[DiRaggio]

ITALY are so defensive that no one is scared of them anymore. What Croatia did is no fluke. You cannot just score 1 goal and think you will win the game. Italy have some of the best strikers in the world but Trapatonni does not take advantage of them.

Attack v Defense. Attack will always win just like it did when France beat Italy in 2000 Euro Championships. If Italy concentrate more on attacking they will be beautiful again and can be unstoppable.

My Italy Team:

Buffon

Pannucci Nesta Cannavaro Maldini


Tommasi

Totti Doni

Del Piero

Vieri Montella


PS: Can people give me thier thoughts and ideas about my comments and team.


Di'Raggio aka Dr Soccer aka Mr Football

 

[ToniSamp]

Your team is too offensive.... Trap is too defensive.....

 

[DiRaggio]

ToniSamp

I know Trap is very defensive but that my point!!

I think Italia are too defensive and the team I chose is the ne I think that is better. Italy have the best defense in the world and Tomassi playing just infront of them will be good enough. The going forward if Totti plays in Midfield he can control it. Del Piero can play just behind the front 2 strikers, and Italy will be awesome. Italy do not need too many defensive Midfield players, they need more attacking players in the team so they can destroy teams like Brazil do.

Di'Raggio

 

[ToniSamp]

A team, even the most offensive in the world needs at least two defensive midfielder, even Brazil.
Brazil 1994 was strong not just because they had a wonderful forward like Romario, but also because they had Mauro Silva and Dunga as defensive midfielder. They were a sort of dam.

 

[DiRaggio]

ToniSamp


Okay I see your point. I will take out Doni and put in Di'Biagio or Albertini. This will mean 2 defensive midfielders in the team. So look at my new team and tell me if you see any faults.

GK: Buffon
RB: Panucci
LB: Maldini
CB: Nesta
CB: Canavarro
DM: Tomassi
DM: Zanetti
CM: Totti
AM: Del Piero
CF: Montella
CF: Vieri

If you dont agree, please show me the team you would pick.

Di'Raggio

 

[ToniSamp]

If DP can play in that position (I'm not sure of it) the team is good.
My team is (but maybe someone will be still injured): 3-4-1-2
GK Toldo (He won't play...)
CB Panucci
CB Nesta (Maldini, if he Nesta is injured)
CB Cannavaro
RW Zambrotta
DM Zanetti (Gattuso :yuck: , if Zanetti is injured)
DM Di Biagio (probably injured, then Tommasi)
LW Coco
OM Totti
FW Delpiero (after 60 minutes Montella)
FW Vieri

Inzaghi for Di Biagio or another DM if Italy does not win after 70 minutes.

 

[DiRaggio]

ToniSamp

I wish he plays with 2 strikers against Mexico, because then Italy wil show that they are not afraid to attack. But Trap will be boring again and start with only Vieri. We will wait and see.

Who is you world greatest team?

Mine is:

GK: OLIVER KHAN
CB: RIO FERDINAND
CB: ALLESANDRO NESTA
CB: CANAVARRO
LB: ROBERTO CARLOS
RB: LILIAN THURAM
DM: PATRICK VIEIRA
RM: DAVID BECKHAM
LM: ROBERT PIRES
AM: ZINADINE ZIDANE
CF: RONALDO
CF: VIERI

 

[ToniSamp]

Very good.
I prefer Cafu on the right for Thuram. I also don't like Vieira so much. Perhaps a place in this team could be found for Nedved and Davids. Owen for Ronaldo could also be a good change.

 

[DiRaggio]

Owen is good but RONALDO is a genius when he is fit. Also I think Thuram is awsome and if he comes to England he will be great again.


My favourite team of all time:


GK: Schmeichel
RB: Josimar
LB: Maldini
CB: Baresi
CB: Ivanov
DM: Roy Keane
RM: Hagi
LM: Giggs
AM: Maradona
CF: Romario
CF: Cantona


GREAT TEAM, GREAT PLAYERS!!!!

 

[ToniSamp]

Josimar just did something good in the WC 1986 then he disappeared, Trifon Ivanov .... Eric Cantona in my opinion was much overrated.

 

[Biancoceleste]

Attack v Defense. Attack will always win just like it did when France beat Italy in 2000 Euro Championships.

Excuse me, but did you see Denmark and Sweden play in their last games? They didn't attack very much but still managed to win their groups. Attack vs. Defence can't be set up like this because it depends on a lot of different factors.

I don't know if 'scared' is the right word to use but I do belive that most, if not all, countries respect Italy because they have a very good and solid team. If they were scared they shouldn't be playing football.

 

[ToniSamp]

Denmark is an example of how important is a strong midfield.

 

[Dean]

Ivanov was the hairiest man in football history. He looked like Splinter from the Turtles movies.

 

[DiRaggio]

Attack will always beat defense. "THE BEST FORM OF DEFENSE IS TO ATTACK"

Any team that sits back is going to get punished. Brazil will win the world cup because they go for the throat. Denmark might go far but they will not win the world cup. Sweden will not win either because they are not able to win games easily. Brazil attack and make the game beautiful.

BRASIL 2002 WORLD CHAMPIONS

DENMARK 0 - 1 ENGLAND

 

[Kaleem]

Remind you that the Brazil 82, boast one of the best aatack ever in the World Cup could not win the Cup while France 98, a team without a top calss striker and couldnot scored in 180 mins of normal time vs Paraguay and Italy did.

 

[The Judge]

Unfortunately, Kaleem is correct. Although I don't support Brazil just for the sake of it I have been delighted at the style of football they have played at this world cup. Ultimately however it is a "cup" competition and from here on in the teams that play best or get the luck on the day progress, and you can expect teams who have little confidence in their attacking abilities to sit tight and try to steal games by 1-0 or on penalties.

Of course I hope these teams fail and fortune favours the brave.:neutral: I was deeply upset during Euro 2000 when Portugal who had been playing great football, panicked against France and put out a more defensive line up rather than really going for it, the rest is history.