Italy- Ireland Preview

March 31st, 2009 | by: Julian |

In a lot of ways, this game tomorrow will tell us much about the Azzurri. For one, if we win it, it will tell us that there’s a near certainty that we will be going to South Africa next year as group winners. For another, even moreso than the Brazil game, this game should show us how ready we are to defend our trophy. Remember, we’re Italy, and we tend to perform well when it really matters. Friendly aside, this is our toughest real test yet, and a stern one at that.

Who Lippi will throw out there is a tossup. I’m expecting:

Buffon

Zambro-GC-Canna-Grosso

Brighi-Pirlo-DDR

Pazzinicakes-Rossi-Quags

His insistence on the 4-3-3 is annoying and really doesn’t suit our team, but I still think he’ll use it cause that’s really all we’ve seen him use. The midfield is looking strong and the tandem of Rossi-Pazz is an exciting one, so I’m hoping that those 5 players at least get starting spots.

Trapattoni, Ireland’s coach, is a very shrewd tactician- he was once coach of the Azzurri himself. No doubt, Ireland do have good players and guys like Keane and O’Shea will be a test for our backline. If their pace starts to give us trouble, I’d expect Motta to be thrown on for Zambro, but we never really know what to expect with Lippi.

No offense to Ireland, but the ball is in our court. We have a 2 point cushion in the standings and a win here will bring that up to 5, a total which we should be able to hold onto comfortably until the end of qualifying. This seems appealing to Lippi, too:

“Ireland is clearly our only challenger. A win would mean a five-point lead, which is a good margin – although not decisive.”

A loss here will put us a point behind Ireland and will be a huge shock. Let’s not even think of that for now, beause the repercussions will be enormous. If Lippi can motivate the players and start the guys who deserve to start, then we should be able to win here.

Predicted score: 2-0 Italy, Pazzini and De Rossi scoring

Forza Azzurri!

Tags: Group E, Ireland, Italy, Keane, Marcello Lippi, Motta, Pazzini, Rossi, Trapattoni, World Cup 2010, World Cup Qualifiers

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Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 244 comments.

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By respiration | April 1st, 2009 at 3:49 pm

lol. i bet cassano is sitting at home laughing. man oh man. are we in panic mode?

Posted from United States

By sam | April 1st, 2009 at 3:49 pm

we should still be leading the table with ireland 2 points behind us…

Posted from Switzerland

By Sofia | April 1st, 2009 at 3:51 pm

thanks to the fuckin german ref we lost 2 points. great. just what we needed. hopefully this will serve as a wakeup call to the team and to lippi that there are certain guys that reallly dont deserve anothr callup (yes, pepe im lookin at you!) oh well what can you do, 1 point is better than 0.

Posted from Canada

By Kurdt | April 1st, 2009 at 3:51 pm

worst ref ever after moreno.

Posted from Taiwan

By Marco P. | April 1st, 2009 at 3:52 pm

Standings:

Italy – 13 pts
Ireland – 11 pts
Bulgaria – 7 pts
Cyprus – 4 pts
Montenegro – 2 pts
Georgia – 2 pts

By Vincent | April 1st, 2009 at 3:54 pm

I just knew that Ireland were going to score. Thanks to Gigi and a tired defence for holding to only 1 goal.

Playing with 10 for that long is sh!t hard and getting a point in the circumstances is not bad. The ref really sucked and put us in the whole to start.

Canna is still the MAN, along with Gigi!!!!

Forza Italia!!!

By Johonna | April 1st, 2009 at 3:55 pm

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/europe/standings/index.html

Group 8

Italy 13
Republic of Ireland 11
Bulgaria 7
Cyprus 4
Montenegro 2
Georgia 2

Posted from United States

By sam | April 1st, 2009 at 3:55 pm

we still have ireland, bulgaria, cyprus and georgia to go

Posted from Switzerland

By Johonna | April 1st, 2009 at 3:55 pm

Whoops. Great minds, Marco.

Posted from United States

By LorenzoRosanero | April 1st, 2009 at 3:56 pm

I don’t see this as “crisis mode”. Sure, it’s disappointing to lose in that fashion, but let’s not freak out given that we still lead our group by 2 points.

I mean, look at Portugal right now. Yikes…

Posted from United States

By Sam Dj | April 1st, 2009 at 3:57 pm

4-1 for bolivia btw…damn

By kat | April 1st, 2009 at 3:57 pm

I demand Motta, or anyone that’s not named Zambrotta, for starting RB from now on.

By Marco | April 1st, 2009 at 4:01 pm

Ireland deserved to win. Congrats to the Trap on his return to the motherland! We miss ya in the face of Tyranny.

I think many of you are missing the point here. 2006 we had trouble early on in qualifying. But we progressively got better. The trouble was down to the fact that Lippi just took over the team and was trying out different players – Cassano one of them. Then the team began to mesh about a year out from the world cup and consistantly got better.

Your dreaming to compare this mess to 2006. Here we have a team that is progressively getting worse. We are not fielding the top talent in the country like we did in 2006 and we are picking up average players and expecting to win a championship. The formation is completely off the players he is selecting are completely off as well. Look at Cannavaro for example. He went from undesputed best defender in the world for Juventus in 05/06 to world cup hero in 06. Now look at him, he is a Real Madrid byproduct. Their booting him out of the city/club and country. Rightly so, he is sloppier, slower than he used to be, and extremely arrogant.

Zambrotta, same thing, even worse. He has now been severely burned a number of times during this world cup qualifying. He is slow, tired, frustrated, disorganized and so forth. Not to mention he was also booted out of spain, and is now part of the Milan retirement community going no where fast.

It’s a fact, people are aging, people need to go. The national team is a revolving door for the creme de la creme. But what we are getting are the same old tired approaches. Lippi does not have a master plan, italy does not have a plan. Nothing is unfolding, you can see it, we are completely out to lunch when it comes to this team. Do you really think Palombo, Di Natale, Quags, Pepe are the answers we are looking for? No.

I have already heard Lippi and now I will hear it from some of you. But Marco we had 10 men. Come on. With the GULF, and I MEAN GULF in class we have compared to every team in this group we should have no problem winning games. I can understand if we don’t blow them out, but come on, we have vastly superior talent than everyone in this group. However, it’s not on display. What is on display is some serious luck. Don’t believe me, in the last two game there should have been at least 3 penalties called against italy, a barrel full of yellow cards, 2 more red cards than the one given to Pazzini. that is only two games people. this luck wont last sooner or later this will catch up to us and burn us in the ass.

This team is going no where, I repeat nowhere. I gave Donadoni 1 year to right the ship, he didnt, I called for his head. It’s now time to start calling for Lippi’s head. Arrogance is written all over the tatooed arms of this team, there is no desire to win, only a desire to embarrase us further.

By Panna | April 1st, 2009 at 4:03 pm

Poland 10 – 0 San Marino

Posted from United States

By Marco P. | April 1st, 2009 at 4:03 pm

Ahah Johonna. Split-second later. Plus link though for you.

4 matches left. Trap will fancy his chances.

By Doc Latin | April 1st, 2009 at 4:06 pm

The way they’re going it reminds me of Team Canada’s selection in Torino. Go with the aging leaders who won four years earlier.

I still can’t see why Giovinco is not being used. He can’t be worse than Pepe.

Posted from Canada

By Kurdt | April 1st, 2009 at 4:14 pm

Is there any chance for Nesta to come back and replace Canna? please…

Posted from Taiwan

By mike de robbio | April 1st, 2009 at 4:20 pm

don’t blame the ref. blame lippi. His team decisions are getting worse and worse. A 10 man world champion Italia should never struggle against bloody Ireland. We need some class. Where was Rossi? Where is our future? This was B grade Azzurri. Bring on 2014.

Posted from Australia

By Sam Dj | April 1st, 2009 at 4:22 pm

6-1 for bolivia, we can thank buffon again

By J | April 1st, 2009 at 4:24 pm

I gotta agree with the “arrogance” thing.

Posted from Singapore

By Kasia | April 1st, 2009 at 4:26 pm

I guess I will download THAT one. I will try to count all ref’s mistakes.

Posted from Poland

By kat | April 1st, 2009 at 5:18 pm

Looking at the moviola from a better angle, IMO the ref called Pazzini’s red right. To fling you arm like that at vicinity of another player is indeed a dangerous play.

By Jessica | April 1st, 2009 at 5:57 pm

Crazy, but soccer can be that way. Only time will tell (obviously) as the next set of qualifiers will be at the start of the next league season; which will hopefully present more options.

By Lucio | April 1st, 2009 at 6:13 pm

referees!!!!! ive read all your comments about blaming this and that, but the real problem tonight, was the ref. Italy will piss this group even if they are at fifty percent commitment, but they need fair decisions, not refs who think they see a bit of blood and they need to react in a way they think will get them another game. The Italian squad this evening were unlucky, they didnt play well, but showed balls and deserved 3 points. Crowe park not a problem……..BRING IT ON PADDY BOYS. JUST ONE PROBLEM GET RID OF DOSSENA HE IS SHIT AND UNFIT FOR THE NATIONAL SIDE.

By kari | April 2nd, 2009 at 9:51 am

After Ireland scored the equalizer,the match was like a nightmare .I just hoped it would end soon.If it had lasted longer, Azzurri could have lost in Bari.

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