Slovakia v Italy 3 pm RTE 2 and ITV 1

Seaneh

Italy are cat. It's a good thing Lippi is retiring, he'd have been flogged in public otherwise.

Roll on Cesare Prandelli, atleast his teams play football.

fobster

It says a lot when the two finalists from the last world cup are both going out in the first round of the next! Wonder what the odds were like for that.

mike65

So close to a second at the death. Slow and old. Italy that is.

mailburner

fobster wrote: »

It says a lot when the two finalists from the last world cup are both going out in the first round of the next! Wonder what the odds were like for that.

ive switched to tennis also
gotta be better than this
france were 5/2 not to qualify
dunno bout italy but id say nearly twice that

steelcityblues

Hope they are releasing a Paolo Rossi clone from the lab as we speak!

Pinturicchio

mike65 wrote: »

So close to a second at the death. Slow and old. Italy that is.

The average age of their team is younger than Brazil's. They're just bad, not that old.

Seaneh

mike65 wrote: »

So close to a second at the death. Slow and old. Italy that is.

GK: 27
RB: 33
LB: 23
CB: 36
CB: 25

MC: 32
MC: 25
MC: 26

LF: 32
CF: 30
RF: 26

Average age: 28.

The problem isn't age (beides Canna who is way, way past it and maybe Zambrotta who couldn't hold his place in a bad Milab team this year.) it's just they have nobody who can create anything. They are missing Pirlo badly and Iaquinta is just ****ing terrible.

TripleAce

IvySlayer wrote: »

If Paraguay win and Italy draw, they'll go through. As it stands. Paraguay and Slovakia going through.

Even if Paraguay-NZ ends 0-0 and Italy manage to draw, Italy will go through.

DB10

Slovakia are a decent footballing side when they get going.

Cypher_sounds

TripleAce wrote: »

Even if Paraguay-NZ ends 0-0 and Italy manage to draw, Italy will go through.

How would they?

Pinturicchio

Seaneh wrote: »

They are missing Pirlo badly and Iaquinta is just ****ing terrible.

Pirlo is coming off the back of an injury and a bad season. He's not going to save them.
Iaquinta is ****ing terrible.

TripleAce

Cypher_sounds wrote: »

How would they?

Same goal difference with NZ, but more goals scored.

Also this would be the first time since 1974 that Italy doesn't reach the knock out stage. :mad:

steelcityblues

DB10 wrote: »

Slovakia are a decent footballing side when they get going.

If you caught any of their first two games, they were the most shocking team after N. Korea and Honduras.

More a case of a lethargic Italy in the first half!

Cypher_sounds

I find it hard to understand why Rossi isn't in the italian squad

DJCR

Pinturicchio wrote: »

Pirlo is coming off the back of an injury and a bad season. He's not going to save them.
Iaquinta is ****ing terrible.

As bad as they are its impossible to write them off though .... you just get the feeling that they will score sooner or later !!!

They have come from behind twice before !!!

dubmick

Italy should have brought Giuseppe Rossi

mathie

Italy going all out with those subs.

A winger and forward on for a left back and centre mid.

What formation are they going for now?
3-4-3?

46 G. Gattuso is substituted out.
46 F. Quagliarella is substituted in.
46 D. Criscito is substituted out.
46 C. Maggio is substituted in.

Seaneh

One man is a blindingly obvious omission from this squad.

The one Italian player who can change a game with a piece of insane creativity and genius.

Cassano would add sooo much to this team.

rebel girl 15

DJCR wrote: »

As bad as they are its impossible to write them off though .... you just get the feeling that they will score sooner or later !!!

They have come from behind twice before !!!

Italy are the traditional slow starters in the WC, but Cannavaro is confident they can get better. Link

Pirlo warming up

Seaneh

mathie wrote: »

Italy going all out with those subs.

A winger and forward on for a left back and centre mid.

What formation are they going for now?
3-4-3?

46 G. Gattuso is substituted out.
46 F. Quagliarella is substituted in.
46 D. Criscito is substituted out.
46 C. Maggio is substituted in.

Maggio can play at right full with Zambrotta going left full.

Qua plays out wide a fair bit.

DB10

steelcityblues wrote: »

If you caught any of their first two games, they were the most shocking team after N. Korea and Honduras.

More a case of a lethargic Italy in the first half!

I agree, but I still think they have more quality then people realise.

Stoch,Hamsik, Skrtel, Weiss and Pekrich play for big European sides.

Cech is also good.

Seaneh

Pinturicchio wrote: »

Pirlo is coming off the back of an injury and a bad season. He's not going to save them.
Iaquinta is ****ing terrible.

He's all they have in terms of creativity and imagination.

Just like Milan, when Pirlo doesn't play, Italy play ****, they have NO plan B, he is the most important player for both teams right now.

Pepe LeFrits

Seaneh wrote: »

One man is a blindingly obvious omission from this squad.

The one Italian player who can change a game with a piece of insane creativity and genius.

Cassano would add sooo much to this team.

Agreed, seems particularly crazy for him to not even be in the squad considering the way they're playing.

redout

The bookies are cleaning up big time at this world cup - most unpredictable in recent history.

_Bella_

Here comes Pirlo!

rebel girl 15

What a miss!!!

Pinturicchio

Maggio is so much better going forward than Criscito.

ctrl-alt-delete

Pirlo coming on as Italys 3rd sub,

Hope he can hold out, and they get lucky and don't need another one!

Last roll of the dice as they say

Seaneh

Pepe LeFrits wrote: »

Agreed, seems particularly crazy for him to not even be in the squad considering the way they're playing.

yeah, in this retarded trident system he might actually be able to do something.



Crowd going bananas when Pirlo came on.


Hope Pirlo is ready for this, his injury was pretty nasty.

_Bella_

If it stays like this, Italy finishes last in the group, the first time they ever have

Bob the Seducer

Watching the two games and the tennis at the same time!

(64 - 64 in the tennis now)

rebel girl 15

Bob the Seducer wrote: »

Watching the two games and the tennis at the same time!

(64 - 64 in the tennis now)

How did you manage that? I'm flicking back and forward from the tennis and this game!

Degag

Sorry guys but would a draw do Italy to get through?

Pinturicchio

Degag wrote: »

Sorry guys but would a draw do Italy to get through?

Yep

_Bella_

Degag wrote: »

Sorry guys but would a draw do Italy to get through?

Yes if the other match stays the same

Bob the Seducer

rebel girl 15 wrote: »

How did you manage that? I'm flicking back and forward from the tennis and this game!

Widescreen monitor and 3 internet streams ftw!

Seaneh

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

rebel girl 15

Bob the Seducer wrote: »

Widescreen monitor and 3 internet streams ftw!

Have the monitor, internet can't manage one stream, .21MB download

Very very close from Italy, just switched over!

_Bella_

What a block by Skrtel!

Carroller16

Degag wrote: »

Sorry guys but would a draw do Italy to get through?

The way things stand a score draw would see Italy through in 2nd place

steelcityblues

Well done Skrtel.

Seaneh

OMG Iaquinta is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad

how is he starting ahead of Pazzo and Gila?!?!

How is he in the team but Borriello and Cassano are at home?!?!

Lippi is a fool!

DJCR

Crazy ... if Italy go through with the draw they will be the only team at the world cup that haven't one a game n the whole of 2010!!!

redout

Pirlo looks bolloxed!

kenon

Slovakia look like they are eventually going to catch Italy on the counter.

Melion

2-0

Cheerio Italy

rebel girl 15

redout wrote: »

Pirlo looks bolloxed!

Already?? Not a good sign for Italy!

Bye bye Italy!! 2-0!

DJCR

2 - 0 Italy ****ed!!

ctrl-alt-delete

That has to be it, the champions are gone.

Seaneh

Bye Bye Azzurri.