<div style="float: right;margin-left: 5px"><a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/lazio-roma/image/8560962?term=Ranieri" target="_blank"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="alignright" style="border: 0px initial initial" src="http://view2.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/8560962/lazio-roma/lazio-roma.jpg?size=500&amp;imageId=8560962" border="0" alt="Apr. 18, 2010 - Rome, Italy - epa02122866 Captain of AS Roma, Francesco Totti (L) stands next to head coach Claudio Ranieri ahead of the Italian Serie A soccer match between SS Lazio and AS Roma in Rome&apos;s Olympic stadium, Italy on 18 April 2010." width="300" height="198"></figure></div></a></div>
It’s the final group stages matchday of the Champions League, and Roma and Inter Milan need to win their midweek matches. After such a <a href="http://www.serieatalk.com/only-napoli-left-in-the-europa-league/3370">poor display from Italian sides in the Europa League</a>, the Serie A needs to hold its head high and have three teams go into the knockout stages of Europe’s top competition. If Inter can manage to steal first place in their group from Tottenham, and Roma manage to qualify in their group, things will be looking slightly brighter for the Serie A, and the two clubs themselves.
Roma will be travelling to Romania for their match on Wednesday against CFR Cluj, and while at first it doesn’t look like a very difficult match, an upset could end Roma’s Champions League campaign early. After their fantastic 2-2 draw against Chievo (Chievo came back from two goals down, and then came close to scoring a winner after De Rossi was sent off in the final minutes), they play Cluj, and then the giallorossi will be hosting last-placed Bari next weekend. But two tough matches come right after playing Bari, first they’ll have to host Lazio in the Coppa Italia in the midweek, and then they travel to AC Milan the following weekend, and both of those matches could finish in a loss for Ranieri’s side.
While I think that Roma will manage to move on to the knockout stages of the Champions League, Lazio could knock out Roma from the Coppa Italia, and then the Ibrahimovic led AC Milan could easily defeat Roma at the San Siro. What do you think? Share your comments below!
Inter Milan are certainly in one of their worst moments right now, especially after their <a href="http://www.serieatalk.com/rafael-benitez-running-out-of-time-at-inter/3372">3-1 loss to Lazio</a> over the weekend. But Rafa Benitez has remained upbeat and optimistic about his current situation with Inter, and he seems to be prepared to grab a win away against Werder Bremen, which is the last game of Inter’s group stages in the Champions League. Yet the odds seemed stacked against him, not only will Rafa Benitez be missing Diego Milito, but the Spaniard will also have to do without Wesley Sneijder and Lucio! A cold trip to Germany doesn’t seem the best place to test out even more new youngsters, but it seems like Benitez will be forced to.
Right after the important game in the Champions League, Benitez has a chance to redeem himself after this season’s bad start with the European champions will travel to Abu Dhabi to play in the FIFA World Club Cup. Many players seem set to return in this competition, and winning a fairly simple trophy could motivate and convince players enough to begin winning in the other competitions. It’s very possible that Julio Cesar and Maicon will manage to return for the FIFA World Club Cup, and two veteran players like them should be able provide some cover for Inter at the back. Do you think that Rafa manage to right the ship at Inter Milan? What if Inter loses to Werder Bremen, and then has a poor display in the FIFA World Club Cup? Would it be time for him to go? Share your comments below!

Roma And Inter Need Wins In Champions League

Roma And Inter Need Wins In Champions League - World Soccer Talk

Fifa released its list of the <a href="http://soccerwrapup.blogspot.com/2010/10/ballon-dor-2010-23-nominees.html">23 nominees for the Ballon D’Or of 2010</a>. Along with the 23 players, there are also 10 managers/coaches competing for the World Coaches of the Year award. The winners of both will be announced by FIFA on December 6th.
Something which will stand out right away when you look at the list of the 23 players is that there are no Italian players. This was predictable especially with the Italian National team having trouble in the 2010 World Cup. While I thought that maybe the Juventus central defender Giorgio Chiellini could’ve made the final 23, he didn’t. I’m certainly disappointed, and I hope that next year we’ll be able to see a couple of Italian names on that list of 23 players. Maybe Giuseppe Rossi, Davide Santon, or Mario Balotelli?
Although the list is devoid of Italians, luckily there are some players representing the Serie A. There are only four Serie A players, and all four of them play for Inter Milan. They are: Julio Cesar, Wesley Sneijder, Samuel Eto’o, and Maicon. If you were to ask me, those are four great choices, but it’s a little disappointing that there’s no other Serie A side represented.
And there’s an interesting player who wasn’t included in the final 23, and that’s Diego Milito of Inter Milan. Surely if there was a star goalscorer from last year, you’d have to think about Inter Milan’s Argentinean. He scored both goals in the Champions League final to make sure that Inter won the historical trophy, but FIFA haven’t included him in the nominees for the Ballon D’Or. I think he should’ve been included, what about you?
Funnily enough, there’s an Italian on the list of the World Coaches of the Year award, good old Carlo Ancelotti. Carlo did a great job at Chelsea in his first year, and he won the English Premier League title. Along with Carlo, Jose Mourinho is nominated after his extraordinary treble which he accomplished with Inter Milan last year.
While I think this award will go to Jose Mourinho, what are your thoughts? Please comment below! And what are your thoughts regarding the lack of Italians? Who do you think will be the next Italian to be on the shortlist? Share your thoughts below! And if you haven’t seen the list of the nominees yet, be sure to check it out <a href="http://soccerwrapup.blogspot.com/2010/10/ballon-dor-2010-23-nominees.html">here</a>!

No Italians in Ballon D'Or 2010 Nominees

No Italians in Ballon D'Or 2010 Nominees - World Soccer Talk

The Serie A has returned, and we’re beginning to see some interesting developments regarding teams which might need a new manager sometime soon. Just looking at the bottom three teams: Fiorentina, Parma, and Udinese, you find underachievers which will need to either start winning, or be replaced. The question is, how much time will Mihajlovic have at Fiorentina? Does he have another couple of weeks? Or will he be kicked out before that? Well, I can’t answer that, but here are five things to note from this weekend’s Serie A matches.
1. Lazio continue to rise with win at Bari
Lazio currently find themselves at the top of the table, two points ahead of Inter Milan and AC Milan. This is wildly unexpected, but as I’ve always said, Edy Reja is a fantastic coach, and he’s proving it at Lazio. Bari is a difficult side to face, even at home, but travelling away to the Galletti can often be slightly humiliating for most sides. And while Giampiero Ventura’s side tried to stretch out Lazio with huge spells of possession, Reja meticulously prepared his side to stay compact and organized. After a boring first half, Reja’s side found the back of the net after the break, first with Hernanes coolly finishing at close range, and then with Floccari awkwardly looping it over Gillet with an unintentional touch. But now the question must be asked, can Lazio continue to stay in front of the two Milanese clubs? We’ll have to wait and see, but I’m sure that this season under Edy Reja, Lazio fans can expect a Europa League spot at least.
2. Krasic a continuos creator for Juventus
Krasic started the season wonderfully for Juventus, and he’s continuing this devastating form which single-handedly cuts through teams. In Juventus’s 4-0 win against Lecce, Krasic was a key player, and he contributed three assists for the final three goals, and so far this season, he has scored three goals, and assisted six! That means that Krasic has either created or scored 56% of Juventus’s goals this season! Talk about an influential player. Delneri has been praising Krasic after the match, and he’ll certainly be looking to help this youngster develop into the next Juventus legend.
3. A weekend of great goals
While there wasn’t a huge amount of goals scored this weekend, there were plenty of fantastic ones. You had two rockets in Palermo’s 4-1 victory over Bologna: first Pastore lashed one into the top-right hand corner, and then Ilicic blasted one right through the middle of the net. We also saw a sublime finish by Di Vaio in Bologna’s consolation goal, he squeezed the ball into the back of the net from a very tight space, and if you’re an aspiring forward, watch this goal because it’s pure textbook finishing. We also had Pato score two goals in AC Milan’s 3-1 win over Chievo, one of which was a very nice scissor kick.
Another great goal was Samuel Eto’o’s winner against Cagliari for Inter Milan, the Cameroon forward controlled, twisted past a defender, and then released a low rocket which rose off the ground with his left foot. Juventus had some good goals in their 4-0 win over Lecce, along with Sampdoria scoring two nice goals in their 2-1 win over Fiorentina, one which was a swerving free kick, and the other a wonderful move by Cassano. So if you have some free time, be sure to watch all the goals of the Serie A this weekend, because there’s some fantastic ones in there.
4. Julio Cesar does some fantastic goalkeeping to save Inter Milan
In my opinion Julio Cesar is the best goalkeeper in the world. I truly think that he has more agility, faster reactions, and better defensive organization than any other keeper out there. And as Inter played out a 1-0 win away against Cagliari, Julio Cesar produced some epic saves.here they are below.
Well, what do you think? To me these are two fantastic saves which stopped Cagliari from drawing level, and so far Julio Cesar has only conceded three goals this season which is better than any other keeper in the Serie A. What do you think about Julio Cesar? Is he the best in the world? Comment below!
5. The Scudetto probably won’t go to Inter Milan this year
I know that this is a big call to make so early into the season, but I’m making it anyways. Although Inter find themselves tied second in the table, I dont think that Rafa Benitez’s side can muster up a league winning run. While they have only conceeded only three goals, and they’re winning matches, they haven’t convinced me, at all. The entire team seems tentative, and it’s only thanks to moments of brilliance by Eto’o and Julio Cesar which win them games. They don’t create many chances, and I think that while Juventus and AC Milan win with big amounts of goals, Inter always manages to squeeze by. I expect AC Milan to win the upcoming derby della Madonnina, and I think that from there Massimiliano Allegri’s side will run off to win the title.
But what do you think? Can Inter Milan win another consecutive Serie A title? Please share your thoughts by commenting below!

Five Things To Note From Serie A This Weekend; October 2010

Five Things To Note From Serie A This Weekend; October 2010 - World Soccer Talk

<div style="float: right;margin-left: 5px"><a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/sports-news-may-2010/image/8889020?term=champions+league+Inter" target="_blank"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" style="border: 0px initial initial" src="http://view4.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/8889020/sports-news-may-2010/sports-news-may-2010.jpg?size=380&amp;imageId=8889020" border="0" alt="05944912 date 22 05 2010 Copyright imago Camera 4 Football Madrid ESP 22 05 2010 Champions League Final Bavaria Munich Inter Milan 0 2 Milito Diego Alberto Inter no 22 with Son Inter wins The Champions League 2010 Madrid men Football Champions League Final 2009 Victory European Cup victory Vdig xmk 2010 vertical Highlight premiumd." width="266" height="431"></figure></div></a></div>
Today’s UEFA Champions League draw was one that should prove that Serie A is still one of the premier leagues in the world, and that Inter is arguably the world’s best club.&nbsp; The Nerazzurri swept the UEFA individual awards: Goalkeeper of the Year (Julio Cesar), Defender of the Year (Maicon), Midfielder of the Year (Wesley Sneijder), Striker of the Year (Diego Milito), and Footballer of the Year (Milito again).&nbsp; Milito scored both goals in Inter’s defeat of Bayern Munich in last season’s Champions League final.
But of course the big news is the draw, and with Sampdoria’s loss this week Serie A has three teams represented in the Champions League – defending champion Inter Milan, AS Roma, and AC Milan.&nbsp; The draw was a mixed bag for all three, but all have a good chance of advancing.
Inter was placed in Group A along with Werder Bremen, Tottenham Hotspur, and FC Twente.&nbsp; Bremen is of course the club that eliminated Sampdoria, and so it has a second chance to knock off a Serie A team.&nbsp; Tottenham is playing in its first Champions League since 1963, and has a potent attack led by Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe.&nbsp; FC Twente are the reigning Dutch champions but are making their first&nbsp; Champions League group stage appearance ever.
This is a tough draw for Rafa Benitez’s club, but they will not have to travel far for away matches, two of which (White Hart Lane and De Grolsch Veste) hold fewer than 40,000 spectators.&nbsp; They won’t go through the group stage undefeated, but it’s hard to see how Inter doesn’t advance from this group probably at the top.&nbsp; My instinct is a loss either at Tottenham or Twente, but they finish first in their group.
Their rivals AC Milan also face a group of quality opponents rich in history, possibly making them part of this year’s “Group of Death”.&nbsp; Milan (a Pot 1 club) is in Group G with Real Madrid, Ajax, and Auxerre.&nbsp; Last year Milan went to Madrid and escaped with a upset 3-2 victory, helping them advance from the group.&nbsp; This year, they will face the defending Champions League winning manager Jose Mourinho who is looking for a third title with his third team.&nbsp; Ajax is one of Europe’s most famous clubs, but does not have the level of talent it has had in past years.&nbsp; Auxerre is the French club that has a knack for upsets – it qualified for the group stage by knocking off Zenit St. Petersburg.
Jose Mourinho is likely salivating to play in Milan again and knock off the Rossoneri.&nbsp; I have my doubts that AC Milan can go into Madrid and beat Real Madrid again, but they can advance from this group.&nbsp; The key is not to lose focus when playing Ajax or Auxerre, because both are more than capable of advancing themselves.&nbsp; This group will also have a ton of attention paid to it simply because of the names involved.&nbsp; As such, Allegri will have a tough tightrope between preparing for his group and the domestic league.&nbsp; Still I expect AC Milan to finish second and advance.
The third Champions League team Roma will be expected to finish second in their group, but because of the balance in this group all four have the possibility of advancing.&nbsp; The Pot 2 team drew Group E headlined by Champions League runner-ups Bayern Munich, which will be a tough test for the Giallorossi.&nbsp; The upset pick from this group will be FC Basel, Switzerland’s most successful club who have played in European competition since 1999. &nbsp;While Roma has more talent and big names, Basel will not be an easy victory. &nbsp;The fourth club, CFR Cluj, is a Romanian club that under new ownership in the 2000s has found success after being a second division team most of their history. &nbsp;Roma fans will remember this club as the one in 2008 that came to Rome and won 2-1 in the Champions League. &nbsp;I expect Roma to advance, but to have to battle the entire way.
My prediction is that all three Serie A clubs will advance, one in first and two in second. &nbsp;But what do you think? &nbsp;Tell us in the comments section, in the poll below, and on Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/roberthayjr" target="_blank">@roberthayjr</a>
[polldaddy poll=3679105]

Inter Sweeps UEFA Awards, Plus Champions League Draw Analysis

Inter Sweeps UEFA Awards, Plus Champions League Draw Analysis - World Soccer Talk

While this was a mere friendly and many of the starters from both teams were not on hand, the manner with which Inter overcame Manchester City serves as a warning for those aiming to dethrone the Serie A champions and Champions League winners.
The Nerazzurri were missing the likes of Diego Milito, Lucio and Wesley Sneijder but still managed to put a solid display with some silk passing and neat moves. In midfield, Esteban Cambiasso was as productive as ever with his passing and disrupting of opponents while captain Javier Zanetti was as usual reliable at the back and a useful player going forward.
Inter dominated the match and were in control of possession even before the sending off of Patrick Vieira who was in all fairness unlucky to see red. The former Juventus and Inter midfielder deserved a yellow card in the worst case scenario. The 3-0 final score can be considering a flattering one for Manchester City since the game could have easily finished with a bigger win for the Nerazzurri.
Inter will be a force to contend with in the Champions League and appear to be confident about their chances of repeating as European champions. As for Serie A, it will be hard to see any club, including Roma, Milan and Juventus, challenge the Nerazzurri for the title. Roma do not have a big squad and there is a major drop off in level between the starting XI and the bench players while Milan rely on too many of the senior players who are edging closer to retirement such as Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo, Alessandro Nesta and Massimo Ambrosini. The Rossoneri will only have one youngster featuring regularly in their starting lineup and that is Brazilian striker Alexandre Pato. As for Juventus, they are still in the process of recovering from a dismal season and it will be hard to see them challenge for the title unless all pieces of the puzzle fell in the right place for the Bianconeri.
Inter’s victory against the Citizens showed that the Nerazzurri have a big squad and a deep bench which can be relied upon when there are injuries and suspensions. In fact, the Nerazzurri will probably have to trim their squad in order to save on some of the big salaries paid to fringe players and reserve players. Having a big squad has another disadvantage which is growing discontent amongst those not getting enough playing time. Such players might begin to cause undesired distractions and might hurt harmony within the squad.
Two factors will shape the Nerazzurri starting XI as well as the quality on the bench and these are related to the future of Maicon and Mario Balotelli. If both players remain with the club then Inter’s bench will be even stronger, but if they leave then the bench will be a weakened a bit since Balotelli will be gone while a full-back will have to start in Maicon’s place on the right flank. Even if the duo will depart, Inter will remain top contenders to sweep the trophies in their path and repeat as treble winners. Only Barcelona and Real Madrid with their talented roster can dethrone Inter as European champions as the elite English Premier League sides are perhaps a step below the Italian giants and the two Spanish clubs.
Inter’s starting XI will likely be (provided Maicon &amp; Balotelli stay): Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, W. Samuel, Chivu, Cambiasso, J. Zanetti, Sneijder, Eto’o, D. Milito and Pandev.
It will be interesting to see if Davide Santon and Mario Balotelli can establish themselves as regulars under new coach Rafael Benitez. The upcoming season certainly looks promising for the Nerazzurri and their supporters.&nbsp;&nbsp;Feel free to comment below or simply contact me on Twitter&nbsp; @RamiSoufi for further discussion. I am including below two pieces written&nbsp;following the end of&nbsp;last season which&nbsp;pertain to Inter:
<a href="http://www.serieatalk.com/diego-milito-inters-hero-as-nerazzurri-complete-historic-treble/2432">www.serieatalk.com/diego-milito-inters-hero-as-nerazzurri-complete-historic-treble/2432</a>
<a href="http://www.championsleaguetalk.com/what-next-for-inter-after-winning-the-champions-league/748">www.championsleaguetalk.com/what-next-for-inter-after-winning-the-champions-league/748</a>
<a href="http://polldaddy.com/poll/3558782/">Will Inter Win Titles Next Season?</a><a href="http://polldaddy.com/features-surveys/">customer surveys</a>

Inter Dismantle Manchester City 3-0 in Baltimore

Inter Dismantle Manchester City 3-0 in Baltimore - World Soccer Talk

<div style="float: left;margin-right: 5px"><a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/italian-national-soccer/image/8972791?term=giuseppe+rossi" target="_blank"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/8972791/italian-national-soccer/italian-national-soccer.jpg?size=380&amp;imageId=8972791" border="0" alt="Jun. 01, 2010 - Sestriere, Italy - epa02182633 Forward of Italian national soccer team, Giuseppe Rossi in action during a training session in Sestriere, Italy, 01 June 2010." width="380" height="287"></figure></div></a></div>
As I always say when I write about transfers, please take this post with a grain of salt – there are so many transfer rumors out there that will never pan out.
That being said, Rafa Benitez should acquire Giuseppe Rossi with the money he acquires from transferring Mario Balotelli.
It is one of the worst-kept secrets in soccer that Inter Milan is shopping Balotelli, primarily to the two Manchesters.&nbsp; Yesterday, Inter <a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=809011&amp;sec=transfers&amp;cc=5901" target="_blank">rejected a $25 million </a>bid for him from Manchester City, as they should&nbsp;because they could probably get much more for him, especially if a bidding war erupts between EPL clubs.&nbsp; However, most of the soccer world anticipates that Balotelli, who has soured on Serie A and Inter, will be playing for a new club next season.&nbsp;
But a report today from <a href="http://www.espnstar.com/football/news/detail/item467643/Rossi-to-replace-Balotelli-at-Inter-Milan/" target="_blank">La Gazzetto della Sport</a>&nbsp;confirms that Benitez has at least considered acquiring Giuseppe Rossi from Valencia to replace Balotelli.&nbsp; While Rossi has publicly committed to remaining with his current club, Inter can use the cash from the Balotelli deal to entice Rossi to return to Italy.&nbsp; Plus, the American-born player has said he considered returning to Italy to play for Pama.&nbsp; So while a Serie A return is unlikely, it is not far-fetched.
But what would a Rossi&nbsp;contribute to the 2010-2011 Inter squad?&nbsp; Tactically he would be an upgrade from Balotelli, as he is right now a more complete player.&nbsp; Rossi would add to Inter’s impressive striker depth, rotating playing time with Milito and Eto’o.&nbsp; He had 12 goals in domestic play last year, more than Balotelli.&nbsp; Adding a rising star like Rossi to the roster would make Inter even more of a favorite to defend at least its Serie A title.
It would also give the club the face of Italian soccer.&nbsp; As the older contributors to the 2006 World Cup retire from international play, and FIGC officials stress out over who will lead a new generation of Italian stars, Inter could grab the soon-to-be biggest Italian star in soccer.&nbsp; As talented as de Rossi, Montolivo, and other Italian national team players are, they lack the “Q” rating of a Rossi.&nbsp; While Juventus has been known as the feeder team for the Azzurri, the Nerazzurri could lay claim to being a team of international stars.&nbsp; They could have the biggest Italian star (Rossi), possibly the world’s best keeper (Julio Cesar), the world’s best defender (Maicon), Cameroon’s biggest name (Eto’o), etc.&nbsp; As Champions League champions, Inter Milan could try and maintain their hold on the crown with an international All Star team.
Of course, the transfer market will outdate this post within days likely, but what do you think of an Inter squad with Rossi?

Inter Swapping Balotelli for Rossi?

Inter Swapping Balotelli for Rossi? - World Soccer Talk

Italy managed to draw 1-1 against both Paraguay and New Zealand while failing to impress despite having seen a lot in terms of ball possession, in particular against the Kiwis when the Italians had just over 70% in terms of ball possession. Pundits and fans alike are debating what has gone wrong for the Azzurri in South Africa 2010 with some attributing it to the Italian tendency to start slow referencing Spain 1982, USA 1994 and even Germany 2006.
What some fail to acknowledge is the fact the Italian squads in previous editions of the World Cup in 1982, 1994 and 2006 were far superior to Italy’s current team in terms of the quality of defenders and talent in the attacking department. In USA 1994 the Azzurri could rely on some of the best defenders to every play the game such as Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi while four years ago Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluca Zambrotta were at their best. Zambrotta has admittedly surprised in this tournament and has been consistent and playing his best football in 3 years albeit still short of his commanding performances in 2006. The main concern here is Cannavaro’s decline with the skipper at fault on both occasions when the Azzurri conceded to Paraguay and New Zealand.
On both occasions, Cannavaro was off in his positioning and could not jump higher than the opponent or control the ball. Against the Kiwis the ball took a deflection off the captain proving he was clueless in terms of his positioning while the Paraguayan goal scorer out jumped both Cannavaro and Daniele De Rossi to score the opener against Italy. Cannavaro has become a weak link in the Azzurri’s defensive line and he is by far the slowest and least impressive of the back four considering Giorgio Chiellini is powerful and tough tackling while Zambrotta is consistent and Domenico Criscito has shown promise on the left flank.
Another main issue is the lack of talent up front with none of the strikers, including Antonio Di Natale, known for their ability to create something spectacular out of nothing. Alberto Gilardino has been a massive disappointment and has barely shot the ball on or off target with the match against the Kiwis showing how ineffective he can be if there is insufficient supply inside the box. The problem with Gilardino is the fact he does not get involved in the build-up and he does not create for himself or teammates rendering him useless in both World Cup matches. The other striker who has started Vincenzo Iaquinta has been played out of position and has struggled to shoot on target due to the lack of supply from the midfielders yet he at least puts the effort and chases the ball. This leaves Antonio Di Natale as the only striker capable of making a difference for the Azzurri yet in both matches he was inserted in the match in the second-half giving him little time to get accustomed to the opponents and to get in the flow.
Di Natale can create and can score as shown by his impressive 29-goal tally in Serie A yet he does need the support of the midfielders. The other two strikers on the bench are Giampaolo Pazzini and Fabio Quagliarella with neither considered world class. Compare those to the attackers at Italy’s disposal in 1994 and one name will suffice to show the massive gap in quality: Roberto Baggio. The former Fiorentina and Juventus forward was the hero for Italy in USA ’94 yet the Italians also had other stars on the bench or starting such as Gianfranco Zola and Giuseppe Signori. In 2006, Italy could rely on Alessandro Del Piero coming off the bench to offer a spark and Francesco Totti starting despite his questionable fitness due to surgery. None of the current forwards compare or come close to Baggio or Totti in terms of talent or the ability to change the direction of the match from a set-piece or a magical move.
This raises the question about Marcello Lippi’s decision to overlook Giuseppe Rossi who was one of the very few bright spots in an otherwise disastrous campaign in the Confederations Cup last year. Everyone knew Lippi would not consider Mario Balotelli, Antonio Cassano and Fabrizio Miccoli for various reasons while Alessandro Del Piero is perhaps too old for consideration. Under such circumstances, why did not Lippi pick Totti despite his age? Instead Lippi argued Totti could not withstand the rigors of having to play 7 matches in a single month. One can easily counter that by saying why not use Totti or even Del Piero as substitutes or perhaps for 30 minutes during each match? They surely could provide more spark than Pazzini or Di Natale who is closing on 33 years (Totti is a year older and Del Piero is 2 years older).
Besides the deficiencies on the defensive end due to Cannavaro’s alarming drop in level and the blow following Gianluigi Buffon’s injury, the lack of a creative force will come back to haunt Lippi and the Azzurri if it has not already done so since the Italians could end their campaign prematurely if the Slovaks are not beaten. Below is a list of other key factors which have hurt the Azzurri:
– Set-Pieces: The Azzurri were a force defending against set-pieces and actually used them best to their advantage. In this tournament so far, the Italians have conceded twice as a result of free-kicks and have lacked in terms of positioning (particularly Cannavaro).
– Trailing: The Azzurri have trailed against both Paraguay and New Zealand which is a major disadvantage considering the lack of goals in this tournament and more importantly the Italian strategy which relies more on taking the lead, sitting back and bouncing on the mistakes of opponents to score more goals. The Azzurri needed to score first to force opponents to come out and let go of their defensive plot. Ironically, Italy lost 4 points because of teams successfully implementing the Italian strategy.
– Injuries: The injury to Gianluigi Buffon will not be felt at this stage but it is a massive blow and against the likes of the Netherlands, Argentina or Brazil, the Juventus goalkeeper could be a difference maker. The injuries to Andrea Pirlo, Mauro Camoranesi and Claudio Marchisio have hurt the Azzurri in one way or another. Missing Pirlo has forced Lippi to keep experimenting using formations which actually do not suit the Italian players. In addition, Camoranesi has been a marginal influence off the bench while Marchisio has struggled in both matches.
– Tactics &amp; Positioning: The system used by Lippi was a complete failure and even when he shifted to a more suitable 4-4-2 it did not work properly because Marchisio was still being used out of position while the strikers were starved from service. Marchisio cannot be used as a left-winger or a playmaker behind the striker. He was an attacking midfielder way back in his youth career but he has been a central midfielder since breaking into the Juventus starting lineup. Lippi is wasting three players by using his system or the current team selection since Marchisio, Iaquinta and Gilardino are all struggling under this formation. The key is to either move Marchisio to a more central role or simply to bench him once Pirlo returns or perhaps even starting Camoranesi at his expense while moving Simone Pepe to the left flank.
– Shots on Target: Against the Kiwis,Italy had 15 corners, shot 23 times and had possession 71% of the time yet only shot 5 times on target including a penalty and the rest were&nbsp; long-distance shots. Not one shot on target by Gilardino and Iaquinta, except for his converted penalty. Montolivo had one long range effort which hit&nbsp;the post while two other shots on target came courtesy of long distance strikes by De Rossi and Camoranesi. Thus, there was a single effort inside the penalty box which was on target and it came from substitute Di Natale. This is quite shocking and will not help the Azzurri cause considering in&nbsp;2006 both goals against the Germans were from shots from inside the box. According to ESPN’s stats New Zealand’s goalkeeper Mark Paston touched the ball more than any other player&nbsp;from the Kiwis who cleared the ball more than 50 times (most of any team in South Africa 2010). Clearly all stats were to Italy’s advantage yet the Azzurri failed to defeat the Kiwis in another sign of the declining game of the Italians.
– Marcello Lippi: No one can argue Lippi’s ability to guide teams to glory as evidenced&nbsp; on both club level (with Juventus) and with the Azzurri, yet his decisions have been poor in terms of excluding players such as Totti and failing to convince Alessandro Nesta to return for the World Cup (Nesta performed much better than Cannavaro this year). Even more troubling is the fact Lippi does not appear to have settled on a strategy to implement which can be attributed to the lack of a creative force capable of integrating the strikers and linking the midfield with the attack.
– Friendly Matches: Italy probably played the fewest matches of any team participating in the World Cup whether in terms of the friendly games before the event or even throughout the year. Lippi needed more matches to test his system instead of implementing it in a couple of games. This had an adverse effect on the team in terms of performances and familiarity with the system. The Mexicans beat the Azzurri in a friendly prior to the event and are now doing well in the tournament having played more&nbsp;matches than the&nbsp;Italians in preparation for the&nbsp;World Cup.
– Teams Using Italian Strategy: While some might give Jose Mourinho a lot of credit for winning the Champions League, he really did not invent the wheel and actually relied on a trusted system which evolved from the Italian strategy: defend well, pressure the ball and have talent up front to make the difference. This is what won the Champions League for Inter with Julio Cesar, Lucio and Maicon a key component of the Nerazzurri success and even Brazil’s Carlos Dunga admitted he will be relying on the trio to guide the Selecao to success. Thus, the top teams and even the weaker ones are using an Italian strategy to achieve success. Only the Dutch, Spain and Argentina do not implement the Italian method. Brazil is one of the teams depending on the system and many of the average and weaker teams have relied on the Italian strategy to earn a draw or even snatch a surprising win.
Simply put, all is not lost for the Azzurri but Lippi must give Di Natale a chance to start while Gilardino and Marchisio ought to be benched. One&nbsp;change would make the transition to&nbsp;the new-look Italy&nbsp;even smoother and that would be to bench Cannavaro which is obviously not going to happen under Lippi. Regardless, The key is to defeat Slovakia and then face either the Dutch (if Paraguay finish first) or take the easier route which will still see Italy face Spain in the quarter-final (If Spain can bounce back to win Group H) and then Argentina in the semi-final. Either way, Italy must focus on defeating the Slovaks first and then turn attention to the knockout stages. On&nbsp;a&nbsp;match by match basis anything can happen as long as the Italians play as one unit, defend better against set-pieces&nbsp;and&nbsp;the strikers begin to pose a threat and&nbsp;score goals.
For further comments and other discussions please feel free to contact&nbsp; @RamiSoufi on Twitter.
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South Africa 2010 Analysis: Reasons behind Italy's Struggles

South Africa 2010 Analysis: Reasons behind Italy's Struggles - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_3279" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/04/Inter-Milan-Player-Celebrations.jpg"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3279" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3279" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/04/Inter-Milan-Player-Celebrations.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="333"></figure></div></a>Diego Milito, Iván Córdoba, and Wesley Sneijder celebrate their passage to the Champions League final.</div>
The sprinklers rose up from the pitch and sprayed the Inter Milan players and staff.&nbsp; The Barcelona anthem, “Cant del Barça,” blared through the loudspeakers as the Culés did not know whether to clap off their Blaugrana heroes or vehemently whistle at the unwanted visitors from northern Italy.&nbsp; This sense of confusion permeated throughout the Camp Nou after referee Frank de Bleeckere blew the whistle for fulltime, but two things were certain: FC Internazionale Milano would face Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, and FC Barcelona would not.
Inter manager José Mourinho fueled the fire, in typical Mourinho fashion, in the pre-match press conference when he spoke of Barcelona’s ambition to compete in the Champions League final in Madrid:
<blockquote>“We (Inter Milan) have the dream of winning the Champions League, and for Barcelona, it’s an obsession.&nbsp; This is the difference.&nbsp; A dream is purer than an obsession.&nbsp; There is pride in a dream, anywhere in the world.&nbsp; For Barcelona, it was a dream to reach the final in Rome, but to reach the final at the Bernabéu is an obsession for them.”</blockquote>
If this quote were analyzed on its own grounds, very few people would know what the hell he was talking about; however, Mourinho’s ingenuity for creating distractions away from his team and onto himself has served him well with his previous teams.&nbsp; FC Porto and Chelsea put up with his antics because they worked.&nbsp; This formula seemed to sour at Inter Milan, where the Italian press were unimpressed with his brash personality, and even Inter president Massimo Moratti started to suffer from Mourinho fatigue.

With the 3-1 triumph at the San Siro in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals against Barcelona, Mourinho had free reign, and his quote struck a chord with Barça and its fans like no other manager could accomplish.&nbsp; They immediately went on the defensive.
Some Barcelona supporters reportedly attacked Mourinho’s car after the press conference, punching the windows, throwing various paraphernalia, and attempting to topple the car on its side.
Barça TV, the club’s television channel, created an advertisement where various Barcelona players promised to “leave their skins” on the Camp Nou pitch to audibly declare their intentions on Wednesday night, accompanying the shirts they displayed after they beat Xerez on Saturday which showed the message, “Nos vamos a dejar la piel,” (We will leave our skin).
Another section of Barcelona fans tried to disrupt the sleep of the Inter players Tuesday night into the early hours of Wednesday morning outside of their team hotel, making constant noise with drum, horns, and firecrackers.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta gave his rebuttal to Mourinho’s “obsession” quote, stating that anyone who assesses Barcelona as obsessive is a second-rate psychologist.
A strong reaction from many arms of the Barça establishment, but why?&nbsp; There is no doubt that José Mourinho can get under the skin (no pun intended) of his opposition, but whenever all of this huffing and puffing occurs, usually it means that there is doubt, and they engage in all of this extracurricular activity to convince themselves otherwise.
When Barcelona traveled to Stamford Bridge in last year’s Champions League semifinal second leg without scoring at the Camp Nou, this same rah-rah fervor did not exist prior to the match.&nbsp; Although it took a 93rd minute goal by Andrés Iniesta to slug past Chelsea into the final, the confidence that Barcelona had of breaking through a resolute Chelsea defense was enough for them.
Although they only needed to score once at Stamford Bridge last season, a 2-0 result at the Camp Nou, even against a José Mourinho defense, was not an impossible situation by any stretch.&nbsp; All of the extraneous motivation mentioned above was inconsistent with this team and teemed with a desperation not seen since the end of the Frank Rijkaard era.
When the players took to the pitch at 20:45 CET, the choreographed displays of the Catalunyan flag from each goal side and a Barça trophy resplendent in garnet, yellow, and blue from the sideline stands would inspire the most jaded of players.&nbsp; Not only the Barcelona players, but the Inter Milan players who would want nothing more than to spoil Barcelona’s magnificent run since the origins of the Pep Guardiola regime.
With Carles Puyol suspended for this match, Gabriel Milito was expected to deputize in central defense, but Guardiola threw a wrench with Milito starting at left back and Touré Yaya in central defense.&nbsp; In the first leg, most of Inter’s successful attacking moves originated down the right flank, and they took advantage of Maxwell’s constant forward runs and left him out of position for Maicon, Samuel Eto’o, and Wesley Sneijder to perform their duties.
For Inter Milan, yellow cards became their main concern, as, save for Lúcio, the rest of the back four was one yellow card away from missing the final should they reach that stage.&nbsp; The burning question lingered about whether Maicon, Walter Samuel, and Javier Zanetti would be hesitant to throw themselves into challenges, knowing that one late tackle could mean suspension from the biggest match of their careers.&nbsp; Ask Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, who missed the 1999 final when Manchester United completed their astonishing two-goal turnaround in stoppage time against Bayern Munich.&nbsp; According to Keane, “Although I was putting a brave face on it, this (missing the final) was just about the worst experience I’d had in football.”
Inter clearly frustrated Barcelona through the first twenty-seven minutes, ceding nearly 80% of the possession but allowing nothing to bother their goalkeeper Júlio César.&nbsp; Then the inevitable controversy ensued when Frank de Bleeckere sent off former Barça player Thiago Motta for a hand to the face of Sergio Busquets.&nbsp; As the modern game would dictate, Busquets reacted as though he suffered a knockout blow from Mike Tyson.&nbsp; He had the audacity to take a peek at de Bleeckere to see if he flashed a card before “regaining his senses,” and he accomplished exactly what he set out to do when Motta raised his hand to his face.
Understandably, Motta could not believe the decision and needed to be held back not from de Bleeckere but from Busquets.&nbsp; A harsh decision by de Bleeckere, but if the roles were reversed, Motta would have likely done the same thing and also try to coax that red card.
Until Gerard Piqué scored in the 84th minute, however, Barça’s one-man advantage appeared irrelevant, as Inter Milan continued to clear any ball that entered their penalty area.&nbsp; Júlio César made a spectacular diving, fingertip save on a Lionel Messi curler, and Bojan Krkic missed an absolute certainty of a header two minutes before Piqué’s goal, but the vast majority of Barça’s attempts on goal were fired from the twenty-five to thirty-five yard distances, nothing that would seriously trouble Júlio César.
More newsworthy than Barça’s lack of cutting edge involved the substitution of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 63rd minute in favor of Bojan Krkic.&nbsp; With twenty-seven minutes on the clock, there remained plenty of time to score the necessary two goals, but Pep Guardiola believed Bojan had a better chance of galvanizing the offense than Ibrahimovic.&nbsp; Ibrahimovic’s reputation had been linked to his shrinking violet act in the most important moments for both club and country, and his listless performance against Inter Milan will do him no favors in shaking this reputation.
The last ten minutes became purely riveting, as the siege on Inter’s goal had actual consequences, and when Bojan appeared to net the clinching goal in the first minute of stoppage time, the city of Barcelona actually lifted from the ground, but Frank de Bleeckere blew his whistle before Bojan’s goal transpired for a handball on Touré Yaya.
No one claimed any doubt that Touré Yaya did not intentionally handle the ball, as Walter Samuel smashed his clearance straight into Yaya’s tucked arm from less than three yards away, but that call always goes against the attacking team and in favor of the defending team.&nbsp; If that same situation happened, where the offensive player kicked the ball into the defensive player’s tucked arms in their own penalty area, the referee would rightfully continue play because the handball was unintentional.
<a href="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/04/Barcelona-Champions-League-Loss.jpg"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3281" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/04/Barcelona-Champions-League-Loss.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="311"></figure></div></a>Barcelona did not do enough on the pitch, and their 1-0 result might be their most hollow victory in many years.&nbsp; Legitimate questions will be asked about this Barça team.&nbsp; Would Andrés Iniesta have made the difference between advancing and failing?&nbsp; Does Pep Guardiola need to develop an alternate plan when the opposition decides to employ ten men behind the ball?&nbsp; Did Barcelona miss the inspiration of their captain, Carles Puyol, even though Inter Milan made little to no suggestion of troubling the Barça defense?&nbsp; Was the Ibrahimovic for Eto’o swap a potential bust?
All of these inquiries will either never be answered or answered over time, but now they must focus on their tenuous one point lead over Real Madrid in La Liga.&nbsp; Failing to reach the Champions League final in Madrid hurts, but if Barcelona cannot hold on to the La Liga crown after having at least a share of the lead for all but a couple weeks of the season, this potentially historic team will become just another good team that played nice football.
<a href="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/04/Jose-Mourinho-Champions-League.jpg"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3283" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2010/04/Jose-Mourinho-Champions-League.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="368"></figure></div></a>As for now, they will seethe over José Mourinho, pejoratively referred to as “The Interpreter” in Barcelona, and how he defiantly pointed to the crowd in revelry after his Inter Milan team achieved for what they set out.&nbsp; Mourinho deserved to do whatever he wanted, however, because he earned it.&nbsp; He slew the beast.&nbsp; Those windmills were actual giants, and he defeated the enchanter.&nbsp; Joan Laporta, Pep Guardiola, and the rest of the Blaugrana nation will look internally soon enough, but this pain that they will have to put away in time for Villarreal on Saturday stings much more than the joy they felt from any of their six trophies from a year ago.

Inter Milan Completes The Italian Job on Barcelona in the Champions League

Inter Milan Completes The Italian Job on Barcelona in the Champions League - World Soccer Talk

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