Olymipcs (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Francesco_C
- Start date
You don't know?! 
Watching the soccer event at the Olympics has made me happy we did'nt buy some of the players we've been linked with.Ferrari,Bonera & Gillardino have not looked to me like they would significantly improve us-thus far they have looked like average players to me.
Stephan Appiah has really impressed me though-I think lippi misused him.From what i've seen,Appiah is not the new Edgar Davids.Rather he is a midfield player with attacking flair-he wears No. 10 for Ghana n that's how he plays 4 them.He has a free role creating,joining in attack and being on the end of great moves.
I think Cappello should give Stephan a more advanced role,not stick him in the middle to do dirty work-that's not what he's best at.
What do u guys think?
Stephan Appiah has really impressed me though-I think lippi misused him.From what i've seen,Appiah is not the new Edgar Davids.Rather he is a midfield player with attacking flair-he wears No. 10 for Ghana n that's how he plays 4 them.He has a free role creating,joining in attack and being on the end of great moves.
I think Cappello should give Stephan a more advanced role,not stick him in the middle to do dirty work-that's not what he's best at.
What do u guys think?
Italy 0 - 1 Paraguay
Bareiro 13 (P)
Italy needed a draw against Paraguay to be sure of the Quarter-Finals, but Japan's victory over Ghana ensured they go through anyway to face Mali.
The Azzurrini needed only a draw from this game to qualify for the quarter-finals and Claudio Gentile made no changes to the line-up that had played against Ghana and Japan. Paraguay were not to be underestimated, as they eliminated Brazil on the way to this competition, and ended up winning Group B.
Italy had no intention of playing for a point and should have taken the lead within the opening four minutes. Andrea Pirlo's free kick found Alberto Gilardino's header only for it to thump the frame of the goal, then a surprised Daniele De Rossi somehow managed to turn the loose ball wide from four yards.
There was a scare for Gilardino early on when he clashed knees with former Inter defender Carlos Alberto Gamarra, but he was able to carry on.
Paraguay could still qualify themselves with a victory and hit back with Gamarra's header over the bar. It was a warning sign that was not heeded and the South Americans took the lead after 13 minutes when a long Torres cross found Fredy Bareiro's angled header at the back post.
The Azzurrini fought back immediately and the Paraguayan goalkeeper rushed off his line to charge down Gilardino's strike. As the move continued with some desperate defending, the Italian defenders were furious when they believed Mansur blocked De Rossi's effort with his arm, but the referee waved away their penalty appeals.
Both sides remained dangerous as Paraguay were very fast on the counter-attack. Ivan Pelizzoli performed a simply stunning one-handed save on Bareiro's chip and Gimenez turned the loose ball over.
Paraguay were very strong in central defence and crowded Pirlo out of his shot, while Daniele Bonera was forced into a crucial challenge on the pacey Gimenez.
Italy's influence grew and Giuseppe Sculli's glancing header on Bonera's cross was just wide of the far post, then Gilardino's turn and volley was off target.
Perhaps their best chance of the half fell to Sculli in stoppages, but the completely unmarked Chievo striker ballooned his volley high and wide.
The second half started in much the same vein with De Rossi's shot charged down, but the Roma man petulantly kicked out and was booked, ruling him out of a potential quarter-final date.
They piled on the pressure and Barreto slapped away another Gilardino effort after he had chested down Pirlo's intelligent through ball.
Gentile made his first substitution on the hour mark, introducing Simone Del Nero for Sculli, as he has done throughout this tournament. However, he then threw on Palermo winger Andrea Gasbarroni for his first appearance of the Olympics. The attacking winger missed out on the European Championships in May due to the needs of his club in the Serie B promotion battle.
But Paraguay were now locked into their own half defending this slender lead, bursting forward only occasionally on the counter-attack. Gentile made a surprising final change, removing the off-form Pirlo for Sampdoria midfielder Marco Donadel.
Gasbarroni's looping cross found the head of Andrea Barzagli, but his effort was weak and plucked from the air by Barreto. Paraguay substitute Gonzalez nearly scored their second within minutes of coming on, but he skipped past Barzagli and found another splendid save from Pelizzoli.
Italy's pressure continued to come to nothing, as in the closing stages Moretti and Gilardino seemed to get in each others' way and failed to turn in from six yards.
Donadel took matters into his own hands and stung the palms of Barreto with a fierce strike from 25 metres that was heading straight for the top corner of the net.
Italy suffer their first defeat of the Olympics, but Japan's 1-0 win over Ghana ensure Paraguay go through top of Group B with the Azzurrini in the second qualifying spot.
The full quarter-final draw is:
Argentina-Costarica
Mali-Italy
Iraq-Australia
Paraguay-South Korea
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paraguay: D Barreto; Martinez, Manzur, Gamarra, Torres; E Barreto, Figueredo, Enciso, Gimenez (Cristaldo 56); Bareiro (Esquivel 56), Cardozo (Gonzalez 75)
Italy: Pelizzoli; Moretti, Ferrari, Bonera, Barzagli; De Rossi, Pinzi (Gasbarroni 62), Palombo, Pirlo (Donadel 70), Sculli (Del Nero 58); Gilardino
Ref: Larsen (Den)
Bareiro 13 (P)
Italy needed a draw against Paraguay to be sure of the Quarter-Finals, but Japan's victory over Ghana ensured they go through anyway to face Mali.
The Azzurrini needed only a draw from this game to qualify for the quarter-finals and Claudio Gentile made no changes to the line-up that had played against Ghana and Japan. Paraguay were not to be underestimated, as they eliminated Brazil on the way to this competition, and ended up winning Group B.
Italy had no intention of playing for a point and should have taken the lead within the opening four minutes. Andrea Pirlo's free kick found Alberto Gilardino's header only for it to thump the frame of the goal, then a surprised Daniele De Rossi somehow managed to turn the loose ball wide from four yards.
There was a scare for Gilardino early on when he clashed knees with former Inter defender Carlos Alberto Gamarra, but he was able to carry on.
Paraguay could still qualify themselves with a victory and hit back with Gamarra's header over the bar. It was a warning sign that was not heeded and the South Americans took the lead after 13 minutes when a long Torres cross found Fredy Bareiro's angled header at the back post.
The Azzurrini fought back immediately and the Paraguayan goalkeeper rushed off his line to charge down Gilardino's strike. As the move continued with some desperate defending, the Italian defenders were furious when they believed Mansur blocked De Rossi's effort with his arm, but the referee waved away their penalty appeals.
Both sides remained dangerous as Paraguay were very fast on the counter-attack. Ivan Pelizzoli performed a simply stunning one-handed save on Bareiro's chip and Gimenez turned the loose ball over.
Paraguay were very strong in central defence and crowded Pirlo out of his shot, while Daniele Bonera was forced into a crucial challenge on the pacey Gimenez.
Italy's influence grew and Giuseppe Sculli's glancing header on Bonera's cross was just wide of the far post, then Gilardino's turn and volley was off target.
Perhaps their best chance of the half fell to Sculli in stoppages, but the completely unmarked Chievo striker ballooned his volley high and wide.
The second half started in much the same vein with De Rossi's shot charged down, but the Roma man petulantly kicked out and was booked, ruling him out of a potential quarter-final date.
They piled on the pressure and Barreto slapped away another Gilardino effort after he had chested down Pirlo's intelligent through ball.
Gentile made his first substitution on the hour mark, introducing Simone Del Nero for Sculli, as he has done throughout this tournament. However, he then threw on Palermo winger Andrea Gasbarroni for his first appearance of the Olympics. The attacking winger missed out on the European Championships in May due to the needs of his club in the Serie B promotion battle.
But Paraguay were now locked into their own half defending this slender lead, bursting forward only occasionally on the counter-attack. Gentile made a surprising final change, removing the off-form Pirlo for Sampdoria midfielder Marco Donadel.
Gasbarroni's looping cross found the head of Andrea Barzagli, but his effort was weak and plucked from the air by Barreto. Paraguay substitute Gonzalez nearly scored their second within minutes of coming on, but he skipped past Barzagli and found another splendid save from Pelizzoli.
Italy's pressure continued to come to nothing, as in the closing stages Moretti and Gilardino seemed to get in each others' way and failed to turn in from six yards.
Donadel took matters into his own hands and stung the palms of Barreto with a fierce strike from 25 metres that was heading straight for the top corner of the net.
Italy suffer their first defeat of the Olympics, but Japan's 1-0 win over Ghana ensure Paraguay go through top of Group B with the Azzurrini in the second qualifying spot.
The full quarter-final draw is:
Argentina-Costarica
Mali-Italy
Iraq-Australia
Paraguay-South Korea
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paraguay: D Barreto; Martinez, Manzur, Gamarra, Torres; E Barreto, Figueredo, Enciso, Gimenez (Cristaldo 56); Bareiro (Esquivel 56), Cardozo (Gonzalez 75)
Italy: Pelizzoli; Moretti, Ferrari, Bonera, Barzagli; De Rossi, Pinzi (Gasbarroni 62), Palombo, Pirlo (Donadel 70), Sculli (Del Nero 58); Gilardino
Ref: Larsen (Den)