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Let’s Finish The Job

October 8th, 2009 | By: Julian | 33 Comments »

One game. One more win and we are through to South Africa without having to worry about playoffs. One more match: a convincing enough display will keep the critics off Lippi for a while, at least until the call ups for next year come out. But even more importantly, a win against the strongest team in our group besides us would ease the fears of Azzurri fans, especially given what happened last time we faced the Irish.

Let’s recap. The date is April 1st, and fittingly so. It seemed like a April Fool’s Joke when Pazzini was given a red in the third minute (incidentally, it’s also the last time I think he played for us). Down to ten men, we were still able to grab a lead before the half via Iaquinta. Late in the second half though, Liverpool reject Robbie Keane equalized, and we were left wondering what had just happen. Did we really go down to ten men so early? Did Simone Pepe really play for 55 minutes while Rossi sat on the bench the entire time? And worst of all, did we really choke in the end?

That turned out to be a minor blip in our qualifying campaign. Say what you want about luck or fortune, but the only thing that the table cares about is points. Out of the 53 or so teams trying to qualify from UEFA, only 5 have more points than us: the Netherlands, England, Spain, Germany, and Russia. We have 20 points from 8 games. For comparison’s stake, come the 8th round of Serie A, no team will be able to get 20. After 8 rounds in the EPL, only Chelsea has 20 or more (21). Our record isn’t bad, though the play has been spotty.

A win, a convincing one at that, will finally get us through to South Africa and calm the complaints, if only for a while.

Italy News

Call ups here. Word on the strada is that Lippi is going to field the following formation:

Buffon; Zambrotta, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Grosso; De Rossi, Palombo; Camoranesi, Pirlo, Iaquinta; Gilardino

A 4-2-3-1 a la Spalletti’s Roma. The back four is as strong as we’re going to get with Lippi considering the absence of our captain. De Rossi and Palombo should hopefully be able to direct play and shield the back four well, but there’s no telling whether or not they’ll gel. It’s interesting to see Iaquinta out on the flank when I would put him on top and maybe Rossi behind him, but we all know how Lippi works by now.

It’s a typical Lippi formation. Focus on age and experience, light on creativity. Ultimately it doesn’t really matter who he sends out there, if we can get the win. And we do tend to come out on top in qualifying when we need to- just ask Scotland.

Ireland News

Trappatoni’s call ups are here:

Goalies: Shay Given, Keiren Westwood, Joe Murphy.

Defense: John O’Shea, Kevin Foley, Richard Dunne, Stephen Kelly, Kevin Kilbane, Eddie Nolan, Sean St. Ledger, Paul McShane, Darren O’Dea.

Midfield: Aiden McGeady, Damien Duff, Darron Gibson, Glenn Whelan, Keith Andrews, Liam Miller, Stephen Hunt, Andy Keogh, Steven Reid, Liam Lawrence.

Forwards: Caleb Folan, Kevin Doyle, Robbie Keane, Shane Long, Leon Best.

They’re not a bad team by any means. Given is one of the top goalies in the Prem and a major reason why City are doing so well this year. O’Shea and Dunne are quality in the back, and we all remember what Keane did to us. Interestingly, both Italian coaches are too stubborn to call up their nation’s best: while Lippi refuses to call up Cassano, Trap and Stephen Ireland got in a fight and neither seems willing to give in. That can only be good for us.

Prediction: 3-0 win for us. De Rossi, Gila, and Grosso scoring. We need a convincing win and we’ve been waiting for it for too long. Forza Azzurri!

Tags: Euro 2008, Group E, Ireland, Italy, Keane, Lippi, Marcello Lippi, Pazzini, Pepe, Rossi, UEFA, World Cup 2010

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Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 33 comments.

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By italia2006 | October 9th, 2009 at 9:40 am

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By mac | October 9th, 2009 at 10:26 am

I am a fan of both Italy and Ireland and only these two teams. These are the countries my family comes from and I am close to my relatives of both these nations. I don’t think Italy’s players are bad it is that they are not a team. They don’t play like a team and in their current form with their current players they have no chance on wining the world cup. I love Ireland and hope they win so that it serves two purposes. 1) Gives Ireland the courage and strength to continue to play strong in South Africa. Ireland does not have a history of doing well in the cup something I am hoping will change this time. 2) I hope that by Italy not scoring any goals and losing that they make drastic changes to the strikers they are fielding. Which I believe is the only way forward for Italy to SA. Lippi is a stubborn bastard and needs to have his hand forced into playing players that deserve to play vs playing ones who’s time has past, or don’t deserve to be there at all.

By Jem | October 9th, 2009 at 10:27 am

sometimes i wonder if fans of other national teams are so winey and pessimistic…

Posted from United States

By mac | October 9th, 2009 at 10:55 am

I bet fans of France are much worse.

By jackson | October 9th, 2009 at 11:18 am

itlayworldcupblog has become a hangout 4 lippi haters & an infamous swine

Posted from United States

By Julian | October 9th, 2009 at 11:30 am

xyz- I’m not sure why Canna should be punished. If it was legit medicine that he was taking for an ailment, why should he be punished? It seems like a mis-communication to me moreso than anything else, unless you guys know something that I perhaps don’t.

Posted from United States

By mac | October 9th, 2009 at 11:43 am

The essence of the group that won the WC in 06 was teamwork. Without a doubt it was one of the most beautiful collaborations on the football pitch ever. The whole group moved as one. All that aside that team was fortunate that Zidane is a dumb ass and all of our guys hit their PK’s. It was a deserved win, they worked very hard at it as one.

Since that time both Donadoni and Lippi have failed to put together a group of players that can play as a team, score and defend.

I don’t dislike Lippi, I just don’t understand trying to squeeze water from a rock.

By matty t | October 9th, 2009 at 1:23 pm

prediction, italy win 1-0, or 2-0, gilardino gettin a header and/or de rossi rocketin onee, ireland will never score against buffon, chiellini will rock those irish in the back, grosso will be in the attack addding depth all the time, zambrotta will play decent like he always does(he has never really played poorly, hes just been lookin average from his normal best for a few yearss), and legro will hold out his own against those irish attackers(u gotta remember all these defenders play in Serie A and have defended against way tougher attackerss then the irish NT), i think sumtimes u guys dunt give the azzurri the credit they deservee and other teamss way too much creditt. I kno we gotta respect the opponent but c’mon guys respect ur own boyss firstt!! Forza Azzurri!!!!

By Tony | October 9th, 2009 at 1:25 pm

I have to agree with jem, mac and jackson, this blog is steadily going downhill, and there is nothing anyone can do about it, once, one person will say why was cassano not called up, someone else will say that cannavaro is old and garbage, and in addition to italian stallion now he seems to have an assistants in his pursuit of nonsense and let me make myself clear, i’m not referring to the racist remarks but rather the know-it-all behaviour is really tiresome, some of you state ridiculous drivel about cannavaro needing to get stripped of his captaincy.
Were it not for Julian with his occasional really good posts I don’t think I would even bother anymore.

Posted from Canada

By italian_stallion-- | October 9th, 2009 at 1:38 pm

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Posted from Spain

By italian_stallion-- | October 9th, 2009 at 1:42 pm

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Posted from Spain

By jackson | October 9th, 2009 at 1:45 pm

i agree this blog has become a hangout 4 lippi haters & an infamous
racist swine

Posted from United States

By italian_stallion-- | October 9th, 2009 at 1:55 pm

edited

Posted from Spain

By italian_stallion-- | October 9th, 2009 at 1:56 pm

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Posted from Spain

By John Silver | October 9th, 2009 at 1:59 pm

With all due respect, it’s hard not to be incensed against Lippi at the moment. You guys may have bad short-term memory as far as the Confederations Cup goes, but the rest of us don’t.

Obviously most of the holier-than-thou tones being used are slightly ridiculous, but your own holier-than-the-Lippi-haters discussions are so much more of the same.

By jackson | October 9th, 2009 at 2:08 pm

edited

Posted from United States

By redman12 | October 9th, 2009 at 2:24 pm

Viva Italia tomorow! we’re not gonna let those potato luverss beat us!! Iaquintaa for a goal, and Buffon with a game-stoppinn save!

By redman12 | October 9th, 2009 at 2:25 pm

plus viva cannavaro! greatest defender plying the trade in italy right now and probably europee tooo

By redman12 | October 9th, 2009 at 2:56 pm

just watchin the u20 italy hungary game- both coaches sent off, 2 azzurri off and one hungarian off===italy playin with 9 and hungary playin with 10 tied 1-1 goin into extra timee!!!

By Marco | October 9th, 2009 at 3:17 pm

In response to the people who think this is a anti-lippi club.

For every Fifa/Uefa sanctioned tournament the azzurri participated in they have always won it in their first go at it. The confed cup was the first time that the azzurri made their first ever appearance, they not only lost, they got HUMILIATED. While that might not mean anything to some of you, it means a huge amount to many other people.

THere is no reason to think otherwise at this time, we will qualify for the world cup, and get humiliated. I want to see where many of you pro-lippi advocates will be hiding in June. If I am wrong of course I will eat my words.

By jackson | October 9th, 2009 at 5:10 pm

u20 aet ita 2-3 hun
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Posted from United States

By alessio | October 9th, 2009 at 7:25 pm

That’s a pretty arbitrary statistic, and frankly, no one gives a shit about the Confederation’s Cup. Who has the most Euro cups right now? Shit if I know off the back of my hand. Who has the most WCs? That’s what matters in international football..plain and simple.

I could create a new international tournament and even if Italy gets hammered the first time around, I’m not sure many would care. (

By Marco | October 9th, 2009 at 8:45 pm

Alessio, even through your banter, I know you could see how poor this version of the azzurri really is.

Goal.com had a pretty interesting read today – who would win Lippi’s XI or the snubbed Azzurri XI which had the strike force of Miccolli – Pazzini – Cassano with foggia playing behind next to Perrotta and Brighi. Interesting read as I said.

By hurrikaane | October 10th, 2009 at 11:07 am

Can someone explain why Legro starts ahead of Gamberini, who is playing very well, shutting down the likes of Fernando TOrres?

By Nar | October 10th, 2009 at 9:14 pm

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Posted from India