Who told you you're smart?

Actually I do retract that, I rhetorically meant 'even the smartest' - I wasn't actually meaning myself truly.

I want this to be true.

The World Cup is great though. A few Brazilians were also holding off the tears during their anthem, the American guy that scored the winner was in disbelief he'd scored at a World Cup.

Football is way more than just a sport.

Haha, Gary Linaker wearing an Italy shirt in the studio.

Any word on the line-ups yet? I'm sure I will once again be outraged at Candreva starting... But what can you do. Forza Azzurri. Get the 3 points!

Buffon; Abate, Barzagli, Chiellini, Darmian; De Rossi; Motta, Pirlo, Marchisio, Candreva; Balotelli.

FORZA ITALIA!

Not looking good ...

Why are Motta and Candreva on the field again?

Brilliant pass from Pirlo there to Balo.

Motta and Candreva are the biggest wastes of space on tge pitch

Looks like they are there to give up the ball.

And that should have probably been a PK.

Yup, was going to happen.

Buffon hasn't looked good at all so far. Italy aren't even trying.

Chiellini has been awful. Italy have been awful in general the system is absolute f@cking cr@p why is Pirlo playing as high u
p as Balo????!!!

Prandelli needs to change things and fast, this system is clearly failing, Candreva and Motta need to be taken off ASAP

terrible positioning on that cross. so much space given..

I'd keep Candreva on. It's having 4 CMs that's the issue. Bring on another wide man for Motta.

All Candreva has done is stumble over the ball, the problem is not having 4 CMs, it's having 4 CMs and playing them in a flat 4. And completely misusing Pirlo

Boy, if it ends like this, 0-1 defeat to Costa Rica, then this group will just blow up!

Not good at all from Italy.

Balo needs to put his next chance away.

Cassano on for Candreva please!

No time for for any doubts...

Let's get it done Italia!!!

Not good at all from Italy.

Balo needs to put his next chance away.

Cassano on for Candreva please!

No time for for any doubts...

Let's get it done Italia!!!

Cassano for Motta. HT Sub.

Forza Italia - Let's Go!!!

Boy Prandelli really trying it with the substitutions. All three used by 69 minutes.

horrible from italy. full credits to costa rica, totally coached italy on defending. what a feat.

Wow... Worse than Spain. Seriously.

Terrible stuff. It felt like watching Milan!!

Chiellini! How absolutely awful from him, why doesn't he make those kinds of mistakes with Juve FFS?!!

I think Prandelli just bottled it with that initial line-up and system, I mean what the f@ck was he thinking?? Pirlo and Motta behind Balo. Pirlo was playing as a second striker in the first half most of the time.

Also, they looked like they were tired out before the 20th minute! Just terrible

It's typical Italy to f@ck everything up and then having to fight for their lives in the last match

Tbh, now that this happened I really can't see them going through. They'll have to play in these same conditions against Uruguay as well, and really if Prandelli makes the same picks to start that game I really can't see how they can win the game.

More like easy defending, Italy just strolled it. I don't think they created once decent opening in this second half

A draw can get them through.

Credit to Ash, got it right about Italy. Still think he's well off about Uruguay though. Guess we'll see who's better when they play.

Far too often big teams are being excused and the smaller team discredited. Same again here.

Costa Rica were just BETTER than Italy. No more. No less.

Chile were BETTER than Spain. No more. No less.

Costa Rica's tactics were fantastic today - gave Pirlo no time, closed down Balotelli all the time - they just choked the life out of Italy.

But now that both Uruguay need a win or nothing else, I can't see how will cope with it. You could see how the heat literally zapped their energy by the 20th minute mark, they were at a walking pace, while Costa Rica were obviously much more comfortable playing in it. The passing errors the Italians were making is just something you don't usually see from them. And same goes with Uruguay, they'll be much more adapt to it than Italy are.

Even Pirlo and DDR were struggling on the ball

The schedule has been hellish on Italy with all the games being played in such weather conditions and personally I think they'll lose against Uruguay unless Pandelli comes up with something to counter the obvious effect the heat was having on them

Playing that formation forced Marchisio to nealy pass out by the time he had to come off, he just looked absolute drained and he's one of the few in that team that actually has a great engine.

If the heat is what caused them to play like crap, then they don't deserve to pass.

I think it's obvious that the S. Americans have the advantage on the European teams, no European team against a South American team will be able to press the ball and run so much in a game as the south Americans have been doing, especially in the grounds that are so hot.

Today they were playing in 27 degrees Celsius at one in the afternoon. I mean that must have been hell out there, not only is it hot and humid but it's in the afternoon sun as well

They play with such little width. Abate didn't offer anything going forward. Too many times Candreva/Cerci had 3 people on them and he offered no support. Nothing like what Darmian did v us.

No obviously it was the system that caused them to play like crap. By doing that, Prandelli forfeited that first half, and by doing so they had to fight back from a goal down when they were already dead tired (and this was very obvious)

If Italy want to do anything of note in this tournament, they need to get their tactics perfectly, because they won't have the energy to keep pushing on after a certain point in the game. Against England they immediately dropped off after Balo scored and showed nothing more of note.

But today they had to push on when it was obvious they had nothing left in the tank

Still I think certain individual performances made things worse than they should have been. Chiellini was absolutely awful, he put himself and his team under pressure on various occasions. Candreva and Motta were just awful, aaful, awful. They have no business being on that pitch.

What an absolutely painful game. We looked completely clueless and unmotivated.

Between all the offsides & the long balls... It seriously horrendous viewing!

Now we have to go up against the likes of Cavani & Suarez with that poor excuse of an Italian defence.

Lord help us!!!


...forgot to mention: "Congrats to Costa Rica!"

Abate was holding back because of the counter, had he not done that they would have been clean through about 4 times down that right hand side.

Ad they couldn't really do what they did against England because there wasn't any space to do that unlike against England where Candreva and Darmian were basically running into open space with Baines completely left alone out there.

There were just too many tactical flaws in the system today. Pirlo spent the first half chasing the ball next to Balo. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing when he was doing that in the 1st half

But really, any long suffering Italian supporter sort of knew in the backs of their minds that Italy would endeavour to screw up the game which on paper is the easiest. They always do this.

I don't know what will happen against Uruguay, I'm not confident they'll even manage a draw now

Maldini played in 45 degrees, US heat, in the 1994 final. All these players combined times ten don't match up to him if they can't run in these leisurely temperatures. Besides, what's the point of preparations then, did they not know what kind of environment they'll be playing in. And against which teams.

And I guess heat is also the excuse for selecting Balotelli ahead of Immobile, when both or the former should have started. This sucker might be good on tweets, but he does not track back, creates nothing with his lazy attitude, and wrecks whatever game plan Itlay probably had. I'd be surprised if he comes earlier than the 2nd half next match.

Which has been very much ruined. Would have preferred it not to come down to either Italy or Uruguay.

tbh as much as I take your point, I side with X overall here. Italy is hardly a cold country, with pretty damn hot summers, so these guys know what it's like playing in high temperatures. While you have given a certain valid 'excuse', it doesn't cover the basic tactical failings of Italy and other big teams.

Also, Brazil and Argentina have so far been pretty poor and they're South American.

Yupp... agreed.

I was not entirely optimistic, nor am I surprised at the result (our overall play was awful though)

I'm also not confident of obtaining even a draw against Uruguay. Maybe we can step it up though? *fingers crossed*

Suarez & Cavani are no joke!

Exactamundo.

Balotelli, sporadic quality aside V England, is a waste of a jersey and a choker. I truly cannot wait till we sell him.

My whole point was still Italy being ordinary, though even I didn't predict them to lose to Costa Rica. Definitely watching Italy - Uruguay on Tuesday though, could be a classic.

Are you comparing a final to a 2nd group stage game against a team which they probably underestimated a bit (even though they said they wouldn't I didn't and won't believe that for a second)

That Italy team also lost to Ireland in that tournament so...

As for Balo, he wasn't the issue, and Immobile wouldn't have changed much, the midfield behind him was the issue here. I really cannot understand what Prandelli was really trying to accomplish there. When have you ever seen Pirlo so high up the pitch, same goes with Motta (who I admit, is terrible anywhere you choose to play him)

I still think they're way off from ordinary. It was a terribly ordinary performance though that deserved to be punished.

I think it will be more of a niggly sort of game rather than a classic, we'll see

The fact that Italy could get out of it with a draw and Uruguay must win makes me really uneasy about it

More chance of Ireland winning the whole thing.

Agreed. It was a borderline fluke of a goal, or a very easy one, at the least. Italy's first goal against England was much classier, and I'd have expected something of that sorts from Balotelli. Instead he got a simple header, which his translated into a goal. A winner, but nothing special, ultimately.

That goal covered his other shortcomings, which were exposed today, along with the misses.


Agreed, again. Horrible team selection, but what can you do with some of the more overrated players getting plane tickets just because they play in some overrated clubs. Same is the case with Brazil, I am afraid. Stupid, clueless coaches that buy into the hype, nothing else. While deserving players rot on the bench.

Immobile today, Hernanes the other day. And many more examples.

It's worth noting that it was an awful game though.

Nah, I'm just comparing playing conditions. Doubly harsher in 1994 than today. I can play in 45 degrees, but anything higher and I'd be in trouble too. Point being, they should have shown more hustle today, particularly, when they had the context of Uruguay vs Costa Rica match in mind. Seal the deal, or at least draw it.

Now Uruguay has two things which Italy does not. Suarez and Cavani. Both can create trouble.