[WC] Italia vs Ghana [12-06-2006] (5 Viewers)
- Thread starter Elvin
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Totti had an ok game.........very average in compariso with his standards but he is coming from a long and delicate injury...so to start bashing him is very stupid to say the least.
We all have to know at this time that he is clearly not on his best but he is Totti and he can do better when we less expect it.
About Del piero.... well he came in when our midfield wasnt doing that great...... if im not wrong he was assgined to be forward...and the balls were not reaching him,,, the few passes who were directed to him,, were poorly executed by hi teammates, forcing him to run for the ball and losing suprise factor.
I rememebr he had like one or 2 duels with some defenders but he was beaten on both.
Anyways he played what? like 8 minutes? thats nothing.... and if Lippi decides to rest Totti on saturday because of the blow hereceived today,.,, im very very sure that DP will do a great job supporting the strikers!
What i noticed is that DP seems alittle fatty...dont yo think?
We all have to know at this time that he is clearly not on his best but he is Totti and he can do better when we less expect it.
About Del piero.... well he came in when our midfield wasnt doing that great...... if im not wrong he was assgined to be forward...and the balls were not reaching him,,, the few passes who were directed to him,, were poorly executed by hi teammates, forcing him to run for the ball and losing suprise factor.
I rememebr he had like one or 2 duels with some defenders but he was beaten on both.
Anyways he played what? like 8 minutes? thats nothing.... and if Lippi decides to rest Totti on saturday because of the blow hereceived today,.,, im very very sure that DP will do a great job supporting the strikers!
What i noticed is that DP seems alittle fatty...dont yo think?
I think Lippi tempted fate in a bad way today, and got off pretty lucky. Picking Zaccardo over Oddo, having Perrotta start instead of Camo, and Iaquinta over anyone were some risky choices
A defense with Zaccardo and Grosso is going to be a liability, we better hope that Zamby comes back FAST. Ghana's best attacks came on Zaccardo's side of the field, and he was nowhere to be found...twice
Camo proved why he should be starting...he comes into the game and controls the ball well, crosses better than most of the team, and makes things happen. Perrotta was ok, but Camo is better for that position.
Lippi took a chance bringing in Iaquinta, and it luckily paid off. He scored on a Ghana miscue, but dont bet the bank on Iaquinta repeating that performance.
As far as formations and tactics, I thought we looked out of sorts at times...maybe its because Lippi kept shuffling things around too much, not giving the starters enough time to gel together in training and the friendlies we played. I noticed a lot of space between the mids and forwards several times during the game, and we relying too much on the longball to create the offense. We didnt build the play enough, like we showed in previous games against Germany and Holland (which is why I think we should go back to where we performed best- the 4-3-3)
My last comment is on the "catenaccio" we played towards the end of the game...our defense with Zaccardo and Grosso in there arent good enough to pull it off if we have a lead against better teams.
As bad as we played at times today, we still won 2-0, which is pretty amazing !!
A defense with Zaccardo and Grosso is going to be a liability, we better hope that Zamby comes back FAST. Ghana's best attacks came on Zaccardo's side of the field, and he was nowhere to be found...twice
Camo proved why he should be starting...he comes into the game and controls the ball well, crosses better than most of the team, and makes things happen. Perrotta was ok, but Camo is better for that position.
Lippi took a chance bringing in Iaquinta, and it luckily paid off. He scored on a Ghana miscue, but dont bet the bank on Iaquinta repeating that performance.
As far as formations and tactics, I thought we looked out of sorts at times...maybe its because Lippi kept shuffling things around too much, not giving the starters enough time to gel together in training and the friendlies we played. I noticed a lot of space between the mids and forwards several times during the game, and we relying too much on the longball to create the offense. We didnt build the play enough, like we showed in previous games against Germany and Holland (which is why I think we should go back to where we performed best- the 4-3-3)
My last comment is on the "catenaccio" we played towards the end of the game...our defense with Zaccardo and Grosso in there arent good enough to pull it off if we have a lead against better teams.
As bad as we played at times today, we still won 2-0, which is pretty amazing !!
I didn't see that Camo you saw. In fact I paid particular attention to him: One decent ball into the area, creating a chance; several missed placed passes, two going directly into touch, others over hit or into Ghanans; two passes to the Ghanans; three times having the ball taken from him; running to the corner flag with 15 minutes still to play! one idiotic yellow card.
Unfortunately this is the rather the type of game Italy will get from him, not a solid performance but ragged and unsettling.
A red card waiting to happen.
Unfortunately this is the rather the type of game Italy will get from him, not a solid performance but ragged and unsettling.
A red card waiting to happen.
I raised an eyebrow at the choice to start Perrotta today, and thankfully he proved me wrong with a decent performance. De Rossi for me was a risky possibility for a sending off with an early yellow, and I was surprised he wasn't taken off by the start of the second half.
All in all it was a decent display IMO, Toni was a persistent threat up front and Pirlo surprising did more defensively than Perrotta and De Rossi and shone in the midfield. Nesta showed his nerves of steel in a solid performance, Canna was his impeccable self and the central duo ensured any mistakes by the fullbacks were nullified quickly. Buffon was caught out of position on two occasions and has Ghana's dreadful finishing to thank for his clean sheet more than anything. Totti made a pretty safe start to the campaign, his slate isn't exactly wiped clean but last night went some way to justifying a starting spot. Gilardino was a disappointment unfortunately, still looks clueless and is constantly out of sync and badly positioned to complement Toni.
An encouraging start, lots of space for improvement but a good beginning nonetheless. And besides, nobody wants to kick off the WC already at their peak.
All in all it was a decent display IMO, Toni was a persistent threat up front and Pirlo surprising did more defensively than Perrotta and De Rossi and shone in the midfield. Nesta showed his nerves of steel in a solid performance, Canna was his impeccable self and the central duo ensured any mistakes by the fullbacks were nullified quickly. Buffon was caught out of position on two occasions and has Ghana's dreadful finishing to thank for his clean sheet more than anything. Totti made a pretty safe start to the campaign, his slate isn't exactly wiped clean but last night went some way to justifying a starting spot. Gilardino was a disappointment unfortunately, still looks clueless and is constantly out of sync and badly positioned to complement Toni.
An encouraging start, lots of space for improvement but a good beginning nonetheless. And besides, nobody wants to kick off the WC already at their peak.
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I prefer letting the tactics speak for themselves instead of doubting Lippi right from the start, especially when Lippi said that Perrotta will be starting instead of Camoranesi. Frankly speaking, I don't see what is wrong with that. I doubt many of u have seen Perrotta in his more advanced role nowadays. In future games, I think Perrotta will be given the nod instead
The 1st half is more dynamic than the 2nd half for Italy. Zaccardo looked shaky at 1st, but surprised me later by their involvement in the game, helping the defence and making crucial tackles. Grosso disappointed, and didn't move forward as antisipated, and there were times when Appiah managed to hold the ball in his zone. We need Zambrotta in terms of big games as I still think that both r inexpericenced.
Canna and Nesta, as usual they r great
The fine form of Pirlo has finally let all the Italians in the world breathe a huge sigh of relief. He has done a lot of work in the midfield in terms of defence and attack. And a nicely struck goal to wrap all things up. Italy will advance through if Pirlo performs more consistently.
I prefer to see Perrotta as a 2-way midfielder thatn a DM. The transformation has seen him becoming an evolution. Showed his enthusiasm with non-stop running and tackling. Too bad not to score a goal
De Rossi? A gem in midfield, at least Italy doesn't have to worry about their midfield for quite a while. If only he can restrain himself from making tackles that earn a potential yellow card as he has a tendency to do so. Fortunate not to cost a penalty
A not-fully fit Totti can create so much trouble for Ghana, and Kingson is defending his post like no tomorrow. However, he seems to lack chemistry between the strikers as he seems to be off-position. If Totti becomes fully fit, he will become a wonder, barring any misbehaviour of this clown.
Toni is threatening as usual with his usual strengths, but too bad not to wrap up a goal.
Gilardino is disappointing, that is my only worry
Camoranesi has been ok to me, making some useful passes and dangerous crosses, but the ball as been robbed from him at times too, with 1 notably by his former teammate Appiah and earning a yellow card for a stupid tackle on Muntari.
The differences between Iaquinta and Gilardino in the game is that Iaquinta scored and earned himself a yellow card. The rest is known
As for Del Piero, it has proven that he's not that fast anymore as the Ghanians tend to overtake him.
Lippi has proven himself again y he is such a good coach. He puts faith in his players and puts in strong team spirit within the squad. This can be explained by the Iaquinta goal. He can make use of any talent in his disposal. With Lippi at the helm, rest assured that Italy can go very far
Some controversy to take note of
- Asamoah going down after being pushed by De Rossi DOES seem to be awarded a penalty
- Kuffour's back tackle on Iaquinta warrants a red card
- Essien should be booked. He does live up to his reputation.
Conclusion, the referee is inept
The 1st half is more dynamic than the 2nd half for Italy. Zaccardo looked shaky at 1st, but surprised me later by their involvement in the game, helping the defence and making crucial tackles. Grosso disappointed, and didn't move forward as antisipated, and there were times when Appiah managed to hold the ball in his zone. We need Zambrotta in terms of big games as I still think that both r inexpericenced.
Canna and Nesta, as usual they r great
The fine form of Pirlo has finally let all the Italians in the world breathe a huge sigh of relief. He has done a lot of work in the midfield in terms of defence and attack. And a nicely struck goal to wrap all things up. Italy will advance through if Pirlo performs more consistently.
I prefer to see Perrotta as a 2-way midfielder thatn a DM. The transformation has seen him becoming an evolution. Showed his enthusiasm with non-stop running and tackling. Too bad not to score a goal
De Rossi? A gem in midfield, at least Italy doesn't have to worry about their midfield for quite a while. If only he can restrain himself from making tackles that earn a potential yellow card as he has a tendency to do so. Fortunate not to cost a penalty
A not-fully fit Totti can create so much trouble for Ghana, and Kingson is defending his post like no tomorrow. However, he seems to lack chemistry between the strikers as he seems to be off-position. If Totti becomes fully fit, he will become a wonder, barring any misbehaviour of this clown.
Toni is threatening as usual with his usual strengths, but too bad not to wrap up a goal.
Gilardino is disappointing, that is my only worry
Camoranesi has been ok to me, making some useful passes and dangerous crosses, but the ball as been robbed from him at times too, with 1 notably by his former teammate Appiah and earning a yellow card for a stupid tackle on Muntari.
The differences between Iaquinta and Gilardino in the game is that Iaquinta scored and earned himself a yellow card. The rest is known
As for Del Piero, it has proven that he's not that fast anymore as the Ghanians tend to overtake him.
Lippi has proven himself again y he is such a good coach. He puts faith in his players and puts in strong team spirit within the squad. This can be explained by the Iaquinta goal. He can make use of any talent in his disposal. With Lippi at the helm, rest assured that Italy can go very far
Some controversy to take note of
- Asamoah going down after being pushed by De Rossi DOES seem to be awarded a penalty
- Kuffour's back tackle on Iaquinta warrants a red card
- Essien should be booked. He does live up to his reputation.
Conclusion, the referee is inept
Pagelle: Azzurri ratings
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Andrea Pirlo was undoubtedly one of Italy’s best players against Ghana, but it was a difficult night for both Azzurri full-backs.
Gigi Buffon: 6.5
The Juventus ‘keeper was rarely called into significant action thanks to Ghana’s inaccurate and sometimes erratic shooting. Yet he was ready when called upon, as Michael Essien knows.
Cristian Zaccardo: 6
Seen as the weak leak in the side before the game, Zaccardo did worry at times when he was dragged out of position. Roma’s Christian Panucci, left at home in Italy, remains a better option.
Fabio Cannavaro: 7.5
Another commanding display at the back for the Juventus stopper. Cannavaro proved to be a difficult wall to get over last night. Was also dangerous in the opposition area from set-pieces.
Alessandro Nesta: 7.5
The Milan man took his time to settle but grew in stature as the game developed. His back-heeled flick from a Ghana counter-attack was immense, a sign of the world class stopper that he is.
Fabio Grosso: 5.5
The biggest disappointment of the night when it came to the Azzurri. Grosso was unrecognisable from the full-back who Inter have just agreed to sign. Unsure, nervous and timid.
Andrea Pirlo: 7.5
Tipped by some before the game to start on the bench, Pirlo was Italy’s best player for the first hour. He controlled play, dictated the rhythm and, of course, netted the opener with a beauty.
Daniele De Rossi: 6
The booking which he recklessly collected early on compromised his performance, even if he did put himself about as usual. Was perhaps fortunate to not concede a penalty.
Simone Perrotta: 7
Picked ahead of Camoranesi in midfield, he certainly didn’t let his side down. A non-stop runner and tackler. Perrotta should have netted in the second half, but went for power instead of placement.
Francesco Totti: 6.5
Struggled to find his position in the early exchanges but slowly integrated himself with some delightful touches and passes, as well as a stunning free-kick. He’s on his way back.
Alberto Gilardino: 6
A quiet night for the Milan man who struggled to make his presence felt. And when he did get a chance he firstly hit the outside of the post with a weak effort and then fired straight at Kingston.
Luca Toni: 6.5
A real handful for the Ghana defence even if he went missing for large periods of the second half. Almost crowned his World Cup debut with a stunner until the crossbar got in the way.
Mauro Camoranesi: 6
Replaced Totti in the second half to give Italy more width but contributed little to the cause. His lack of urgency, both in attack and defence, was infuriating.
Vincenzo Iaquinta: 7
Added some renewed pace to the Azzurri attack and was rewarded for his efforts by making the game safe with his first international goal. Will he now start against America?
Alessandro Del Piero: No Vote
A late substitute who wasn’t given the time nor the ball to leave his mark on the game. Will probably have to sit the next one out too if Lippi plays the Totti card again.
Marcello Lippi: 8
Made some fine decisions both before and during the match. He kept faith with the under-fire Andrea Pirlo, while Simone Perrotta and Vincenzo Iaquinta didn’t let him down.
source: channel4.com
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Andrea Pirlo was undoubtedly one of Italy’s best players against Ghana, but it was a difficult night for both Azzurri full-backs.
Gigi Buffon: 6.5
The Juventus ‘keeper was rarely called into significant action thanks to Ghana’s inaccurate and sometimes erratic shooting. Yet he was ready when called upon, as Michael Essien knows.
Cristian Zaccardo: 6
Seen as the weak leak in the side before the game, Zaccardo did worry at times when he was dragged out of position. Roma’s Christian Panucci, left at home in Italy, remains a better option.
Fabio Cannavaro: 7.5
Another commanding display at the back for the Juventus stopper. Cannavaro proved to be a difficult wall to get over last night. Was also dangerous in the opposition area from set-pieces.
Alessandro Nesta: 7.5
The Milan man took his time to settle but grew in stature as the game developed. His back-heeled flick from a Ghana counter-attack was immense, a sign of the world class stopper that he is.
Fabio Grosso: 5.5
The biggest disappointment of the night when it came to the Azzurri. Grosso was unrecognisable from the full-back who Inter have just agreed to sign. Unsure, nervous and timid.
Andrea Pirlo: 7.5
Tipped by some before the game to start on the bench, Pirlo was Italy’s best player for the first hour. He controlled play, dictated the rhythm and, of course, netted the opener with a beauty.
Daniele De Rossi: 6
The booking which he recklessly collected early on compromised his performance, even if he did put himself about as usual. Was perhaps fortunate to not concede a penalty.
Simone Perrotta: 7
Picked ahead of Camoranesi in midfield, he certainly didn’t let his side down. A non-stop runner and tackler. Perrotta should have netted in the second half, but went for power instead of placement.
Francesco Totti: 6.5
Struggled to find his position in the early exchanges but slowly integrated himself with some delightful touches and passes, as well as a stunning free-kick. He’s on his way back.
Alberto Gilardino: 6
A quiet night for the Milan man who struggled to make his presence felt. And when he did get a chance he firstly hit the outside of the post with a weak effort and then fired straight at Kingston.
Luca Toni: 6.5
A real handful for the Ghana defence even if he went missing for large periods of the second half. Almost crowned his World Cup debut with a stunner until the crossbar got in the way.
Mauro Camoranesi: 6
Replaced Totti in the second half to give Italy more width but contributed little to the cause. His lack of urgency, both in attack and defence, was infuriating.
Vincenzo Iaquinta: 7
Added some renewed pace to the Azzurri attack and was rewarded for his efforts by making the game safe with his first international goal. Will he now start against America?
Alessandro Del Piero: No Vote
A late substitute who wasn’t given the time nor the ball to leave his mark on the game. Will probably have to sit the next one out too if Lippi plays the Totti card again.
Marcello Lippi: 8
Made some fine decisions both before and during the match. He kept faith with the under-fire Andrea Pirlo, while Simone Perrotta and Vincenzo Iaquinta didn’t let him down.
source: channel4.com
Talk about major overreactions from people on this forum. First everyone was pissed that Lippi opted for Perrotta instead of Camoranesi (I said it was an understandable move) and Simone stepped up and did a better job than I think Camo would have. This 4-3-1-2 that Lippi plays requires two-way midfielders such as Perrotta and De Rossi against the tougher physical teams like Ghana. And I see a lot of people bashing Totti's performance, and even Del Piero's. WTF is up with that? Totti did well given the circumstances and had some nice touches. He wasn't brilliant but he contributed and that's acceptable for someone of his fitness. DP on the other hand played all of ten minutes. Ok, so he lost the ball once or twice, who cares? Another gripe people had with Lippi's selection, myself included, was starting Zaccardo and not Oddo but I thought that the Palermo man was solid last night. Grosso was the worst Azzurri player on the pitch and we're going to need Zambrotta back if we're to go far in this tournament.
Overall it was an efficient Italy performance. Del Piero said that the team were playing to win and not impress and they did just that. They were very dangerous in the first half and although Ghana had a lot of shots it always looked like it would take some luck for them to beat Buffon. Italy on the other hand looked potent in attack and deserved to lead at half time. They sat back in the second half and played on the counter which I don't agree with but it worked. Ghana had so much possession because Italy allowed them to, not because they were superior in any way, shape or form.
If I was the coach I would drop Gilardino for Saturday's game. Iaquinta or Del Piero can do a better job alongside Toni. Iaquinta has the pace and the hunger and DP can give us more balance with his versatility and finesse. Everything else I'd leave the same, unless of course Zambrotta is fit.
Overall it was an efficient Italy performance. Del Piero said that the team were playing to win and not impress and they did just that. They were very dangerous in the first half and although Ghana had a lot of shots it always looked like it would take some luck for them to beat Buffon. Italy on the other hand looked potent in attack and deserved to lead at half time. They sat back in the second half and played on the counter which I don't agree with but it worked. Ghana had so much possession because Italy allowed them to, not because they were superior in any way, shape or form.
If I was the coach I would drop Gilardino for Saturday's game. Iaquinta or Del Piero can do a better job alongside Toni. Iaquinta has the pace and the hunger and DP can give us more balance with his versatility and finesse. Everything else I'd leave the same, unless of course Zambrotta is fit.
Totti and Del Piero didn't play well, it's as simple as that. Yes, Del Piero only played ten minutes, but he lost the ball twice and fell to the ground like a little girl surrounded by big bad men. I'm as big of a DP fan as you are, but let's not be blind. In the 10 minutes he did get to play he did not look good at all.
Totti wasn't bad. He had some nice touches and a good effort on the free kick. I admit that he was average but he did well enough given the circumstances and I'm sure he'll improve as the competition progresses.
Del Piero on the other hand lost the ball twice that I can remember, once when he tried to run past his marker on the left and was muscled out and the other time was when he tried to turn but fell down. The other times he got the ball, which wasn't a lot, he kept possession. I don't really get why we're judging the ten minutes that he played though. Italy were defending and he didn't get the ball much.
The one when he screamed was a clear foul.
Del Piero on the other hand lost the ball twice that I can remember, once when he tried to run past his marker on the left and was muscled out and the other time was when he tried to turn but fell down. The other times he got the ball, which wasn't a lot, he kept possession. I don't really get why we're judging the ten minutes that he played though. Italy were defending and he didn't get the ball much.
The one when he screamed was a clear foul.
