Kickoff August 15th @ 3:00pm EDT
Tomorrow afternoon/evening/morning depending on which part of the world you'll be tuning in; the Azzurri embark on their first challenge of a new era... The Post EURO 2012 Era. Following defeat at the hands of the Spanish in Kiev, the Azzurri have been in hibernation. A number of notable Italians have been packing their things and moving abroad - namely Verratti, Aquilani, Borini, etc... Which does bode well for the Italian game in general. All too long, we've watch Brazilians and Argentinians infiltrate the ranks of notable clubs like Milan and Inter; that now it's time we spread our seed abroad and infiltrate teams in the mighty German, England and Spanish leagues...and French!?
Also, Aquilani didn't really move abroad; instead he moved home to Fiorentina... But you know what I mean don't you?
The Match
This is not a rematch from the Quarterfinal bout between the Azzurri and the English. Far be it for me to speculate; but with both teams resorting to a younger squad for this match; we could see some interesting things take place on the pitch. I don't expect the same tenacity and consistent domination from the Azzurri that we saw in that Quarterfinal. Instead, the match should have a bit of a cyclical feel to it. We'll look good for parts of it; then the English will look good as we try and find out footing. We have too many unknowns going for us tomorrow; which should make the spectacle more of a wait and see affair than one contingent of proving our detractors wrong. From a football enthusiast's point of you I am excited to see some of these younglings taking to the pitch. I would have liked to see Balotelli and Giovinco start upfront but both have been left at home; one for an eye infection (Balotelli) and the other is returning from China. From an Azzurri perspective, I'm doubting whether we'll be able to compete to the level we are used to; by missing some key figures in this lineup I fully expect to see errors; some solid plays and more errors; all I can hope for is a repeat performance by a newbie reminiscent of the performance Rosina put in under Donadoni against South Africa years ago. If you missed that exhibition match; Donadoni fielded a young squad in that exhibition match; Rosina bossed the midfield and looked great; only to never see the Azzurri uniform again. Ah the good 'ol days; when talent wasn't appreciated.
The Squads
Italy
Andrea Consigli (Atalanta), Mattia Perin (Genoa), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris St Germain); Ignazio Abate, Francesco Acerbi, Davide Astori (Cagliari), Federico Balzaretti (Roma), Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan), Daniele Gastaldello (Sampdoria), Angelo Obinze Ogbonna (Torino), Federico Peluso (Atalanta); Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Alessandro Diamanti (Bologna), Antonio Nocerino, Andrea Poli (Sampdoria), Ezequiel Schelotto (Atalanta), Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain); Mario Balotelli (Man City), Mattia Destro (Roma), Stephan El Shaarawy (AC Milan), Manolo Gabbiadini (Atalanta).
England
Joe Hart (Manchester City), Jack Butland (Birmingham City), John Ruddy (Norwich City); Leighton Baines (Everton), Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), John Ruddy (Tottenham Hotspur), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur); Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Jake Livermore (Tottenham Hotspur), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Jack Rodwell (Everton), Ashley Young (Manchester United); Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), Theo Walcott (Arsenal).Final Thoughts
Tomorrow's match should be a good one conducive of two bitter arch rivals duking it out. Although there will be some sloppy play and getting to know each other moments; I do expect the Newbies will be eager to make their mark on their respective squads, elevating the speed of play to a higher level than just your ordinary exhibition match. Regardless, tomorrow's back-to-school for the Azzurri and some of these guys will be eager to leave their mark.
