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Italian Players Around the World (15/09)

Tuesday, September 16th, 2008

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Our weekly Italian Players Around the World segment is back!! (with a brand new logo… d’you like it? )

Inspired by Gazzetta dello Sport, here are the performances of all Italian soccer players operating in foreign European leagues (top divisions only). There are currently 32 Italians (yup, number’s gone up with Bellinzona’s promotion in the Swiss league) playing in first divisions abroad, and 12 of them stepped on the field this week-end.

The table below includes the team of the player, their opponents for this week, the time in minutes they played, their match contribution in goal(s) or assist(s), and the final score of the game.

ENGLAND
Player	Team	Opp.	Time	Contrib.	Score
Carlo Cudicini	Chelsea	@Man City	(bench)	/	3-1
David Di Michele	West Ham	@West Brom	71	/	2-3
Andrea Dossena	Liverpool	Man Utd	(bench)	/	2-1
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SCOTLAND
Massimo Donati	Celtic	@Motherwell	(bench)	/	4-2
Manuel Pascali	Kilmarnock	@Rangers	89	/	1-2
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GERMANY
Andrea Barzagli	Wolfsburg	@Hertha	90	/	2-2
Cristian Zaccardo	Wolfsburg	@Hertha	(injd.)	/	2-2
Massimo Oddo	Bayern M.	@Köln	23	/	3-0
Luca Toni	Bayern M.	@Köln	90	2 GL, 1 AST	3-0
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SPAIN
Fabio Cannavaro	Real Madrid	Numancia	(injd.)	/	4-3
Enzo Maresca	Sevilla	Sp. Gijon	90	1 GL, 1 AST	4-3
Emiliano Moretti	Valencia	@Almeria	90	/	2-2
Giuseppe Rossi	Villareal	Deportivo	(injd.)	/	1-0
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FRANCE
Fabio Grosso	Lyon	Nice	(injd.)	/	3-2
Elia Legati	Monaco	Lorient	/	/	2-0
Flavio Roma	Monaco	Lorient	(bench)	/	2-0
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HOLLAND
Graziano Pellè	AZ Alkmaar	@ADO	/	/	0-3
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BELGIUM
Francesco Migliore	Mons	Anderlecht	(bench)	/	1-2
Roberto Mirri	Mons	Anderlecht	90	/	1-2
Alessandro Pistone	Mons	Anderlecht	/	/	1-2
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SWITZERLAND
Andrea Guatelli	FC Zürich	@Valduz	(bench)	/	7-1
Davide Belotti	Bellinzona	Young Boys	(bench)	/	1-2
Lorenzo Bucchi	Bellinzona	Young Boys	(bench)	/	1-2
Paolo Carbone	Bellinzona	Young Boys	/	/	1-2
Andrea Conti	Bellinzona	Young Boys	45	/	1-2
Alessio Ferrazza	Bellinzona	Young Boys	/	/	1-2
Matteo Gritti	Bellinzona	Young Boys	90	/	1-2
Iacopo La Rocca	Bellinzona	Young Boys	/	/	1-2
Giuseppe Miccolis	Bellinzona	Young Boys	/	/	1-2
Angelo Raso	Bellinzona	Young Boys	90	/	1-2
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TURKEY
Morgan De Sanctis	Galatasaray	Antalyaspor	90	/	1-1
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RUSSIA
Ivan Pelizzoli	Lok. Moscow	@S.Nalchik	(bench)	/	1-0

Heroes of the week

As customary the “Heroes of the Week” section is where we celebrate those who, be it thanks to goals, assists, or amazing saves, have stood out among Italian ex-pats over the week-end. And would you believe it? This week the award takes us to Germany and Spain, one of our most common destination the previous year.

Luca Toni, age 30 Luca Toni is back ladies & gentlemen. His scoring form with the Azzurri has been very disappointing lately (to say the least), but the man can still put in the back of the net in the Bundesliga. Bayern were away to Köln on Saturday, but the unfriendly crowd support certainly did not stop Klismann’s men from shining. Absolute protagonist of the night: the man with the “crazy-hand” celebration. 2 goals (a header, a left-footed finish) and 1 assist for Podolski. What more could Jürgen ask for?

Enzo Maresca, age 28 Over to Spain, it still isn’t sure (to me at least) whether Enzo Maresca will be a starter for Sevilla this year, or simply part of the squad rotation. Sunday’s performance vs. Sporting Gijón should help the manager decide: 1 goal, 1 assist for Kanouté, and an otherwise very solid performance in midfield. As a Juve fan myself, I’m a bit nostalgic of Maresca…

In other news, David Di Michele made his season debut with new club West Ham (now under the guidance of Gianfranco Zola), as did Massimo Oddo with Bayern Munich.

Also, it’s interesting to note that Swiss club Bellinzona (just promoted to the Swiss top division, the Axpo Super League) contains a boatload of Italian ex-pats. In particular, a certain Andrea Conti who, you’ve guessed it, is one of the sons of Roma legend Bruno Conti (and whose brother Daniele Conti plays for Cagliari). On a sidenote, Bellinzona also own the contract of defender Andrea Russotto (playing on loan at Napoli this season).

Tags: Enzo Maresca, Italian Players Around the World, Luca Toni
Posted in Italian Players Around the World | 2 Comments »

Top 10 Flops of Euro 2008

Sunday, June 29th, 2008

Luca Toni‘s topping the charts again… only this time, it isn’t very flattering. English tabloid The Sun just dished out another Top 10 list, regrouping the “Biggest flops” of this Summer’s Euro championship tournament. The Italy striker tops the list, despite receiving a pat on the back from Bayern Munich chairman Karl Heinz Rummenigge.

“It’s not [Toni's] fault if things didn’t go well, it’s Italy’s” said Rummenigge. “He was only served well in the game against France, he made mistakes but also won the penalty which changed the match. Against Spain he was very criticised, injustly: I did not see a single good pass played to him in that game to even have a chance of scoring. He was all alone, and he was missing Pirlo.” Still not enough for The Sun writers, and who can blame them? Going from 40 goals in his first season with Bayern to zero goals at Euro 2008 surely deserves some criticism…

Number 2 in the list is Chelsea and Czech Republic keeper Petr Cech, earning the spot thanks to his less-than-stellar performance vs. Turkey (Nihat Kahveci is still saying thank you). Completing the podium we find Barcelona and France defender Eric Abidal, who caused the penalty kick against Toni in the match vs. Italy, and the resulting red card that virtually cleared the road for the Azzurri’s victory.

In 4^th spot, title holders Greece (knocked out in the first round), followed by Thierry Henry (“the man whose star continues to fade“) and Mario Gomez (“[Germany] were effectively playing with 10 men for their three group games“). At 7^th spot are host countries Austria & Switzerland, for getting knocked out in the group stage “and barely raising a cheer from their own fans“.

Completing the “best of the worst” list, Fiorentina and Romania striker Adrian Mutu (who probably still hasn’t swallowed Buffon’s PK save), France’s Karim Benzema (a “wonderkid that failed to impress”) and the host TV broadcaster (for the power outage during the Germany-Turkey semi-final).

Here’s the full list with captions from The Sun article:
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	Nº10: The Host Broadcaster
	A massive electrical storm in Vienna saw Germany’s thrilling showdown with Turkey ruined for millions of armchair fans. At least 10 minutes of the rollercoaster semi-final was lost in the TV coverage, including Miroslav Klose’s goal.

Nº9: Karim Benzema
The France striker went into the tournament with a growing reputation as his country’s wonderkid. Fans were told he was the hottest property outside Italy, Spain and England. But Benzema failed to impress during his two dismal displays for the hopeless French.

	Nº8: Adrian Mutu
	The former Chelsea striker was tipped to pull up trees with underdogs Romania. And with a penalty against Italy, he was one kick away from sending his side into the quarter-finals. But Mutu fluffed his effort and Romania later tumbled out against Holland.

Nº7: The Co-Hosts
Austria and Switzerland were both among the first seeds for the tournament as the host nations but they barely raised a cheer for their own fans. Austria bowed out with a single draw, while Switzerland’s only points came against Portugal in a dead rubber following their own elimination.

	Nº6: Mario Gomez
	Germany’s route to the final was no mean feat — especially when you consider they were effectively playing with 10 men for their three group games. Gomez contributed next to nothing, with boss Joachim Low seeing sense in the quarter-finals to finally drop him.

Nº5: Thierry Henry
The man whose star continues to fade must take some of the stick for France’s disjointed campaign this month. Henry’s goal against Holland masked an ineffective showing, with his deflection against Italy condemning his side to an early exit from the group stages.

	Nº4: Greece
	It seems a bit harsh for the surprise winners of Euro 2004 to be here but defeat in all three group games was truly woeful. And Greece’s arch-rivals Turkey rubbed the defending champions’ noses in it by reaching the semi-finals with a series of thrilling comebacks.

Nº3: Eric Abidal
Playing the world champions in a win-or-bust final group game is never easy, yet France did not help themselves. When defender Abidal chopped down Italy’s Luca Toni for a first-half penalty and straight red card, it was au revoir Les Bleus.

	Nº2: Petr Cech
	Leading 2-1 against Turkey with just two minutes left, Czech Republic had one foot in the quarter-finals— until Cech’s howler. The Chelsea keeper horribly fluffed a routine cross for the equaliser, before an injury-time winner sent his side packing.

Nº1: Luca Toni
The Italian hotshot came to the finals on the back of a golden season with Bayern Munich, notching 31 goals in the Bundesliga. But Toni endured a dreadful tournament, missing countless chances as well as looking like a man running through treacle.

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Agree with the list? Tell us what you think below.

Tags: Adrian Mutu, Austria, Eric Abidal, Euro 2008, Flops, Greece, Karim Benzema, Luca Toni, Mario Gómez, Petr Cech, Switzerland, The Sun, Thierry Henry
Posted in Euro 2008 | 28 Comments »

Euro 2008 – Gazzetta rates the Italy Players

Tuesday, June 24th, 2008

Euro 2008 - Gazzetta rates the Italy Players

Italian sports newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport rated the Azzurri players at the end of their European adventure. Along with Gigi Buffon, positive scores were obtained by Chiellini and Grosso. All the strikers flunked the test, while some midfielders could have done better. The overall form however, was never great.

VIENNA (Austria), 24 June 2008 – The best? Gigi Buffon. Our European campaign won’t leave any great memories, but once again everyone’s talking about the Azzurri keeper. On Sunday evening at the Ernst Happel stadium in Vienna, there was a heated debate in the press over whose skills were better: the Azzurri captain’s or Iker Casillas‘. A duel right down to the last save, but even though the Real Madrid keeper managed a miracle on Camoranesi’s close-range effort and saved two of the Azzurri shots from the spot, the Juventus nº1 still seems have the edge as World’s best. When accounts are settled, Buffon remains the guiding thread of the Italian national side, and a certain starting point for the next World Cup in 2010.

	Gianluigi BUFFON	8.0
	Riddled with shots by Holland, not even Superman himself could have held out with no protection in front of him. Then came the Mutu penalty save, other fabulous interventions, and the hope he gave Italy fans by saving Guiza’s spot-kick during the shootout. What more could he have done?
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	Marco AMELIA	/
	An understudy, as he knew he would be. Impeccable in training, he provided Donadoni’s cement to unite the group.
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	Morgan DE SANCTIS	/
	Like Amelia he had no hopes of playing, but he kept his concentration up; a professional.
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	Gianluca ZAMBROTTA	6.0
	It wasn’t the Championship he was dreaming of. After an inadequate start against Holland on the left, the new AC Milan recruit became productive on the right side. Then there was that error against Romania which led to Mutu’s goal. Against Spain he couldn’t fully display his abilities.
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	Christian PANUCCI	6.5
	Four games out of four; the message to Spalletti is loud and clear. He gave his best playing in the centre.
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	Giorgio CHIELLINI	8.0
	Exceptional against Spain, he played a true veteran’s game. At the end of the Championship the youngster can be certain of his starting place in the national team. At the heart of the defence, he was relentless. A Cannavaro nº2.
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	Alessandro GAMBERINI	/
	He had no chance to show off his qualities; important in training at Casa Azzurri.
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	Andrea BARZAGLI	5.0
	Unlucky; a jinxed European Championship, like Cannavaro. Only one performance against Holland to his name, and one he will want to forget very soon.
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	Marco MATERAZZI	5.0
	Overwhelmed by the orange tide, he paid the price for a mediocre season with Inter, one which started too late.
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	Fabio GROSSO	7.0
	As ever, he tracked along the wing for the Azzurri. With him the national side relived moments of World Cup glory, and against Spain he once again showed a cool head for penalties.
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	Alberto AQUILANI	5.5
	He was thrown into the mix against Spain too hastily. Out of his element, almost lost, he couldn’t achieve his potential.
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	Andrea PIRLO	6.5
	Curse that stupid yellow card against France. A bad start against Holland, then continuous improvement. Without him, the team lost its direction and its decisive touch. Irreplaceable.
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	Gennaro GATTUSO	6.0
	Out of form (and it showed) but he never held back. The absence of his weight in midfield was felt in Vienna.
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	Daniele DE ROSSI	6.5
	Among the best players of the championship, though he had some problems against Spain. Unfortunate to miss his penalty, but the Roma player, who is always willing to take a spot kick, was suffering a muscle problem.
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	Mauro CAMORANESI	6.5
	Once he came on, the match against Spain took a new turn; perhaps if he’d played from the start things would have been different. Improved throughout the tournament, with a great goalscoring chance and a perfect penalty.
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	Simone PERROTTA	5.5
	Out of form, and against Spain it really showed. On the other hand there wasn’t much more he could do, lacking support from Toni and Cassano.
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	Massimo AMBROSINI	6.5
	His usual combative self in midfield, providing the spirit and pressure of the team, and creating depth of play.
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	Luca TONI	5.0
	The mystery of the tournament. Heavy and ungainly, he never achieved acceptable form. Though he did win the penalty against France and Abidal’s resulting red card, not enough by LucaBomber standards.
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	Marco BORRIELLO	/
	With Toni so out of sorts, he might have provided the added edge that was needed; a real shame.
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	Antonio DI NATALE	6.0
	Coming on against Spain, he revitalised play as only he knows how, making up for his poor start against the Dutch with several crosses and going close to goal. Shame about the penalty.
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	Fabio QUAGLIARELLA	/
	Only played a few minutes; he deserved more of a chance too.
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	Antonio CASSANO	5.5
	At the end of the day, another disappointment after much promise. Only the good performance against France remains to his credit, but in Vienna a more practical and less flashy Cassano was needed.
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	Alessandro DEL PIERO	5.0
	He had a great chance against Romania and messed it up. Absent.

Do you agree with Gazzetta’s ratings? Let us know in the comments.

I’ll get you started: I would give Camoranesi and Ambrosini 6.0 (not 6.5). Ambro did his job but made a few mistakes too many, and Camoranesi had a fairly okay game vs. Spain (and good penalty) but really not much else before that. In his defense, Donadoni was playing him as center attacking midfielder, not exactly his ideal position.

Finally, too generous on Di Natale (5.5 for me) since the Udinese striker was absent vs. Netherlands and seemed too psychologically affected by the boos vs. Spain. And too harsh on Cassano and Del Piero (an extra 0.5 for me), even though I will agree that a lot more was expected from them.

Have your say below.

Tags: Alberto Aquilani, Alessandro Del Piero, Andrea Barzagli, Andrea Pirlo, Antonio Cassano, Antonio Di Natale, Christian Panucci, Daniele De Rossi, Euro 2008, Fabio Cannavaro, Fabio Grosso, Fabio Quagliarella, Gazzetta dello Sport, Gennaro Gattuso, Gianluca Zambrotta, Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Italy, Luca Toni, Marco Amelia, Marco Borriello, Marco Materazzi, Massimo Ambrosini, Mauro Camoranesi, Morgan De Sanctis, Simone Perrotta
Posted in Azzurri, Euro 2008 | 9 Comments »

Euro 2008: France 0-2 Italy – Azzurri Step Out of the Grave and into the Quarter-Finals

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008

France 0-2 Italy. Ladies & gentlemen, this is how you mix a “Blue Lagoon”: 1 oz Vodka (Pirlo), 1 oz Blue Curaçao (De Rossi), cherry (Buffon’s save on Benzema), 1 part Lemonade. Don’t have any lemonade? We’ll settle for some Oranje zest (Huntelaar and Van Persie). The Azzurri’s Euro 2008 adventure continues to the Quarter-Finals. With rage. That of Andrea Pirlo, master sniper from the spot, and Daniele De Rossi, serving a thundering set-piece drive into the net.

It would be hasty to say “the World Champions are back”, but they’re on the right track. Today, the team looked in better shape, more motivated, more concentrated. And luck, the factor the Azzurri were so cruelly lacking until now, finally lent a helping hand to Roberto Donadoni & Co. France’s match went from bad (Franck Ribery’s injury in the 10th) to worse (Eric Abidal’s foul on Luca Toni inside the box, and resulting red card) in less than 15 minutes, and Thierry Henry’s deflection on Daniele De Rossi’s 62nd-minute free-kick was just the ultimate insult for Raymond Domenech, who will undoubtedly have to step down following his team’s elimination.

Not Roberto Donadoni. The Italian coach lives to fight another day with the Azzurri, who will now be facing Spain in the Euro 2008 Quarter-Finals. With still some doubts to erase (Who will replace the suspended Pirlo and Gattuso? When will Luca Toni finally release his goalscoring power?) but with a significant morale booster. Beating France will always do that to ya…

$Italy\'s Andrea Pirlo is surrounded by his teammates after putting his team in the lead from the spot (Euro 2008 Group Stage, France 0-2 Italy, June 17, 2008)$

Tactically, Italian coach Roberto Donadoni decided to make two changes for today’s match: full confidence in Gennaro Gattuso and Antonio Cassano. Italy’s 4-3-2-1 formation looked a lot like AC Milan’s Xmas tree formation, with Talentino and Simone Perrotta providing support behind Luca Toni. In midfield, except for Daniele De Rossi this was vintage Rossoneri set-up: Gattuso and Pirlo providing the core of play for the Azzurri (the former to win the ball back, the latter to distribute it forward). As for the back line, no doubts there: Zambrotta and Grosso on the wings, Panucci & Chiellini in the middle.

On the other end, France’s Raymond Domenech made a bold move by leaving veteran center-back (and captain) Lilian Thuram on the bench. Some may say Thuram’s past his expiration date, but his replacement today (Eric Abidal) would later prove playing center-back’s not his thing. $France\'s Franck Ribéry has picked up a knock... he\'ll have to off (Euro 2008 Group Stage, France 0-2 Italy, June 17, 2008)$ Other changes made by Les Bleus included François Clerc replacing Sagnol as right-back and Karim Benzema subbing in for Florent Malouda.

France started the match with rage. Concentrated. Motivated. The Azzurri weren’t inferior to the task. Italy’s passing experts (Pirlo, Cassano, Zambrotta, Grosso) immediately got to work, and it took them only 4 minutes to set up Luca Toni in the clear (after a missed touch by Abidal), precisely through a deep pass of the Lyon wing-back. LucaBomber however shot wide, adding to his unfortunate series of missed chances at Euro 2008 (a list which would only get longer as the match progressed).

In minute 8, the first turning point of match: Franck Ribery went down while trying to challenge Zambrotta off the ball (getting entangled in the Italian wing-back’s legs). Knee injury and game over for Franck, enter Samir Nasri. 30% of France’s penetration power had just been stretchered off, something which the Azzurri certainly weren’t lacking today. Christian Panucci tried to put his golden noggin to work (minute 11), finding only Makelele to deny him the joy of his second at Euro 2008. 10 minutes later a good service by Pirlo was narrowly missed by Perrotta inside the box. The Azzurri were fighting.

In minute 25, the second (and decisive) turning point: a great ball by Pirlo found Luca Toni through on goal inside the box. Luca hooked the ball and was ready for the finish, until Eric Abidal upended him from behind sending the Bayern giant flying. Penalty and red card for the Barça full-back, every France fan regretting Thuram. From the spot Andrea Pirlo made no mistakes, and sent it flying into the top left corner. 1-0 Italy.

Counter-measures for Domenech had to include patching up the gaping defensive hole, so Samir Nasri promptly left his place (his matching lasting only 15 minutes) to Jean-Alain Boumsong. That effectively left Henry and Benzema rather lonely up front, with Sydney Govou as the only real solution of passing support. Not enough. The Azzurri were just having a field day meanwhile: in minute 27, Daniele De Rossi grazed the crossbar, one minute later a Cassano cross from the right found Toni inside the box, connecting with a stylish heel/bicyle flick (not sure what it was) narrowly wide of the post. Then once again Toni (exploiting a Pirlo pass) was through on goal, and once again… missed the target. Not Luca’s day obviously.

France reacted with French pride, keeping the Italian defense on their toes. A good run by Thierry Henry sent the Barça man through on the right, but his diagonal shot was inches wide of Buffon’s left post. A warning for Giorgio Chiellini, his marker on the occasion. Meanwhile, De Rossi and Gattuso were operating as the “Azzurri lions of midfield”, the latter living up to his “Ringhio” pitbull reputation and the Roma man acting almost as an added stopper (with the occasional runs forward). On one of these runs, Italy obtained a good free-kick on the edge of the box, which Fabio Grosso carefully aimed at the bottom-left corner of Gregory Coupet. France’s keeper got a hand to it, deflecting the shot onto the post. After 45 minutes, France 0-1 Italy and Romania 0-0 Netherlands: the Azzurri had their ticket to the Quarter-finals, but anything could change.

In the second half, France was back with a vengeance: first Karim Benzema exploited a good right-wing cross and connected with a slamming a howitzer wide, then Thierry Henry gave shivers to Azzurri supporters with a low shot to the ground (easily saved by Buffon). Italy was suffering in midfield (overpowered by the physical presence of Makelele and Govou) and fear was slowly re-surfacing. Time for some changes: out Andrea Pirlo (accumulating fatigue over the past 3 games), enter Massimo Ambrosini (another defensive midfielder).

Then suddenly in minute 56, some more good news arrived for the Azzurri: Netherlands had just opened the score vs. Romania through Klaas-Jan Huntelaar! Even better news would arrive just 5 minutes later, as Daniele De Rossi went for power on a Cassano-obtained free-kick, finding Henry’s boot on the way to goal. Fooled by his teammate’s deflection, Coupet was sent the wrong way, powerless. 2-0 Italy!

Cue some more changes for Donadoni: out Perrotta, enter Mauro Camoranesi. Domenech replied with Nicolas Anelka on for Govou. Not much of a change for France, who were more or less keeping afloat thanks to the creativity of Karim Benzema. His curling right-footed effort in minute 73 was destined for the top corner, but Gigi Buffon once again proved why he is the best keeper around. Then came the news of Holland’s 2-0 goal, and everyone wearing Azzurro in Zurich went nuts.

Unpack your bags guys, we are staying in Vienna!

$Italy\'s players celebrate after their victorious 2-0 match vs. France (Euro 2008 Group Stage, France 0-2 Italy, June 17, 2008)$

	FRANCE-ITALY 0-2 [Match Highlights]
GOALSCORERS: 25’ pen. Pirlo (I), 62’ De Rossi (I)
FRANCE (4-4-2): Coupet – Clerc, Gallas, Abidal, Evra – Govou (66’ Anelka), Toulalan, Makelele, Ribery (10’ Nasri, 26’ Boumsong) – Benzema, Henry. (bench: Mandanda, Frey, Malouda, Vieira, Thuram, Squillaci, Sagnol, A.Diarra, Gomis). Coach: Domenech.
ITALY (4-3-2-1): Buffon – Zambrotta, Panucci, Chiellini, Grosso – Gattuso (82’ Aquilani), De Rossi, Pirlo (55’ Ambrosini) – Cassano, Perrotta (64’ Camoranesi) – Toni. (bench: Amelia, De Sanctis, Gamberini, Barzagli, Materazzi, Quagliarella, Del Piero, Di Natale, Borriello). Coach: Donadoni

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France 0-2 Italy – MyVideo
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Tags: Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi, Eric Abidal, Euro 2008, France, Franck Ribéry, Gianluigi Buffon, Italy, Karim Benzema, Luca Toni, Raymond Domenech, Roberto Donadoni
Posted in Azzurri, Euro 2008 | 9 Comments »

Euro 2008: Italy 1-1 Romania – Azzurri Hopes Now Hanging by a Thread…

Friday, June 13th, 2008

Italy 1-1 Romania. The Azzurri ain’t out of Euro 2008 just yet, but there’s not much keeping them in. Their defence is still shaky, the midfield looked a little better but quickly ran out of ideas (especially Pirlo), and Luca Toni still cruelly remains goalless. Well… to be honest he did score today, but the refereeing team once again decided Italy should get the shaft.

So it all comes down to Italy vs. France on Tuesday. Or does it? Les Bleus just got trashed by Netherlands 4-1 in the second match today (probably time to start taking the Oranje seriously folks), which not only means that Holland are through to the next round, but that if Romania beat them on day 3 Italy and France can pack their bags. Who would have thought that out of the 4 teams present in the “Group of Death”, those on the brink of elimination would precisely be the two 2006 World Cup finalists.

The world is upside down, and anyone wearing a blue shirt isn’t smiling.

(From Gazzetta): Some people are miracle workers, Gigi Buffon is one of them. The Azzurri keeper is essentially the only reason Italy are still in this tournament, deflecting Mutu’s penalty kick in minute 80. The real miracle of the day however, which should have been the Euro Pass ball (which Adidas are so proud of) drilling into Bogdan Lobont’s goal, did not come true today. Italy drew 1-1 against Romania (goals from Mutu and Panucci) creating a lot of questions about their future in Euro 2008.

Tactically, Roberto Donadoni’s pre-announced changes began with Del Piero, Grosso, Chiellini, Perrotta and De Rossi in the starting eleven. A new strategy from the Italian coach (as common sense would have dictated after the catastrophic display vs. Netherlands) but seen as a contradiction by some (Gazzetta in particular). Indeed, the Don was taking a risk today by selecting two strikers and a trequartista (Camoranesi), which wasn’t exactly familiar territory for Italy. However, if there was a time for Donadoni to be daring that time was now.

The Azzurri started the game with nerve, determination and energy. 9 minutes into the game, Alessandro Del Piero (wearing the anticipated captain’s armband) found himself of the receiving end of a header in great position, but Romanian defender Dorin Goian was in the right place at the right time, deflecting behind the goal. On the left wing, where Fabio Grosso seemed to be looking in WC2006-form (and better!), danger was always lurking for Romania. One really has to wonder why Donadoni waited until game 2 to make old Fabio a starter.

Nevertheless as much things were looking better in the offensive zone, Fabio Cannavaro’s ghost was still lurking in the Italian defense. On their first real run forward, Romania almost opened the score but Adrian Mutu’s left-footed blast (after a slip by Panucci allowed the Fiorentina striker through on goal) found the ready hands of “Super Gigi” Buffon. In minute 18, Italy’s nº1 got to work again by deflecting Christian Tamas’s long-range free kick. 20 minutes into the half: no shots for Italy and two dangerous chances for Romania. Make that three actually, as Cristian Chivu’s free-kick found the head of David Niculae and the deflection of Panucci… straight onto the post. Zambrotta cleared the ball as everyone wearing a blue shirt held their breath.

$Luca Toni (right) attempts a header in Italy\'s match vs. Romania$ Italy were not looking good. A wobbly defence, a midfield having a tough time containing Chivu and Radoi’s physical presence, and Luca Toni still unable to hit the target: 27 minutes in, the Bayern giant honed his aim and narrowly missed the post. Still very far from perfection. What made matters even worse, was the incredible ease with which Piturca’s men were given opportunity to take shots (Răzvan Raţ grazing the post in minute 29). With the pace of the game increasing, Romania were exhibiting an optimal organizational scheme while the Azzurri sometimes looked like they were improvising: no connection in midfield (crucially missing a reference point) and lots of lost balls.

In the 39^th minute however, Italy finally created some real thrills. Straight from a corner kick, Toni’s header forced ex-Viola teammate Lobont to make a spectacular save. Finally some fighting spirit!. Pushing harder and managing to unhinge the organized Romanian defence, the Azzurri finally found the back of the net shortly before the half: a looping pass forward found Luca Toni unmarked and this time Lobont could not stop Luca’s header. Giving him a hand however was the linesman, disallowing the goal for an (inexistent) offside.

$Freeze-frame of Luca Toni\'s position (circled) at the moment of the pass... no offside$

In the second period Italy immediately began pressing, but danger kept lurking close to Italy’s box in the name of Mutu: in minute 54, the Romania striker forced Buffon to put his skills to the test and save his low drive. A warning sign. Just a minute later, hara-kiri for Italy: trying to intercept a Romanian cross, Gianluca Zambrotta attempted a dangerous backpass header to Buffon, without noticing Adrian Mutu slipping behind him. Getting on the ball first, it was little trouble for the Fiorentina striker to beat Buffon and put his country in the lead. 1-0 Romania.

Fortunately for Italy just a minute later, Christian Panucci got to work and put his deadly “danger man of the box” skills to work: Pirlo corner, redirected header by Chiellini, winning tap-in by the Roma defender. Woo-ha. 1-1.

More importantly, the Azzurri now had a little momentum on their side: time for Donadoni to play the Antonio Cassano card (on for Perrotta). On his part, coah Victor Piturca ordered his Tricolorii to fall back, tighten the D line around the box, and operate on counters (something which Mutu & friends are starting to get really good at). A good strategy, especially when you have a in-form keeper like Bogdan Lobont, able to deny Daniele De Rossi a great diving header after a lay-up by Toni. It was minute 75.

$Combination of images shows Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon saving Romanian forward Adrian Mutu\'s (unseen) penalty shot during the Euro 2008 Championships Group C football match Italy vs. Romania on June 13, 2008 Italy vs. Romania at Letzigrund stadium in Zurich, Switzerland. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. (AFP/Getty Images)$ A few minutes passed, a tired Del Piero left his place to Fabio Quagliarella (Mr. opportunity) but with little effect. Instead, it was once again Romania creating danger on the other end. Minute 80, short corner played by Mutu, receiving the return pass & instantaneous cross for Daniel Niculae. Battling for the ball with Panucci, the Romanian striker fell to the ground: Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo pointed to the spot. Adrian Mutu vs. Buffon… shot in the middle… SUPER GIGI!!!! Hand save, foot save in quick succession, and the ball was cleared! Heart-attack time for Azzurri fans, and ten more minutes left to play that resulted in nothing.

The final whistle gives Italy its first point at Euro 2008, leaving them no other choice than to beat France on Tuesday. Even that may yet not be enough though. One can only hope that after scoring 3 vs. the Azzurri and 4 vs. Les Bleus, Netherlands will do the same vs. Romania. But did I mention they are already through to the quarter-finals and will almost surely play their B team?

$Italy\'s goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon (2ndR) reacts with team mates after their Group C Euro 2008 soccer match against Romania at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich, June 13, 2008. (REUTERS)$

	ITALY-ROMANIA 1-1 [Match Highlights]
GOALSCORERS: 10’ Mutu (R), 56’ Panucci (I)
ITALY (4-3-1-2): Buffon – Zambrotta, Panucci, Chiellini, Grosso – Pirlo, De Rossi, Perrotta (58’ Cassano) – Camoranesi (85’ Ambrosini) – Toni, Del Piero (77’ Quagliarella). (bench: Amelia, De Sanctis, Gamberini, Barzagli, Materazzi, Gattuso, Aquilani, Borriello, Di Natale). Coach: Donadoni
ROMANIA (4-4-1-1): Lobont – Contra, Tamas, Goian, Rat – Radoi (25’ Dica), Petre (60’ Nicolita), Codrea, Chivu – Mutu (88’ Cocis) – D.Niculae. (bench: Popa, Stancioiu, Marica, Sapunaru, Ghinea, Moti, M.Niculae, Cristea, Dica, Radu). Coach: Piturca.