The Official Azzurri thread

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Italy face tough task to reach last eight


Roberto Donadoni has called on his players to bounce back from their heavy defeat to Holland.

The Italians succumbed to a 3-0 loss in their opening Group C fixture at Euro 2008, a result which has seriously damaged their hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals.

With Romania and France still to come in the 'Group of Death', Donadoni will be under immense pressure to lead a recovery over the coming weeks.

He had found his position as coach under scrutiny by certain sections of the Italian media prior to the tournament and is doing little to wrestle the critics from his back.

The former Milan midfielder admits that his side deserved to take nothing from the game against the Dutch, but is refusing to give up hope after just one match.



Mistakes


"In the first-half, we conceded two goals, from mistakes, but despite that we were not overrun by Holland," Donadoni told Rai tv.


"We have made mistakes in our approach to the game, but the guys will respond positively.


"We were also short on luck throughout the game.


"I don't deny the facts, we have not started well, but we must look forward to the next two matches and try to do our best."


"Against Romania (on Friday), we have to recover our mental strength."



Plans


One man expected to come back into the side for Italy's second group game is Roma's Daniele de Rossi.


The combative midfielder was restricted to the role of spectator against Holland, but Donadoni admits that the talented 24-year-old is in his thoughts.


"De Rossi to come in? I will think about it," he added.

SKY Sports

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http://youtube.com/watch?v=eYN2SdG7BBg

http://youtube.com/watch?v=YzgyMSkulkU&feature=related

Forse noi abbiamo sbagliato?!?! No buddy.. you're the one coaching the World Champions to a 3-0 defeat...

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Pagelle: Dutch discourage
Few Italian players came out of last night’s disastrous 3-0 reverse to Holland with any credit
Luca Toni hardly got a sniff at goal as the Azzurri kicked off their Euro 2008 campaign with a potentially costly loss



Buffon – 6.5
Putting his mistimed punch that led to the opening goal to one side, Buffon did all within his power to keep out the Dutch. Given that he was basically defenceless, he kept the score respectable. Well, almost respectable.

Panucci – 5
Looked tired and sluggish right from the off and his night got worse as the Dutch masters whizzed past him. He must have been relieved when he was moved into the centre. He may be feeling his age.

Barzagli – 4.5
Italy’s lost little boy in Berne. Without Fabio Cannavaro alongside him to hold his hand, the World Cup stopper was swept away by the Orange current which bombarded the rearguard. We’re still not sure how good he is…

Materazzi – 4.5
His heroics at the 2006 World Cup are just a distant memory. Slow and positioned poorly throughout, he may not get another chance to shine – or delude – at Euro 2008.

Grosso – 6.5
Thrown on in the second half, he injected some much needed pace and urgency to the Azzurri side. He should have done enough to net himself a first team jersey against Romania.

Zambrotta – 6
The desire and work rate was there, the touch and quality wasn’t. Italy will need his marauding runs if they are to have any chance of progressing to the knock-out stages.

Ambrosini – 5
Handed a starting shirt at the expense of Daniele De Rossi – which, even after a night’s sleep, is still mystifying – he got through a fair number of tackles, but did little more. The bench should loom.

Pirlo – 6
Without De Rossi alongside him, he was burdened with all of the playmaking responsibilities. He lit up the play with a few visionary passes and the tournament’s best free-kick so far, but it was too little from the Milanista.

Gattuso – 5
His gladiatorial spirit wasn’t enough to inspire his teammates last night. Loose in the tackle, we basically saw the Ringhio of Milan 2007-08 rather than the Campione del Mondo. Will Donadoni keep the faith?

Di Natale – 5
A star in qualification, Di Natale may have blown his chance on the big stage which he so desperately craved. The Dutch proved to be strong at the back, but Toto didn’t ask enough questions. Understandably replaced.

The Waterboy – 6.5
Undoubtedly one of Italy’s best players on the night, what a shame he was thrown on so late in the game. Confident, fresh and fit, The Waterboy threatened former teammate Edwin Van Der Sar on more than one occasion.

Camoranesi – 5
In the side to dribble past opponents and whip in crosses for Luca Toni, the Juventus winger did neither. Inconsistency has frustratingly always been his – and Italy’s – Achilles heel.

Cassano – 6
It was a bit much to ask him to be the saviour with 15 minutes left, but Cassano instantly underlined his ability with a divine assist for Toni. His talent is wasted on the bench.

Toni – 5.5
Perhaps Italy’s biggest concern. Was his inadequate display down to his own form or due to the fact that the team just didn’t play for him? Truth is that he had one real chance and wasted it.

Donadoni – 4
Questions were asked before the game about the omission of Daniele De Rossi and with good reason. A side with little balance, the Don acted too slowly in making changes which the Azzurri needed.

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Gussoni: Ruud was onside
Tuesday 10 June, 2008

Contrary to popular opinion in the peninsula, Italian Referees Association chief Cesare Gussoni believes Holland’s opening goal last night was onside.

The Dutch took the lead in controversial fashion when Ruud Van Nistelrooy netted from an offside position by redirecting a Giovanni Van Bronckhorst strike.

But further review suggests that Italy stopper Christian Panucci, who was suffering with an injury, may have played the Real Madrid ace onside.

“The linesman’s decision was 100 per cent in keeping with UEFA’s rules,â€

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Holland cash in as official confusion hands it to Ruud
www.guardian.co.uk – Tuesday June 10 2008

Here was the true opening ceremony for Euro 2008. It was the night when pandemonium was unleashed in the tournament, releasing excitement and surprise as Italy were beaten by Holland for the first time since the World Cup of 30 years ago. The result is emphatic but its origins are the cause today of wrangles over the laws of the game following an opening goal that looked absurdly invalid.

The Italy right-back Christian Panucci hurt himself while trying to deal with an attack and tumbled behind the by-line. As play continued, Wesley Sneijder's mishit effort ran low across the area and was turned home by Ruud van Nistelrooy from, as it seemed, a glaringly off-side position. A replay on the giant screens provoked rage in the Italian areas of the stands and Luca Toni was booked for dissent but the referee, Peter Frojdfeldt, and his assistants are adamant that they are correct.

In regard to law 11, officials are advised that a player who leaves the pitch without permission and does not return immediately must be taken into account when determining offside. Presumably, this can apply only to a specific passage of play since a footballer with, for example, a broken leg could be stranded for a very long while. Holland, in any case, derived a substantial benefit from a mere accident.

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Gabriele Marcotti's daily diary: Van Nistelrooy was ONside

http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/ ... index.html – June 10, 2008



3. Like most observers, I was thoroughly mifffed as to why referee Peter Frojdfeldt allowed Ruud Van Nistelrooy's opening goal against Italy to stand. Yes, Christian Panucci, lying on his back several feet behind the goalline was playing him onside, but come on ... he had been clearly shaken up a few seconds earlier, when Gigi Buffon's full bodyweight collided with him. But, from what I can tell, thanks to a call to a former international referee, it seems that Frojdfeldt got it right. If a player leaves the pitch without the permission of the referee - which the injured Panucci had clearly done - it's as if he never left and, for purposes of off-sides, it's as if he were standing on the goalline. Uefa issued just such a directive two years ago. The rule seems a bit unfair to me - if a player is injured, surely he's not in play (especially when he's lying down motionless outside the field of play) - but that's what the rules (or, rather, the directives, say). In normal circumstances, the referee would probably have stopped play to allow Panucci to get treatment, but this whole play unfolded so quickly it simply wasn't an option. Oh well. None of this changes the fact that Italy had a real stinker, especially in the first half.