On this questions I agree mostly with Kaiser...
++ [ originally posted by Kaiser Franco ] ++
mark,
I would not put Del Piero's international curriculum on the same level as Totti's. Totti was excellent at Euro 2000 (he reminded me a lot of Baggio's explosion in WC '90) and unlucky in WC 2002 (hitting posts against Croatia, facing Moreno against Korea). Del Piero has been crap in WC 98, cost us the victory against France in Euro 2000 and scored an unimportant goal in WC 02 (Italy would have been through anyway).
Producing like Baggio on a world stage is almost impossible for any player, not just for those two. Baggio is Italy's all-time topscorer in the WC (together with Vieri) and in 94 he single-handedly led to the final a team that should have been content with making it to the second round. I don't recall any other italian player doing that. Not Piola, not Rivera, not even Rossi, who could rely on other world class players such as Conti and Tardelli. In fact only Maradona has been (just slightly) more decisive than Baggio for his team's performances.
Exately :thumb:
Totti was/is/will be not like Baggio 4 the NT but cause that's impossible 4 any player; but he was not a schame like Del Piero. Totti did always well excluding in WC 2002 in which all the time sucked and nobody maybe even Baggio could do nothing to save the disaster.
++ [ originally posted by Kaiser Franco ] ++
But Baggio is not on his 90-94 levels I am afraid. Sure he can still gratify us with some class act here and there, but how much time does he have to spend in the infirmary before playing 3 games in a row? And did he contribute in any measure to Italy's qualifying campaign for the tournament? No he didn't, so adding him to the group that did fight to reach the final stage might - understandably - create some tensions and undermine stability.
Add also 98 inand 2002
Baggio kept his level till last year, he never had moments in which he was playing bad. And he one of the fews also beetwin "the grates."
The unforgivable Trap mistake was to exclude Baggio from 2002 WC, cause that year Roby was really in fire. Ok he had injuries but he had an average of one goal a match and he was truly unstoppale, he was the best italian player in his role, surely better than Del Piero and Del Vecchio and considering the condition in which Totti arrived maybe also than him.
It was crazy not to take him to Japan, maybe we wuold not win anycase but loosing knowing that who could make the difference was left home 4 unknown reason create of course more polemics than loosing with the best players on field.
But at the moment, also if Roby is still the most skillful player around and sometimes come out doing something magic that others player won't even dream, his phisycal condition is really bad. He palys one match every 3, is always injured and most than one time he ended a match asking to be changed, and we all know how he hates not to finisch a match.
Is no sense to think that he has to go the EURO, where you have to play one match after the other...
He had to be part of the 2002 squad and Trap what ever of good he did or will do 4 soccer will always blamed by Italian 4 his exclusion but right now is fair not to call Roby and infact Roby is the first to say that he don't even want to go to the Olimpics and he want to quit cause he is not healty right now :down:
++ [ originally posted by Kaiser Franco ] ++
Finally, Italy has rarely whitnessed such an abundance of "mezzepunte" as it does now (DP, Totti, Miccoli, Cassano), and they too deserve a go.
Well... if the Euro was right now the foward situation will be not so good 4 us actually.
DP is sucking, Miccoli and Di Vaio never plays, Totti and Cassano started the season in a grate way but is 3 matches that they are doing nothing, Vieri Inzaghi and Montella are injured :groan:
But anycase still I won't recall Roby cause he is in too bad condition and I will never want to see him having problems in international stage with the NT. He did to grate!!! In 2002 he was rocking, now he is not will bad also 4 him to be in the NT. All the players who went to NT when they didn't deserve it ended up embarassing thamselfs (Del Piero is the best example) and I guess nobody want to see Baggio in a situation like this.
++ [ originally posted by Kaiser Franco ] ++
PS : Totti was not just "marked tight" against Brescia : I've seen a player elbowing him in the stomach at some point. I remember reading statistics recently on the number of fouls comitted on a single player since the start of the season : Totti was leading the table, far ahead of Nedved.
Yes Totti "acted" a bit in the match vs Brescia.
The point is that most of the defenders know that he get nervous easely so they do everything to provoce him. It happened the same also last year vs Juve and it ended up with Toti redcarted. Totti schould learn not to react cause making him nervous is a tecnique that opponents use to stop him. I think that Totti is a grate player but he has not a personality that help him :groan:
P.S.: saturday Baggio didn't play but Totti and Cassano, even if they weare in the field, too: they really sucked! All Roma is really in a dark moment, umbelivable thinking about they weare rocking few ago
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IMVHO he looks the best on the pic in the 2nd row, first from the right 
