think that the media can sometimes hinder the process, specifically in Italy where brow-beating, and constant second-guessing gets shoved forward by the press. What does this do for team moral? Its all fine to put forward opinions, but when it breaks down players or team spirit - then its not creating a win-win situtauion. I know at this level the constant bombardment is expected, and the players adapt, but constructive criticism is one thing, outright instigation is another. Look what its doing to Roma. I hope the Azzurri can 'float like butterflies and sting like peppers ; )
Traditionally, Italian players have been motivated by the fear of failure, so I don't buy the no-pressure business. After the loss to N. Korea in '66, when the Azzurri were pelted with rotten fruit on returning to Rome, a whole generation of players became obsessed with winning. They won the Euro in '68, and between the loss to N. Korea and the 1970 World Cup they lost only a single game. Facchetti said in an interview about this: "After being pelted with tomatoes in Rome, I would have rather been buried right there in the Azteca than lose to Germany and have to return home in shame." Indeed that Italy team went on to the final. It will be much the same in 2006: Italian players will know that anything less than a semi-final would be a failure from the PoV of the fans, and I think they'll perform under that pressure.
I think the loss to Korea was a game Italy had taken for granted and it cost them dearly. The team now understands that nothing can be taken for granted. They also understand that anything less than the semi or final is a failure, so why hinder them with added pressure? DOn't get me wrong, sure I believe the team needs to answer to the powers that be and the fans, but not to the point where players lose it on the pitch - "Totti" is one example, both for the NT and club. I believe the team as to gel from within, from top to bottom. Like in 82 when expectation wasn't great and therefore the media didn't jump them, but acted as more of a support role. Italy grew from one game to the next and played a great balanced championship. Maybe its all pie in the sky, but I believe team spirit is the on of the keys, we don't need any lose cannons.
If Italy starts strongly, I think the media will get behind the team and will be extremely positive. Just think back to Euro 2000. What no one wants to see again is the situation we had in the last 2 tournaments, where there was so much suspense about progressing to the second round. I like to think Italy can secure qualification after the 2nd game and that the players will have learned the lesson that they can't try to play on auto-pilot.
I think any team can beat any team, especilly nowadays, but i agree with you, this is one of the best Brazilian national teams in a long time. If anything it will be a beautifull game with both teams playing forward. Check this site if you're interested in knowing more about the Brazilian team, lots of vifeos, bios, weekly poll etc... Check it out add your part and enjoy: www.giantsofbrazil.com
I need to rep you for this one. On the same token, Italy also failed in Euro 1984 after winning in 1982.
I have never whored myself for rep, Boba. In fact I loathe those forums . . . But when someone says, "I wanna rep you," I don't dissuade them. Never look a gift horse in the mouth, right?
You know I'm just kidding and going for the laugh Sempre. I know how much you idolize and try to emulate your boy Duck.
im for the azzurri but brasil they have an amazing team ,i hate to say it but it's there world cup to lose.