Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia

Group F

Standings

Italy
Paraguay
New Zealand
Slovakia


Fixtures and Results

14 June 2010 Italy - Paraguay

15 June 2010 New Zealand - Slovakia

20 June 2010 Slovakia - Paraguay

20 June 2010 Italy - New Zealand

24 June 2010 Slovakia - Italy

24 June 2010 Paraguay - New Zealand ​

 

Italy
New Zealand
Paraguay
Slovakia

 

I have Italy and Paraguay, not really feeling that good about New Zealand.

 

The Italian provisional roster is out. Here's who is defending the Cup:

Goalkeepers: Buffon, Marchetti, De Sanctis, Sirigu

Defenders: Bocchetti, Bonucci, F. Cannavaro, Cassani, Chiellini, Criscito, Grosso, Maggio, Zambrotta

Midfielders: Camoranesi, Candreva, Cossu, De Rossi, Gattuso, Marchisio, Montolivo, Palombo, Pepe, Pirlo

Strikers: Borriello, Di Natale, Gilardino, Iaquinta, Pazzini, G. Rossi, Quagliarella

Probably a more exciting group in attack this year, but the rest of the squad just looks older.

 

USSF Divison II will be at South Africa as New Zealand picked one:

Goalkeepers: James Bannatyne (Team Wellington), Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory), Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix)

Defenders: Andy Boyens (New York Red Bulls, United States), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers, England), Winston Reid (Midtjylland, Denmark), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Tommy Smith (Ipswich, England), Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City)

Midfielders: Andy Barron (Team Wellington), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Jeremy Brockie (Newcastle Jets), Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Jeremy Christie (Tampa Bay, United States), Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United), Simon Elliott (no club), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell, Scotland), David Mulligan (no club),

Forwards: Rory Fallon (Plymouth, England). Chris Killen (Middlesbrough, England), Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion, England)

NZ has more A-Leaguers than Australia and more US 2nd Division players than the US will. I don't know who this Jeremy Christie guy is, but I can tell you that Tampa Bay is, in the words of Joe Namath, strugg-a-ling in the 2nd Division. It will be a long three matches for these gentlemen.

 

Here are the Slovakians:

Jan Mucha (Legia Warsaw), Dusan Kuciak (Vaslui), Lubos Kamenar (Nantes), Dusan Pernis (Dundee United); Peter Pekarik (Wolfsburg), Martin Petras (Cesena), Martin Skrtel (Liverpool), Lubomir Michalik (Leeds), Jan Durica (Hannover), Radoslav Zabavnik (Mainz), Marek Cech (West Brom), Tomas Lubocan (Zenit St Petersburg), Kornel Salate (Slovan Bratislava); Kamil Kopunek (Spartak Trnava), Jan Kozak (Timisoara), Juraj Kucka (Sparta Prague), Miroslav Karhan (Mainz), Marek Sapara (Ankaragucu), Mario Pecalka (Zilina), Stanislav Sestak (Bochum), Marek Hamsik (Napoli), Vladimir Weiss (Manchester City), Miroslav Stoch (Chelsea), Dusan Svento (Salzburg), Zdeno Strba (Xanthi); Erik Jendrisek (Schalke), Robert Vittek (Ankaragucu), Martin Jakubko (Saturn Moscow), Filip Holosko (Besiktas)

 

Italy will easily go through, I think they can win it. They've got a great team, but i think Portugal is going to be a threat. Eventhough Group F is fairly easy for Italy.

 

I don't see Italy being nearly as successful as last year. Good to see them strip the old players from the squad though.

 

Slovakia announce final squad:

Goalkeepers: Jan Mucha (Legia Warsaw), Dusan Kuciak (Vaslui), Dusan Pernis (Dundee United);
Defenders: Peter Pekarik (Wolfsburg), Martin Petras (Cesena), Martin Skrtel (Liverpool), Jan Durica (Hannover), Radoslav Zabavnik (Mainz), Marek Cech (West Brom), Kornel Salate (Slovan Bratislava).
Midfielders: Kamil Kopunek (Spartak Trnava), Jan Kozak (Timisoara), Juraj Kucka (Sparta Prague), Marek Sapara (Ankaragucu), Marek Hamsik (Napoli), Vladimir Weiss (Manchester City), Miroslav Stoch (Chelsea), Zdeno Strba (Xanthi);
Forwards: Erik Jendrisek (Schalke), Robert Vittek (Ankaragucu), Martin Jakubko (Saturn Moscow), Filip Holosko (Besiktas), Stanislav Sestak (Bochum).

 

Paraguay name final squad:

Goalkeepers: Justo Villar (Valladolid/ESP), Aldo Bobadilla (Deportivo Independiente de Medellin/COL), Diego Barreto (Cerro Porteno).
Defenders: Claudio Morel Rodriguez (Boca Juniors/ARG), Denis Caniza (Leon/MEX), Paulo da Silva (Sunderland/ENG), Dario Veron (Pumas UNAM/MEX), Julio Cesar Caceres (Atletico Mineiro/BRA), Carlos Bonet (Olimpia), Aureliano Torres (San Lorenzo de Almagro/ARG), Antolin Alcaraz (FC Bruges/BEL).
Midfielders: Edgar Barreto (Atalanta/ITA), Cristian Riveros (Cruz Azul/MEX), Victor Caceres (Libertad), Enrique Vera (Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito/ECU), Jonathan Santana (Wolfsburg/GER), Nestor Ortigoza (Argentinos Juniors/ARG).
Forwards: Roque Santa Cruz (Manchester City/ENG), Nelson Haedo Valdez (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Oscar Cardozo (Benfica/POR), Edgar Benitez (Toluca/MEX), Lucas Barrios (Borussia Dortmund/GER), Rodolfo Gamarra (Libertad).

 

All-Whites announce final squad:

Goalkeepers: James Bannatyne (Team Wellington), Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory), Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix)
Defenders: Andy Boyens (New York Red Bulls), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers), Winston Reid (FC Midtjylland), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town), Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City)
Midfielders: Andy Barron (Team Wellington), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Jeremy Christie (FC Tampa Bay Rowdies), Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United), Simon Elliott (unattached), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell), David Mulligan (unattached)
Strikers: Jeremy Brockie (Newcastle Jets), Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle), Chris Killen (Middlesbrough), Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion)

 

Two countries bringing MLS guys! Three if you want to count Henry who will be going after the Cup, but I'll stick with two. Also, really like seeing Christie in the USSFD2 there. I don't think the US has capped a US D2 player since Clyde Symms was capped by Bruce Arena.

 

I like New Zealand.

 

Not sure if anyone was watching, but it seems that Mauro Camoranesi took a break from training for the World Cup and won the womens tournament at the French Open.

Francesca Schaivone:


Camoranesi:

 

That is fucking scary.

 

When all three people in the room have the immediate thought that she closely resembled a good but far from great Italian winger, you know you're on to something.

 

Skrtel suffers injury scare

 

Italy
Slovakia
Paraguay
New Zealand

 

Paraguay and Slovakia.

Every year there are plenty of skeptics that write Italy off. Those people usually always end up with egg on their faces. I'm usually not one of those people, but the aging Italian side doesn't look good right now in my honest opinion. Marcelo Lippi may be back and as great of a manager that he is I can't see him making miracles for the Azzurri. I'm sure I'll be harassed for this decision, but I'm not discounting Italy completely. Paraguay were strong in qualification early with easy wins over fellow qualifiers Brazil and Chile. Things started to slow down towards the end, but they did also manage a win over Argentina - yet another favorite to win it all. They should claim the group with a low key, but deep group up front. Slovakia are my choice to make it through in second, but I'm not discounting them to take first. They did not have an easy group and still managed to edge out Slovenia and group favorites Czech Republic. As for New Zealand, their only hope for points is that Slovakia get the jitters and blow up, otherwise they will be one of the tournaments two punching bags. I'll let you guess which is the other.

 

USA. Cheeky git!