Italy vs Czech Rep (8 Viewers)

[Stu]

I'm pretty sure that DP will be given the captaincy. He is the vice-captain afterall, and with the captain not in the team it's only natural for the vice to take up the responsibility. I don't know if you're familiar with how things are run in Italy, but in the Nazionale captains are chosen depending on how many caps they have. Cannavaro is the captain because he has the most caps of the players in the starting line-up/first team. DP has the second most, followed by Nesta, so Totti will have to wait.

 

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[Trezeguet_FC]

I really don't see Trap starting with a strong line-up. It's a friendly after all, and even if DP and the gang start, they wont stay for too long. But i see the Chez coach using Nedved till his last breath...

 

[Stu]

The line-up that I posted is the team that Trap tried out at practise. I suspect that the likes of Totti, Del Piero and Vieri will only play for the first half, an hour at most. Prediction: 1-1.

 

[Fred]

++ [ originally posted by «ƒÕ®zå JüV€» ] ++


man fred u seruously need to get a life..
u call that funny! ha..lool..
(im in one of those moods)

1.mind your own damn buisness,and dont poke your nose where it doesnt belong
2.

++ [ originally posted by Matto ] ++




You people wouldn't recognise sarcasm if it hit you in the face :groan:

thank you.....

 

[denco]

I thought Trap agreed that he would call up 3 players each from the big teams so why the hullaballoo from you lot. Cassano gets injured or whatever , is it not logical to be replaced by another Roma player to make it 3 and Delvecchio has always been close to Trap's heart
By the way what on earth have both Miccolli and Dv done to warrant a place in the nationale, apart from being Juve players that is
You can make the same argument for Dp but he is an intergral part of Trap's plans as is Vieri so they shoudl not worry too much about their form, only injury would exempt them from going to Portugal imo

It would be nice from a Juve prospective to see Dp and Nedved lead out their respective teams, too bad the game aint being played in Turin

 

[sallyinzaghi]

Yeay Grygera's playing

 

[sallyinzaghi]

Cassano out for Czech game

AS Roma striker Antonio Cassano has pulled out of the Italy squad that will face the Czech Republic on Wednesday and has been replaced by team mate Marco Delvecchio. Follow eurosport.com/.co.uk's LIVE coverage of Italy v Czech Republic LIVE Wednesday from 20:45 cet!



The Italian Football Federation said Cassano was suffering from thigh and knee injuries and that, after hearing from Roma's medical staff, coach Giovanni Trapattoni had opted to bring in Delvecchio.

Italy are already without the injured pairing of Inter Milan defender Fabio Cannavaro and AC Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi for Wednesday's game in Palermo.

The Sampdoria pairing of defender Stefano Bettarini and midfielder Sergio Volpi, along with Parma midfielder Simone Barone, could all make their debut in the game

VOLPI!!!

 

[KB824]

Whether Trap had decided to only call up 3 players from the big teams doesn't matter if the replacement (delvecchio) is not any better than someone who could not only help the team now, but possibly help the team in June if the forwards start losing their form (Bazzani).

I can't see Delvecchio being an integral part of this squad in a few months, whereas Bazzani, at his current pace, could get some quality playing time.

Loyalties aside, Trap's job is to get the best players available for his team, and to get other players ready for NT action should it be necessary.

 

[«ƒÕ®zå JüV€»]

++ [ originally posted by sallyinzaghi ] ++
Cassano out for Czech game

AS Roma striker Antonio Cassano has pulled out of the Italy squad that will face the Czech Republic on Wednesday and has been replaced by team mate Marco Delvecchio. Follow eurosport.com/.co.uk's LIVE coverage of Italy v Czech Republic LIVE Wednesday from 20:45 cet!



The Italian Football Federation said Cassano was suffering from thigh and knee injuries and that, after hearing from Roma's medical staff, coach Giovanni Trapattoni had opted to bring in Delvecchio.

Italy are already without the injured pairing of Inter Milan defender Fabio Cannavaro and AC Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi for Wednesday's game in Palermo.

The Sampdoria pairing of defender Stefano Bettarini and midfielder Sergio Volpi, along with Parma midfielder Simone Barone, could all make their debut in the game

VOLPI!!!

all these star injures, well i was hoping for fillipo to be called up he really desrves that spot and hope the captain gets better ..

 

[Stu]

This is going to be the team to face the Czech Republic tomorrow:

Buffon
Panucci Legrottaglie Nesta Bettarini
Perrotta Pirlo
Fiore Totti Del Piero
Vieri

It would be really nice for captain Ale to score his 25th international goal in Palermo on Wednesday. It would also be his first goal as captain wouldn't it? As a matter of fact isn't this going to be DP's first game captaining the Azzurri from the start of a match? Forza Del Piero

 

[Martin]

YESSSSS, Pirlo starting, man I've been lobbying for this like forever. :strong:

Btw, if he stinks you're welcome to stick it to me

===

Trap puts Pirlo in pole position
Tuesday 17 February, 2004

Giovanni Trapattoni plans to field Andrea Pirlo plus Azzurri new boy Stefano Bettarini from the start against the Czech Republic.

The Italy squad played with the 4-2-3-1 system in a game between ranks during today’s training session at Palermo’s Stadio Barbera.

Over 1,500 fans were in the arena to watch the warm-up and cheer on those stars who will take on the Czechs on Wednesday evening.

This is an important test for Pirlo, who has excelled in a deeper midfield role with European Champions Milan.

A former Under-21 international, he had been frozen out of the squad since the new tactical system was introduced.

The ex-Inter man could be given a new position as part of the trident supporting lone striker Christian Vieri.

This means that on-form Lazio man Stefano Fiore could be pushed back to a deeper role alongside Chievo's Simone Perrotta.

There will be a very experimental defence on show due to the absence of Fabio Cannavaro and Marco Materazzi.

32-year-old Stefano Bettarini will receive his first international cap as the left-back flanked by Nicola Legrottaglie, Alessandro Nesta and Christian Panucci.

There were worried faces during this match, as Inter defender Daniele Adani suffered a minor knee problem, but he was able to carry on.

The game between ranks ended 1-1 with goals from Panucci for the ‘first choice’ eleven and an Antonio Di Natale equaliser.

Due to the friendly nature of this test with the Czech Republic – and protests from the big clubs over the use of their stars – Sampdoria wide man Sergio Volpi and Parma midfielder Simone Barone will receive their debuts during the second half.

It is a particularly tough choice of opponent for the Azzurri, as Pavel Nedved’s nation is unbeaten since Nov 2001 and Italy have only ever won one of their previous thirteen encounters.


Italy probable line-up: Buffon; Bettarini, Nesta, Legrottaglie, Panucci; Fiore, Perrotta; Del Piero, Totti, Pirlo; Vieri

 

[Stu]

I like the line-up but what I don't get is why Fiore is playing Pirlo's position and vice versa. The Milan man has been operating in that deeper midfield role for such a long time now so why not play him there and Fiore on the right?

 

[Hydde]

++ [ originally posted by -Fantasista- ] ++
This is going to be the team to face the Czech Republic tomorrow:

Buffon
Panucci Legrottaglie Nesta Bettarini
Perrotta Pirlo
Fiore Totti Del Piero
Vieri

It would be really nice for captain Ale to score his 25th international goal in Palermo on Wednesday. It would also be his first goal as captain wouldn't it? As a matter of fact isn't this going to be DP's first game captaining the Azzurri from the start of a match? Forza Del Piero

Cool...dp as captain..

hey.. no one knows if Rai internationale will show this match tomorrow?

 

[Martin]

++ [ originally posted by -Fantasista- ] ++
I like the line-up but what I don't get is why Fiore is playing Pirlo's position and vice versa. The Milan man has been operating in that deeper midfield role for such a long time now so why not play him there and Fiore on the right?

Because that's where Pirlo belongs :cap:

 

[Stu]

This would be my squad to go to Portugal:

Buffon (Toldo) - Oddo (Panucci), Nesta (Ferrari), Cannavaro (Legrottaglie), Zambrotta (Pancaro) - Gattuso (Perrotta/Tacchinardi), Pirlo (Maresca) - Camoranesi (Marchionni/Fiore), Totti (Cassano/Miccoli), Del Piero (Di Vaio/Di Natale) - Vieri (Bazzani)

 

[Stu]

++ [ originally posted by Alex ] ++


Because that's where Pirlo belongs :cap:

So where's he actually gonna line up then? Totti plays in the centre of the supporting trident with DP to his left, therefore that means that Pirlo is going to play on the right? Hardly his best position if you ask me, while Fiore has been running the right flank week in week out for Lazio.

 

[Ramin]

...

Pirlo used to be an attacking midfielder/forward before joining Milan .. wasnt he?

 

[Stu]

Yeah, he was a trequartista, but he can't play behind Vieri with Totti and Del Piero in the team. I think Martin and Channel4 are wrong anyways. I just checked gazzetta.it and though my Italian isn't very accomplished, I could pick out little bits and came to the conclusion that Fiore, Totti and Del Piero are the three that are going to support Vieri.

 

[sallyinzaghi]

Coaches hope for fringe benefits
Tuesday, 17 February 2004 Print
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By Paolo Menicucci and Ladislav Josef

The friendly international in Palermo between Italy and the Czech Republic will give both coaches an opportunity to assess players on the fringe of their likely squads for UEFA EURO 2004™.

Pack shuffled
The Czech coach Karel Brückner has been forced to shuffle his pack after Peter Cech and centre-back Tomás Ujfalusi were ruled out - the goalkeeper on Monday after dislocating his elbow in weekend Ligue 1 action for Stade Rennais FC. Giovanni Trapattoni, meanwhile, has won the support of Serie A bosses by calling on a maximum of three players from each club, a gesture which has denied him the services of several certainties for Portugal.

Juve quintet
Consequently, Juventus FC quintet Gianluca Zambrotta, Mauro Camoranesi, Alessio Tacchinardi, Marco Di Vaio and Fabrizio Miccoli all have Wednesday off, while Bianconeri team-mate Nicola Legrottaglie should play alongside Alessandro Nesta in the heart of a defence missing captain Fabio Cannavaro with a thigh injury.

Resurgent Fiore
Alessandro Del Piero, Francesco Totti and Stefano Fiore - resurgent and hoping to impress - will play behind Christian Vieiri with Marco Delvecchio, called up to replace AS Roma colleague Antonio Cassano, waiting in support. Andrea Pirlo and Simone Perrotta team up in midfield with Simone Barone likely to make his debut from the bench. Stefano Bettarini is Zambrotta's deputy at left-back.


'Good sense'
Trapattoni said: "The match against the Czech Republic will be very difficult and important. I would like a good performance against a strong team that will play an important role in the [UEFA] European Championship. They won their qualifying group and have several great players. I want to try new players because I have to know if I can count on them in case I will need them in Portugal."

Poborský record
The Azzurri know all about Pavel Nedved, who last night added the Czech Footballer of the Year award to the European version he won late last year, while another familiar face, the former S.S. Lazio midfielder Karel Poborský, will play his 91st international to beat Zdenek Nehoda's 16-year record. However, this Czech side is all about youth, with seven of the squad that won the 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in this party.

Good omen
Two more were called up this week, David Rozehnal from Club Brugge KV and RC Strasbourg's Václav Drobný, to fill in for Ujfalusi. "They are both typical left-sided central defenders who are playing regularly in Belgium and France - that is enough recommendation," said Brückner. Goalkeeper Antonín Kinský could win his fourth cap in place of Cech - his last coming in the 1-0 defeat of Italy in Prague in May 2002. Not a bad omen.

 

[baggio]

My prediction
Czech Republic 2 Italy 2