A Rundown of the Azzurri Olympic Team

Due to popular demand, me wanting to do this, and because this should’ve been done like a week ago, I’m finally going to post a brief overview of all the players going to the Olympics. I’ll have a rundown of each player, what team they play for, stregths/weaknesses, etc. When will this happen? Right now. In this post. So click that “read” link and let’s get going.

Before I start, a quick disclaimer- some of these guys I know a ton about. But some of them are virtually unknown to me. The ones that play for big teams, that featured in Toulon… I know those guys pretty well (Montolivo, Rossi, Abate). But some of these youngsters play for smaller teams and don’t really get much coverage in the media or on TV (I mean, how much do you guys know about Salvatore Sirigu?). I’ll give you guys as much info as I know, but that might not be all that much-feel free as usual to add anything in the comments section. And feel free to disagree with what I say, as well.

Players marked with a * are reserves.
Goalkeepers:

Andrea Consigli. (21) He’s been the first choice goalie for the U-21 side since the U-21 Euro competition in 2007. Owned by Atalanta but spent the last 2 seasons on loan, most recently at Rimini. The starting spot will probably be a straight fight between him and Viviano.

Emiliano Viviano (22). Along with Consigli, is viewed as one of the most promising Italian young goalies. He’s had big game experience, playing in the 2005 World Youth Championship and in Euro 2007. Not quite a young Buffon but still a very, very solid stopper.

*Salvatore Sirigu (21). Owned by Palermo but has been on loan the last two seasons. Don’t expect to see much of him unless Viviano and Consigli are injured.

Defenders:

Salvatore Bocchetti (21). Bought by Genoa this year. Impressive during Toulon, and can play a couple different positions at the back. But with some of the other names on this list for defenders, I don’t know if he’ll start.

Andrea Coda (23). One of the few guys on here who plays for a big club (Udinese). He’s a solid centreback who’s very powerful in the air. Might not be first choice at the club but his experience at the top means that he’ll probably start during the Olympics.

Domenico Criscito (21). Definite starter. On loan to Genoa by Juve, this kid has huge potential and great defensive abilities. His weakness is that he’s a little easily knocked around, but considering he’s played for 2 big clubs, including one of the Big Four, he’ll definitely start in Beijing.

Paolo De Ceglie (21). He spent last year at Siena where he had a pretty decent time, playing in 29 matches and scoring 2 goals. In fact he was so impressive that Juve bought him this past June. Another probable starter.

Lorenzo De Silvestri (20). One of the more widely known names on this list, he currently plys his trade with Lazio. Is excellent as a right full back, where his sheer speed can cause other teams problems. He’s considered the successor to Nesta, which means he has pretty big shoes to fill. But hey, the hype’s gotta come from somewhere, right?

Marco Motta (22). He’s on Udinese and played a bit for Torino last year. Honestly, I don’t know much about this guy but I don’t expect him to see much playing time at the Olympics.

*Andrea Ranocchia (20). Currently on loan with Bari. Some teams are interested but he’s still a bit too young/inexperienced to be called up by a big side. He’ll keep the bench nice and warm.

Midfielders:

Ignazio Abate (21). Extremely promising young midi. He’s co-owned by AC Milan and Torino this year, but spent last year at Empoli. I’d like to say he’s a starter but honestly, there’s so much talent in the midfield department that it’s a coin toss.

Luca Cigarini (22). Bought by Atalanta this year. He’s compared to Pirlo, as he plays in a similar role- a deep-lying playmaker who plays in front of the defense. Now, he’s not near Pirlo’s level just yet, but he is ax extremely gifted player.

Daniele Dessena (21). Was on Parma but sold to Samp after their relegation. He’s a solid midfielder known for his passing abilities and vision. He’s not a great tackler/enforcer a la Gattuso, but his range and vision are pretty solid. A likely starter.

Claudio Marchisio (22). Owned by Juve but was on loan last year with fellow Olympian Giovinco at Empoli. Scored against Turkey in Toulon and is often compared to Juve legend Tardelli.

Riccardo Montolivo (23). One of the few guys on this list who needs no introduction. Widely heralded as the successor to Pirlo, Montolivo is one of the few guys on here who not only has promise, but is proving his worth. He plays for Fiorentina and is one of the best Italian midis in the game today. He has great passing and vision, but isn’t the strongest physically. He was also the one guy cut from the senior team that went to Euro. A sure starter, along with…

Antonio Nocerino (23). Now here’s the successor to Gattuso. He was the captain of the squad during Toulon, if I’m not mistaken, and was on Juve last year. He got sent to Palermo in part of the deal that gave Juve Amauri. He was capped once for the senior team, in a friendly. Another definite starter.

*Andrea Russotto (20). One of the biggest hyped players here. He’s currently on loan at Napoli, but was called the hier apparent to Baggio. He was the top scorer during the Euro U17s for Italy. A very very promising young guy. Keep an eye on him- he’s a reserve player but if he does get the chance to play, we could see big things.

*Antonio Candreva (21). The poor guy was on Udinese last season but didn’t play a single game. He’ll be on Livorno this year, gaining experience in the Serie B. I don’t know much about him at all, but don’t expect him to have a huge role in the tourney.

Strikers:

Robert Acquafresca (20). A future senior striker for sure. He’s owned by Inter but is at loan at Cagliari. Last season he played 32 games there and scored 11 goals. He’s half Polish but refused a call up from the Polish national team to represent Italy.

Sebastian Giovinco (21). Out of all the players on this list, he’s my favorite (Shocker, eh?). Giovinco, to me, is not only the most promising player on this list but also the one who can really prove himself this year. He spent last season on loan at Empoli, and was so impressive that Juve brought him back this year. He’s an amazing free-kick taker and has incredible pace when running. Weaknesses? He’s small- a mere 5′4″ or so. But he’s considered to be the successor to Nedved at Juve, and based on what I’ve seen, he can fill those boots. A starter for sure.

Tommaso Rocchi (30). Another name that needs no introduction. One of the symbols of Lazio, and the only overage player called up by Casiraghi. He never really made it on the senior squad but should be influential at the Olympics. I wouldn’t start him, personally- I’d rather give the young guys the experience of playing in big games. Cause as good as he is, the rest of the strikers here have the potential to be even better.

Giuseppe Rossi (21). A New Jersey born Italian, he was owned by Man U but is currently playing for Villareal in Spain. Had 11 goals in 27 apps for the Yellow Submarines last year. Can set up goals as well as score them. An all around excellent striker, he’s a sure member of the senior team in the future. Heck, if Toni was dropped right now for him I’d be thrilled.

*Passes out* Whew. This post took me fricking forever, as I had to research players and find pics for all of them. I hope you guys enjoy reading it, and by now you should know how I feel about the comments- you better post some after all that work I put into this. Any/all are welcome, and the more debate, the better.

I think we can all agree that Italy has a very strong squad at the Olympics. All of the positions are covered pretty well. Any ideas on a starting 11?