Italy

Italy head into the 2010 world cup as champions....and coach Marcelo Lippi (one of the best around!!) has relied more or less on the team that won him the cup back in 2006...He has taken the brave decision to leave out Totti and Del Pierro...This ageing team has been affected by injuries it would be interesting to see how Lippi manages to get his veterans up and running as the Italians have a playing style that is quite demanding physically...It is most likely that Lippi will use a 4 - 3 -3 formation
Marcello Lippi is looking to emulate his compatriot Vittorio Pozzo in successfully coaching a team to back to back titles

At the post they have "Gigi" Buffon...one of the best keepers in the world...However, he has had a pretty poor season with Juventus back home in Italy...

They are most likely to start with the center back pair from Juventus...Giorgio Chiellini and Fabio Cannavaro(who had a great 2006 WC)...Chiellini, the 2009 Serie A defender of the year is a very good defender and is one of the younger players in the team at 25...but has had a slight dip in form lately...The El Capitano , Fabio Cannavaro, on the other hand, has had a pretty poor season with just 27 appearances....It wouldn't be likely that one would witness the heroics he displayed in 2006 or the latest "write the future" ad....However as I said somewhere in my previous post,great players step up to the occassion...and it is to be seen if Cannavaro will manage to do that......As full backs, Lippi is likely to post his veteran Zambrotta on the left and a late bloomer Christian Maggio on the right..

Cannavaro,the ageing war-horse back in 2006

At the midfield he has Camoranesi , Rino Gattuso , Danielle De Rossi ,Angelo Palombo and Ricardo Montolivo to choose from...the creative Pirlo's participation is in doubt which is poignant news for any Italian fan....Gattuso put up a good performance in the previous match for the Italians and its probable "The Rhino" would be given a spot in the starting eleven
The Rossoneri star has been ruled out for atleast 15 - 20 days


Up Front, Lippi has no dearth of talent...with the talented Giampaolo Pazzini , Top scorer Antonio Di Natale(who is most likely to be the main striker) , World Cup Winners Gilardino and Iaquinta and Toni(who is past his glory days)...

Di Natale - Lippi would be hoping he gets going this summer

The Italian team is quite good...and surely very experienced...but not as good as the team they had back in 2006...Its not very likely that they would defend their title successfully...unless the talisman Cannavaro steps up his game,and the playmaker Pirlo gets going... According to the trend so far,Italy reaches the final once in 12 years...and it doesn't look like they'll make any amendments to that