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Italy 2-0 Montenegro

March 28th, 2009 | By: Julian | 55 Comments »

I didn’t get to watch the entire game. I started from about the 60th and from what I saw, we played basically how we’ve been playing the whole qualifying campaign. Not looking all that motivated, but not disinterested either; the guys look like they’re out there because it’s their job, and while they do want to win, very few are showing anything that can be referred to as passion.

The PK and Canna’s card are things you guys can debate in the comments. I didn’t see them so I don’t feel like I should comment on them, but we got the three points.

From what I saw, our play was more efficient than eye-pleasing. Everyone was out there doing their thing, but joga bonito it was not. I saw flashes of nice play- in particular, right before Pazzini scored, there was one buildup which could’ve ended in a goal, but it wasn’t to be. And Pazzini’s goal was nice (congrats to the lad for scoring on his international debut), but the atmosphere was ruined by the announcer who seemed to verbally wince at the goal.

Pazzini, although called up today because of injuries to other players, has probably forced Lippi to call him up in the future. This can only be a good thing- perhaps its the end of Pepe, though considering he provided the assist, probably not. But I do want to single out two players for great play, based on what I saw:

Pirlo. I’ve been really hard on him but he was very good today. He shielded the back rather well and did the 06 Pirlo role of setting up the attack. Passes were often inch perfect and he seemed to be one of the few out there who gave a shit about the game.
Buffon. Our heart and soul of the team. I shudder to think of the day when we lose him to retirement. I’m buying a dozen boxes of rabbits’ feet to make sure he doesn’t get injured for the World Cup.

I really don’t know what else to say. This isn’t a grand writeup because it wasn’t a grand game. The same problems that we had before are still there. Guys who don’t deserve to play are starting, like Pepe, while guys like Cassano can’t even make the bench. Lippi insists on using a 4-3-3 that doesn’t suit our players at all, when we’d be so much more comfortable playing a 4-4-2 or a deviation of that. And our attack remains too predictable, with cross after cross into the box, with the passer praying it’ll land on the feet of our strikers.

Yet, despite all that, we won. We got the points and as an immediate objective, part of me is satisfied. But thinking in the long term- South Africa next year and the task of facing teams like Spain, Brazil, Argentina- this isn’t going to cut it. We’re going to need Cassano, Rossi, Motta, and not Palombo. We’re going to need more motivation and dynamism, and players out there looking like World Champions. What I saw today was complacency. Perhaps deservedly so, since we won the game- but if we play every game like this, it will come back to bite us in the ass.

My biggest gripe is that this was a Donadoni win. This was not a Lippi victory.

Yet despite all that, I can’t help but be in love with this team. I think Vincent summed it up best in the comments section:

No matter all our complaints, FORZA ITALIA!!!!!

Tags: Group E, Italy, Marcello Lippi, Montenegro, World Cup 2010

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Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 55 comments.

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By ROSSI | March 29th, 2009 at 12:44 pm

Why the hell didn’t I play?

Posted from United States

By kqql | March 29th, 2009 at 1:15 pm

Near the end of Vid = Highlights of Ireland – Bulgaria game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w68lHoO3A-o

By Jessica | March 29th, 2009 at 1:51 pm

When DiNatale went down, I thought ‘oh well… at least Rossi will be coming on now’ …. apparently not. One thing in particular I noticed was the lack of options when we reached the final thrid of the opposition -the ball was often passed back down the field or of a course spun in for a cross.

About Cannavaro, maybe I am reading too much into it but he does not look himself. His whole body language and facial expressions seem different to me. I think the Confed. Cup will be a true litmus test for him.

By gio | March 29th, 2009 at 2:01 pm

Sneekers,

I agree that Pepe shouldn’t be starting, but DiNats went off and our other players up front have been injured so that’s why Pepe was there; let’s not forget who provided the assist to Pazzini.

i saw Cassano play against Roma last week and his passing was nothing special. he had two nice plays into the box, but nothing really impressive. i have seen Corradi, Cavani, Miccoli and Floccari look better.

compare him to the type of service that guys like D. Silva or Xabi provide, and he doesn’t hold up.

By Sam Dj | March 29th, 2009 at 4:00 pm

who should replace cannavaro? i don’t know honestly, but lippi better act fast though
other than gamberini [not saying he's up to the task], i can’t think of anyone else…criscito? santacroce? bocchetti?

By CJ | March 29th, 2009 at 6:40 pm

Gio, obviously you know nothing about sampdoria’s team, Cassano and Pazzini are the only attackers in that squad. Their entire midfield is full of defensive minded players. Mind you at the euros Cassano set up Toni beautifully three or four times. (Toni was a bumb for not putting putting those passes from Cassano into the back of the net!) & in the 4 games Cassano played he only started in two of those games. I also say bring in Rosina to play on the left, he could add so much flare to the attack. Also drop Grosso, switch Zambrotta to leftback and bring in Motta.

By Stefano | March 29th, 2009 at 9:17 pm

That awesome save Buffon made, wasn’t that guy offside?

By Sneakers O'Toole | March 29th, 2009 at 9:21 pm

It’s way better to make changes for the future now vs. in world cup tune ups. I hope no one is expecting Cannavaro’s old self to be playing in the world cup. we need a little bit of a youth movement here. Why did we give up on Barzagli so soon? He had a bad game against Holland, but so did everyone. Luca Toni has played like 3 good games in the last 4 years and he still has a place in this lineup. Does one’s name really hold more weight than anything else with Lippi?

By kqql | March 29th, 2009 at 9:59 pm

Lippi on 4-2-3-1, Pirlo, De Rossi, Pazzini, Rossi etc

http://english.gazzetta.it/Football/Primo_Piano/2009/03/29/sbarco.shtml

By matt | March 29th, 2009 at 11:57 pm

firstly pirlo is back to his old self with amazin vision, orchestrating almost all of italys offensive,

secondly pepe is a little underrated and i think think lippi knos wat hes doin by playin him,

and thirdly pazzini doesnt need cassano to scoreee

lippi’s still got it so who cares if cassano isnt on the team or not, i trust lippi with all his callss and even though his ways might seem strange, i believe lippi will bring us another trophy,

u gotta remember italy never blew out teams ever really anyway, beatin teams by one or two goals is wat italy always did bestt, they dunt play joga bonito style, they just get the win and thats that, so all u complainers still complaining bout italy just squeakin by these small teams during qualifyin, who cares, no ones gona remember when the world cup rolls around and havin good form in the tournament when it comes is all that matters really, thats how italy won their last world cup,

Posted from Canada

By alessio | March 30th, 2009 at 2:48 am

Why did we give up on Barzagli so soon? He had a bad game against Holland, but so did everyone.

Probably because we´ve watched him with Palermo in Serie A, Sneakers.

Posted from Spain

By Michele Stasio | March 30th, 2009 at 10:00 am

Buffon
Motta-Cann-Chillini-Grosso
Brighi-Pirlo-DDR
Rossi-Pazzini-Inganta

By fg | March 30th, 2009 at 11:18 am

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/gallery/threehundredandeleven5.html

io sono….batman

Posted from United States

By Giuseppe | March 30th, 2009 at 12:18 pm

is it just me or is Jovetic going to be really good? fiorentina should play him more

Posted from United States

By kqql | March 30th, 2009 at 1:00 pm

4-4-2 ?

Buffon
Zambro-Canna-Chiellini-Grosso
Motta-Pirlo-De Rossi-Brighi
Rossi-Pazzini

0r 4-1-3-2 ?

Buffon
Zambro-Canna-Chiellini-Grosso
De Rossi
Motta-Pirlo-Brighi
Rossi-Pazzini

—

The report suggests Lippi [b]may [/b]make some slight changes for the World Cup qualifier in Bari. Matteo Brighi, Giampaolo Pazzini, Giuseppe Rossi and Marco Motta worked alongside Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Pirlo. The test could see Brighi replace Angelo Palombo, who started against Montenegro, but didn’t set the stage alight.

[url]http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/2009/03/30/1182590/giampaolo-pazzini-could-start-against-ireland-report[/url]

Posted from United States

By kqql | March 30th, 2009 at 4:53 pm

Probable Starting Line Up vs . Irleland

4-2-3-1
Buffon
Zambro-Canna-Chiellini-Grosso
De Rossi-Brighi
Pepe-Pirlo-Quags
Pazzini

Posted from United States

By kari | March 30th, 2009 at 8:19 pm

I didn’t watch this match.My Mom watched the report of this match and made me thought Azzurri played well.But from all the comments here,Azzurri didn’t play as impressively as I imagined.

By Sam Dj | March 31st, 2009 at 12:17 am

nice finding fg

By Marco | March 31st, 2009 at 8:55 am

Listen, some of you ‘joga bonito’ people are smoking some strong substances.

Italy never did blow the minnows out of the water. But when they do have competative teams in on the field they never look vulnerable either. They look solid, in control, and simply there to win the game. Saturday’s match looked different. Yes they won 2-0, but they looked anything but in control. They looked stuck up, disorganized, uncreative, too-readable, common, slow, and disinterested. Those are characteristics that a Brazil or Argentina are looking forward to playing against. Think about it, Brazil systematically looked better than Italy in a friendly. They passed the ball with ease, they were creative, fast, opportunistic and interested. Italy looked like stale grapefruit. IMO Brazil right now is NOT the best team in the world and they made us look foolish.

At the end of the day we are not going to be playing Montenegro or Ireland or Scotland in the confederation cup or at the World Cup. We are going to be playing (no disrespect intended to the former) real teams. Teams that have a history in winning, teams that have followers outside their own populations, teams that live and breath this sport and are known for harvesting talents capable of playing across the globe in all the elite leagues.

Seriously, if you think Lippi is on the right track, Im afraid your horribly mistaken. This team in its current form is capable of making it no further than the group stage at the world cup in 2010. Italy is unlike any team in the world at the end of the day.

When looking at the Azzurri factor in two things into the equation. Take the current team, ask youself, Can they beat Argentina or Brazil? yes or no? then throw in, Can the current team beat FIFA and Blatter scandels?
The answer has to be NO! In 06 we weren’t tested with Argentina or Brazil, and we were good enough to beat the phantom red card to Materazzi and the phantom penalty given to france, as well as the coveted penalties.

This time around though, I don’t think so. Not with the slowness, uncreativity present on this team.

I don’t think many of you watch Serie A with some of these comments. Cassano is an absolute necessity to this team. What your not getting/understanding or simply not seeing is that Soccer/Football/calcio is a team sport. Each player on the field is a piece to a chess board. When your playing a Juventus or Milan who are you going to defend against? There isn’t enough defenders to put two men on each of their players. But when your playing against a Minnow like Sampdoria, who are you going to focus your defense on? Palombo? NO. Your going to put two guys on Pazzini and often three on Cassano. Listen, the guy can only do so much on a lackluster team. If you consider him to be out of form or lazy, just watch a game of Sampa’s. Watch how teams defend against him, he is often crowded out. And teams can get away with it when your team (sampa in this case) has one or two offensively minded players on the field.

Don’t forget Sampa did beat Inter 3-0, so he is still getting through the Serie A champions.

Listen, at the end of the day either we put Cassano on the team or pray to God Totti wants to come back. Cause either way, Giovinco wont be coming on anytime soon, and regardless, don’t we want a Giovinco/Cassano/Rossi attack instead of Di Natale/Toni/Quags – fuck the previous three reaks of freshness and vitality.

By ilcapitano | March 31st, 2009 at 11:10 am

Buffon
Motta Canna Chiellini Grosso
Pirlo De Rossi Brighi
Cassano
Pazzini/Iaquinta Rossi

^ My line-up, but Cassano isnt called up, so who knows…

kqql: About all these other line-ups. Motta is a back, Brighi isn’t a winger, and Pirlo DEFINITELY isn’t a trequartista. You get these from goal.com or something?

Posted from United States

By Marco | March 31st, 2009 at 11:22 am

buffon
motta cannavaro chiellini grosso
brighi derossi pirlo
rossi
Iaquinta/pazzini

Rossi has enough talent and creativity to play trequartista against ireland. but following this match they need a Cassano on the team.

By Stefano | March 31st, 2009 at 12:51 pm

Anyone got a stream for the under 21 game?

By Julian | March 31st, 2009 at 1:02 pm

http://atdhe.net/live-tv-5778.html

Posted from United States

By gio | April 1st, 2009 at 1:40 am

Marco,

I agree with some of what you say, but if you want compare Italy and Brazil, note that Italy are currently in 1st place in their group while Brazil is in 4th, and frankly not far from 5th (having drawn to some fairly mediocre clubs i should add, which says a lot about their consistency … not to mention our side was heavily depleted going into that game); so if you want to measure success, Lippi is doing a better job at the moment than Dunga.

I agree about our play and the way the team looks … and we do look crappy to me … but remember how many said this during 2006 qualifications? when we finally got there, he stepped it up and things looked much better for most of it, but even still, some of the early games looked shaky (Australia and USA to name 2).

let us face it. since there is actually nothing we can do other than complain uselessly, we might as well assume Lippi has a plan and we should relax and let it unfold.

if, in the end, he has no plan or it doesn’t work, we should be ready for the next one with a solid generation of Santon, Motta, Santacroce, Dossena, DeRossi, Aquilani, Marchisio, Marchionne, Giovinco, Rossi, Balotelli

as far as Cassano … not a team player, lazy and, yes i have seen him play in three of the last 5 games, and as good as his dribbling can be, he looked no better nor more dangerous than Floccari or Corradi, Mascara, Doni or even Conti.

By Sofia | April 1st, 2009 at 12:12 pm

marco,
i agree with what you are ssaying. i think that lippi has a difficult job ahead of him. he inherited a team donadoni fucked up with the likes of quags/dinatale. i think he needs to get rid of the DN/toni/quags line and go with the giovinco/cassano/rossi line becuase it honestly sounds much better. Even as a young player giovinco is still a better choice than quags or pepe (srsly WTF?!)

Posted from Canada

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