Nazionale di calcio dell'Italia...23 man squad named. GRP F

[claretcloggy]

mouthy talented ****..beckham could learn a thing or two though from him , see link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUqdi74M ... re=related 0:52 sec

[rare as rockinghorse shat]

Scored the greatest 'non' goal ever, back in about 96 at Forest.

Whistle went for an infringement, but the ball carried on and looped out to him 25 yards out and he volleyed it first time, from about 5ft high like his leg was horizontal and smashed it into the top corner :lol:

[claretcloggy]

Scored the greatest 'non' goal ever, back in about 96 at Forest.

Whistle went for an infringement, but the ball carried on and looped out to him 25 yards out and he volleyed it first time, from about 5ft high like his leg was horizontal and smashed it into the top corner :lol:

typical dutch; brilliant when there's nothing to play for :lol: :cry:

[il_martello_di_genovesi]

I remember that game...Van Hooijdonk was unstoppable. I felt so sorry for Kohler. His last ever game in what was a glittering career, sent off in a UEFA Cup final.

[il_martello_di_genovesi]

New Zealand squad for The World Cup...23 man. The All Whites...

New Zealand
Goalkeepers: Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix), Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory), James Bannatyne (Team Wellington)

Defenders: Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers), Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Winston Reid (FC Midtjylland), Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Andy Boyens (New York Red Bulls)

Midfielders: Simon Elliott (unattached), Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell), Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United), David Mulligan (unattached), Jeremy Brockie (Newcastle Jets), Andy Barron (Team Wellington), Jeremy Christie (FC Tampa Bay)

Strikers: Chris Killen (Middlesbrough), Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion), Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle).

[claretcloggy]

New Zealand squad for The World Cup...23 man. The All Whites...

New Zealand
Goalkeepers: Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix), Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory), James Bannatyne (Team Wellington)

Defenders: Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers), Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Winston Reid (FC Midtjylland), Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Andy Boyens (New York Red Bulls)

Midfielders: Simon Elliott (unattached), Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell), Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United), David Mulligan (unattached), Jeremy Brockie (Newcastle Jets), Andy Barron (Team Wellington), Jeremy Christie (FC Tampa Bay)

Strikers: Chris Killen (Middlesbrough), Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion), Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle).

I can't help but think; play all the players who play in Europe or abroad at least. they must be the best of the bunch imo.

[il_martello_di_genovesi]

Nelsen, Vicelich, Smith, Bertos, Brown, Mulligan, Elliott, Killen, Smeltz, Wood and Fallon. The problem is...their best players are nearly all strikers...They ain't as bad as everyone thinks though:

---------------------Paston----------

---------Nelsen---Vicelich---Sigmund

Mulligan----------------------------------Lochhead

------Bertos-------Brown-------Mcglinchey

----------------Killen-------Smeltz----------

They play a 5-3-2 or a 3-4-3...Never will they play a 4-4-2 Anymore...They don't have the players for it...and often get drubbings. Since they've tried these two, they don't get hammered anymore...

[Mr SouthLondon]

Wow, very weak indeed.

Makes sense consdiering Inter haven't had an italian in their XI for a few years. I hear Marchisio is gonna be the vocal point in the team.

Pazzini is a quality CF, one to watch

[il_martello_di_genovesi]

Marchisio is a very good player, and a very important one. If this 4-3-3 is to work, then we need him, Pirlo and De Rossi to be on form. If one of them under-performs...it'll make us very vulnerable.

[fjthegrey]

The problem in the euro's was that Montolivo was crap and the midfield was totally unbalanced, he had far too many defensive duties. Marchisio is much more all round, I also like him a lot.

Still slightly shocked Gattuso made it, another typical Lippi move sticking with a familiar face who almost universally is deemed past it.

My team would be identical to Martello's except I'd drop Cannavaro. Dont think he's up to it anymore either. I also believe Gilardino will start above Pazzini, they are both similar so it wont change the overall look of the team much.

This is how the attack should have looked however,

De Rossi - Pirlo - Marchisio

Cassano

Pazzini - Di Natale

[szola]

Forza gli azzuri!

Had my monies on them in the last World Cup - and my heart was sold in 82 thanks to Rossi and the celebartion of Tardelli.
Strange choices Lippi has made. Hope he'll set the team up in Cautious Mode.
I am guessing the team will be buildt around the trio of Pirlo/De Rossi/Gilardino, with players added to different tactical setups.
Cassano, Totti, Del Piero... would have loved to see them play. Amauri as well, though he has struggled this season, but so has Juve.
With six defenders and eight midfielders it might suggest that Lippi will tweak the team according to the opposition. Hope they don't meet Spain in the next round.

[sendô]

Should have taken Cassano, was right not to take Totti, shouldn't have taken Gattuso and not really certain about Pirlo. Same thing with Cannavaro. Camoranesi is another player that I'm not sure about, all too often seems to do nothing.

Italy were way too defensive at the Euros and looked like they didn't really want to attack at times, the midfield being flat and unimaginative.

As I'm half Italian I'll be following the Azzuri all the way and hoping they don't meet England, which given the prospective routes to the finals and the likelyhood of either team getting past the quarters probably wont happen.

[Tel The Hammer]

Can Cannavaro still cut it at international level?

I haven't seen much of him lately, but it seems strange to see someone so old in a leading nation's back four these days.

He's just joined a club in the UAE, too

[il_martello_di_genovesi]

Tel:

UAE=Big payday and a life in Dubai...

He can still cut it at International level. He's a bit slow at times...but he makes it up for it in other attriubutes. He HAS to be partnered with Chiellini though...or it won't work...

[il_martello_di_genovesi]

Should have taken Cassano, was right not to take Totti, shouldn't have taken Gattuso and not really certain about Pirlo. Same thing with Cannavaro. Camoranesi is another player that I'm not sure about, all too often seems to do nothing.

Italy were way too defensive at the Euros and looked like they didn't really want to attack at times, the midfield being flat and unimaginative.

As I'm half Italian I'll be following the Azzuri all the way and hoping they don't meet England, which given the prospective routes to the finals and the likelyhood of either team getting past the quarters probably wont happen.

Pirlo has to go...he's our main midfield creativity outlet...and our best passer.

The reason we were so defensive at the Euro's was due to Donadoni...under Lippi we played football, although this time not so much...

Should've taken Cassano all day long. He's the best Italian player in the world IMO. Has more talent than any of the others...

[westhamerica]

No bias there Martello! Hard not to agree though, I'm kind of hoping Lippi gets burned for not taking him.

[Johnny Pa(i)ntsil]

Ouch! a 1-2 loss to Mexico...


Italy, the World Cup holders, were defeated 2-1 by Mexico in Brussels tonight in a pre-tournament friendly.

Carlos Vela struck in the 17th minute to open the scoring for Mexico and the second-half substitute Alberto Medina doubled their lead in the 84th minute before the Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci grabbed a consolation goal a minute from time.

story continues....

from http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010 ... p-friendly

[Charles Berstad]

One of my favourite players to ever pull on an Azzurri jersey. Simply for his personality and determination. He's one of them that you love when he's yours...but hate if he's not. If he was French, I'd probably hate him.

I'm neither, but I absolutely worship The Matrix. One of my favourite players ever.

[kthammer]

I'm going to Italy's last 16 and quarter final matches - if it goes to form it should mean Spain in the last 8.

[il_martello_di_genovesi]

That Mexico game was strange...we'd only just arrived...don't understand playing a friendly then. Still, no excuses...was a pretty poor performance.