Slovakia vs Italy Match Preview
Quite simply, this would not be a World Cup if it did not contain an unduly complicated match for Italy.
After being grouped with New Zealand, Slovakia, and Paraguay, few could be accused of hubris if they predicted an Italian canter to the round of sixteen. However, those who have followed major football tournaments know that it is almost inevitable that Italy make life difficult for themselves.
The Azzurri’s 1-1 draw to Paraguay was a respectable return. Paraguay, like many other South American teams, are playing an energetic, highly-skilled game of attacking football, and they are not daunted by any. Italy’s 1-1 draw to New Zealand, on the other hand, was nothing short of catastrophic. After conceding yet again on a set-piece, Marcello Lippi’s charges haplessly tried to look for the win. Indeed, it was a very fortunate penalty that gained them parity in the first place. Any further incompetence against Slovakia could mean an unceremonious exit for Italy.
Slovakia are certainly more complicated on paper than New Zealand. They have the exciting talent of Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik on which to rely, and did, after all, make into the World Cup by beating the likes of Slovenia and Czech Republic to first place in their qualifying group. Further, they know that the pressure will be on their far more illustrious opponents, knowledge that will undoubtedly embolden them in their endeavour.
Lippi has finally tempered his bravado by admitting that things have not gone as planned, concluding that Italy “have to improve in attack.” It still remains to be seen who will start. Italy’s venerable sports edition, La Gazzetta dello Sport, predicts that midfielder Claudio Marchisio and striker Alberto Gilardino will be dropped. That could mean that Udinese’s effervescent striker Antonio Di Natale may get the nod to form a partnership with Vincenzo Iaquinta. Playmaker and star midfielder Andrea Pirlo will return, but will start on the bench.
The sounds coming from the Italian camp are ones of confidence, but there is palpable tension. Italy started the 1982 campaign with two draws as well before coming to life and going on to win the World Cup. However, that team contained the likes of Dino Zoff, Gaetano Scirea, Bruno Conti, Marco Tardelli, and Paolo Rossi. There is a pervasive sentiment in Italy and beyond that the current crop is just not good enough.
With Gianluigi Buffon still convalescing on the sidelines, Italy will potentially field a starting line-up tomorrow that contains not one world class player. True, that the insightful amongst us will look to the sum rather than the constitutive parts for assessments of Italian quality. However, the chilling truth is that teams like Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Portugal have impressed thus far because of players who have speed and skill—in other words the intangibles that cannot be manufactured in academies.
Italy certainly have a team that can beat Slovakia, but to get past the round of sixteen would be a significant achievement. A win tomorrow, and all will be forgotten for the time being. A loss tomorrow, and nothing will be forgotten for a long time.
Visit the World Cup 2010 Group Tables to view the point totals for each team.
