Call Ups: Azzurrini

The Azzurrini have a friendly against Russia on August 12th in St Petersburg. Manager Pierluigi Casiraghi has called up his squad. I am really looking forward to seeing how Macheda does in the u-21 side.

Goalkeepers: Fiorillo (Sampdoria), Seculin (Fiorentina)

Defenders: Ariaudo (Juventus), Brivio (Vicenza), De Silvestri (Lazio), Gentili (Varese), Ogbonna (Torino), Ranocchia (Bari), Rispoli (Brescia)

Midfielders: Barillà (Reggina), Bolzoni (Genoa), Mancosu (Empoli), Poli (Sampdoria), Signori (Sampdoria)

Forwards: Balotelli (Inter), Di Gennaro (Milan), Macheda (Manchester United), Mustacchio (Sampdoria), Paloschi (Parma), Tiboni (Atalanta)

Italy Failed To Impress

Aside from their first match against the USA Italy the current World Champions failed to impress at the Confederations Cup. There has been much said in the past week that Italy were just there to get used to South Africa these games didn't mean anything. While that is all well and good as an excuse it shouldn't be stood for. The press here in Italy have been calling for squad changes. Cannavaro was wonderful during the 2006 World Cup but his best days seem to be behind him. Chiellini looked lost and Dossena was unlucky. Inter's young defender Davide Santon was brought but barely used. If Lippi wasn't going to use him he should have let him go to the U-21's which are going on in Sweden where he would have featured.

Camoranesi looked alright though at 32 he sometime looks closer to 36. Camoranesi has been one of the better players for the Azzurri but he is getting older and slower. Daniele De Rossi wasn't bad though I was expecting more out of him during the Brazil match. He is a player that needs to pick up his game more while playing for the Azzurri. Pirlo had a nice first match against the USA but after that seemed to fall off.

After starting the first match against the USA Gilardino didn't feature much. Instead Luca Toni was given the green light and did nothing with it. Luca Toni hasn't been thrilling anyone lately while he has been playing for the Azzurri and Gilardino had a better season then Toni as well. Iaquinta missed some wonderful opportunities during the Egypt match though he was stopped in a large part by the Egyptian goalkeeper. Iaquinta was a bright spot for me for Italy. Rossi didn't have a bad tournament but in the matches against Egypt and Brazil got pushed off the ball too easily.

Though I don't think that Italy are in a crisis as some papers in Italy have said I do think they need some new ideas. They need to bring in some youngsters. Why wasn't Del Piero on the squad? Pirlo's free kicks were pathetic. I'd like to see Amauri called up for a qualifier as well as Pazzini. Acquafresca and Giovinco are on the brink of the Azzurri I have a feeling Giovinco might not get called up soon enough due to his size. One player that should not enter the squad is Balotelli who is a hot head and can not even control himself at U-21 level and was lucky to get away with only a one game ban after his red card against Sweden. Cigarini needs to be put into the middle next to De Rossi.

Though these changes are nice coming out of my mouth I doubt many changes will happen by the next year and the World Cup. The players that Lippi constantly calls up are his favorites and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Pirlo, Cannavaro, Toni and Gattuso are all four years older than when they won the World Cup and their game has fallen with their age, it is time for an injection of youth.

Who would you like to see added to the squad and who would you leave out?

Italy 0 v 3 Brazil

"Una goleada" is what the announcers called it. A less than stellar Azzurri were found out by a solid if unspectacular Brazil squad yesterday in the Confereations Cup. The first, a garbage goal threaded through three gawking Italian defenders to an opportunistic Luis Fabiano, put the selecao ahead. The second highlighted the first major weakness of the Italian squad, where Brazil flooded the Italian midfield, pressured their attack there, and released to Kaka and Robinho at pace. A few quick exchanges between them and Luis Fabiano, trailing into the area, received an uncontested pass to slot it past an overmatched Buffon. The last goal, Andrea Dossena's boneheaded own-goal, highlighted the other major weakness for the Azzurri. The defence.

Now that we've had a quick look, let's delve a little deeper. On paper, these are the world champions, but Italy have not been "Italy" since just after Lippi left for his Roman Holiday in July of 2006. Here were the keys for that World Cup squad. In attack: Luca Toni is just not the same player. A late bloomer at Palermo and Fiorentina, he didn't start making his mark in Italy until well into his 20's. He was 29 when the Azzurri won the World Cup. He got his big contract to Bayern Munich that year but even that now has soured. 32 years of age is not old for a forward, and Toni's game is less reliant on pace than it is grit and determination, but age doesn't just take away speed and acceleration, it also takes away coordination and skill on the ball as well. He's not finishing because his body is just not firing like it used to. Also, Vincenzo Iaquinta was a key sub in 2006 but whereas he had a defined place in a Udinese squad then, he gets few quality minutes in a Juve team overstocked with big forward. Gilardino? He's a specialist in need of a provider.

In short, their attack is toothless, but in midfield the dropoff has been even worse. Francesco Totti received loads of criticism for his inability to define himself in big games, but his contribution to Italy 2006 was crucial. His passing and ball control allowed other midfielders to specialize in key roles. With his retirement, there is no one yet who has defined the number 10 role for the new Azzurri. Giuseppe Rossi is too young, as is Montolivo, and the ideal candidate is serving a life sentence from the National squad because Lippi questions his dedication. Antonio Cassano may be a lot of things, l'enfant terrible is a good word for him, a destabilizing force is another, but Italy are not in the position to be all that picky with their squad positions. Simone Pepe and Angelo Palombo aren't ready for prime time, and unfortunetaly Lippi continues to trust an aging core Pirlo, Gattuso and Camoranesi to win the ball and begin the attack. Daniele DeRossi is young and able but he is wasted in one of the least capable Italian midfield's on record.

As for the defence? There has been a generational turn in their vaunted defending. Where are the Maldini's and Baresi's? Chiellini is top drawer quality, but Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta, and Fabio Grosso have lost it. Andrea Dossena, Alessandro Gamberini, and Nicola Legrottaglie never had it and the new jewel in the armor Davide Santon of Inter Milan is still a ways away from the big time.

The Azzurri are stuck. World Cup holders, they (like their 1982 brethren) won't defend it. Roberto Donadoni was clueless, a victim of the Lippi shadow, but even the rehired Lippi is under that same spell. The one saving grace is that the Azzurrini are very good, they play well together and may be forced into the senior squad sooner rather than later.

Giuseppe Rossi: a ripe obscenity?

I know it's an old topic, which is what the title refers to actually, but the last few days have opened up a can of worms that's as ancient as any in the professional side of the sport. Giuseppe Rossi, Joe Red as we call him in the podcast, born in the United States in a fascinating place called Teaneck, New Jersey, who played with the USMNT mascot Michael Bradley in his youth, and is under contract along with lead striker Jozy Altidore at Villareal, but spent his formative years both in the Parma youth system in Italy, and under the watchful eye of Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, scored a come from behind brace at the Confederation's Cup in South Africa the other day for Italy; leading his father's Azzurri to victory over the country of his birth.

Then the obscenities started coming. He's a traitor. Brainwashed by his father at the age of 13 to give up his allegiance and travel to Parma, Italy for a longshot chance at glory; a glory that isn't even his or so they say. Bruce Arena tried to get him to play for the U.S, especially when his career stalled on-loan at Newcastle United, but the kid had a dream: he wanted to play in that famous blue kit and he wanted to be the fantasista; heir to Baggio, Del Piero and Totti. He made it. Against all odds. We should be celebrating him.

Is he any different from Lukas Podolski or Miroslav Klose who both play for Germany instead of their native Poland? Ethnically they're German or so say their passports. Are you truly Argentinian if you're raised there but born in France like David Trezeguet? Should Mauro Camoranesi be derided because he bleeds Abiceleste instead of Azzurri? Omar Sivori was another in a long line of Oriundi playing in the belle paesi. So was Brazilian Jose Altafini. Or what about the greatest: Alfredo DiStefano; who played for his native Argentina, a bit part for Colombia and finally for his adoptive Spain? Should they have given up their dreams for some nationalistic idiocracy? Tab Ramos could have played for Uruguay. Ernie Stewart could have for Holland. Thomas Dooley couldn't even speak English but like his foreign born team-mates, he accepted citizenship and played for another country not of his birth. Mehmet Aurelio, Cacau, Pepe, Deco, even Euro 2008 winner Marco Senna, all of them were born in Brazil. Are they continually criticised because they gave up their slim chance at the selecao?

Why then is Giuseppe Rossi any different from 4 generations of his compatriots who played for national teams other than that of their birth? He's not. Rossi made the best choice for himself and his family. Some choose an easier route to the World Cup, some choose a stronger ethnic connection, others offer themselves to the highest bidders, but we have no right to question that decision.

Minute+5 Podcast:Ibra Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

Dov joins me as we discuss the possibility of a Zlatan Ibrahimovic move to La Liga and Barca.  It has been suggested in some circles he is worth Cronaldo and Kaka combine. Listen to this Minute+5 and tell us at Forza Futbol what you think.

The Next Minute+5 with Kevin and Dov - Inters Ibra Flying the Coop For the direct download try this link, Min+5 Player Profile Ibra

United States 1 - 3 Italy

Giuseppe Rossi got the first in the 58th minute followed by Daniele De Rossi in the 72nd. Giuseppe Rossi got his second in injury time.

Italy 3 - Northern Ireland 0

Updated! Confederations Cup: Azzurri

Confederations Cup squad:

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

Defenders: Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Lyon), Davide Santon (Inter), Gianluca Zambrotta (Milan)

Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (Milan), Andrea Pirlo (Milan), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria)

Strikers: Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal), Luca Toni (Bayern Munich)

There are two groups for the Confederations Cup.

Group A: South Africa, Iraq, New Zealand and Spain

Group B: USA, Italy, Brail and Egypt

There are two groups for the Confederations Cup.

Group A: South Africa, Iraq, New Zealand and Spain

Group B: USA, Italy, Brail and Egypt

Schedule of matches:

06/14: South Africa - Iraq (Johannesburg)

06/14: New Zealand - Spain (Rustenburg)

06/15: Brazil - Egypt (Mangaung/ Bloemfontein)

06/15: USA - Italy (Tshwane/Pretoria)

06/17: Spain - Iraq (Mangaung/ Bloemfontein)

06/17: South Africa - New Zealand (Rustenburg)

06/18: USA - Brazil (Tshwane/Pretoria)

06/18: Egypt - Italy (Johannesburg)

06/20: Iraq - New Zealand (Johannesburg)

06/20: Spain - South Africa (Mangaung/ Bloemfontein)

06/21: Italy - Brazil (Tshwane/Pretoria)

06/21: Egypt - USA (Rustenburg)

06/14: South Africa - Iraq (Johannesburg)

06/14: New Zealand - Spain (Rustenburg)

06/15: Brazil - Egypt (Mangaung/ Bloemfontein)

06/15: USA - Italy (Tshwane/Pretoria)

06/17: Spain - Iraq (Mangaung/ Bloemfontein)

06/17: South Africa - New Zealand (Rustenburg)

06/18: USA - Brazil (Tshwane/Pretoria)

06/18: Egypt - Italy (Johannesburg)

06/20: Iraq - New Zealand (Johannesburg)

06/20: Spain - South Africa (Mangaung/ Bloemfontein)

06/21: Italy - Brazil (Tshwane/Pretoria)

06/21: Egypt - USA (Rustenburg)

Confederations Cup: Azzurri

Lippi has named part of his Confederations Cup squad and he will add player to the final squad after the friendly against Northern Ireland.

Confederations Cup confirmed players:

Goalkeepers: Buffon (Juventus), Amelia (Palermo)
Defenders: Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Chiellini (Juventus), Zambrotta (Milan)
Midfielders: Camoranesi (Juventus), De Rossi (Roma), Pepe (Udinese), Pirlo (Milan)
Strikers: Gilardino (Fiorentina), Iaquinta (Juventus), Quagliarella (Udinese), Toni (Bayern Monaco)

Squad to play against Northern Ireland:

Goalkeepers: Morgan De Sanctis (Galatasaray), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari).
Defenders: Mattia Cassani (Palermo), Andrea Dossena (Liverpool), Alessandro Gamberini (Fiorentina), Fabio Grosso (Lyon), Andrea Esposito (Lecce), Nicola Legrottaglie (Juventus), Davide Santon (Inter).
Midfielders: Marco Biagianti (Catania), Matteo Brighi (Roma), Gaetano D'Agostino (Udinese), Daniele Galloppa (Siena), Gennaro Gattuso (Milan), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria).
Forwards: Pasquale Foggia (Lazio), Giuseppe Mascara (Catania), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Sergio Pellissier (Chievo), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal).

The new Italy kit for the Confederations Cup is a throwback look.





There are two groups for the Confederations Cup.
Group A: South Africa, Iraq, New Zealand and Spain
Group B: USA, Italy, Brail and Egypt

There are two groups for the Confederations Cup.
Group A: South Africa, Iraq, New Zealand and Spain
Group B: USA, Italy, Brail and Egypt

Schedule of matches:
06/14: South Africa - Iraq (Johannesburg)
06/14: New Zealand - Spain (Rustenburg)

06/15: Brazil - Egypt (Mangaung/ Bloemfontein)
06/15: USA - Italy (Tshwane/Pretoria)

06/17: Spain - Iraq (Mangaung/ Bloemfontein)
06/17: South Africa - New Zealand (Rustenburg)

06/18: USA - Brazil (Tshwane/Pretoria)
06/18: Egypt - Italy (Johannesburg)

06/20: Iraq - New Zealand (Johannesburg)
06/20: Spain - South Africa (Mangaung/ Bloemfontein)

06/21: Italy - Brazil (Tshwane/Pretoria)
06/21: Egypt - USA (Rustenburg)
06/14: South Africa - Iraq (Johannesburg)
06/14: New Zealand - Spain (Rustenburg)

06/15: Brazil - Egypt (Mangaung/ Bloemfontein)
06/15: USA - Italy (Tshwane/Pretoria)

06/17: Spain - Iraq (Mangaung/ Bloemfontein)
06/17: South Africa - New Zealand (Rustenburg)

06/18: USA - Brazil (Tshwane/Pretoria)
06/18: Egypt - Italy (Johannesburg)

06/20: Iraq - New Zealand (Johannesburg)
06/20: Spain - South Africa (Mangaung/ Bloemfontein)

06/21: Italy - Brazil (Tshwane/Pretoria)
06/21: Egypt - USA (Rustenburg)

Gossip And Rumors

Laurent Blanc to Juventus? Other rumors are Antonio Conte or Ciro Ferrara. -Calcio Mercato

Geona have signed Crespo and Quaresma is close to signing for Geona as well. -Calcio Mercato

Roma is ready for a take over. -Calcio Mercato

Ezequiel Lavezzi may leave Napoli. -Channel4

Martin Jorgensen Renews Contract With Fiorentina -Goal.com

La Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting that Leonardo will be presented as the new manager of Milan. -La Gazzetta dello Sport

Italy Call Ups

I'm not a big fan of friendly matches, so waiting until after a 2-2 draw for the Azzurri against Austria today to comment on the call-ups is just as good as writing it yesterday. Alberto Gilardino scored to bring Italy back after being down 2-0 and were lucky to score on an own goal by the Austrian keeper, but a draw is a draw is a draw. Lippi has been forced to field a defence without Fabio Cannavaro, Marco Materazzi, Giorgio Chiellini and Alessandro Gamberini so some of these are not permanent fixtures.

Goalkeepers: Juve's Gigi Buffon, backed up by Marco Amelia from Palermo. Gigi is starting to show cracks in his indestructible facade, but he is still Italy's undesputed #1, #2 and probably #3.

Defenders: Bonera, Grosso, Chiellini, Cassetti, Barzagli, Zambrotta, Dossena. The Italian defence is still graying, the two holdovers from the World Cup squad are well over 30 and Barzagli, a backup on that squad is at his prime right now and yet decided to ply his trade in Germany, away from the microscope in Serie A. Is this a watershed year for Italian defenders? Most people say that the young Italian keepers are on the wane, but what of pride of the Italian game; the fullbacks and centerbacks?

Midfielders: DeRossi, Gattuso, Palombo, Camoranesi, Perrotta, Pirlo, and Aquilani. Have we gotten stuck in a timewarp? I realize this is roughly the same squad that Lippi brought up two years ago, but I'm sory but that's a problem. I understand DeRossi, Aquilani to a certain extent despite his injury problems, but Perrotta, Camoranesi and Gattuso? All three are on the other side of their International careers. Pirlo is still a force, especially on the set-piece, but I'd like to have seen some new faces in the mix.

Forwards: Del Piero, Gilardino, Di Natale, Iaquinta. Gilardino is back in the squad and proved Lippi right with a goal today despite being out of favor with the previous regime. Iaquinta is again second choice up front, Luca Toni is hurt and a wonder about the omission of Il Bambino

Overall a conservative bunch of choices, but Lippi had better start venting some of those Azzurrini, because they are the one's who will be the backbone of the next World Cup.

Existential Damage

Once again, a club has been hijacked by the actions of a fan or group of fans and forced to pay, in this case 1,500 Euros to a fan in Napoli, who was "damaged" by banners in a Napol v Inter Milan match at the Guiseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan last October. The banners in question were a response to a work stoppage organized by the Camorra-run, garbage collectors who were in disagreement with landfill operators and the government, causing a build-up of refuse in the streets of Napoli. They mentioned Naples as the "sewer of Italy", another one that called residents "cholera sufferers" and others that said, "Neapolitans have got tuberculosis". The anonymous fan was left "indignant and deeply hurt" and sued the club for "existential damage" with the verdict coming in his favor this week despite the clubs arguing that the courts had no jjurisdiction. The club and the supporters had already been sited by the league, but the Italian courts had the ultimate say.

I won't get into much of a value judgment on what was said. The banners were pretty idiotic and petty. It's typical of the usual North/South animosities that have been in place and certainly not the first salvo in such a highly charged rivalry; one that has decades of history between the two clubs and the two groups of supporters. I also won't go into the legalities, as the details of Italian law and how it differs from U.S. law is ultimately beyond me, and other countries do have different definitions of personal freedom, but in my opinion, "what sort of damage exactly was done?" Was this an isolated incident? Was this any different from the scores of other times that Northern fans have reaped scorn at Southerners in the past? Lastly, will it ultimately correct the behavior in question?

I don't think so really. I'm all for correcting past wrongs and solving this ethnic problem but this is not the

time nor the case to do that with. This smacks of one opportunistic fan sticking it to the establishment and while I usually side with guys like him in these cases, I just can't get by the fact that he was left with "existential damages" from reading a series of banners.

Winds of Change?

A year ago, the English Premier League dominance on the world stage was rightly assured. Two English teams in the final of the Champions League, three of four in the semis, we assume that it is a trend, a watershed mark that will continue, but anyone with a sense of history in the game knows that European football is cyclical. Sooner rather than later a club, or a series of clubs, will step up from one of the other top leagues in Europe and challenge the Manchester United's, Chelsea's or Liverpool's and repeat that feat of 3 of 4 in the semis. If so, then from where?

Most would often say Spain, they are the European Champions of Euro 2008, they have a young squad of brilliant players, the majority of which play nationally in La Liga; which is very important in my mind. Real Madrid are learning how to win again in the Champions League after a return to form domestically. Barcelona have endured two turbulent years, fueled by an out-of control dressing room, over-inflamed egos, and a sometimes lax director, but are about ready to return the challenge of the madridistas. Villareal have progressed in 5 years from relegation also-rans to title contenders as their neighbors Valencia have done much the same but in reverse. You might see a Real Madrid win again, and soon I might add, but the odds are further along for three of four in Spain to win.

In my opinion though, the sleeping giant of Italian football has been woken. AC Milan, recently content to give short shrift to the scudetto have seen rivals Inter win the championship twice on the field in succession, secured the more important off-field signings, and more importantly have just seen a media-conscious manager like Jose Mourinho give instant credibility to the often fractious nerazzurri side. Securing Ronaldinho is a coup on so many terms, but having him in partnership with Kaka  and Pato will be epic. Roma have seen better days, but they have one of the most exciting young coaches in Serie A, Lazio will be better and let no one forget (let alone me for my obvious disrespect last year) that Juventus will be a force to be dealt with. They have an aging squad certainly, but they have an interesting mix of competitive youngsters as well, and they have all of the resources of the Agnelli family behind them (wink, wink). Add an exciting side like Udinese, the creativity of Sampdoria and lest we not forget probably the most consistent Italian club over the last 5 years Fiorentina, and Serie A is in my opinion the most competitive league top to bottom in the world. The top 4 is back in business (AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus and AS Roma) but they have serious competition from 3 or 4 other squads. They all have quality home-grown depth and they have arguably the best managers, coaches and trainers in the world. They have quality youth development, some fine feeder programs at clubs like Udinese, Siena and Empoli, and they have some of the best fan support in Europe, great derbies like Roma/Lazio, Milan/Inter, Genoa/Samdoria, and Juve/rest of Italy. If (and I realize these are big ifs) they could fix a troubled media rights compact, control fan and stadium violence, and curtail corruption they obviously could compete on the world stage with England and Spain as they did so successfully in the 1980's and 1990's. If you think they can't, remember that  the current UEFA chairman Michel Platini was once the darling of the Turin alps in the bianconeri midfield.