Italy boss Cesare Prandelli announced his 23 man squad for the friendly against the Ivory Coast which will take place on Tuesday in England. Many of the names chosen by Marcello Lippi were dropped.

Prandelli made some expected changes following the World Cup disappointment with Fabio Quagliarella the only striker remaining from the team selected by Lippi for South Africa 2010. Prandelli selected five strikers who were not part of the disappointing experience in the World Cup: Mario Balotelli, Antonio Cassano, Marco Borriello, Amauri and Giuseppe Rossi.

Lippi was urged and asked on more than one occasion why he would not pick Balotelli and Cassano yet the veteran coach never budged from his decision to exclude the talented duo. Critics felt their omission from the Italian squad led to the disastrous campaign which yielded two draws, including an embarrassing one against New Zealand, and a defeat against Slovakia.

While he was expected to select both Balotelli and Cassano, the former Fiorentina tactician sprung two major surprises by picking striker Amauri who had a dismal season with Juventus and former teammate Cristian Molinaro who is not exactly popular in Turin. Molinaro plays as a left-back and the tifosi were glad to see him move to the Bundesliga to join VfB Stuttgart. While no one can doubt Molinaro’s work ethic and speed, his defensive abilities leave a lot to be desired and his crossing is mediocre at best. Molinaro’s comical defending almost became part of football folklore due to some mind-boggling mistakes and miscalculated moves such as using a back-heel to give away the ball on the flank and frequently being tricked by wingers and attackers on their way to assisting on a goal or scoring themselves.

Aside from the debatable choices of Amauri and Molinaro, the Italian coach seems to have named the best set of players available for selection. The Azzurri fans must be delighted to see the return of certain players such as Rossi and the selection of new faces such as full-back Marco Motta who played for Italy at all levels, including the U-21 side which he represented on 39 occasions. Motta has never played for the senior team despite being called up in 2009 but he was an unused substitute.

The main concern will probably be on the defensive end as Gianluigi Buffon will be out for a few more months after surgery and those named include Federico Marchetti, Salvatore Sirigu and Emiliano Viviano. Marchetti did not impress during the World Cup when he had to replace the injured Buffon while the latter two lack the necessary experience to become regular starters. It might be worth giving Sirigu the start against the Ivory Coast to see how he can handle the spotlight as Italy’s goalkeeper while the legendary Buffon remains sidelined.

The defenders chosen lack the experience associated with the legendary Azzurri back-lines of the 1990s and even the 2000s with Giorgio Chiellini the most experienced having played 32 times for the national team. In the absence of the recovering Buffon and the unfit Andrea Pirlo, Roma’s Daniele De Rossi will most likely captain the side having represented the Azzurri on 57 occasions.

Below is the full squad selected by Prandelli:

Goalkeepers: Federico Marchetti (Cagliari), Salvatore Sirigu (Palermo), Emiliano Viviano (Bologna)

Defenders: Cristian Molinaro (VfB Stuttgart), Marco Motta (Juventus), Luca Antonini (AC Milan), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Stefano Lucchini (Sampdoria),
Davide Astori (Cagliari), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Mattia Cassani (Palermo)

Midfielders: Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Ricardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Simone Pepe (Juventus)
Andrea Lazzari (Cagliari)

Forwards: Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal), Mario Balotelli (Inter Milan), Marco Borriello (AC Milan), Antonio Cassano (Sampdoria), Amauri (Juventus).

Feel free to comment below or contact me on Twitter @RamiSoufi for further discussions.

As I always say when I write about transfers, please take this post with a grain of salt – there are so many transfer rumors out there that will never pan out.

That being said, Rafa Benitez should acquire Giuseppe Rossi with the money he acquires from transferring Mario Balotelli.

It is one of the worst-kept secrets in soccer that Inter Milan is shopping Balotelli, primarily to the two Manchesters.  Yesterday, Inter rejected a $25 million bid for him from Manchester City, as they should because they could probably get much more for him, especially if a bidding war erupts between EPL clubs.  However, most of the soccer world anticipates that Balotelli, who has soured on Serie A and Inter, will be playing for a new club next season. 

But a report today from La Gazzetto della Sport confirms that Benitez has at least considered acquiring Giuseppe Rossi from Valencia to replace Balotelli.  While Rossi has publicly committed to remaining with his current club, Inter can use the cash from the Balotelli deal to entice Rossi to return to Italy.  Plus, the American-born player has said he considered returning to Italy to play for Pama.  So while a Serie A return is unlikely, it is not far-fetched.

But what would a Rossi contribute to the 2010-2011 Inter squad?  Tactically he would be an upgrade from Balotelli, as he is right now a more complete player.  Rossi would add to Inter’s impressive striker depth, rotating playing time with Milito and Eto’o.  He had 12 goals in domestic play last year, more than Balotelli.  Adding a rising star like Rossi to the roster would make Inter even more of a favorite to defend at least its Serie A title.

It would also give the club the face of Italian soccer.  As the older contributors to the 2006 World Cup retire from international play, and FIGC officials stress out over who will lead a new generation of Italian stars, Inter could grab the soon-to-be biggest Italian star in soccer.  As talented as de Rossi, Montolivo, and other Italian national team players are, they lack the “Q” rating of a Rossi.  While Juventus has been known as the feeder team for the Azzurri, the Nerazzurri could lay claim to being a team of international stars.  They could have the biggest Italian star (Rossi), possibly the world’s best keeper (Julio Cesar), the world’s best defender (Maicon), Cameroon’s biggest name (Eto’o), etc.  As Champions League champions, Inter Milan could try and maintain their hold on the crown with an international All Star team.

Of course, the transfer market will outdate this post within days likely, but what do you think of an Inter squad with Rossi?

An ESPN interview with some of the Italian national team players shows that not even the squad seems to know who will be on the pitch on Sunday when they kick off versus Paraguay.  Marcello Lippi has been tight-lipped about who will start and what formation the Azzurri will play, even noting that the formation could be fluid throughout the World Cup.  A look at the starters in recent friendlies is a useless guide, as the last two have seen vastly different lineups.

However, if Marcello Lippi asked me who my starting 11 would be on June 14 (and I am checking my voicemail just in case), here would be my suggestion:

Formation:4-3-3.  The strength of this squad is their defending, and this formation allows the Azzurri to play with their best four defenders.  Since they are without Pirlo for the first two matches at least, this formation allows for players to move up for more offensive firepower if needed, such as moving Maggio up to the midfield.

Keeper:Gianluigi Buffon.  I don’t think I need to explain why.

Backline: Leonardo Bonucci, Fabio Cannavaro, Giorgio Chiellini, Christian Maggio.  Cannavaro and Chiellini are no-brainers and should be on the pitch from the opening kick.  Maggio is arguably better placed as a winger but starting him on the backline allows him to move around in the 4-3-3 as needed, either into the midfield or remaining back.  Bonucci may be the most controversial inclusion, but the young defender has shown a knack for scoring off set pieces and could be a valuable option in the box on offense if the club needs to score.  Plus, by starting the Bari defender, Lippi can play his more experienced players later in the match if experience is called for.  Lippi can call on Zambrotta for experience but if he needs fresh legs, Bochetti would be available.

Midfield:Daniele De Rossi, Riccardo Montolivo, Gennaro Gattuso.  Midfield is arguably the weakest part of the club right now with injuries to Pirlo and Camoranesi, so a three-player midfield with the option of moving up a defender or dropping a forward is ideal.  DeRossi and Gattuso are veterans who have won a World Cup and can provide experience in managing a World Cup match from the middle.  Pirlo’s injury means the Azzurri lack a playmaker whose passing skills can jump start an attack, so Fiorentina captain Montolivo and his passing skills are needed in the middle.

Forwards: Fabio Quagliarella, Alberto Gilardino, Vincenzo Iaquinta.  My gut has me leaning toward these three being the starters up front, although it may be hard to keep Di Natale and Pazzini on the bench to start.  Di Natale was the leading scorer in Serie A, so if Italy fails to threaten the goal in their first match you may see DiNatale starting the second.  But this lineup allows for an experienced front to begin a match and, if Italy needs a quick strike or more offense, has some firepower coming off the bench. 

We are about 48 hours away from the Azzurri taking the pitch – who’s your starting 11?

The International Break is a Welcome One for Top Squads

The 1-1 Inter-Roma draw this weekend highlighted the risk for top flight Serie A clubs participating in international tournaments; Inter has played three matches this month already and eight in the past 22 days.  Both Inter and Roma looked a bit slower and play was chippy, especially the controversial Patrick Vieira elbow on Daniele De Rossi.  The hope for clubs like Inter, Juventus, and Milan is that their top players can get a little time on the bench in international friendlies and return somewhat rested for the last month of matches in 2009.

Tardini Stadium May Be the Toughest Place to Play in Serie A

Parma notched its fifth win in its last six home matches with a 2-0 victory over Chievo Verona on Sunday.  The match, which was also the first visit back by former Parma manager Domenico di Carlo, was evenly fought with Chievo having a couple of good chances.  But it was the home crowd and timely tactical moves that secured three points and the seventh spot in the table.

Sampdoria is Slumping

Already mired in a slump, Sampdoria had to play the second half against Cagliari with only ten men as Marius Stankevicius was shown a red card for an obvious foul on Jeda late in the first half.  Cagliari notched two goals after the eightieth minute for the 2-0 victory.  Sampdoria now stands fifth in the table and eight points behind Inter.

Milan is Still Rolling

AC Milan won their fourth match in the past five with a 2-1 victory over struggling Lazio.  Thiago Silva and Alexandre Pato goals put the Rossoneri ahead early and, unlike the Napoli match, Milan held on for the victory.  The win puts Milan in third and in the thick of the race for main challenger to Inter.

Genoa’s Palladino and Crespo Key Resurgence

Raffaele Palladino was given a one-year extension this summer after a disappointing 2008-2009 season; Hernan Crespo was signed after being released by Inter.  The two scored three goals against Siena on Sunday and have combined for six on the season, keying Genoa’s rise in the standings and putting them in position for European competition qualification.  Their three goals were scored in the first 35 minutes and, besides some tense moments when Siena pulled to 3-2 in the 82nd minute, Genoa continued its impressive season with a convincing victory.

To fans of Calcio it’s still as vivid as ever: The vision of Fabio Cannavaro lifting the World Cup aloft remains the proudest of Italian memories in a difficult recent history. But with one year to go before the 19th World Cup Final, Cannavaro and his Azzurri have a lot of hard work to do if the national team are to avoid an embarrassing fate in their defence of the trophy.

A shameful defeat to Egypt and a straightforward thumping by Brazil in the recent Confederations Cup have highlighted Italy’s fall from grace since that golden night in Berlin. Their attempts to evolve into a younger, fresher, more future-friendly outfit have been tempered by a sense of loyalty to the experienced campaigners who tasted glory three years ago.

So with 365 days left in Italy’s fourth reign at football’s summit, just how much catching up does Marcello Lippi’s squad have to do in order to launch a serious challenge for number five? How do the 23 involved in the Confederations Cup match up to the medal winners before them?

GOALKEEPERS:

What was most stark about Gigi Buffon’s recent claim that Julio Cesar is the best No.1 in Serie A was its widespread acceptance. In 2006 Buffon was the best goalkeeper in the world marshaling one of the world’s best defences. These days he’s suffering from playing behind a weaker back fours at both club and international levels. He’s still clearly the best Italy has to offer – and arguably remains in the world’s top 5 – but he now has flaws that weren’t as evident in ’06.

Behind him Marco Amelia has improved immensely, though he is still prone to errors (see New Zealand) but Massimo De Sanctis seems likely to be usurped by Federico Marchetti or even Andrea Consigli before next June rolls around.

VERDICT:

Buffon ’06 > ’09

Amelia ’09 > ’06

Peruzzi ’06 > De Sanctis ’09

DEFENCE:

Lippi’s biggest headache. Only three of the eight World Champion back line remain in the squad. All three are first-choice and all three are facing questions over their form. Skipper Cannavaro is no longer – and will never again be – the Berlin Wall. His two title-winning years at Real Madrid were laregly impressive, but his error-strewn final year in Spain came as a surprise to few. Fellow golden boys Gianluca Zambrotta and Fabio Grosso both struggled after post-World Cup moves and have been unconvincing since their subsequent transfers to Milan and Lyon respectively.

The remaining full-back slots have been passed from Cristian Zaccardo and Massimo Oddo to Davide Santon and Andrea Dossena. Santon is already being touted as the next Beppe Bergomi whereas Doseena has looked completely out of his depth since his surprise capture by Liverpool.

Other than Cannavaro, the centre of defence has changed markedly. The supreme Nesta, surprise package Materazzi and sturdy stand-in Barzagli are fallen heroes due to a combination of injury, retirement, old age and poor form. Of their replacements only Giorgio Chiellini has the look of a true international, but even he had a rocky time in South Africa last month.

VERDICT:

Cannavaro ’06 > ’09

Nesta ’06 > Chiellini ’09

Materazzi ’06 > Legrottaglie ’09

Barzagli ’06 > Gamberini ’09

Zambrotta ’06 > ’09

Grosso ’06 > ’09

Santon ’09 > Zaccardo ’06

Oddo ’06 > Dossena ’09

MIDFIELD:

Of the 23 heroes in Germany nobody has improved more noticeably than Daniele De Rossi. Talented but tainted in 2006, the Roma midfielder is now an Azzurri skipper-in-the-making. Fellow champs Mauro Camoranesi, Reno Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo have struggled to recapture their world-conquering form. Gattuso continues to battle hard and Pirlo is looking at new ways to reform his game and thus prolong his career, but Camoranesi looks about ready for the reject bin.

Elsewhere the durable Angelo Palombo is a step up from one-season wonder Simone Barone whilst Riccardo Montolivo has started to impress in an Italy midfield still searching for someone to make the impact Simone Perrotta made at the Mondiali.

VERDICT:

De Rossi ’09 > ’06

Gattuso ’06 > ’09

Pirlo ’06 > ’09

Camoranesi ’06 > ’09

Perrotta ’06 > Montolivo ’09

Palombo ’09 > Barone ’06

FORWARDS

Italy’s change of formation over the last 36 months can be solely attributed to the lack of a No.10. Until Seba Giovinco turns potential into potency Lippi will be forced to look for other answers. Target men Luca Toni, Alberto Gilardino and Vincenzo Iaquinta remain regulars, with only Toni regressing since he reached the heady heights of a 31-goal season in Florence. But the notable names of Totti, Del Piero and Inzaghi have been replaced by Simone Pepe, Giuseppe Rossi and Fabio Quagliarella. Whilst Rossi and Quagliarella in particular have shown flashes of quality, none can claim to be adequate replacements for their predecessors just yet.

VERDICT:

Toni ’06 > ’09

Gilardino ’09 > ’06

Iaquinta ’09 > ’06

Inzaghi ’06 > Quagliarella ’09

Totti ’06 > Pepe ’09

Del Piero ’06 > Rossi ’09

So it would appear that the Azzurri are stronger in only six of the 23 spots available. Yes, there are 38 rounds of Serie A ahead which will give players time to improve. Yes, a few of the Under-21 squad which performed well in Sweden this summer may be included. But right now the players which Lippi trusts most are largely players who have already peaked. A year of intrigue lies ahead in the battle for a spot on the plane to South Africa.

Roma given a byweek with the suspended match against Sampdoria, didn’t help the least as Juventus handed the Giallorossi a 0 – 2 loss yesterday.

All focus now is on Champions League success for the capital side as their scudetto run is done and dusted.  The club sits 17th on 7 points, one point above the relegation zone and Francesco Totti is again injured not fully recovered from a previous injury which was the main reason Spalletti didn’t trot out the marquee player for the full 90 minutes. 

Tomorrow evening Roma will face Chelsea for the return leg of Champions League Group play and the Giallorossi definitely have to play above themselves if they hope to get anything against last year’s runners-up finalists.  Here’s hoping Mr. Spalletti isn’t evolving into a caretaker-manager. 

After the last meeting between these two both Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi , and manager Luciano Spalletti spoke with UEFA.com Magazine.

UEFA.com Magazine Interview with Roma

Related Articles & Links

Soccerways – Roma Fixtures
Serie A Talk – Roma Is Burning
Serie A Talk – Roma Fights Back Putting Bordeaux To The Sword

Thank you Mr. De Rossi for your two goals against Hector Cuper’s Georgia and what goals they were.  With a cannon shot in the 16th minute, coming from over 25 yards out, Daniele De Rossi would provide Italy the match winner.  No chance for the Georgian keeper as De Rossi’s kick from straight out was rising and curved into the upper right-hand corner.

De Rossi went on to add a second goal in the final moments closing this one down for the Azzurri.  Aquilani went close on two occasions of his own and the big difference for the Azzurri was the forced switch to a Roma midfield (exception Pirlo).  It was a breath of fresh air with De Rossi and Alberto Aquilani on at the same time now if Lippi would only add Simone Perrotta to that mix.  For too long have Azzurri coaching stuck to the favored AC Milan midfield of Pirlo, Gattuso etc.  If it takes a Gattuso injury to see the light so be it.  Love the emotion and commitment of Gennaro Gattuso but the man can’t play the total 90 anymore. 

Juventus defender Nicola Legrottaglie would make the starting XI after surviving a late injury scare. Legrottaglie played the entire 90 minutes while Andrea Pirlo, Antonio Di Natale and Luca Toni all made way for second half substitutes.  The back four were still finding their places in this one and Georgian midfielder Levan Kenia really should’ve levelled 1 – 1 but he stumbled when he had a chance to tap in from six yards out.

Match Highlights

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Starting XI

Italy: Buffon; Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Legrottaglie, Dossena; Pirlo (Palombo 46), De Rossi, Aquilani; Camoranesi, Toni (Iaquinta 70), Di Natale (Del Piero 56)

Georgia: Loria; Lobjanidze, Salukvadze, Kaladze, Eliava (Kvaskvhvadze 46); Kenia, Khmaladze, Kobiashvili, Menteshashvili (Odikadze 68); Iashvili, Mchelidze (Siradze 54)

Fluent play by Spurs and poor defending by Roma ultimately led to a 5-0 drubbing of the Giallorossi. 
New recruits outperform for Tottenham including, Bentley, Giovani Dos Santos and Modric.  At times Tottenham looked more like Roma we all know and love. It was only two seasons ago the club from the Eternal City was humiliated 7 – 1  by Manchester United at Old Trafford. Mistakes in defence by Philip Mexes, Daniele De Rossi and keeper Artur aided in Tottenham’s triumph and left Italian fans thinking what is it with English teams and Roma. Manager Spalletti when questioned on the performance explained it as a mental error by team and players he went on to say, “After three years we are still committing the same errors and it’s annoying because we are always trying to find the solutions”

Questions must be raised as to off-season preparations, and lack of new player acquisitions by Roma.
Further delays to reinforce the squad could lead to protests amongst Roma Ultras, tactician Spalletti and especially captain Totti who has already voiced his concerns.

Roma striker Vucinic (pictured)

Goals Bentley (3′, 45′), Bent (4′,54′), Lennon 50′

A. Aquilani  sent off in the 80′ for Roma

LineUps

Tottenham: Gomes (Jansson 73); Zokora (Gunter 62), Assou-Ekotto (Bale 46), Dawson (Huddlestone 57), Woodgate; Bentley (Gilberto 69), Jenas (O’Hara 69), Modric (King 57), Giovani; Berbatov (Lennon 46), Bent

Roma: Artur; Cassetti, Juan (Andreolli 75), Mexes (Loria 62), Riise (Panucci 46); De Rossi, Brighi; Vucinic (Alvarez 75), Aquilani, Perrotta; Montella (Okaka Chuka 46)