Gigi is a legend of this game.
But fuck his countrymen. Especially that Juventus contingent in that Italian team...
Italy Fails to Qualify for FIFA World (Mario Must be Smiling)
Gigi is a legend of this game.
But fuck his countrymen. Especially that Juventus contingent in that Italian team...
It's two things:
He can play for one national football (soccer) team: Italy (World Cup, Euro tournaments)
He can play for whatever football club in any country in the world. Before he moved to France he was playing club football in England.
Think of it this way, Lebron can play for whatever team he wants to in the NBA (or the world) but he can only play for the US in the Olympics.
I got ya....that makes sense, thanks... in that case I dont think Mario would be happy about that tho..
and who the hell is gonna beat germany ...?
Nobody really. They're slated to be the first back to back World Cup winners in history.
The team that'll come close to decimating that dream will probably this lot...
Which will probably be the final if the group stages work themselves out the way.
They both play each other today in a warmup match on Espn2 2:45 est.
Nobody really. They're slated to be the first back to back World Cup winners in history.
The team that'll come close to decimating that dream will probably this lot...
Which will probably be the final if the group stages work themselves out the way.
They both play each other today in a warmup match on Espn2 2:45 est.
what team is that?? france??
Yessir should be a good enough match. Both managers are gonna tinker with different players, team selections and formations, but there'll be a wealth of talent on display today.
This one might end up a 1-1 draw.
I love when its a tie and it comes down to those penalty one on one kicks or whatever you call it..
Yea pens (penalties) are cool, even though it's a bit of a lottery. But the tension between a close match is always the best. Don't need 35 pts to feel excited lol
What kind of ignorance is this? We have people yapping
about football and positing themselves as experts but
showing no knowledge. If Germany win the World Cup
and repeat, they will be the 3rd team to do so. Italy did
it in 1934 and 1938. Brazil was the last team to do it in
1958 and 1962.
about football and positing themselves as experts but
showing no knowledge. If Germany win the World Cup
and repeat, they will be the 3rd team to do so. Italy did
it in 1934 and 1938. Brazil was the last team to do it in
1958 and 1962.
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yea... and these soccer fans be putting big money on these games...
cat on the job still cryin about four thousand dollars he lost bettin on ecuador...a few months ago...lol
Oh hell yea fam. Lol some dudes be making wild ass bets off the strength of their national anthem alone lol. I know this wealthy English dude that put down $1500 on England in 2014 cause he claimed "it's our year mate.."
"Oh aight..."
Probably because Italy has some of the most racist soccer fans in the world
Nuh... Black players are treated like shit in Europe and I fucking love Mario. Italy doesn't have a striker better than Mario. They haven't had one for nearly 10 years. That brother has been frozen out of the Italian national team since the 2014 world cup.
To give you an idea of how black players are treated in Europe, read up on how El Hadji Diouf was treated at Liverpool. Just for dressing in baggy jeans and listening to hip hop.
Liverpool signed Mario and didn't field him for the whole season. Only playing him for 5 to 10 mins per game and they'd go out and say he's not performing.
Also, read up on how Eto'o was treated at Barcelona by Pep Guardiola and Iniesta (this is on Youtube). They would treat him like sh*t behind the scenes and pretend to accept him in public. And he couldn't do anything because he'd be labelled as a problem because the public gets to see one side of it.
To give you an idea of how black players are treated in Europe, read up on how El Hadji Diouf was treated at Liverpool. Just for dressing in baggy jeans and listening to hip hop.
Liverpool signed Mario and didn't field him for the whole season. Only playing him for 5 to 10 mins per game and they'd go out and say he's not performing.
Also, read up on how Eto'o was treated at Barcelona by Pep Guardiola and Iniesta (this is on Youtube). They would treat him like sh*t behind the scenes and pretend to accept him in public. And he couldn't do anything because he'd be labelled as a problem because the public gets to see one side of it.
mario cant be feedin into that tho, the more he reacts the more those cave monkeys are gonna react..
I like the dude who picked up the banana and ate it, thats exactly what I wouldve done....
and I wouldve just keep giving them the hi hater wave...
What!! Italy not a defensive team. You obviously don't know about Italian football.
Mbappe is the future him and rashford
What are you talking about. Don't you know the history of Italian football? Italian football since it began has always had a defensive mentality within it's game. Italy revolutionizing the striker position????? Please don't me laugh.
Yea there's simply too much talent out there for anyone to beat the other up. Was an entertaining match to say the least. France look good but I hope their lack of experience doesn't bite them in the ass.
Mad youngins out there. We'll see.
That's exactly what I woulda done too.
It's tough though.. some players aren't equipped to deal with all that in the heat of the moment
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To be fair, Italian football is synonymous with hardbody, vigorous Catenaccio. They have great talent going forward, but they've always prided themselves on shutting the back door.
When one says, "defense wins championships..", it's hard not mention the Azzuri.
They're the ones that brought about the sweeper concept many years back, and though that position is now embodied in front of defense, the rules still apply... keep that ball out and away.
Sandro Pochesi (a Serie B manager) actually touched on this very thing this past weekend before the encounter with Sweden.
He went on an epic rant that pretty much said Italy got away from its DNA of being rough and physical and traded down for style and finesse.
“Italy used to be a team that beat other teams up (physically),” Pochesci said. “Now we’re the ones that get beat up and cry about it. When you bring all these foreigners to Italy, that’s what happens.
“We don’t play rough anymore. We go to Sweden and they’re the ones that beat us up. We’ve all become so entitled. Italian football is finished.
“We’re all spoiled. We’re going to get kicked out of the World Cup, and it’s because we’re scared. We go to Sweden and we’re scared to play. You can’t play being scared.
“If I see my team play scared, I’d just resign right away and we’ll put out a coach who has more courage than I do.
“It means that I’m teaching my team be scared. Honest, who did we lose to? We’re getting kicked out of the World Cup and all of us are losing.
“You journalists lose. Everyone who works in football loses. Italy loses. We need to wake up.”
The world cup in Argentina in 1978
To be fair, Italian football is synonymous with hardbody, vigorous Catenaccio. They have great talent going forward, but they've always prided themselves on shutting the back door.
When one says, "defense wins championships..", it's hard not mention the Azzuri.
They're the ones that brought about the sweeper concept many years back, and though that position is now embodied in front of defense, the rules still apply... keep that ball out and away.
Sandro Pochesi (a Serie B manager) actually touched on this very thing this past weekend before the encounter with Sweden.
He went on an epic rant that pretty much said Italy got away from its DNA of being rough and physical and traded down for style and finesse.
“Italy used to be a team that beat other teams up (physically),” Pochesci said. “Now we’re the ones that get beat up and cry about it. When you bring all these foreigners to Italy, that’s what happens.
“We don’t play rough anymore. We go to Sweden and they’re the ones that beat us up. We’ve all become so entitled. Italian football is finished.
“We’re all spoiled. We’re going to get kicked out of the World Cup, and it’s because we’re scared. We go to Sweden and we’re scared to play. You can’t play being scared.
“If I see my team play scared, I’d just resign right away and we’ll put out a coach who has more courage than I do.
“It means that I’m teaching my team be scared. Honest, who did we lose to? We’re getting kicked out of the World Cup and all of us are losing.
“You journalists lose. Everyone who works in football loses. Italy loses. We need to wake up.”
Yes. As I said, just because you have good(and muscular) defenders doesn't mean you're a defensive team. That's what I was trying to explain to the guy. Italy tried to play 11 behind the ball in 1970 and Brazil lit them up. They got away from their system which was to bump the guy off the ball and then go to their big physical strikers. The press tore them a new one. Their system is traditionally physical, not defensive. There is a difference.
But they're not even grandiose and muscular are Italians. Not in comparison to Africans or Caribeans, but I guess it's objective I suppose.
When I see a 3-5-2 deployed, ala Antonio Conte's Chelsea, I don't see 3 defenders but rather 5 at any given moment.
"First don't concede goals... then the rest."
That's been the mantra in Italy for the longest time now. Granted, defenders like Cheillini, Maldini, Nesta, Bonucci are/were all technically gifted players, but there was always a defensive "protect this goal" mentale they used. They may not have hoofed it out the box, and instead deployed smooth passing and working it the back bal, but it always was defense first.
Uruguay and Atletico Madrid are two great examples of teams that have adopted that mantra. There's a defensive rigor that comes with their style of play first. Then everything else follows. Suarez and Cavani had led Uruguay's line for the longest alone while the other 9 defend their box. Greizemann and Gamiero have done similar under Simeone at Atletico. The DNA of defending is there. Marcelo Bielsa would be proud.
If that isn't telling enough, look at their run to win the Cup in 06. All close games which involved Italy defending for 80 mins a match.
Had Zidane not gotten that red card, they would've lost that final as well because France were knocking far more than anyone they had faced up until that point.
That's more tactics. italy is known for tactical football. Nobody wants to concede goals so saying don't let any in, well, goes without saying. I think what's happening here is folks are confusing tactics with defense. What you refer to compared to what sweden has been doing the last few years. What sweden does is defensive football, 10-11 behind the ball. It's very difficult to play because you have to run all freakin game.
Now, individual games will be different because the manager may decide his best strategy is to defend for 90, like italy tried against Brazil in '70 or in '06. But we're talking about their pedigree, not a game or tournament. And their pedigree is tactical, physical football.
They still play that way in Serie A. For the most part. What that first guy you quoted said (and I think he got in trouble for it) was referring the Afrikans coming into the league. In the 90's, Serie A was the league to play in. And all the managers and players that came from there were coveted for their strong tactics.
Nowadays, not so much. The athletes skills advance so much the game advances too.
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