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Forza Italian Football
Oct 13 2012
Armenia reveal Italy's offensive limitations
You wouldn't think of a team that scores three goals that they are
playing without an offensive department. And yet that was pretty much
the case for the Italian team we saw yesterday night, battling against
Armenia in a stadium half-empty but not too silent for that.
In fact, were it not for the goal by Pablo Osvaldo ten minutes from
the final whistle, it would be hard to speak of the offensive players
at all. Italy took to the field with coach Cesare Prandelli's 4-3-1-2,
the same formation he used for (most of) the last Euros, but with a
fresh attacking duo. No longer Mario Balotelli (ill) and Antonio
Cassano (obsolete - apparently), but Sebastian Giovinco and Pablo
Osvaldo. The two new players have potential but it is to be hoped they
up their game in the next few years. Both of them were unable to
return and cover, and neither provided any kind of support to the
midfield.
Their absence was so perspicuous, in fact, that all of the most
notable things in the game were done by the midfielders. The first
goal was the result of a penalty earned by Riccardo Montolivo (ups and
downs from the Milan midfielder, but is anyone not getting used to
it?) and kicked in by Andrea Pirlo. Italy's second goal came from a
cross by Pirlo, converted by a bull-headed rush by Daniele De Rossi.
And it was De Rossi again who provided the assist for Osvaldo's goal.
So good to have you back, Danny boy.
It's actually worth going out on a limb for the briefest of moments,
because what we are witnessing is a small miracle. De Rossi and Pirlo,
Italy's best midfielders at least since Albertini, have never played
well together. Their roles and abilities did not appear to be
compatible, which seemed like a shame until Prandelli finally had them
fit together in 2012. If there's anything that yesterday taught us,
it's that De Rossi and Pirlo have not lost their chemistry. If
sustained over the next two years (big if, we know), this could be
huge for Italy. As of now, only Spain can boast a midfield duo
comparable to these two gentlemen.
In fact, for all of Prandelli's injection of new and kind-of-new faces
into the Azzurri, this is still a team sustained by the veterans.
Along with the great midfielders, keeper Gianluigi Buffon also showed
good form. His save on Manoyan's shot was brilliant, and he was
confident when called upon.
The same cannot be said of those players who needed to prove
themselves, from Domenico Criscito (fizzy and insubstantial like a
glass of lemonade) to Andrea Barzagli, who failed to hold back the
impossibly named Armenian forward, Mkhitharyan, on the occasion of the
opposition's only goal. Stephan El Shaarawy was also looking to
impress, but despite demonstrating some vitality, he did nothing
concrete - and concreteness, as we all know, is what the Azzurri are
all about. Better luck next time.
On the whole Italy showed some signs of sufferance, particularly in
the middle part of the game, but this is part of what the Azzurri
notoriously do. They suffer against small teams, they do not always
show beautiful football, but in the end they bring home the three
points. They are congenitally unable to play as favourites. There is
nothing worrying about that.
What is a little more perplexing is the fact that the new names are
showing no signs of integrating themselves very well, and the strikers
in particular were dreadful. There's a long way until that flight to
Brazil, but it wouldn't hurt to start showing some positive signs
sooner than that. This Tuesday against Denmark, for example.
http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2012/10/match-report-armenia-reveal-italys-offensive-limitations-yet-still-take-three-points/
Oct 13 2012
Armenia reveal Italy's offensive limitations
You wouldn't think of a team that scores three goals that they are
playing without an offensive department. And yet that was pretty much
the case for the Italian team we saw yesterday night, battling against
Armenia in a stadium half-empty but not too silent for that.
In fact, were it not for the goal by Pablo Osvaldo ten minutes from
the final whistle, it would be hard to speak of the offensive players
at all. Italy took to the field with coach Cesare Prandelli's 4-3-1-2,
the same formation he used for (most of) the last Euros, but with a
fresh attacking duo. No longer Mario Balotelli (ill) and Antonio
Cassano (obsolete - apparently), but Sebastian Giovinco and Pablo
Osvaldo. The two new players have potential but it is to be hoped they
up their game in the next few years. Both of them were unable to
return and cover, and neither provided any kind of support to the
midfield.
Their absence was so perspicuous, in fact, that all of the most
notable things in the game were done by the midfielders. The first
goal was the result of a penalty earned by Riccardo Montolivo (ups and
downs from the Milan midfielder, but is anyone not getting used to
it?) and kicked in by Andrea Pirlo. Italy's second goal came from a
cross by Pirlo, converted by a bull-headed rush by Daniele De Rossi.
And it was De Rossi again who provided the assist for Osvaldo's goal.
So good to have you back, Danny boy.
It's actually worth going out on a limb for the briefest of moments,
because what we are witnessing is a small miracle. De Rossi and Pirlo,
Italy's best midfielders at least since Albertini, have never played
well together. Their roles and abilities did not appear to be
compatible, which seemed like a shame until Prandelli finally had them
fit together in 2012. If there's anything that yesterday taught us,
it's that De Rossi and Pirlo have not lost their chemistry. If
sustained over the next two years (big if, we know), this could be
huge for Italy. As of now, only Spain can boast a midfield duo
comparable to these two gentlemen.
In fact, for all of Prandelli's injection of new and kind-of-new faces
into the Azzurri, this is still a team sustained by the veterans.
Along with the great midfielders, keeper Gianluigi Buffon also showed
good form. His save on Manoyan's shot was brilliant, and he was
confident when called upon.
The same cannot be said of those players who needed to prove
themselves, from Domenico Criscito (fizzy and insubstantial like a
glass of lemonade) to Andrea Barzagli, who failed to hold back the
impossibly named Armenian forward, Mkhitharyan, on the occasion of the
opposition's only goal. Stephan El Shaarawy was also looking to
impress, but despite demonstrating some vitality, he did nothing
concrete - and concreteness, as we all know, is what the Azzurri are
all about. Better luck next time.
On the whole Italy showed some signs of sufferance, particularly in
the middle part of the game, but this is part of what the Azzurri
notoriously do. They suffer against small teams, they do not always
show beautiful football, but in the end they bring home the three
points. They are congenitally unable to play as favourites. There is
nothing worrying about that.
What is a little more perplexing is the fact that the new names are
showing no signs of integrating themselves very well, and the strikers
in particular were dreadful. There's a long way until that flight to
Brazil, but it wouldn't hurt to start showing some positive signs
sooner than that. This Tuesday against Denmark, for example.
http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2012/10/match-report-armenia-reveal-italys-offensive-limitations-yet-still-take-three-points/