That 4-1 friendly is meaningless now. IF anything that result will only fire the Germans up to do even better.
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The Official Italy WC Thread (23 Viewers)
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First of all this is the World Cup, it doesn't matter who you play, it's how you play. You have to play with your heart and have the desire to be the best. Everyone has been doubting Italy since the start of this World Cup. From the media trying to exploit the scandal in Italy and claiming it will bother Azzurri players and that we wont do anything in this World Cup. So here we are now with just 2 games left for the trophy. As for our next game against the Germans of course it will be tough. The further you go in any competition the tougher it gets. However the pressure is on Germany to defend their turf and try to inact revenge on their 4-1 loss in Florence. I believe they will be so enthralled with these 2 factors that they will lose focus on the matter at hand. THE AZZURRI!!! I think that Germany will be exposed by the Italians in this game and weaknesses exploited. I take nothing away from Germany and their fans. They have done what you should be doing when your hosting the cup. But it's time for Italy to show the world and the hosts all the fine qualities of Italian Football and keep marching toward the title. Forza Italia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, 4-1 was in italy, now they gonna play in germany (which city btw), and thats a diff story. I do want Italy to Win, but germany comes from beating arg in one of the best wc games, which gives an extra boost, plus Italy hasnt played to their best yet, Ger is rising. i think it will decide on penaltis where Gigi will prove why hes the best
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Cannavaro Rises to Challenge
Soccer: World Cup: The imperious Italy captain rises above the sniping and is in the mood to atone for his country's previous World Cup failures. By Amy Lawrence.
It was Paolo Maldini who nicknamed him 'Canna'. A cane, a reed that bends but will not break. This capacity to resist, however treacherous the tides, has been the Italian captain's hallmark during this World Cup.
Fabio Cannavaro's captaincy was on the line before a ball had been intercepted. A few careless remarks during the maelstrom of the scandal swirling around Juventus, his club back home, prompted a debate about his suitability to lead Italy into this tournament Canna, as usual, resisted. He did not even bend, never mind come close to breaking.
The diatribes are long forgotten now. Cannavaro has been the most accomplished defender at this World Cup. He has been the only permanent member of Italy's ever-changing back line. He has been imperious. Rigorous. Absolutely in charge. Standing tall at 5ft 9in, he is dwarfed by just about every other centre-half in Germany, yet he has risen serenely above them all, seemingly without a bead of sweat.
Now he is 90 minutes away from an extraordinary footballing achievement. If he can lead his team through their semi-final against Germany, he will stride into the World Cup final on the occasion of his 100th cap. Cannavaro will become the third Italian to reach that milestone, following the example of two former captains of distinction, Dino Zoff and Paolo Maldini. The idea of it is enough to make him blush, as he did when he first represented Italy nearly a decade ago.
He is a typical Neapolitan. The combination of bright blue eyes and dark hair is a giveaway. Spiritually, he is the classic combination of smart, impassioned, proud and a family man. His wife is not the usual Wag model favoured by modern footballers, but a more ordinary, homely, Italian-mamma style. Fans love him even more for that. Good old Canna. Rock-solid guy. 'If there is a model footballer who is loyal, correct and good, that's Cannavaro,' says Italy coach Marcello Lippi.
As a youngster, he observed and learnt from, and eventually succeeded, Ciro Ferrara, a monument at the back of his boyhood club, Napoli (Ferrara is now Lippi's assistant with the Azzurri). Cesare Maldini rewarded the young Cannavaro with a call-up to the under-21s and people who watched those early performances walked away thinking that here is the man who will be the number-one defender in Italy. Their instincts were not wrong.
He was soon on his way from Napoli to Parma, where he developed a career-strong rapport with the goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon. The quest for the honours he craved was barely sated in seven years with Parma, though, so he moved to one of the superpowers in 2002. But Internazionale's sad trophy cabinet struggles to retain the interest of prize-hungry players for long, so when Juventus began sniffing around, Cannavaro did not need much persuading to encourage a transfer. The Gazzetta dello Sport reported that he took a wage cut of €1m (about £690,000) a year, so keen was he to become a winner.
Cannavaro has won two Scudetti with Juventus. 'I have gone from being considered a player whose career was finished to a player of steel,' he says. 'Juve have allowed me to show my worth, it has provided me with a challenge that has motivated me.' The legitimacy of those Scudetti is one of the factors that will be decided by the Moggipoli corruption investigation and there is every chance Juventus will be stripped of them around the time of the World Cup final a week today.
Would Cannavaro be among those players who will seek to move on if Juve are further punished by relegation? More likely he would be among the last to jump ship. But there would be no shortage of interested parties in the 32-year-old. His performances have been defensively flawless.
He is a phenomenon. This vertically challenged defender can jump as high as striker Luca Toni, who is a shade over 6ft 4in. What Cannavaro lacks in height, he makes up for in anticipation, positioning, concentration and an explosive leap.
His philosophy? 'I've always been strong physically and I think for a player what happens off the field is even more important,' he says. 'I don't drink or smoke. I eat well, get plenty of sleep and, when the mood takes, sex is good, too.'
His leadership qualities have helped to steady a squad assailed by off-the-pitch turmoil. Although he was caught out speaking out of turn when he expressed support for Luciano Moggi, the wheeler-dealer at the heart of the scandal, he was quick to defend himself and squash the issue before it got out of hand.
'What bothered me the most in these last few weeks was being misinterpreted at that press conference,' he says. 'I never defended Moggi. I said that whoever had made a mistake should pay for it. To a question about him I said he did his job as general manager well. He always behaved in the right way with the team. If I said the opposite I would have been a hypocrite.'
In the build-up to the World Cup, Cannavaro's house was searched by tax police as part of the investigations and he had to return home to answer some questions for the magistrates. But as Italy's World Cup mission began to unfold, the nature of their off-field distractions changed dramatically when former team-mate Gianluca Pessotto was found outside Juventus's offices having fallen from a top-floor window. The Italian tricolore decorated with the message 'Pessottino we are with you', hoisted at the end of the quarter-final in Hamburg, was Cannavaro's idea.
Focus and solidity have provided a vital platform for Italy, especially considering they have not been the most prolific team until Toni finally got the measure of World Cup football, enabling the Azzurri to dispatch Ukraine with an air of conviction in Friday night's quarter-final.
By then, Cannavaro was on his third partner at the heart of the back line, but there is encouraging news about Alessandro Nesta's injury and the Milan stopper hopes to recover fully in time for the semi-final on Tuesday. Cannavaro and Nesta have a well developed understanding. Together they intercept, disturb, pick pockets. They understand each other's moves. The newly enthusiastic Germans have not yet faced a hurdle as obdurate.
Cannavaro is determined to banish international disappointments that include premature exits from the 2002 World Cup and 2004 European Championship. 'For many of us this will be the last opportunity to do well in a World Cup,' he says. 'We've come this far and believe in our abilities, so we can dream of reaching the final. Now that Nesta and [Marco] Materazzi will return to the fold, we'll be stronger than ever.'
Earlier in the competition, when Italy stumbled during the group phase, a German newspaper made a joke about emotional reactions to the team's progress back in Italy by depicting the famous image of a tooting car whizzing through the streets with a flag flying out of the window - a white flag.
Canna would countenance no such thing.
Cannavaro Rises to Challenge
Soccer: World Cup: The imperious Italy captain rises above the sniping and is in the mood to atone for his country's previous World Cup failures. By Amy Lawrence.
It was Paolo Maldini who nicknamed him 'Canna'. A cane, a reed that bends but will not break. This capacity to resist, however treacherous the tides, has been the Italian captain's hallmark during this World Cup.
Fabio Cannavaro's captaincy was on the line before a ball had been intercepted. A few careless remarks during the maelstrom of the scandal swirling around Juventus, his club back home, prompted a debate about his suitability to lead Italy into this tournament Canna, as usual, resisted. He did not even bend, never mind come close to breaking.
The diatribes are long forgotten now. Cannavaro has been the most accomplished defender at this World Cup. He has been the only permanent member of Italy's ever-changing back line. He has been imperious. Rigorous. Absolutely in charge. Standing tall at 5ft 9in, he is dwarfed by just about every other centre-half in Germany, yet he has risen serenely above them all, seemingly without a bead of sweat.
Now he is 90 minutes away from an extraordinary footballing achievement. If he can lead his team through their semi-final against Germany, he will stride into the World Cup final on the occasion of his 100th cap. Cannavaro will become the third Italian to reach that milestone, following the example of two former captains of distinction, Dino Zoff and Paolo Maldini. The idea of it is enough to make him blush, as he did when he first represented Italy nearly a decade ago.
He is a typical Neapolitan. The combination of bright blue eyes and dark hair is a giveaway. Spiritually, he is the classic combination of smart, impassioned, proud and a family man. His wife is not the usual Wag model favoured by modern footballers, but a more ordinary, homely, Italian-mamma style. Fans love him even more for that. Good old Canna. Rock-solid guy. 'If there is a model footballer who is loyal, correct and good, that's Cannavaro,' says Italy coach Marcello Lippi.
As a youngster, he observed and learnt from, and eventually succeeded, Ciro Ferrara, a monument at the back of his boyhood club, Napoli (Ferrara is now Lippi's assistant with the Azzurri). Cesare Maldini rewarded the young Cannavaro with a call-up to the under-21s and people who watched those early performances walked away thinking that here is the man who will be the number-one defender in Italy. Their instincts were not wrong.
He was soon on his way from Napoli to Parma, where he developed a career-strong rapport with the goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon. The quest for the honours he craved was barely sated in seven years with Parma, though, so he moved to one of the superpowers in 2002. But Internazionale's sad trophy cabinet struggles to retain the interest of prize-hungry players for long, so when Juventus began sniffing around, Cannavaro did not need much persuading to encourage a transfer. The Gazzetta dello Sport reported that he took a wage cut of €1m (about £690,000) a year, so keen was he to become a winner.
Cannavaro has won two Scudetti with Juventus. 'I have gone from being considered a player whose career was finished to a player of steel,' he says. 'Juve have allowed me to show my worth, it has provided me with a challenge that has motivated me.' The legitimacy of those Scudetti is one of the factors that will be decided by the Moggipoli corruption investigation and there is every chance Juventus will be stripped of them around the time of the World Cup final a week today.
Would Cannavaro be among those players who will seek to move on if Juve are further punished by relegation? More likely he would be among the last to jump ship. But there would be no shortage of interested parties in the 32-year-old. His performances have been defensively flawless.
He is a phenomenon. This vertically challenged defender can jump as high as striker Luca Toni, who is a shade over 6ft 4in. What Cannavaro lacks in height, he makes up for in anticipation, positioning, concentration and an explosive leap.
His philosophy? 'I've always been strong physically and I think for a player what happens off the field is even more important,' he says. 'I don't drink or smoke. I eat well, get plenty of sleep and, when the mood takes, sex is good, too.'
His leadership qualities have helped to steady a squad assailed by off-the-pitch turmoil. Although he was caught out speaking out of turn when he expressed support for Luciano Moggi, the wheeler-dealer at the heart of the scandal, he was quick to defend himself and squash the issue before it got out of hand.
'What bothered me the most in these last few weeks was being misinterpreted at that press conference,' he says. 'I never defended Moggi. I said that whoever had made a mistake should pay for it. To a question about him I said he did his job as general manager well. He always behaved in the right way with the team. If I said the opposite I would have been a hypocrite.'
In the build-up to the World Cup, Cannavaro's house was searched by tax police as part of the investigations and he had to return home to answer some questions for the magistrates. But as Italy's World Cup mission began to unfold, the nature of their off-field distractions changed dramatically when former team-mate Gianluca Pessotto was found outside Juventus's offices having fallen from a top-floor window. The Italian tricolore decorated with the message 'Pessottino we are with you', hoisted at the end of the quarter-final in Hamburg, was Cannavaro's idea.
Focus and solidity have provided a vital platform for Italy, especially considering they have not been the most prolific team until Toni finally got the measure of World Cup football, enabling the Azzurri to dispatch Ukraine with an air of conviction in Friday night's quarter-final.
By then, Cannavaro was on his third partner at the heart of the back line, but there is encouraging news about Alessandro Nesta's injury and the Milan stopper hopes to recover fully in time for the semi-final on Tuesday. Cannavaro and Nesta have a well developed understanding. Together they intercept, disturb, pick pockets. They understand each other's moves. The newly enthusiastic Germans have not yet faced a hurdle as obdurate.
Cannavaro is determined to banish international disappointments that include premature exits from the 2002 World Cup and 2004 European Championship. 'For many of us this will be the last opportunity to do well in a World Cup,' he says. 'We've come this far and believe in our abilities, so we can dream of reaching the final. Now that Nesta and [Marco] Materazzi will return to the fold, we'll be stronger than ever.'
Earlier in the competition, when Italy stumbled during the group phase, a German newspaper made a joke about emotional reactions to the team's progress back in Italy by depicting the famous image of a tooting car whizzing through the streets with a flag flying out of the window - a white flag.
Canna would countenance no such thing.
Zambro hails Golden Gigi
Gianluca Zambrotta is confident Italy can get past Germany to reach the World Cup Final and proposes Gigi Buffon for the Ballon d’Or.
“In my opinion, Gigi deserves to be the European Player of the Year,” said his Juventus teammate. “However, it’s still surprising to me that Alessandro Del Piero has gone through his career without winning this trophy.”
Buffon has been a key figure in the Azzurri campaign and has only picked the ball out of the net once – from Cristian Zaccardo’s own goal. His form since suffering a serious shoulder injury last August has been middling, but in Germany he has proved himself to be the best goalkeeper in the world.
Zambrotta missed the opening match due to an injury, but has been gradually improving and was arguably Man of the Match in the 3-0 quarter-final victory over the Ukraine by scoring one and setting up another.
The full-back saw an almost mystical reason behind that strike, as it came just days after he had flown in to Turin to visit friend Gianluca Pessotto, who is fighting for his life after an apparent suicide attempt.
“That goal was in my destiny. I hadn’t scored like that in a long time, but to have done it in the day when Pessotto was in all our thoughts gave me shivers. There was another twist, as I ran down the right with the ball at my foot, then switched to my left and scored when I was playing for Vicenza against Bari in 1997. That was my first Serie A goal, so destiny really was on my side here.”
The superstitious among the Italians have pointed to the many comparisons to 1982, such as meeting Germany and the fact these are the first all-European semi-finals since that tournament in Spain.
“We’ll play Germany on level terms and will try to go all the way. From the matches of the past between these nations, the one that obviously sticks out is the 1982 Final. It would be a dream to replicate it.”
As always, there were questions on the Calciopoli scandal that could see Juventus, Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio docked points or even relegated.
“As I’ve already said, we don’t want to discuss these things when there’s a World Cup to be won, but Juventus in my view won their trophies on the field of play. The fact there are eight Juve players in the semi-finals shows it’s a squad of champions and that’s a great thing for the club and fans.”
Gianluca Zambrotta is confident Italy can get past Germany to reach the World Cup Final and proposes Gigi Buffon for the Ballon d’Or.
“In my opinion, Gigi deserves to be the European Player of the Year,” said his Juventus teammate. “However, it’s still surprising to me that Alessandro Del Piero has gone through his career without winning this trophy.”
Buffon has been a key figure in the Azzurri campaign and has only picked the ball out of the net once – from Cristian Zaccardo’s own goal. His form since suffering a serious shoulder injury last August has been middling, but in Germany he has proved himself to be the best goalkeeper in the world.
Zambrotta missed the opening match due to an injury, but has been gradually improving and was arguably Man of the Match in the 3-0 quarter-final victory over the Ukraine by scoring one and setting up another.
The full-back saw an almost mystical reason behind that strike, as it came just days after he had flown in to Turin to visit friend Gianluca Pessotto, who is fighting for his life after an apparent suicide attempt.
“That goal was in my destiny. I hadn’t scored like that in a long time, but to have done it in the day when Pessotto was in all our thoughts gave me shivers. There was another twist, as I ran down the right with the ball at my foot, then switched to my left and scored when I was playing for Vicenza against Bari in 1997. That was my first Serie A goal, so destiny really was on my side here.”
The superstitious among the Italians have pointed to the many comparisons to 1982, such as meeting Germany and the fact these are the first all-European semi-finals since that tournament in Spain.
“We’ll play Germany on level terms and will try to go all the way. From the matches of the past between these nations, the one that obviously sticks out is the 1982 Final. It would be a dream to replicate it.”
As always, there were questions on the Calciopoli scandal that could see Juventus, Milan, Fiorentina and Lazio docked points or even relegated.
“As I’ve already said, we don’t want to discuss these things when there’s a World Cup to be won, but Juventus in my view won their trophies on the field of play. The fact there are eight Juve players in the semi-finals shows it’s a squad of champions and that’s a great thing for the club and fans.”
Gennaro conquers Germany
Gennaro Gattuso has become the symbol of this World Cup for Italy and has urged Marcello Lippi to stay on the Azzurri bench for many more years.
The battling midfielder’s honesty, hard work and charisma have won over the media both on and off the field and he was the star in today’s Press Conference. Some of the local journalists even suggested he is the symbol of this tournament after Ronaldinho’s exit with Brazil.
“A comparison like that is an insult to football!” he joked. “With all due respect, I can play well and win back the ball, but the class and spectacle of Ronaldinho are things I can only dream about. As for Italy, there are real symbols like Luca Toni, Andrea Pirlo and Francesco Totti who make the difference. I’d like Alessandro Del Piero to be decisive, as he’s someone who emerges as time goes on and never gives in.”
The Milanista was FIFA’s Man of the Match following the 3-0 quarter-final victory over the Ukraine and the Germans see him as a key player in Tuesday’s clash in Dortmund. His tough tackling style could cause problems, however, as he is on a yellow card and another booking would rule him out of the Final.
“I will play with my usual style and it’ll be a test of maturity. In fact, I’d gladly sign away my chances of playing the Final if it meant Italy were there on July 9. Having said that, it’s not as if I’m looking for a card with a Rambo bandana round my head. If the referee waves a yellow at me, I might just have to eat it!”
Gattuso had perhaps not been Lippi’s first choice for the midfield, but Daniele De Rossi’s four-match ban opened up the door for him to put in a series of gritty performances. With talk that the Coach will leave his post after the World Cup, regardless of the result, he asked for this to be a starting point and not a finish line for the squad.
“Where does my grit come from? It’s like asking Totti where he gets his quality. I really can’t explain it. This team really reflects the figure of its Coach, all the way from the spirit to the style of play. You can see he’s the leader. He doesn’t set any rules for us, even though it may not seem that way from the outside, because his personality is so strong that you can’t help but respect him,” explained 'Rino’.
“Lippi puts such desire into his everyday work that it’s only right he remain as our Coach, especially after all the success we’ve had in the last two years. There’s no point discussing it now, though, as we have to concentrate on this semi-final. At the end of the day, the only man who can make that decision is him.”
If Gattuso risks a ban, then Germany will be able to count on Torsten Frings for Tuesday’s clash. The player was caught on camera punching Julio Cruz during the melee that followed the quarter-final penalty shoot-out with Argentina, but FIFA have announced they won’t be taking disciplinary action against him.
"Two years ago the Danish cameras caught Totti spitting at Christian Poulsen and that footage was used to inflict a ban. This time our television spotted the punch, but I don't want to cause controversy," added the former Rangers star.
Gennaro Gattuso has become the symbol of this World Cup for Italy and has urged Marcello Lippi to stay on the Azzurri bench for many more years.
The battling midfielder’s honesty, hard work and charisma have won over the media both on and off the field and he was the star in today’s Press Conference. Some of the local journalists even suggested he is the symbol of this tournament after Ronaldinho’s exit with Brazil.
“A comparison like that is an insult to football!” he joked. “With all due respect, I can play well and win back the ball, but the class and spectacle of Ronaldinho are things I can only dream about. As for Italy, there are real symbols like Luca Toni, Andrea Pirlo and Francesco Totti who make the difference. I’d like Alessandro Del Piero to be decisive, as he’s someone who emerges as time goes on and never gives in.”
The Milanista was FIFA’s Man of the Match following the 3-0 quarter-final victory over the Ukraine and the Germans see him as a key player in Tuesday’s clash in Dortmund. His tough tackling style could cause problems, however, as he is on a yellow card and another booking would rule him out of the Final.
“I will play with my usual style and it’ll be a test of maturity. In fact, I’d gladly sign away my chances of playing the Final if it meant Italy were there on July 9. Having said that, it’s not as if I’m looking for a card with a Rambo bandana round my head. If the referee waves a yellow at me, I might just have to eat it!”
Gattuso had perhaps not been Lippi’s first choice for the midfield, but Daniele De Rossi’s four-match ban opened up the door for him to put in a series of gritty performances. With talk that the Coach will leave his post after the World Cup, regardless of the result, he asked for this to be a starting point and not a finish line for the squad.
“Where does my grit come from? It’s like asking Totti where he gets his quality. I really can’t explain it. This team really reflects the figure of its Coach, all the way from the spirit to the style of play. You can see he’s the leader. He doesn’t set any rules for us, even though it may not seem that way from the outside, because his personality is so strong that you can’t help but respect him,” explained 'Rino’.
“Lippi puts such desire into his everyday work that it’s only right he remain as our Coach, especially after all the success we’ve had in the last two years. There’s no point discussing it now, though, as we have to concentrate on this semi-final. At the end of the day, the only man who can make that decision is him.”
If Gattuso risks a ban, then Germany will be able to count on Torsten Frings for Tuesday’s clash. The player was caught on camera punching Julio Cruz during the melee that followed the quarter-final penalty shoot-out with Argentina, but FIFA have announced they won’t be taking disciplinary action against him.
"Two years ago the Danish cameras caught Totti spitting at Christian Poulsen and that footage was used to inflict a ban. This time our television spotted the punch, but I don't want to cause controversy," added the former Rangers star.
juve_ruler said:
offcourse u dont get gout from drinking!!!!!
its when u take in too much red meat (animal protien) and yr body cant break it down properly into smaller units ( due to insuffeciency of an enzyme that is required to break down the uric acid which is an end product of protein). its is quite painful specially when uric acid accumlates at the jionts like the finger joints and the worse of all the joint making up the big toe in a person feet.
its when u take in too much red meat (animal protien) and yr body cant break it down properly into smaller units ( due to insuffeciency of an enzyme that is required to break down the uric acid which is an end product of protein). its is quite painful specially when uric acid accumlates at the jionts like the finger joints and the worse of all the joint making up the big toe in a person feet.
Yeah, I'm sure you know it better than my father, who's a doctor. Chances are actually pretty big he got it from drinking.
he was stupid to do that, but it was a very hard game as both sides couldnt play their usual game. They canceled eachother out, argentina only scored from a set piece remember, nothing from open play.
And even before riquelme was out of the field, argentina were already defending and germany just trying everything against soo many players defending
And even before riquelme was out of the field, argentina were already defending and germany just trying everything against soo many players defending