A 1-1 draw against the reigning world champions can be counted as a good result for the Azzurri despite the injuries and off field distractions. Cesare Prandelli utilized the much talked about 3-5-2 after experimenting with the unorthodox formation in training last week, with the back three comprised of Juventus duo of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, plus Daniele De Rossi making his international debut as a center back. Up front the attack was also as expected, as was most […]
Admittedly this is a late preview, but with all the tumult going on both inside the Azzurri camp and in Italian football as a whole, now is a good time to look at how Italy may fair at Euro 2012, what to expect and how Prandelli’s men compare to their group competitors. First up is the injury problems Italy is facing, particularly in defense. Giorgio Chiellini is just coming off an injury suffered in Juventus’ last home game of the […]
The footballing world was rocked as 25-year-old Piermario Morosini collapsed on the field and was confirmed dead upon arrival to the hospital. Just weeks after Fabrice Muamba of Bolton suffered a similar situation, fans are once again reminded that football is just a game and there are more important things at play than just who puts the ball in the back of the net. While not the most well known player, his story is an inspiration and makes his death […]
As Juventus helped secure a piece of their long-term future during the week by extending the contracts of Leonardo Bonucci and Alessandro Matri until 2017, the immediate future of another player has once again been called into focus after yet another less than impressive display on the weekend. Marco Borriello led the two man attack alongside Mirko Vucinic in Antonio Conte’s 3-5-2 system against Napoli, yet did little to endear himself to the Juventus Stadium faithful. Beside one half chance […]
If one were to view the rosters for each of Italy’s four World Cup triumphs, one would notice a pattern; the core of the team was comprised of Juventus players. Not only that, but Juventus players made key contributions in each of these championship winning sides, names such as Orsi, Monti, Rossi, Gentile, Buffon, and Del Piero spring to mind. Juventus also has the distinction of being the club that has produced the most Italian internationals as well as being […]
A young star who had the world at his feet; Alberto Aquilani was viewed as one of the best players to come through the AS Roma academy. He went on to feature for the Giallorossi before injuries curtailed his involvement. English side, Liverpool FC, gambled upon Aquilani’s fitness when they signed him in August 2009. A disappointing season entailed and the Italian was loaned to Juventus. Whilst playing for the Bianconeri, he displayed an ability to dictate a match’s tempo […]
One of Europe’s most promising defenders doesn’t play for a powerhouse like Manchester United or Milan or Real Madrid, nor does he play for a club more known for unearthing (or producing) gems like Porto or Udinese; rather, he plays in Serie B for a team who hasn’t won a major trophy in nearly twenty years. He plays for Torino. Ogbonna would certainly be more widely known if he left the Piemontese side in the past couple seasons; however, he […]
It all began with Inter against Birmingham City in 1955 and ended, for the time being at least, in a battle at Stamford Bridge last week. In between, there have been more than 200 clashes which have formed one of the major storylines of European football. When Italian and English clubs go head to head, you can usually turn the controversy meter up full blast. When you stack the stats up of their encounters in major competition, as analysts at […]
In the modern game of football, 600,000 Euros is an extremely insignificant price to pay for a player. It is a low risk, high reward situation for the club. If the player ends up as a failure then the loss was very minimal. However if the player goes on to be a success, than it looks like a genius move. Andrea Barzagli came in during last season’s slump and has made the most of his opportunity at Juventus, becoming the […]
Diego Milito’s quadruple known as a ‘poker’ against Palermo was a rare moment, in fact it was only the sixth time it’s happened in ten years, but with Italy’s final friendly before Euro 2012 looming it focused the eyes on the Azzurri’s frontline. The Argentinian’s four-step sent him into a comic book group that features ‘the little plane’, Vincenzo Montella, twinkle-toes Christian Vieri, and ‘The Wonder Boy’ Alexis Sanchez. The sextuplet is completed by Alberto Gilardino, who should be nicknamed […]
On October 11 last year in the provincial city of Pescara, Italy ended their qualifying campaign with a 3-0 win over Northern Ireland. It was the perfect ending as Italy finished top of their group. It was also just reward for coach Cesare Prandelli who managed to rebuild a strong Azzurri from the wreckage of the 2010 World Cup disaster. The undoubted star man for Prandelli’s new look Azzurri was Milan’s Antonio Cassano. A player who came to prominence at […]
Recently we discussed the importance of deceleration in relation to high performance training and injury prevention. We learned about eccentric strength and the role it plays in reducing momentum. We also made reference to dynamic balance and the importance it plays in maintaining control while performing skillful athletic movements. In this segment we will discuss movement training. Looking at the demands of the sport of soccer, we clearly see the importance movement plays. Movements on and off the ball are […]
