[EU] The U-21 European Championship (8 Viewers)

[Nicholas]

He isn't a striker.
He's a defender/defensive midfielder that had to play as a striker because all the strikers were injured (or suspended, i'm not sure if all of them were injured).

Nevertheless he was my man of the match.

 

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[JuveJay]

Serbia are tough to beat as they harry and niggle and get men behind the ball but also get men forward when they attack, they are a good team but not very nice to play against. They also had a very noisy support making it virtually a home match.

Balotelli was in his own little world as usual playing as an individual, both he and Giovinco were up against numerous men and Acquafresca was left isolated. The Azzurrini defence was very good though and De Ceglie was everywhere in front of Criscito. It was the attacking link that was missing as Serbia closed down all the time.

I think Sweden and Belarus will suit Italy much better, they play a more open game.

 

[Enron]

You should see me by the light of the moon on a sultry summers night, when the corn is as high as an elephants eye.

You bathe in star light too?

 

[CalcioJuventus]

I did not think the Juve players were as bad as people are making them out to have been. In a 3 man mid they covered alot of ground (Marchisio and DC)

Giovinco was good too and was the biggest threat Italy had .. if he took his chances better he could have scored but his build up play was good. I also thought the defnders were great (Motta looked shaky but the other 3 were solid)

Acquafresca was lame and so was Balotelli ... big time. I heard the commentator say it was the second time the trident played today had played together so that might explain a bit.

Anyway Serbia are known to have a great team and be quality opposition so there is no surprise they held Italy. Good work by them

 

[bianconero]

You bathe in star light too?

That's only half of it.

 

[CalcioJuventus]

This is offtopic but during the game a bit of news came up that Liverpool are paying 18 million pounds for Glen Johnson .. that seems rediculusly high to me. I heard they were having money problems so it seems they are blowing a big portion of their transfer funds on him.

 

[Enron]

That's only half of it.

Absalom, absalom.

 

[JuveJay]

I think that we (all of us here, including myself) over-hype these Italian yougsters.
I mean, they are good, some of them really good, but we know all of them, we watch them because we follow serie A, they are Italians so they're given chances to play for famous Italian clubs, and when we compare them with, lets say, Serbian guys that we never heard about, we think they are better and they should be favorites.

But in reality, the young players coming from Serbia, or the other ex-Yu countries, are at least just as talented as their Italian counterparts. The difference is that they don't have the same conditions to develop as the Italians, they aren't Italian, English or Spanish in order to be given a chance to play for the best teams in serie A, La Liga and EPL (unless they're extremely talented) and that way learn from superstars like Del Piero, Ronaldo, Messi, or be coached by the best coaches, so they remain unknown and it also reflects in their careers because they start with a handicap and they have to work twice harder than the Italians in order to earn a place in a famous club in a strong league. Most of them can't do it and only the best , like Vidic or Boban or Savicevic, will make it to the top leagues, unlike the Italians who will all get to play in serie A.

Some might say that the Italians would have looked different if Rossi and Santacroce played (they are eligible to play). But don't forget that Serbs were without any strikers today (all injured) and without players like Subotic (Dortmund), Kolarov (Lazio), Kuzmanovic (Fiorentina), Rajkovic (Twente/Chelsea) etc.

I hear what you are saying but on the topic of quality of players I would say that these guys are not 17/18/19 they are mostly 21/22/23 and are established league players now. Sure Serbia have some quality players like Tosic and Sulejmani who as you point out have come to attention because of their moves, but for the lesser known players still playing domestically are they really as good as Italian players who have been playing Serie A football for a couple of seasons? Perhaps they have equal or even better natural talent or certain attributes but if you pick a lad of 22/23 from Serie A who plays regularly and one from the Serbian Superliga of the same age you will see a difference, it is that stage from the teens to early twenties where players from countries like Serbia miss out. Of course standout players will always make it, regardless.

As a side note it is fortunate for Italy that this tournament allows players up to the age of 23 because players don't even get into Serie A teams at any younger age generally, only special talents like Cassano, Balotelli or Santon.

 

[Esteban]

Balotelli's behaviour really was a blow to the Italian moral. The attack did not play for eachother and Giovinco had to do everything himself when there were noone making runs for the team. It looked a bit ridiculous at times with the little man going against 5 guys at once, but he fought bravely and with at least one decent compatriot in attack it would've been different.

That said, both defenses were incredible and I don't see Sweden scoring more than once in the next two games.

 

[MikeM]

This is offtopic but during the game a bit of news came up that Liverpool are paying 18 million pounds for Glen Johnson .. that seems rediculusly high to me. I heard they were having money problems so it seems they are blowing a big portion of their transfer funds on him.

Glen Johnson is good IMO.

 

[Vinny Del Pogba]

Balotelli looks like he could be amazing if he wasn't such a douche. But he's young.

His attitude looks to make him at home with Inter.

 

[Hanaukyo]

italy played their usual boring football. A young and very talented swedish team can win over them.

 

[Alen]

but for the lesser known players still playing domestically are they really as good as Italian players who have been playing Serie A football for a couple of seasons?

I hear what you say too and yeah, i guess you do have a point, but in this case the answer to your question might be YES.
For the year or two these Italian youngsters have been playing in serie A (i think none of them played for more than a season in a big team) they learned something about tactical awareness, or they had better trainings so they have better fitness, but 21,22,23 is still kinda tender age to notice the difference.
For example, it's not like the Serbs and the Croats (the biggest teams there) sell all their good players when they're 17 while the ones who stay in Serbia/Croatia until they are 21-23 aren't great.
Vidic left the Serbian league at 23, Ivanovic at 22, Jankovic at 22. Modric left the Croatian league at 23, Eduardo at 24, Corluka at 22, Kranjcar at 22, Srna at 21.

You get what i wanna say. These lesser known players from the domestic leagues might actually turn out to be very good players. The Italian youngsters do have an advantage, but at this age (21,22 even 23) it's not such a big advantage.

 

[SABSAB]

The german commentator wanted to give Giovinco a hug more then one time
"God, that poor guy! Five players against him, which are all dubble the size that he is. Pitifully how alone he is." And stuff like that all the time.

 

[JuveJay]

Yeah I get it, you can't doubt the natural talent from Serbia - just look throughout history - but I just think that these lads are in fact too old or on the cusp of being too old, to be considered potentially as good, as strange as that sounds!

From what you say it seems that by 22/23 these players either get on the boat or they miss it. That's not to say they never had the talent but haven't had the chance to optimize it.

 

[DelpieroForLife]

Most nations are playing Italian more than the Italians.

A very solid Serbia side.

 

[DelpieroForLife]

Balotelli is so damn annoying.

The talent is certainly there but he is much fucked in the mind.

 

[Emmet]

Balotelli was just disgraceful, hes been around Ibra too much, lazy and useless. Pathetic showing from him.

 

[AngelaL]

I did not think the Juve players were as bad as people are making them out to have been. In a 3 man mid they covered alot of ground (Marchisio and DC)

Giovinco was good too and was the biggest threat Italy had .. if he took his chances better he could have scored but his build up play was good. I also thought the defnders were great (Motta looked shaky but the other 3 were solid)

Acquafresca was lame and so was Balotelli ... big time. I heard the commentator say it was the second time the trident played today had played together so that might explain a bit.

Anyway Serbia are known to have a great team and be quality opposition so there is no surprise they held Italy. Good work by them

Apart from Motta. I thought he played well. I expected this to be a tough game. The Serbian team played as well as I thought they would. I expected them to do their best for their country and in general, they did. Italy were lucky. I hope Casiragi drops Ballotelli - permanently! I rated him -5.5!

 

[DelpieroForLife]

Balotelli Played like he is trying to prove something... and he did actually.