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random SPORTS thoughts

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Tron
Italy has to beat Sweden on Monday to qualify for the World Cup.

A Tron nightmare: no USA and no Italy in the WC

Immobile is embarrassing.
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The whole team is sad to watch with a manager who only is in charge cause all the GOOD Italia ones rather be with a Euro club. Italy just doesn't have the athletic players that the top world nations possess. Superior technical ability only gets you so far. Sweden is big and slow and countries like Brazil, Spain, Argentina would have sliced through that defense like swiss chesse!

A backline of 3 with a combined age of 99 doesn't cut it. Bonucci and Chielini ok but the 3rd member can't be 36 YR old Bazargi. Yes Immobile and Belotti have sucked as strikers but don't believe they are 100% fit watching the Sweden 1st leg match Friday. MF Verratti the so called Pirlo of this group has been completely useless. TGod is yellowed out of Monday's match! And subbing in Insigne for him in MF was mind boggling! The guy is a striker!

Sweden outplayed them totally dominating in the air! On most of Italia corner kicks they short passed it cause they knew no shot at goal with a header! Instead of short passing it up the pitch, Italy repeated threw long balls into Sweden's half with relatively no good results! One Dariman shot off the post was Italia's only legit goal chance!

Only 48 hours rest so put a young back in place of Bazargi! No more 32YR old Parolo and 30YR Candreva in MF who can't shoot straight! De Rossi at 34 will no doubt start but IMO should have retired with international play after 2016 Euro! I want to see players like Bernardercshi, Marchisio, Shaarawy, etc. etc.!

Need to score and not just one goal, 2-0 or 3-1 does it! A 2-1 win and Sweden advances getting the away goal! WTF! It's been almost 60 years since not in WC and even with no chance to win it in 2018 let's at least get there! Gigi needs a happy ending to his career and this ain't the one I'm talking about!

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Tron, here's the projected lineups with the two formations considered ..... not much starting player chang really! I still think Insigne is needed to score goals! Hoping for a 1-0 win and whatever rules they use to determine who goes through? Penalty kicks I think?

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No real chances by Italy to score at all so far! Good ball control by Italy but final cross pass for a shot has been horrific! Lucky Sweden wasn't awarded a penalty shot for a hand ball by the Italians! Bazagli has sucked completely! Insigne must be subbed in ASAP for creativity to get scoring opportunities!
 
Analysis - a blessing in disguise?

Italian football journalist Mina Rzouki told BBC World Service Sport:

It is a national tragedy. It feels surreal that in a World Cup where so many nations take part, Italy will not be there.

It is a lot of mediocre players put together in the squad, the ones who do have talent have not been given the opportunity to show off their talents by Ventura. The oldest coach to take charge of Italy, it was amazing he did not have the room or tactics to bring in Lorenzo Insigne, considering how effective he has been for Serie A's best side Napoli.

The very good players for Italy are the experienced veterans who did so well and Ventura was largely put in charge to bring through the young talents to mix with old players and take Italy forward. He did not manage that.

This is not a great thing to happen to Italian football, but maybe it was needed and can look at it as a blessing in disguise. It may give an opportunity to rebuild and that means from the top, getting rid of the men who have been in power for so long.

Ventura is perhaps not the right age for someone to adapt to the national team. He is only a man who won the Serie C title with Lecce so this is not someone with great experience of winning trophies.

This is the chance to start afresh, bring in the right people at the top, on the pitch and those giving the strategies. It will no longer mask the deficiencies in Italian football.

Good say my dear! :smooch:

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