[Adriano]

This will be Italy's first game in Japan and their second last before the World Cup. Kashim are the Japanese champions and will provide a good test for the Azzurri in the game to be played this Sunday, May 26.

A couple of injury concerns, as Del Piero had to miss regular training due to a muscle problem, while Totti is still recovering from an injury.

Zanetti, Gattuso and Zambrotta have shortness of breath, but Trap is happy with the form of Maldini and Nesta in recent matches and training.

Italy have a game planned I believe against a Sendai youth team on May 30, which will be their final game before the first match against Ecuador on June 3.

 

[IL TORO]

Trap is happy with the form of Maldini and Nesta in recent matches and training.

Great to hear! We need the back 3 to at their best, especially our captain.
I hope in one of these games we will get to see Vieri with Montella, even if only for 30 lousy minutes! If Doni is not injured then it would be good to see how he plays in Totti's position too. And I hope never to see that disgusting centre midfield Trap has started with in the last 2 games again. If that is what he had in mind when he decided to leave Ambrosini and Fiore out of the squad then I think our C.T is on drugs.

 

[Adriano]

SENDAI, Japan (AP) The Italian squad readied itself Saturday for the team's first friendly match since arriving in Japan, a pre-World Cup tuneup against Japanese league champions Kashima Antlers.

The match in Tokyo on Sunday was not expected to test the Italians, with the Japanese club lacking six of its strongest players who have been called up to the national team. The match may, however, give clues to coach Giovanni Trapattoni's lineup for the team's first World Cup match on June 3 against Ecuador.

Trapattoni has insisted that no one should judge his team based on its play in friendlies a point he made especially firmly after Italy's embarrassing 1-0 loss to the Czech Republic in Prague last week. But this close to the start of the championship, people are sure to draw conclusions.

There will be two main points to watch for: the play of AS Roma star Francesco Totti, who forms the crux of Italy's attack and has been out with an injury for more than a month; and the choice of the third starting striker, a position that has been keenly fought over.

Trapattoni has promised that Totti is in good shape now. On arrival from Rome earlier this week, trainers paid special attention to the nifty playmaker. By Saturday, he still didn't appear to be exerting himself in practice, though it was unclear if he was being intentionally cautious after his injury or was just saving himself until the big games.

As for the lineup, Italian newspapers have said that Trapattoni has already made his decision, with AC Milan's Filippo Inzaghi getting the spot beside his close friend Christian Vieri of Inter Milan something that the coach and players have not confirmed.

Inzaghi's main rivals for the slot have been Alessandro Del Piero of Juventus and Vincenzo Montella of Roma. Montella acknowledged Friday that Inzaghi seemed to be the popular bet, but he added that nothing was clear yet.

"These are the indications up to now. But I hope that it could change based on my merit."

One merit, he argued, was the ability to work well alongside Vieri, a burly forward whose place up front is secured.

"I can play in all the pairs, all the combinations," Montella said at the team's training camp in this northeastern Japanese city.

Saturday also marked the first time that the team had donned its cleats and banged about a ball in the morning practice, which earlier had been limited to stretching, jogging and other physical training.

 

[Machine_head_17]

Im not sure about this.........but i heard that Inzaghi might be partnering Montella against the antlers...............!can any1 confirm this?

 

[Mikey]

Trapattoni has already made his decision, with AC Milan's Filippo Inzaghi getting the spot beside his close friend Christian Vieri of Inter Milan

I feel really sorry for Montella, losing out to Inzaghi.

 

[Adriano]

Does anyone know what time this game exactly starts?

 

[Dean]

Inzaghi AGAIN :fero:
I am starting to think that Trap may not be the right man here...
Montella has been great in the closing season and was on top-form. Inzaghi has been out for about 3 months but he still comes ahead of Montella. Another thing was that he chose Delvecchio over Di Vaio or Baggio, I think that Trap needs to sort out his attacking options.

 

[Adriano]

SENDAI, Japan, May 25 (DS) - Ahead of the World Cup warm-up game against Kashima, Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni announced that Francesco Totti is included into the line-up.

In fact, the press conference was mostly devoted to the praise of the Roma captain, underlining his importance for the Italian national team.

"It won't be an exaggeration to say that our team greatly depends on Totti. He has all the necessary qualities of a top player, able to lead the team. I think his recent injury has only helped him to have a rest," Trapattoni said.

Meanwhile, another Italian star Alessandro Del Piero will again start on the bench, with Vieri and Inzaghi playing up front in the attacking line.

"I've talked with Trapattoni and he said he wants to experiment a little. Well, let it be so," said Del Piero.

 

[Primo]

Please, please do not get hurt Totti.

 

[TAZZ]

hhahahaha what was that? Someone now realising that Trap is a kunt?

 

[Giureconsulto]

Tazz, for the sake of your stellar reputation, stop talking nonsense...I wonder what you would be saying of Bearzot in '82 had you not been still crapping your nappies...

 

[Machine_head_17]

Traps rules.....................he's gonna bring us the cup!

 

[Vinman]

Traps rules.....................he's gonna bring us the cup!

Are you on the same drugs as Trap ?? Every decision this clown makes seems to be the WRONG one !!

Inzaghi over DP AND Montella ???? Totti our ONLY hope ???? Delvecchio ???? No Baggio ???

SOMEONE PLEASE DRUG TEST TRAP !!! If he passes the test than I believe he is getting old and senile !!

 

[Adriano]

Guys calm down, Trap is one of the best coaches in the history of football, don't worry, he knows what he is doing.

 

[Frank]

I just read on yahoo that Italy won the match 2-1. It seems as though Inzaghi has picked up an injury; he hobbled off the field. I feel bad to say this, but I'm not terribly sad that Inzaghi is hurt because there is no way he should be starting ahead of DP or Montella.

 

[Adriano]

Kashima Antlers 1 (Tomoyuki Hirase 53)
Italy 2 (Filippo Inzaghi 13, Christian Vieri 24)

A win is a win and hopefully they gained some experience from the climate etc. That's disappointing for Inzaghi if he is hurt, but many of you would be rejoicing I guess

 

[Speedy]

Friendly - 26/5/2002
Italy 2-1 Kashima Antlers
Inzaghi 13 (I), Vieri 23 (I), Hirase 54 (K)

Tokyo (53,000)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Azzurri’s World Cup preparations took another blow on Sunday as despite beating Kashima Antlers 2-1, Pippo Inzaghi limped off the field.

The Milan striker was assured a place in the starting line-up against Ecuador on June 3 and had in fact opened the scoring in this tie.


However, he was forced to take no further part in the match as on the half-hour mark the former Juve man walked off clutching his left leg.


More tests will be needed to ascertain the extent of the damage, but should Inzaghi not make the World Cup opener then Vincenzo Montella looks likely to partner Christian Vieri.


Giovanni Trapattoni can be relatively content with the 2-1 friendly victory in Tokyo. Kashima Antlers, Coached by former Sampdoria man Toninho Cerezo, are Champions of the Japanese J-League.


Trap made several experiments, including the four-man defence with Christian Panucci on the right and Paolo Maldini filling the role he had as a youngster on the left.


This move also reshuffled the midfield, with Juventus winger Zambrotta unusually pushed into the centre.


Francesco Totti played the opening 45 minutes – his first match situation in two months due to a recurring thigh problem – and it was his corner that allowed Inzaghi to nod in on 13 minutes.


Totti was relatively impressive despite his clear lack of match-fitness and made several illuminating passes for his teammates.


Christian Vieri netted Italy’s second soon after. Inzaghi held up Gianluca Zambrotta’s long ball forward for the Inter hitman’s close range half-volley.


On the half-hour mark Inzaghi limped off and was replaced by Totti’s Roma teammate Montella.


Tiredness from jet lag and the hard training regime the Azzurri have been subjected to in the last week saw their performance dip in the second half.


Kashima pulled one back soon after the break when Hirase took advantage of a short Fabio Cannavaro clearance to drill home.


Tellingly, when Totti was replaced by Alessandro Del Piero at half-time, the Juve captain was fielded as a Trequartista. His protests that he only wished to play as a support striker were evidently ignored.


Trap may be able to convince Del Piero to change his mind, as the makeshift creative midfielder impressed behind the front two.

However, he became far more of an influence on the game when pushed up to his usual position for the final 15 minutes.


One particularly fine assist for Damiano Tommasi towards the end of the match could easily have seen Italy score a third.


Marco Materazzi stepped onto the field late on and saw his header tipped onto the crossbar by Japanese goalkeeper Shinichi Shuto.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kashima Antlers: Shuto; Narahashi, Ikeuchi, Fabiano, Augusto; Kumagai (Ishikawa 81), Honda (Uchida 56), Aoki, Nozawa


Italy: Buffon (Toldo 46); Panucci, Nesta (Materazzi 85), Cannavaro, Maldini (Coco 62); Zambrotta (Di Livio 76), Tommasi, Di Biagio (Gattuso 62); Totti (Del Piero 46); Inzaghi (Montella 29), Vieri (Zanetti 76)


Ref: Kiyoshi Ota (Japan)

 

[Lav]

Pippo 1 goal and one assist
MOntella........still waiting


all this pippo bashin is pathetic is obvious he gets the job done, so let him do it and stop being ******* bout it

Lav

 

[Mikey]

Kashima Antlers?!, f**king hell my nona could score against them. For the 10,000th time, Drippo can score no problem against crappy little teams, against well organised defences he is found out. BASTA!

 

[Machine_head_17]

Kashima antlers?.............well how come montella didnt score?...........he had more time 2 play than pippo......lmao!...............and del piero.......anyways i heard dp played decent............i think that guy would be better of as a middy!