hey guys i was just wondering on how you think our chances are for wc 06, do you guys think we have a legitimate chance at winning it.
I personally think that unless Italy suddenly get better players who will work hard they will need a huge slice of luck to win this competition. So the simple answer for me is NO.
To me, the requirement of good fortune is a given. I feel that there are always half a dozen teams who can claim to have a "legitimate shot" at winning a tournament, and Italy is always one of them. As we know too well, they also always have a legitimate shot at going home after the first round.
how can you say that when in the olypics we finished in 3rd, and our U21 and u19 always dominate. With players like De Rossi, Cassano, Pirlo, Marchionni, and Di Natale, and vets such as Zambrotta, Buffon, Nesta, Cann. Yet in the euro we had a great team and look what happened.
If our players would ever play like they do in leagues, then we would have a great chance. Collectively, Italy still has the highest paid league players out of all the national teams, but they don't deserve half of what they make going by their national team form.
I cannot believe that we dropped to 10th in FIFA's World Rankings. Mexico is awful. Even the USMNT is better than the Mexicans. Top 10 1 Brazil 847 points (1) 2 France 802 (2) 3 Argentina 784 (3) 4 Spain 775 (4) 5 Czech Rep 768 (6) 6 Holland 758 (5) 7 England 752 (7) 8 Mexico 743 (10) 8 Portugal 743 (8) 10 Italy 736 (8) Re: WC06 -- If Lippi selects the most talented, productive and in-form squad, we will get out of the group stage. If he does not favor older, out-of-form club players ( I won't mention names) over more talented youth, we will reach the quarterfinals. If Pirlo, Totti, Cassano, and Gliardino are in form and match fit we will go to the semis. If the referee is not from Central or South America, we will win the whole shootin' match.
I say we dont have a chance and this is the reason In the last 4 years what world class players have we produced? Gilardino is on the verge of it but he needs to join a big club first. Cassano can be but he has gone AWOL Our U21 team won the U21 champs but who from that bunch will evolve? Just Gilardino... Bonera is ok, Bovo may become good but who else? 2006 is too soon for most of them anyway. De Rossi has been ovr-rated so far, he is a potential class act but he is still just 20 and not even showsn much potential so far this season. he has replaced Emerson but not exactly well... Our u19's it is too soon for them too. 2006 will not be Italy's tournament unless in 2 years we produce some really great players quickly. I really hope Chiellini and Aquilani show their greatness soon and get to go to WC 2006 at least We have a good team but Argetnina and Brazil have better ones. WC isnt won on paper but I fell to remember a time our squad has been so bad. Im not going by the WC qualifying campaign either because we always do bad i these... simplay beause we only have 6 world class players at most and a few very mediocre ones in our main squad.
World class: Buffon, Nesta, Cannavaro, Zambrotta, Totti, Gilardino Over-rated: De Rossi, Pirlo, Oddo, Bonera and a few others Potential very good players: Blasi, Maresca, Mauri, Chiellini, Miccoli, Cassano We have a squad without defensive cover, no RB choice (good one anyway), A central midfield which never holds and a number 10 who seems to fail quite alot in an Azzuri shirt This is all i will say If we sort this out by WC 2006 then we could be winners.
They mean ALMOST nothing, but in fact, they ARE a (small) component of the seeding formula for the World Cup finals, as explained quite helpfully by eldiablito in this old thread on the same topic: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101982 They average the year-end ranking from Dec 2003 thru Nov 2005, so next month's ranking will be the key one. Need to beat Finland!!
Italy has many promising players...Miccoli, Gilardino, and Cassano (If he starts to act like he did over the summer in Portugal) will all become great. About the U-21's, Return is right, there wasn't many players that may evolve into superstars but Chiellini is going to be great, Bovo will be good, Donadel looks like he will become a good defensive midfielder, and Del Nero looks like a creative player but just needs to mature. At RB in 2006, we can put Chiellini there. If Totti can finally perform for is Country just once, we can have an amazing attack of Totti-Cassano-Miccoli.
That attacking trio lacks the pure go for goal striker who puts half chances in the net. Sure they can be brilliant at time, but we need that guy who is going to capitalize on those mistakes, re: Inzaghi, Vieri, or Montella. I'd put Cassano on at first, then bring Miccoli on as a substitute given his pace and trickery. The current candidates for such a pure striker are : Gilardino (terribly out of form now), Toni (seems to have cooled off), Corradi (ok as a backup), and Bazzani (he could do well here).
Hehe Gilardino has scored 6 goals, he is not in such bad form. Toni is actually ok IMO even wthout the goals, Corradi is terrible and shouldnt be considered a top league player and Bazzani is quite crap. OK he is a god club player but international? No way. I cant remember a time he has scored against a big team.