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The Italy Squad

February 7th, 2009 | By: Julian | 45 Comments »

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Marco Amelia (Palermo), Morgan De Sanctis (Galatasaray)

Defenders: Daniele Bonera (Milan), Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Olympique Lyonnais), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus), Gianluca Zambrotta (Milan);

Midfielders: Alberto Aquilani (Roma), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Simone Perrotta (Roma), Andrea Pirlo (Milan);

Strikers: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal), Luca Toni (Bayern Munich).

So basically, this is the conservative Azzurri that we’ve seen under Lippi. A lot of guys from 06, not too many great guys from the present. Guys like Maggio who should be in there aren’t, and guys like Iaquinta who can’t even find playing time for Juve somehow got called up. That’s Lippi for you.

This should look very familiar to anyone whose payed attention to Lippi since his return. No surprises and no new call ups, barring the return of some guys from injury (like Buffon and Aquilani).

I know some of you guys are going to be pissed that guys like Santacroce, Cassano, and Di Viao aren’t in the squad, but overall, I think Lippi’s doing a good job. Again, he’s transitioning slowly but surely to ensure the balance of the team isn’t screwed. Santacroce is going to be called up before WC 2010. It’s only a matter of time. I dunno why Lippi’s waiting, but he can’t take Bonera and Gamberini with us to South Africa. I also think we’re going to have to accept that Cassano might not ever be called up under Lippi- if he wasn’t last year, when he was firing Samp towards the UEFA cup, he surely won’t be this year when they’re in the bottom half of the table. Finally, I don’t think Di Viao should be called up anyway. I’d focus more on youth and I think Rossi- Gila could be a good partnership. All depends on what Lippi can get out of Gila.

If he calls up this same squad when qualifying comes around and we’re playing a minnow team, then I’ll be pissed. But giving guys like Santacroce their first cap against Brazil is an enormous amount of pressure. God forbid something goes wrong, and their confidence would be forever crushed. Calling up guys from 06 for a friendly like this means that most of these guys are used to huge games that we need to win. Lippi should, once qualifying resumes, start to call up guys like Santa. They need time to play against smaller teams, and then work them up to play against big ones. But calling them up to play against Brazil could just backfire entirely. So playing it safe might have it’s benefits in this game.

Finally, this is a just a friendly. A huge friendly, yes, but I wouldn’t look at these call ups and automatically assume that these are the guys going to South Africa. Usually coaches experiment in a friendly, but I think Lippi’s playing it safe for one reason- if he doesn’t lose this game, he’ll have the new record for being the coach with the longest game streak without a loss, internationally. Playing it safe just might ensure his passage into the record books.

And I think he deserves that far more than Di Viao deserves a call up.

Tags: Brazil, Friendly, Italy, Italy Squad, Marcello Lippi, World Cup 2010

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Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 45 comments.

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By kqql | February 8th, 2009 at 1:32 pm

alessio |

Camo did wel today…

By Julian | February 8th, 2009 at 2:52 pm

How bout that Rossi kid, huh?

Posted from United States

By MAD | February 8th, 2009 at 3:41 pm

I wasn’t suggesting that he get a call up.

But I wouldn’t laugh at the idea either all things considered.

There are quite a few players that I would laugh at getting a call up before Santon. Especially at the one of the defensive positions.

Let’s not forget that Maldini was 19 when he was called up to the senior squad. Facchetti at 21. All 3 are/were at the same position. In 2010 he will be 19 1/2.

It has been done before, if he’s good enough.

By DeGuilio | February 8th, 2009 at 5:21 pm

Brighi over Simone (and Aquilani for that matter). i know this isn’t a Roma squad but he’s been instrumental in Roma’s bounce back and he and DDR have been The Midfield for Roma since their terrible begining. Roma has the most points in Italian in the last 14 or 15 matches and it’s no coincedence Brighi has played in all but one.

Posted from United States

By John Silver | February 8th, 2009 at 6:15 pm

Try this little game guys: run through all the names of the squad per category, and see how many of them should legitimately be there come 2010 and how many you would drop out. You’ll find there’s approximately two names in midfield (my pick: Camo and Perrotta) and two names in the offence (my pick: Di Natale and Toni) who do not fit.

We’ve got a year and a half to go and there’s only two names per category to get rid of. Only two names. Once Perrotta leaves for Marchisio and Toni leaves for [whoever] we will already be done. I realise the gradual approach can seem frustrating, but look at the list, IT IS HAPPENING.

The only problem is the defence, that department still needs work done on. I laugh at the idea that Santacroce could be our saviour though, have you guys actually seen him in his latest performances?

Posted from United Kingdom

By John Silver | February 8th, 2009 at 6:19 pm

“I would have liked to see marchisio in there. now there is a class player. I think he will actually deliver instead of waiting for the roman wonderkid aquilani to finally shine.”

Like the last time, when he netted two goals? C’mon Sushan, give this topic a rest.

Completely unrelated: c’mon guys, keep the good ratings coming -http://www.islandreefjob.com/#/applicants/watch/qyh662-sdWs The video was on the front page today Thanks!

Posted from United Kingdom

By kqql | February 8th, 2009 at 9:27 pm

John Silver | February 8th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
“I would have liked to see marchisio
—————–

out injured….just got replaced with @u21

By kqql | February 8th, 2009 at 9:28 pm

update.
toni sucked today….

By asem | February 8th, 2009 at 10:00 pm

How bout Motta, eh?

Posted from United States

By gio | February 9th, 2009 at 1:12 am

excellent point …

i was going to say something very similar to Joh Silver, but he beat me to it …

only in my opinion it is actually only 1 person in each category that needs to be changed.

Santacroce should be added in defence, Brighi does deserve a call-up for mid-field, and Toni needs to be replaced, presumably with Del Piero.

Di Natale really needs to stay. besides his record on goal (for both the Azzurri and Udinese … and look also at how many he has scored vs. how much time he has played), he wins so many balls, has the best pace and hustle of any other forward on that list, and is really the only Italian forward who can add such a defensive element to the front line. this is something that could be crucial depending on the team we are up against and the formation Lippi deceides to play.

once he gets the right players, he will be able to start developping the formation, but John S. is right, he has to get the roster right first and then start the tuning process.

so far i think he has got it.

(Di Vaio would be a nice addition to the squad, not just because he has a nice goal sheet, but because he has French and Spanish experience, but he is a bit old. i would rather see him than Gilardino. Gilardino is not going to be a big scorer in Blue … at least not for some while, and i think Lippi needs to take him off, at least for now.)

By gio | February 9th, 2009 at 1:13 am

forgot the obvious … Chiellini needs to get back into that back-line.

By gio | February 9th, 2009 at 1:24 am

the big question now is who will he play and in what formation against Brazil?

the usual suspect (4-4-3) i suppose

4-2-3-1 would be an interesting change

(maybe …
Grosso . Cannavarro . Legrottaglie/Chiellini . Zabrotta
De Rossi . Brighi
Di Natale . Pirlo . Quagliarella
Del Piero/Rossi/Iaquinta (?)

By Bobo | February 9th, 2009 at 3:09 am

Rossi did wonderfully today. With everything that kid went through to play for Italy, you just know that he’ll give it his all everytime he steps out on the pitch for the Azzurri.

By kqql | February 9th, 2009 at 3:43 am

By Julian | February 8th, 2009 at 2:52 pm

How bout that Rossi kid, huh?
Posted from United States

——————-
http://videos.sapo.pt/6ntIVmee7wVf3j3tsceU

By alessio | February 9th, 2009 at 4:51 am

Rossi was pretty ridiculous yesterday, I just hope he can gain some confidence.

kqql, I know Camo played today, but it was his first game in 2 months or so. And Iaquinta….well, no comment on that.

Posted from Spain

By Mike | February 9th, 2009 at 10:46 am

Nice representation from Florence and Udine

By John Silver | February 9th, 2009 at 10:57 am

John Silver | February 8th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
“I would have liked to see marchisio
—————–
out injured….just got replaced with @u21

kqql – I know, I was quoting Sushan on that and then responding. Hence the quotation marks.

Posted from United Kingdom

By asem | February 9th, 2009 at 2:56 pm

http://www.daylife.com/photo/0eaz3tP7631mP/italy

Nice pic of the team warming up

Posted from United States

By kqql | February 10th, 2009 at 4:40 am

Azzurri Fwds as of 2/9/09, Stats are from Serie A, Bundesliga, Liga.
(08/09 Season)

Gila -> 14 Goals + 2 Assists / 20 Games (1794 Minutes) Played
Rossi -> 11(2 P.K) Goals + 4 Assists / 16 Games (1225 Minutes) Played
Toto -> 11(3 P.K) Goals+ 4 Assists / 16 Games (1059 Minutes) Played
Toni -> 9 Goals + 3 Assists / 15 Games (1246 Minutes) Played
Quags -> 8 Goals + 3 Assists / 22 Games (1449 Minutes) Played
Iaquinta -> 4(1 P.K) Goals + 1 Assist / 15 Games (554 Mintues) Played
+
Pepe -> 3 Goals + 2 Assists / 21 Games (1475 Minutes) Played
.

By John Silver | February 10th, 2009 at 7:55 am

My take on the history between Italy and Brazil, published quite late unfortunately http://www.footballitaliano.co.uk/article.aspx?id=146

Posted from United Kingdom

By Sofia | February 10th, 2009 at 11:51 am

anyone know which TV stations are showing the game in Canada?

By alessio | February 10th, 2009 at 1:03 pm

From Juventus.com…

Do not call it a friendly. There will be no prize to be won if not that of honour, but when Italy and Brazil meet the encounter can never be free of significance. At 20:45hrs tonight, at the Emirates Stadium in London, the two most victorious national teams on the planet, the current world champions and the 2002 world champions will meet in a sort of play-off for the beginning of this century. Nine world championship titles, the world’s football masters, Brazil, against those who made football nearly their religion, Italy, on the land where football was born, England. Whoever is capable of finding something better raise his hand. Italy and Brazil will meet for the 13th time in history and up to now the statistics see a perfect equilibrium: 5 victories each and 2 draws even though one of these is only so for the statistics since it is the 0-0 in Pasadina during the world cup final in 1994 won on penalties by the verdeoro.

Tonight’s is the 8th friendly but it is not an occasion to experiment new solutions. Dunga and Lippi will field the best formations at their disposal. The former must make do without Kakà, whilst the azzurri coach will not have two pillars at his disposal that is Chiellini and Gattuso. Brazil will probably have Adriano heading it’s attack supported by Robinho and Ronaldinho. Italy will place it’s trust in Toni with Camoranesi and Rossi or Di Natale in addition to the wings. Gigi Buffon will be in the starting line-up and probably also Nicola Legrottaglie with Vincenzo Iaquinta ready to give a hand during the rest of the match.

Posted from Spain

By asem | February 10th, 2009 at 1:04 pm

great write-up, Andrea.

the game’s at 2:30 correct?

Posted from United States

By asem | February 10th, 2009 at 1:04 pm

Thanks alessio.

Posted from United States

By forzafrankie | February 13th, 2009 at 5:00 pm

I didn’t realize how many Italians are playing in other countries. Can the Milans stop buying up the Brazilians, and Argentines and use some money to bring our boys home!

Posted from United States

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