Posts Tagged ‘Azzurri’

Euro 2012: Laying Odds for the Azzurri’s Success

Friday, March 30th, 2012

Even more than a Real Madrid-Barcelona Champions League final, EURO 2012 is what every European and football enthusiast is waiting for in the coming months. We are now exactly 10 weeks away from this Summer’s 2nd-greatest sporting event (for all the love I have for soccer, even I have to admit that the Olympics come before the Euros) and on paper, Italy’s path to qualification has been nothing short of excellent. The Azzurri finished top of their qualifying group with 26 points (8 wins and 2 draws), the third-highest point total across all divisions: only Germany and Holland have fared better (though in fairness Spain, who won all their games and finished with 24 points, played two less). Italy’s press has an idiomatic expression however: gli Azzurri hanno vinto, ma non convinto. This stands for “the Azzurri have won, but not convinced”, and their outright Euro 2012 betting odds seem to agree.

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Azzurri 2010: What to Look Forward To…

Friday, June 26th, 2009

Azzurri 2010: What to Look Forward To…

Five days have passed since Italy’s whopping 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brazil, a match which put an an end to Lippi’s South African countryside scouting (one year before the big tournament) and sent the Azzurri home among general shrugs of indifference, frowned eyebrows, and sincere worries in the ranks of Italian supporters.

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Confederations Cup… Confederations schmuck

Something should be established right from the get-go in this article, and that is one has to take the FIFA Confederations Cup for its true value: a tournament of prestige, played to fill the gap between Euro and World Cup Summers and to make a certain FIFA mogul (whose name starts with S and ends with …epp Blatter) happy. Happy at proclaiming his love for the beautiful game, the continued globalization of football, the athletic clashing of cultures, and blah blah blah. All that is great for sports unity, but in terms of true football competition no one (certainly not the big teams) takes this tournament seriously. Certainly not to the extent of a Euro tournament, a Copa America, or the master of them all: the FIFA World Cup.

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Italy 1-1 Ireland: Bad Reffing and Robbie Keane Hamper Azzurri’s Plans (World Cup 2010 Qualifiers)

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

Italy's Giampaolo Pazzini leaves the pitch after receiving a red card as Ireland's coach Giovanni Trapattoni looks during their 2010 World Cup qualifying soccer match at the San San Nicola stadium in Bari April 1, 2009. (REUTERS)

Admit it people. At the first sight of Giampaolo Pazzini’s 3rd minute red card, most of you immediately connected your minds to World Cup 2006. That bloody (litterally) game vs. USA, where Brian McBride was the unfortunate recipient of Daniele De Rossi’s elbow fury. After that incident DDR apologized for his behaviour, immensely regretting that moment of craziness which nearly terminated his World Cup adventure right then and there.

In this case however, Pazzini has absolutely nothing to apologize for. He went for a high ball, extended his arm to balance himself, and accidentally hit John O’Shea in the temple -a very sensitive area with high capillary concentration. Translated: lots of blood flow in that region, the same blood which induced German referee Wolfgang Stark to take out the red card of his pocket and unjustifiably upset 87 minutes of World Cup qualifying football. In the words of Marcello Lippi: “We’re always complaining about referees in Serie A, but look at the foreign ones. We were down to 10 men for 90 minutes because of an interpretation of violence that we can all judge with our own eyes.

After such an early incident, it almost makes the match retelling trivial by comparison. Italy could have easily panicked, folded under the pressure, given in psychologically. They did not. They held their heads high, fought back, and even scored the first goal through Vincenzo Iaquinta. A victory was the right compensation for Pazzini’s injustice. Buffon & the Italian fort held on. Until the 88th minute, when Ireland‘s Robbie Keane decided to spoil the party.

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Montenegro 0-2 Italy: Pirlo-Pazzini Give Azzurri Top of the Group (World Cup 2010 Qualifiers)

Monday, March 30th, 2009

Italy's Giampaolo Pazzini celebrates his goal against Montenegro during their 2010 World Cup qualifying soccer match in Podgorica March 28, 2009. (REUTERS)

Three points in the bag, and thank you Bulgaria. Italy‘s week-end couldn’t have started better: a win against Montenegro (courtesy of Pirlo and Pazzini) and the Berbatov boys neutralizing Trapattoni in Dublin, Marcello Lippi must be rather satisfied & smiling at his boys’ performance: Saturday’s was match which, for lack of a mind-blowing performance, the Azzurri dominated from start to finish, and after which they are now topping group 8 of the World Cup qualifiers. A good omen to prepare for Bari’s fixture against Ireland.

And what can be said about Giampaolo Pazzini‘s first-ever match with the senior team? Any ball this kid touches these days turns into goals…

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Italy Call-Ups for Montenegro / Ireland (World Cup 2010 Qualifiers)

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

FIFA World Cup 2010 Qualifiers - Italy vs. Montenegro/Ireland

The Italian call-ups for their upcoming World Cup 2010 Qualifying matches vs. Montenegro (March 28) and Montenegro (April 4) have been revealed. Italy coach Marcello Lippi submitted the list of 23 players to FIFA earlier this week, a list which as usual contains notable absentees and a few surprises.

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