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Italy wary of dynamic South Korea
South Korea has impressed the world with its remarkable pace and grit in the opening phase -- not to mention its astonishing fan support. The Korean "Red Devils" beat Portugal and Poland and tied the United States to win their group. Meanwhile, three-time champion Italian "Azzurri" squeaked into the second round, after losing to Croatia and tying with Mexico. Italian striker Christian Vieri said ahead of Tuesday's match that South Korea was perhaps the toughest team Italy could meet in the second phase. "They're very fast, they run all the match, and make a lot of chances for goals," he said. "We have to go into the game relaxed, we have to be concentrated 100 percent," the Inter Milan striker said. "It's going to be a tough game." Aside from anything else, the Italians know they would be savaged at home if they were knocked out by South Korea rather than, for example, a highly rated squad like Portugal -- a fact that must weigh on their minds The Koreans have been working for this moment for a long time. The Italians, however, have been battling away at the tough Serie A league as well as European club tournaments until shortly before the Cup. As U.S. coach Bruce Arena pointed out: "A country like Korea basically has trained their national team for three or four months, and they could win a track meet right now they are so fit. Other countries don't have that opportunity." Vieri said the whole Italian team was still fatigued after the league championship. "Our league is a real league," he said. "All the games on Sundays are battles." "We're all in general a little tired. The other teams are definitely a bit fresher than us." Italy will need to freshen up if it wants to make it far in the tournament. Despite having one of the most impressive rosters in the World Cup, the team has not dazzled so far. After a strong 2-0 opening victory against Ecuador, Italy went down to Croatia 2-1 -- although the match included two controversially disallowed Italian goals -- and then drew with Mexico 1-1 with two more efforts ruled offside. Errors of the game officials aside, Italy's defense -- by reputation the strongest in the world -- has struggled with injuries and occasional shakiness. The midfield, perhaps the side's weakest department, has often seemed overwhelmed by the opposition. And coach Giovanni Trapattoni has switched around the attack several times in search of a winning formula. Against South Korea, Italy's defense will have to make do without brilliant center-back Fabio Cannavaro, who is suspended after receiving two yellow cards. And his defensive partner Alessandro Nesta has suffered a painful foot injury that could hamper his performance. In attack, the formation is still unclear. Vieri and set-up man Francesco Totti are sure to start, but it's unclear if Trapattoni will start a third attacker as he did against Mexico but not in the first two matches. It's also unclear who that third attacker could be. Alessandro Del Piero scored Italy's tying goal against Mexico, and so he's a fan favorite to start. But earlier, Filippo Inzaghi had been favored, with Vincenzo Montella the second pick. In Korea, locals are hoping that a historic result to another Korean team may be repeated Tuesday, citing the stunning 1-0 loss Italy suffered in the 1966 World Cup to North Korea. The Italian players, however, say they are unfazed by a match that took place before they were born. "The Korea that worries me is the Korea of today," goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said. About three million South Koreans poured onto the streets after the South Koreans qualified for the second round, and the home advantage will certainly play a part in Tuesday's contest. But midfielder Cristiano Zanetti argued the players, not the fans, will ultimately decide the match. "It will be 11 against 11," he said. "I hope we produce our best." The winner of the match will play in the quarterfinals against either Spain or Ireland, which face off on Sunday. |
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