Italian National Team

Originally Posted by Rabia15

----------------Buffon/Consigli---------------------------------
Motta/Santacroce---Bocchetti----Chiellini-------Criscito/Santon--
----Marchisio/Gattuso---Cigarini/D'agostino----Dessena/De Rossi-
-----------------------Rossi/Giovinco---- ----------------------
-----------Balotelli/Cassano---------------Paloschi/Amauri-------

4-3-1-2 is the formation i prefer,did i miss someone?

italy has a very bright future,at least on paper

offensively yes. balotelli/rossi/giovinco should form 1 of the best attacking tridents in world football in years to come.

defensively though, none of those players other than santon have really shown 'it' that italian defenders r known for.

Originally Posted by vivardo

Bring back Nesta! Nesta and Cheillini is a better partnership than Canna and Cheillini, IMO.

I agree totally. Nesta is so much better than Canna right now.
Motta-Nesta-Cheillini-Santon/Grosso is a good defense

FINALLY Italy arent lacking that strong world class complete striker anymore as Amauri is now available and he chose Italy,great news.

With Amauri available,and the players who are hunting for a spot,i think the best lineup is this one.

Buffon

Zambrotta-Cannavaro-Chiellini-Criscito

Gattuso-Pirlo-De Rossi

Rossi

Amauri-Cassano

I think this is a great lineup,with Cassano and Amauri backed by G.Rossi,also the midfield is strong with Pirlo as the usual playmaker,Rhino and De Rossi doing the dirty job with also have De Rossi who can make his rushes towards the opposite goal.

The defense is solid,i want Santacroce with Chiellini in the back,but thats not realistic,because they are both to young and Lippi will choose for Canna for sure.Criscito is younger and fresher then Grosso.Santon is attacking wise miles behind of Criscito,and Italy plays with wingbacks so i think Criscito should get the nod.Motta is also a possibility.

And IF Totti will be available,then he should play on Rossi's place.

Georgia -Italy
Saturday, September 5, 20:30 CET.
Boris Paichadze Stadium, Tbilisi


:: Goals ::

0-1 Kaladze (O.G) Min.56
Click Here for Video

0-2 Kaladze (O.G) Min.67
Click Here for Video

:: Extras ::

1st Half Highlights
Click Here for Video

Italy is such a boring team nowadays ... thanks Lippi for using the same team as in the last Euro (or almost), a team that was already like the one from the last WC actually (or almost) ...

I read an interview of Moratti and he said that Thiago Motta could play for Italy ...

What do you think about that ?

I mean, what do you think about the fact that many players from other countries, who have two passports, could play for another country ? Nowadays, there are a lot of talks about Amauri and so now, Thiago Motta playing for the Italian side ...

Other question: do you think that Thiago Motta is worth the Italian first XI ? I would say no in the current formation that Lippi tends to use ...

With Santacroce, Thiago Motta and Amauri, this Italian national team could possibly have some accents from Brazil !!
(without forgetting Camoranesi who is an Argentinian born player if I'm not wrong)

i think Italy could be really strong next WC with-
4-3-1-2

---------------Buffon-----------
Motta--Canna-Chiellini--Grosso/Cristico/Santon
----De Rossi---Pirlo---Marchisio/Aquilani
---------------Cassano---------
-----Pazzini----Quagliarella-----

In my perfect world, Nesta would come up over Canna because he is much better right now, and I would give the armband to him or Buffon.

Pepe should never play for Italy again.

This team would have great depth with Rossi, Amuari, Santon, Zambrotta, Montolivo, etc on the bench.

Attack would be so so much better with Cassano and Pazzini up top together. Having Motta charging up the flank helps a ton, and Rossi is great off the bench and adds tons of energy.

http://www.football-italia.net/italy/ire-ita.html

Ireland 2 Italy 2

Whelan 7 (R), Camoranesi 26 (I), St Ledger 86 (R), Gilardino 89 (I)

Croke Park, Dublin


Alberto Gilardino's last gasp equaliser sealed Italy's place in South Africa, as they twice fought back against the Republic of Ireland.

This was a head-to-head at the top of the Group and the Azzurri (tonight playing in white) needed only a point to be sure of qualification. Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland also required only a draw to lock down a play-off spot after Bulgaria's 4-1 defeat in Cyprus earlier this evening.

Fabio Cannavaro was suspended and Claudio Marchisio underwent knee surgery this morning, so Nicola Legrottaglie stepped into the defence, while Antonio Di Natale, Mauro Camoranesi and an advanced Andrea Pirlo supported lone striker Vincenzo Iaquinta. Giuseppe Rossi and Davide Santon were in the stands. Ireland had Damien Duff, Darron Gibson and Steven Reid injured, so gave Liam Lawrence his first competitive start.

Both teams were unbeaten in Group 8 and had drawn 1-1 when they met in Bari on April 1, although Giampaolo Pazzini was very harshly sent off just three minutes in. There was a minute's silence before kick-off for the dozens who died in recent floods in Messina.

Italy had played here three times before and won every game 2-1 in 1971, 1985 and 2005.

Ireland opened the scoring with their first chance. Legrottaglie mistimed his tackle on Robbie Keane down the right flank and the Lawrence free kick was rolled back to outside the D where Glenn Whelan smashed it into the near top corner.

Another Lawrence free kick, this time from the other wing, was flapped away with some difficulty by Gigi Buffon. Fabio Grosso fired a free kick into the defensive wall. Grosso then got down the left and skipped back past Lawrence only for Daniele De Rossi to scuff the finish. McGeady went on a rapid counter before he was eventually closed down.

Grosso took matters into his own hands with a splendid volley that Shay Given smothered with his chest. Moments later Di Natale caused panic in the Irish box.

From that corner Pirlo curled the ball in for Mauro Camoranesi's header from six yards as Italy equalised. Given, on his 99th cap, got his hands to it, but the header was just too powerful and squirmed in at the near post.

Whelan was first into the book for a tackle from behind on Angelo Palombo and will be suspended for the game against Montenegro. Iaquinta was flagged offside by centimetres when one-on-one with Given and another Pirlo corner, this time to the back post for Legrottaglie, was nodded wide.

Keane's acrobatic overhead kick was wide after fine work from Aiden McGeady, while Pirlo rather ambitiously hit a free kick straight at goal from 45 yards.

Italy thought they had gone 2-1 up within 90 seconds of the restart. Pirlo's free kick was flicked off Chiellini's head for Iaquinta to get a final touch, but the Juventus man was marginally offside and so the goal was disallowed.

An Irish free kick found John O'Shea totally unmarked, but his weak looping header was easy prey for Buffon. Ireland won a free kick outside the D, but Lawrence hit it at the wall and Andrews ballooned the follow-up over. Meanwhile, Trapattoni was spotted clutching his famous bottle of holy water on the touchline.

It took body blocks from both Legrottaglie and Chiellini to close down Keane for a corner. Lawrence whipped it in for Dunne's header straight at Buffon. Moments later Italy nearly scored a second, as Iaquinta lobbed it back from the byline for O'Shea to anticipate a totally unmarked Di Natale.

Iaquinta at full stretch couldn't get control of a smart Di Natale ball over the top and Pirlo's strike was charged down, then De Rossi was booked for a tug on McGeady. Trap made two changes, introducing Leon Best and Martin Rowlands.

Zambrotta cut in from the right and smashed a powerful angled drive that Given pushed round the base of the near post. De Rossi drilled wide from distance before Alberto Gilardino and Salvatore Bocchetti replaced Di Natale and Grosso. It was the senior Italy debut for the 22-year-old Genoa defender and pushed Iaquinta wide left.

O'Shea was again decisive when intercepting a Camoranesi cross for the head of Iaquinta. Trapattoni's final substitution saw Stephen Hunt replace McGeady.

Iaquinta blasted over at the end of a good passing move, as Italy were keeping the ball comfortably now. Best went into the book for a late sliding tackle on De Rossi and a Pirlo set piece flashed across the face of goal.

However, Ireland scored against the run of play. Hunt earned a free kick down the left and whipped it into the six-yard box for a diving St Ledger header at the back post. Gilardino should've cut out the cross, but was late, while Trapattoni had waved the defender forward for this kick.

Marcello Lippi was unbeaten since 2004 in Slovenia and threw on Simone Pepe for Palombo. It worked wonders! Italy equalised within 60 seconds! Pepe charged on the counter and passed low for Iaquinta, who rolled across for Gilardino at full stretch to side-foot in from eight yards, sending Given the wrong way.


Republic of Ireland: Given; O'Shea, Dunne, St Ledger, Kilbane; Lawrence, Andrews, Whelan (Rowlands 70), McGeady (Hunt 78); Keane, Doyle (Best 67)

Italy: Buffon; Zambrotta, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Grosso (Bocchetti 76); De Rossi, Palombo (Pepe 89); Camoranesi, Pirlo, Di Natale (Gilardino 76); Iaquinta

Ref: Hauge (Nor)

never thought Gilardino will score the all important goal, but he did!!!
Pirlo played well too, his long balls to grosso were very good and accurate...but he never seems to play the same for milan...lets hope he brings the same form back to club football...

Why does Lippi start Legrottaglie instead of Gamberni? he shut down Torres in the CL last week

Here you can find info about caps of all AC Milan`s players until 1970 and also full match reports of all matches of Italian national team

Lineup for Ivory Coast friendly 4-2-3-1

Sirigu; Motta, Chiellini, Bonucci, Molinaro; De Rossi, Palombo; Pepe, Cassano, Balotelli; Amauri

What do you think?

borriello to come on. He is a much better option than Amauri

Each time I see Pepe and Motta, I think the same thing: useless/not good enough.
I would have preferred Antonini instead of Molinaro.

Cassano was very good. Amauri can be useful for the NT thanks to the way he plays, but he needs to regain form and confidence with his club firstly. Balotelli, well, Prandelli should let him become a regular starter in his club before calling him, for me, he isn't ready yet (not as a starter for the NT, maybe like a joker).

I think Prandelli should try G.Rossi and Cassano just behind Borriello.

A lot of work to do ...

i think motta still isn't the full deal but he is probably the best option BEHIND cassani in my opinion. rossi, cassano and borriello would be devestating. definitely a chance for the next game, but i think Gilardino will get the nod.