Finishing

Yes, Vittorio, please share the China stream info with us!!

Posted from  United States

I posted what I knew, however my comment still says it’s awaiting moderation???

In any case, the frontpage of the world cup blog has one link up already.

Here is a repost of what I already submitted, in case my other comment somehow got lost:

“Try http://www.tvmix.net/index.html or http://www.p2p-sports.com/, you’ll need to download a program to get either to work, either pplive or tvants.”

Posted from  United States

http://www.livefooty.doctor-serv.com/fri2.6/Italy_Ukraine.html

I had no luck making it work last time, but if anyone knows the secret to making it work please share it..

Posted from  United States

has anyone tried Satliveonpc.com ?
I looked at it a while back and it said the Italy Ukraine game would be available.

Posted from  United States

Apparently the site has a limit, tons of people were watching the Switzerland game.

Just make sure you’re one of the first to connect, like ten minutes before kick off because right now Germany vs Colombia works just fine for me.

I put together a compilation of the battle of Geneva by the way! Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhK5TfLO7hA

I watched most of the game, but after seeing those highlights the Swiss should be embarassed. That foul on Iaquinta was awful and could easily have been a red card. The ref did a terrible job not taking better control of the game earlier on so that some of those later fouls would not have occurred. Do you think this is the start of refs going out of their way to show they are not favoring Italy?

Posted from  United States

I agree wholeheartedly, the foul on Iaquinta was really sinister. I think the Swiss had it coming with Gattuso’s challenge. But De Rossi’s stomping was just plain stupid.

I don’t think we could make a case against the referee because, in fairness, he seemed to let a lot of clumsy challenges go without penalty

Posted from  United States

That ref was pretty bad altogether. He let the game get out of hand early and never had control. I think the Gattuso foul was not as bad because he actually played the ball before he hit the knee and second, the Swiss player had just fouled Gattuso but it hadn’t been called. There’s no way Gattuso was going to let that go. Regarding the De Rossi foul, it was pretty bad, but I like the fact that he won’t take any shit and he was sticking up for his teammates. You don’t always see that on a national side. Hopefully the Ukrainians aren’t as dumb as the Swiss and remember that this is a FRIENDLY, not the Finals.

One more thing, Senderos = Materazzi.

Posted from  United States

I can’t see the match, but I have the updates from Yahoo… and we are in the 46th minute with NO goals, NO cards… NOTHING.

Either Yahoo’s information is wrong, or this is a VERY “friendly” friendly.

Posted from  United States

Totti’s booked.

We’ve got to watch these cards, especially if they carry over into the tourney.

Posted from  United States

Totti’s card was deserved. He didn’t look very at ease out there today. I think this game was probably a step up from the Switzerland game, in terms of ball control, however we generated very few good chances. Probably had only two or three shots that were blocked by the keeper. Nesta looked uncharacteristacally out of it early on in the game as well.

Generally had a friendlier tone than the Switzerland game, but still you’ve got to hope for more than a 0-0 draw against a Ukraine team without Rebrov (injured) or Schevchenko (sat out).

Posted from  United States

I was able to watch parts of the second half and I guess Italy improved a little compared to the Switzerland…But I read reports of the first half and it sounded like Italy create some good chances…Anyone who watched the game concurs?

Four players (Oddo, Grosso, De Rossi, and Gilardino) played the entire game, perhaps an indication that they are likely to start against Ghana.

As usual, Cannavaro was amazing…

Buffon made a great intervention to stop a Ukraine player on goal..

Nesta seems to have pulled a muscle…Hopefully, nothing too serious..

I didn’t see much of Del Piero except three times where he lost the ball or got fouled. I don’t know if he played better in the first half.

Totti started with low confidence it seemed and as if was expecting special treatment from the referee..and then you could tell he was starting to get angry which led to him being carded…Only then did he start to play and took a beautiful long range effort on goal…

Posted from  United States

I catched the first 37 and the last 30 on the CCTV feed. I don’t know about good chances. There was one weak header by Toni on goal that was easily saved, but I can’t remember anything else that was on target. We did control the ball and played much of the game in their half.

DP was ok, didn’t do anything incredible but I don’t think he played horribly. Had one nice cross if I recall.

I really hope Totti returns to form, as Toni is just begging for some playable balls, and the mids didn’t seem to be supplying too well.

Posted from  United States

Just saw the result of the Ukraine game. This is very bad news, I don’t think Italy will make it out of the group. They can’t seem to score recently.

Posted from  United States

See this link to remind you how well Italy have played and how below par they now seem:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search=Italy+%3A+2006+FIFA+World+Cup+competition+digest&search_type=search_videos&search=Search

Posted from  United States

Relax Chunder, these are only friendlies. Lippi was using the games to make tactical decisions, not to win. I think our concern should be Nesta’s injury right now. I have a bad feeling if he misses a game or two Lippi will go with Matrix rather than Barzagli. I wish Lippi would have given Barzagli more of a run out in the Ukraine game. He should be given the nod over Matrix. Still 10 days to recover, so here’s hoping the physio does his work.

Posted from  United States

First, I should say that I paid the 4 pounds for a subscription to http://www.satliveonpc.com and it was entirely worth it. The 4 pounds gets you an entire year’s subscription and both the Germany friendly and the Italy friendly came through very steadily for the entire 90 minutes.

Second, I’d like to share some of my thoughts on the game. I’m an Italian-American and therefore have a natural bias toward the azzurri, though I think I am reasonably good at being judicious when need be (particularly when I don’t have to defend Italy against the cacophany of British hooliganism!)

It is safe to say that the first half was a marked improvement over the Switzerland friendly. Through the defensive and middle thirds, Italy looked well organized and had their way for the most part. Nesta did look a bit rusty for about 20 minutes, and naturally Cannavaro didn’t have quite as much energy as he did two nights ago (more than understandably), but the outside backs had a far easier time with Ukraine’s backup forwards than the young Swiss guns.

Camoranesi was not particularly sharp with the ball, but his energy in the midfield has been unmatched over the 180 minutes of football that we’ve seen (he was substituted tonight however). De Rossi showed well for himself with some bursts of energy, some real attacking pluck and a kind of youthful exuberance that the rest of the side lacks at times. I’m not sure if I wouldn’t have him starting in place of Gattuso - at least he’ll be an apt replacement if the azzurri find themselves down a goal or two as I think he creates chances for himself rather well.

Pirlo was a bit lethargic during some stretches but overall showed better than he had against Switzerland, sending some well weighted balls toward the head of Luca Toni, who frankly, needs to regain his edge in the box. In fact, Italy’s problems, particularly in the first half, were in the attacking third. The side sorely misses Totti and his ability to sniff out the killer through-balls. Del Piero has not impressed as the trequartista thus far, dribbling without purpose and generally slowing the pace of the game when he should be running at full backs and feeding Toni or Gilardino in the box. The latter, I should add, misjudged a clever chip from the foot of Camoranesi, but otherwise impressed with a few deft turns and combinations with the midfield.

The second half was more of a mixed bag. I think that Lippi gets it right when he said that Ukraine showed very well for 20 minutes and seemed to have the run of play, though Italy did regain it for the final 20 minutes. One can hardly blame the squad for being a bit tired only a single day removed from what was a very physical friendly against the Swiss. I, for one, certainly didn’t expect the azzurri to come out blazing for the win in the 2nd half, though I did wish for a bit more out of both Inzaghi and Totti. To be fair, Inzaghi is at his best when his team is dominating but struggling to find the back of the net. This wasn’t true of the azzurri while he was in there, so there is no reason to suspect that he has lost the sniping form that he had regained this season with Milan.

Totti, however, does worry me. To my mind, he looked timid in this friendly - more so than in Geneva. Worse yet, he seemed frustrated, ultimately committing an egregious foul that warranted a yellow card (nothing more, it wasn’t dirty just outstandingly late). In all, I think Lippi is right: this was a vast improvement over the Switzerland friendly, but much work still remains for the team. I wish so much that we would have a chance to see them once more competitively before the tournament, but c’est la vie. I just hope Lippi knows what he’s doing. Thanks for reading. It’s been cathartic to write. See my player rankings below.

Buffon: 8
Nesta: 6
Cannavaro: 7.5
Oddo: 6
Grosso: 6.5
Camoranesi: 6.5
De Rossi: 7
Pirlo: 6.5
Gilardino: 6.5
Toni: 6
Del Piero: 5

Subs -
Totti: 4.5
Perotta: 5
Inzaghi: 5
Barzagli: 6
Barone: 5
Materazzi: 5.5

Posted from  United Kingdom

Look at it this way … Del Piero should sit on the bench because he is on of the worst in the azzuri team .. secondly Luca Toni needs to play full games .. thirdly italy better get there act together and start to play how they were 6 months ago or they will do badly in the world cup … from having the best team in the world to now having an average one is not very good .. Maybe its Lippi, i mean i like him alot but the coach can have huge implications for a team

Posted from  Australia

..i bet that all of this …the ratings the preferences will be forgotten soon ..do i have to remind everyone what it was said after 3 games in 1982 ? rossi has to go!! why the coach did not bring Pruzzo (who remembers his name now ?)now after 24 years who is the legend ? what i am trying to say is that there is nothing new in all of this …and that beetween failure and glory there is a very subtle line (the goal line!) i still believe that when the time comes Italy will prove all of us that 6 months ago it was real deal…it is good to be so mediocre now it is the right time to be .have faith brothers !!This year everything is made of good fabric even Del Piero !

Posted from  United States

Everyone…please remember our squad played 3 games in 6 nights as well as having 2 a day workouts in between games. this is after not touching any balls for 2 weeks. in 1994 the italian team that went to the final lost to a 3rd division side i believe just before the world cup. Brazil tied Canada 1-1 just before that world cup…and they ripped us off in the final!! This team has as good a chance as anyone to win . Forza Azzurri!!!

Posted from  Canada

I agree, Alberto. Let’s not worry about anything until the azzurri get a bad result in the WC. As tough as Group E is, remember that all we have to do is beat the US and beat Ghana in order to clinch a spot in the next rounds (albeit against Brazil if we lose to the Czechs). I’m not saying that that will be easy, but I don’t think that either of those teams poses more of a threat than Switzerland and the Ukraine, and neither of those sides threatened to beat us despite our haggard defense.

Of course, I’m not saying that I would be happy simply to advance past the group stages, but as Lippi says, the best teams reach top form during the middle of the tournament. A harsh draw this winter won’t allow us to coast like some teams (England, Brazil, Germany), but if we beat Ghana on the 12th, we will be in good shape to get at least a win and a draw out of the next two games. That should be good enough for 1st place.

Posted from  United Kingdom

These are all good points, and I don’t think that we should throw our hands up in the air just yet….
I watched via the China feed (link provided above by Neo & suggested by Vittorio– worked out well, thanks!) and I have to say that I was having flashbacks to Euro ‘04. It was frighteningly similar to our stagnant game against Denmark. Remember that?
Anyway, I thought it was a step down from the Switzerland match because at least in that match, the troops played with more heart.
By the way, some were wondering about starters and playing time: The other day Lippi stated that the purpose of these games was to give everyone a game and a half. Those who played a lot versus the Swiss would play more against the Ukraine and vice-versa. I don’t think we have to worry about starting roles just yet (i.e. De Rossi, Rino, Toni etc).
Let’s hope that Paul is right and that these are mainly experimental ties– i.e., not trying to win them per se. Otherwise, we’re going to be in some trouble. If we play like we did last night come the 17th (vs. U.S.) we will be humbled beyond belief.
I don’t buy the whole “peaking” business incidentally because this is not a 40-week campaign. It’s a month-long tournament and if you’re not ready to go on day one (well-oiled machine) you’ll be home before the postcards. We need to step it up several notches right now if we want to have any success in the tournament.

Posted from  United States

Maybe what Lippi’s really trying to say is that “it’s better to play like crap BEFORE the tournament than during it” ???????

Posted from  United States

Just would like to say thanks to Lang for his analysis of the game ansd also the site:
http://www.satliveonpc.com
Which I also found superb. They are cheap (3.85 pound) and they are publishing each day the streams (several choices) for each game.
Thanks for your tip

Ps: I tried before another one, which I will not name but was far away

Posted from  Switzerland

forza azzurri