2013 Confederations Cup Battle For Third Match Preview: Uruguay Vs. Italy

Venue: Salvador
Date:  30 June 2013

The Verdict:  Italy finishes 3rd in Confeds Cup (2-1)

Cesar Prandelli shall enter Salvador with high hopes that Gli Azurri will finish third in the 2013 Confederations. And why not? The squad forced the Spaniards into a 120-minute match that ended in a 7-6 penalty score in favor of La Roja.

Although it could have secured a spot in the final, what is more important to Prandelli is his team’s ability to “compete with the best,” and this explains why the Italians have higher winning possibilities than Uruguay.

Prandelli is expected to use the 3-4-2-1 formation, which pressed the Spaniards, but opened plenty of opportunities for them. Italy might take advantage of it to stop unprecedented attacks from Forlan and Cavani. The formation’s weakness, however, is the absence of a powerful striker to complete a strong finish.

With this regard, Alberto Gilardino must step up his game. The latter was Prandelli’s choice to substitute for Mario Balotelli when he was injured during the encounter against Brazil. Gilardino has the experience, knowing that he once held the trophy for Italy in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Yet, in the event where he fails to rise in the occasion, Prandelli will still have Sebastian Giovinco and of course, Stephan El Shaarawy to secure the goals for them.  

Other than Gianluigi Buffon is another veteran that Gli Azurri brings during the Uruguay encounter. With a World Cup title and experience to boot, he is definitely, one of the best goal keepers to depend on, most especially during penalties and free kicks. However, Prandelli might have second doubts on whether Bonucci should take a shot again.

There is no question why Italy is the heavy favorite in the match. The squad put up a great show against Spain that exemplifies not only its potential to grab Confederations Cup title, but also another World Cup trophy.



Photo Credit: Zimbio

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2013 Confederations Cup: Spain Overturns Italy 7-6 in Penalty Shoot-Out

Spain burst Italy’s hopes of appearing in the 2013 Confederations Cup finals with an anticlimactic victory last June 27.

Neither team was able to score for 120 minutes, forcing a penalty shootout which Spain won 7-6. Jesus Navas’ spot-kick, combined with Leonardo Bonucci’s failure to score in the shoot-out, sealed the fate of Gli Azzurri.

Italy looked crippled without Mario Balotelli, with the likes of Christian Maggio, Daniele De Rossi, and Claudio Marchisio missing several opportunities to shoot in the first half. Fernando Torres flew past Andrea Barzagli to try and convert a point, only to be intercepted by Gianluigi Buffon.

At the start of the second half, La Roja regained control of the ball, but Buffon’s excellent goalkeeping skills ensured that the match would be at a stalemate. Also, Xavi’s goal in the last few seconds was blocked by De Rossi before Howard Webb blew the whistle, signaling the beginning of extra time.

Despite the increased pressure from Spain in the second half of extra time, La Roja was still as goalless as their opponents, necessitating the penalty shootout. Ironically, Buffon was unable to sustain his momentum in this round, letting Spain score 7 of 13 points made there.

Spain will face Brazil on June 30. 

Photo credit: Zimbio

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2013 Confederations Cup Match Preview: Spain Vs. Italy

Venue: Fortaleza
Date: 28 June 2013

Prediction: Italy Exits Brazil

Injuries, weak defence and poor scoring caused Italy to lose its campaign in the Confederations Cup. On the other hand, the all mighty Spain is comfortably looks forward to securing the only international trophy that it lacks.

Spain and Italy will continue their rivalry in the Confederations Cup. After losing the Euro Cup to Spain last year, Gli Azurri seeks revenge. Yet, Italy’s present form foresees a repetition of failing to clinch the coveted silverware.

First off, injuries bogged down Cesar Prandelli’s side. Adding to his list of injured players is the striker Mario Balotelli. Super Mario suffered a thigh injury after a heart-thumping encounter against Brazil.

Prior to Balotelli’s exit, the Italians are already missing the presence of Andrea Pirlo and Ricardo Montelivo. The same thing holds true for Ignazio Abate who dislocated his shoulders early on in the tournament. Although reports say that Pirlo and Montelivo will be seeing action in Fortaleza, this does not guarantee a knock-out performance knowing that Prandelli still has the World Cup qualifiers to think about. Italy’s head honcho might resort to a 3-5-2 formation and El Shaarawy making his debut in the tournament. El Shaarawy’s entry is Prandelli’s way of countering the Spaniard’s invincible defence.

Now talk about Spanish defence, Vicente del Bosque and his men had conceded a single goal in the tournament. Italy conceded four (4) against Brazil—the lowest that the team ever had. This perspective exemplifies Spain’s scoring strength.

Since the Confeds Cup kicked-off, La Roja had already scored fifteen (15) goals. Ten (10) of them was against the minnow, Tahiti. Nevertheless, far more important is the scoring appetite of David Villa, Fernando Torres and Roberto Soldado. Aside from the three, David Silva, Juan Mata, Pedro Rodriguez and Jordi Alba can rip the Italian’s net in the match. 

Spain stands as heavy favorites for this match with Asian handicaps already handed over to Italy.



Photo Credits: Zimbio

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Brazil Set To Meet Uruguay In Confeds Cup’s Semis

Brazil has plenty of reasons to celebrate its 4-2 win against Italy in the Confederations Cup. 

Dante scored his first competitive goal, Fred made his first double and with Neymar making his third strike, the battle in Salvador highlighted the Selecao’s strong bid for the silverware.

Several minutes before the half-time, Dante broke the seemingly long spell of failed attempts and defensive attacks, when he converted off of a piece situation and put Brazil on the lead on the 45th.

Italy responded with the combined efforts of Mario Balotelli and Emaneule Giaccherini. Giaccherini right footed shot has no intentions of wasting Super Mario’s backheel. Unfortunately for Gli Azurri, the equalizer ended with Balotelli nursing a strained thigh.

Amidst the possibility that the Italian striker may not see the semis, a Christian Maggio Foul sent football prodigy, Neymar into the penalty line. Unwilling to disappoint his supporters and the opportunity to take the lead, Neymar scored his third consecutive goal in the tournament.

The 66th minute of the match was almost a premonition for the Italians. Fred made his first goal in the match, only to be countered by Giorgio Chilellini on the 71st. Fred finally made his finishing touches with a right-footed shot that marked not only Brazil’s victory, but his first double.

Italy’s loss to Brazil was the first time that Gli Azurri conceded four (4) goals in the match.

As for Scolari and his men, the three (3) consecutive wins were no less than a morale booster. Prior to the tournament, the Selecaos’ scoring and style of play have been the center of issues and controversies. Yet, with its successive and deciding victories, naysayers can only watch in silence and glee.



Photo Credit: Zimbio

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2013 Confederations Cup Match Preview: Italy Vs. Brazil

Date: 23 June 2013 
Venue: Salvador

The verdict: Italy Bows Down To Brazil, 2-1

Brazil and Italy shall meet in a deciding match to vie for the top spot in Group A of the Confederations Cup. Both teams are already entering the semis. But with the Selecaos playing more comfortably at home, Brazil has all the edge to emerge as the group leader.

What the numbers tell
Gil Azurris and The Selecaos are tied with six (6) points each. However, Felipe Scolari’s squad has a better goal difference and will only need a draw to clinch the victory. This leaves Italy with several options. It goes either for a scoring rampage or save its energy for World Cup titleholder, Spain.

Neymar and Super Mario
Neymar and Mario Balotelli are impressive in their previous games. Neymar scored Brazil’s first two opening goals. Balotelli made two crucial shots for Italy. Both rose to the occasion and delivered. But Neymar has the scoring momentum.

Super Mario hardly passed through the Mexican defence and his scoring attempt materialized only along the sides of the penalty line. This does not disregard Balotelli’s goal contributions, but in this battle, he will be better off as a defender. Italy is in dire need to put a stop against Brazilian scorers.

Team form
Brazil won 4 out of 6 of their most recent matches while Italy never lost in their last 8 encounters (4 wins and 4 draws).

In terms of injury, only David Luiz suffers from an injury. The player broke his nose after going against Mexico. Luiz will still go against Italy wearing a protective mask.

Meanwhile, David De Rossi will not be seeing action in the upcoming match. De Rossi got two yellow cards during the team’s encounter against Japan.

It is hard to question Italy’s last performance. However, it is also true that Japan almost drained their energy. Fatigue may soon sink in. With the odds in its favor, Brazil will definitely take full advantage of every opportunity they have to secure this victory. 


Photo Credit: Zimbio

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Italy Goes To Confed Cup Semis

Italy secured its spot in the Confederations Cup’s semis after its heart-pounding 4-3 triumph over Japan.

Sebastian Giovinco scored the deciding goal upon converting a cross from Claudio Marchiso on the 86th minute.

The match was never an easy feat for the Azurris. Chris Prandelli and his men struggled throughout the first-half that resulted to Japan’s first two (2) goals. Keisuke Honda after a great tackle with Gianlugi Buffon, converted a penalty kick that put Japan on the lead. On the 33rd minute, Manchester United’s Shinji Kagawa nailed a left-footed shot that almost sealed Italy’s fate in the match.

Japan’s Barcelona-like approach—putting pressure and keeping possession seemed to work, but only temporarily. Danielle De Rossi answered back with a header off a corner from Andrea Pirlo on the 41st minute and on the 50th, Atsuto Uchida scored his own goal.

The odds slowly shifted into the Italian side when Mario Balotelli had his chance to take part in Italy’s goal scoring rampage. More popularly known as Super Mario, Balotelli converted a penalty, thanks to Makoto Hasebe’s handball.  Balotelli’s shot handed the lead to the Azurri.

Unfortunately, the reversal of roles continued. Yasuhito Endo’s cross to Shinji Okazaki reclaimed the lead for Japan on the 69th. It could have been an early celebration, not until Giovinco scored the great upset.

Despite of the win, Prandelli acknowledged the match’s difficulty. Buffon, on the other hand, shared a similar sentiment and gave credit to Japan’s impressive performance. Buffon described the match as something that “they shouldn’t have won.”

Meanwhile, Zaccheronni admitted Italy’s scoring capabilities. Japan’s head honcho shared how their opponents’ international experience brought the squad ahead of Blue Samurais.

Italy’s will soon face Brazil to compete for the top spot on the group.




Photo Credit: Zimbio

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Italy Wins 2013 Confederation Cup Match with Mexico

For Andrea Pirlo, it was a sweet victory to cap off his 100^th international match.

Thanks to the dynamic duo of Pirlo and Mario Balotelli, Mexico bowed down to the Gli Azzurri 1:2 last June 16 (local time) at the Maracana.

In the first half, Balotelli made a kick powerful enough to hand the lead to the Italians. All throughout the game, the forward proved to be too much for the Mexicans’ defense to handle, though Jose Corona saved El Tri from getting phased out early with great saves on Balotelli.

Meanwhile, Javier Hernandez took advantage of an Andrea Barzagli foul on Giovani dos Santos to answer Balotelli’s efforts and earn Mexico its 1-1 win.

Corona was helpless against the 34-year-old Pirlo, whose top left-hand corner kick eluded the Mexican goalkeeper in the 26^th minute.

During the second half, defender Javier Aquino was replaced with Hiram Mier, and Gerardo Flores was moved into midfield. Meanwhile, the Italian side benched Claudio Marchisio for Alessio Cerci, while Emanuele Giaccherini moved to the center of the pitch and was instrumental in aiding Balotelli for Italy’s win.

The Gli Azzurri will face Japan next. Japan previously went against Brazil, and lost 3-0. 

Photo credit: Piotr Drabik on Flickr

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2013 Confederations Cup Match Preview: Italy Vs. Japan

The upcoming match between Italy and Japan proved to be an uphill battle for the Blue Samurais. After failing to score against the crowd-favorite, Brazil, Zaccheroni and his men will have to go through blood and fire as they face the rest of the Gli Azzurri in Recife this 20 June 2013.

There’s no denying that Japan is a force to reckon with in the Confederations Cup. However, the current circumstances tend to favor Italy. Once and for all, the momentum lingers at Cesar Prandelli’s side. The tournament is a preview of what the squad has to offer in the World Cup and winning over a worthy opponent brings a strong sense of pride and chemistry among the players. The only challenge in here is for Prandelli to keep the fire burning and be wary of over confidence as it was also the reason behind their 2 consecutive losses during the previous Confederations Cup. 

Meanwhile, other than the victory over Mexico, Mario Balotelli is also a powerful force that Japan must face. His right-footed shot became the match’s deciding goal. It has been said that Super Mario tends to perform better under Prandelli’s tutelage and one can expect him to display the same degree of prowess and skill when he and his team meets Japan. 

Lately, the Blue Samurais seem to experience conversion problem. The likes of Shinji Kagawa and Honda have  been having difficulties in penetrating a tough defence. And fortunately for Italy, they have the veteran Gianluigi Buffon to remain on guard and keep Japan on their toes.

Italy is the favorite pick, obviously. Even in Asian bookies, the Gli Azzurri stands as favorites with Asian handicap handed over to Japan.

 

Photo Credit: Zimbio

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2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Match Preview: Mexico vs. Italy

Tournament favorites Italy will debut in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup with a match against CONCACAF champions Mexico on June 16. Let’s take a closer look at how the two teams might fare against each other.

Goalkeeping

Two of the world’s best goalkeepers will battle it out on Sunday: Jesus Corona and Gianluigi Buffon for Mexico and Italy, respectively. If Mexico’s CONCACAF games are any indication, the country’s hopes rest heavily on Corona and Guillermo Ochoa’s shoulders. Meanwhile, Buffon has Michael Agazzi, Federico Marchetti, and Salvatore Sirigu to back him up.

Defense

Mexico’s defense is decent and organized, but the likes of Carlos Salcido and Hector Moreno will have to go beyond the decent level if they want to keep up with Italy’s Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, and Giorgio Chiellini.  Italy’s defense may not be as strong as it was in 2006, but it’s still pretty solid.

Midfield

Italy’s over-reliance on Andrea Pirlo could prove to be their undoing against Mexico’s Pablo Barrera and Andres Guardado. Otherwise, both teams are evenly matched in the midfield area.

Forward

Javier Hernandez and Aldo de Nigris might be able to halt Mexico’s offensive struggles for this crucial match. On the other hand, the combined efforts of “Super Mario” Balotelli, Stephen El Shaarawy, Alberto Gilardino, and Sebastian Giovinco could overwhelm them.

Overall

If Mexico is unable to overcome its offensive weaknesses despite having Hernandez and de Nigris on board, it can at least concentrate on building up its defense against the debatably superior team that is Italy.

Prediction: Draw or Italy Win

Photo Credit: Celso Flores

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Match Preview: Czech Republic Vs. Italy

Italy Retains Top Spot In World Cup’s Qualifying Group

Date: 07 June 2013
Venue: Generali Arena

There are two (2) things to expect in the upcoming face-off between Italy and Czech Republic at the Generali Arena. Should the Italians win, Cesar Prandelli and his squad shall have their 19th World Cup appearance. As for the Czechs, it is a must-win match. Otherwise, they’ll have to summon Lady Luck with hopes that Bulgaria succumbs to a major defeat. 


Czech Republic has all the reasons to clinch the victory. They’re playing in their own soil. This means they’ll have enough time to rest and acclimatization is the least of their worry. Moreover, their fans overwhelming support can do wonders in maintaining an upbeat tempo.

However, Prandelli is a man that barely settles for second best and with the numbers in his favor, the Czechs might be forced to endure a long play-off battle.

One of Italy’s main thrusts is Gianluigi Buffon, who is about to have his 130th cap. Considered as one of the world’s most prominent goalkeeper, he’s the perfect pick to deny Tomas Rosicky from scoring. His experience and exposure shall definitely keep the squad from crumbling.

Mario Balotelli is also a formidable force to reckon with. The hot-tempered football celebrity is said to perform well under Prandelli’s mentoring. Should Super Mario failed to deliver, there’s always Stephan El Shaarawy to turn to. However, the biggest question in Shaarawy’s is whether his ankle injury will affect his performance.

Nevertheless, in times where the Italian offence becomes too shaky, Prandelli can always rely on his strong defence to counter Czech’s attack. Andrea Pirlo playing alongside with Claudio Marchisio and Daniele De Rossi will surely join force to set-up an indestructible defence.

Italy is currently at the top spot of Group B’s European qualifiers. It is followed by Bulgaria and the Czech Republic on the 3rd spot.

Italy has been a consistent World Cup crowd favorite and the same trend can be seen among online bookies. As a matter of fact, Asian handicaps have been handed over to Czech Republic.

It might be pretty impossible for the match to keep a clean sheet. Both squads will ensure to convert every scoring attempt or opportunity. Yet, as discussed, even if the match ends in a draw, still, it is the Italians that have the upper-hand.


Photo Credit: Zimbio

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