I will be the first to admit that I can't stomach watching Serie A because of all its constant flopping, whining and lack of goals so I'm not nearly as up to date on Italian club soccer as I am on the English Premier League. Still, the Champions League proves year after year that Italian teams like AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma etc. are always some of the top ones in Europe.
What follows is Italy's roster for tomorrow's match vs. the United States tomorrow at 2:45 ET (ESPN 2, ESPN3.com).
Italy squad
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris St Germain)
Defenders: Emiliano Viviano (Palermo; Ignazio Abate (AC Milan), Davide Astori (Cagliari), Federico Balzaretti (Palermo), Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Zenit St Petersburg), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Angelo Ogbonna (Torino)
Midfielders: Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Thiago Motta (Inter Milan), Antonio Nocerino (AC Milan), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus)
Forwards: Fabio Borini (Roma), Sebastian Giovinco (Parma), Alessandro Matri (Juventus), Giampaolo Pazzini (Inter Milan).
You'll notice that Mario Balotelli-Italy's talented striker-isn't on the roster which is good news for U.S. fans. The Manchester City star is one of the best goal-scorers in the world but he's also the biggest clown in professional soccer. He recently served a four-game suspension in the EPL for stepping on an opposing player and reports say that Italian coach Cesare Prandelli sent Balotelli on his way after breaking a team rule in training camp.
The other familiar name for U.S. soccer fans that you won't see on the field tomorrow for Italy is Giuseppe Rossi. The talented striker that was born in New Jersey and plays for Villareal but chose to compete for Italy rather than the United States. He's out with an injury.
Italy has always favored the 4-4-2 formation (four defenders, four midfielders, two strikers) so I expect them to roll that out tomorrow in Genoa. The main reason that they have been so routinely good is that they have a system and they stick to it. They're always one of if not the best defensive national team and their midfielders are excellent at possessing and distributing to talented guys up front.
Buffon is getting up their in age (34) but he's generally regarded as the top goalkeeper in the world. If the U.S. can put a goal or dare I say two, they'll be in great shape. De Rossi is emerging as Italy's next great midfielder while Pirlo is one of my favorite midfielders to watch based on his workrate and sublime crosses.
By far, this will the U.S.' toughest test thus far in the up and down Jurgen Klinsmann era (4-4-1 overall, 7 goals scored, 7 goals allowed). The good news for American fans is that all the pressure will be on Italy since they're at home and they're more highly regarded than the U.S. It's all about getting off to a solid start; if Italy scores a goal or two in the first half, the U.S. will probably have no chance to recover. Conversely, if it's scoreless at the half or if somehow the U.S. finds themselves leading at the break, anything is possible.
Missing Donovan and Jones will definitely hurt the U.S. while Torres and Chandler at this point are much more replaceable. Donovan is one of their best players and Jones has become an interesting option in the middle of the field. To make up for those absences, the U.S.' best players like Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra and Jozy Altidore all need to play well in Genoa. If one or more of them have less than decent performances, it will be tough for the U.S. to overcome that.
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