Pirlo Helps Italian Goals in Armenia

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Italy veteran Andrea Pirlo scored one goal and created another as the Azzurri struggled to a 3-1 win over Armenia in World Cup qualifying Friday.

Pirlo fired Italy ahead in the 11th minute from the penalty spot following Hrayr Mkoyan's handball. But Armenia equalized in the 28th through Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan's goal.

Daniele De Rossi headed Italy back in front shortly after the hour mark before Pablo Osvaldo sealed the result with his third goal in as many qualifying matches.

It is Italy's 33rd match without defeat in World Cup and European Championship qualifying matches.

Italy was without Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli, who -- although initially included in the starting lineup Thursday -- had not recovered from flu in time. He was replaced by Juventus forward Sebastian Giovinco.

Italy started brightly and could have been ahead in the fifth minute but Armenia goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky did brilliantly at full stretch to keep out Pirlo's freekick, which seemed destined for the top right corner.

Riccardo Montolivo did well minutes later to carve out some space and cross in towards Claudio Marchisio but the ball was marginally too far away for the Juventus midfielder.

Italy was ahead shortly afterwards when it was awarded a penalty.

Domenico Criscito -- back in the squad for the first time since being questioned over a match-fixing scandal -- raced down the left flank before putting in a cross that Montolivo sidefooted straight at the goalkeeper. The rebound fell back to Montolivo, whose effort was blocked by Hrayr Mkoyan's arm.

Pirlo stepped up and sent Berezovsky the wrong way, firing low into the bottom left corner.

Armenia leveled almost immediately but Gianluigi Buffon did well to tip Aras Ozbiliz's free-kick over the bar.

It was back on level terms when Mkhitaryan collected the ball near the halfway line, evaded Andrea Barzagli and raced away from Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci before firing into the bottom right corner.

The in-form Mkhitaryan is currently the leading scorer in the Ukrainian league, with 14 goals in 11 matches.

The Italy players were furious because they wanted the game to have been stopped just before Mkhitaryan got the ball because of a clash of heads between Armenia midfielder Davit Manoyan and Italy defender Christian Maggio.

Armenia could have taken the lead seconds after halftime but Artur Edigaryan's fierce effort flew over the bar after a lucky deflection from Criscito.

It went even closer moments later when Giovinco turned in the area to carve out some space for himself but fired over.

Italy could have had a penalty when Karlen Mkrtchyan appeared to handle in the area but the referee waved play on.

Armenia almost took the lead when Mkhitaryan raced down the right flank and crossed towards an unmarked Yura Movsisyan whose volley was brilliantly saved by Buffon.

Italy restored its advantage shortly afterwards when De Rossi headed in Pirlo's cross off the underside of the crossbar.

Armenia battled hard for the equalizer and Movsisyan would have had an almost certain goal after a mistake by Bonucci but for a sliding, last-ditch tackle by Maggio.

Italy sealed the result when Osvaldo headed in De Rossi's freekick.

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Cassano Fined by UEFA

Italy striker Antonio Cassano has been fined by Uefa after comments made about homosexuals during Euro 2012.

The 29-year-old AC Milan forward said he hoped there were no homosexuals in the Italy squad for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

“I did not want to offend anyone and I can not question the sexual freedom of other people”Antonio Cassano

Although he later apologised for the comments, he has still been fined £11,679 (15,000 euros).

"Cassano has been fined for a discriminatory press statement," Uefa confirmed on its website. 

"An appeal can be lodged against this decision within three days of the dispatch of the full written decision."

Cassano was asked during a news conference whether he thought there were any homosexuals in Cesare Prandelli's 23-man squad.

He responded: "The coach warned me that you would ask me this question. If I say what I think... I hope there are none."

But he subsequently released a statement insisting he had been misinterpreted.

"I sincerely regret that my statements have sparked controversy and protest from gay rights groups," Cassano said.

"Homophobia is a sentiment that is not mine. I did not want to offend anyone and I can not question the sexual freedom of other people.

"I only said that it is a problem that does not concern me and it is not for me to pass judgement on the choices of others, who are all respected."

The 30-year-old scored one goal in six games during Euro 2012, helping Italy to the final, where they lost to Spain.

Pirlo Picks England Apart

OSM News

England suffered penalty heartbreak at Euro 2012 after losing 4-2 on penalties to Italy after being outplayed in the quarter-final in Kiev.

Italy dominated for huge swathes of the contest, but were unable to make the breakthrough as England retreated further and further into their shell.

Penalties offered the Three Lions hope but, after Riccardo Montolivo fired wide, Ashley Young and Ashley Cole both failed from 12 yards to leave former West Ham forward Alessandro Diamanti as the man to step up and send Italy into a semi-final date with Germany.

Italy were almost in front inside the opening three minutes when Daniele de Rossi's deliberately sliced volley from 30 yards crashed back off the post with Joe Hart beaten.

England responded almost immediately as Glen Johnson found himself on the edge of the six-yard box, but his shovelled attempt produced a superb reflex stop from Gianluigi Buffon.

The enigmatic Mario Balotelli had numerous chances to put Italy ahead, but was denied by a block from John Terry and then alert defending from his Manchester City team-mate Joleon Lescott.

De Rossi had a golden opportunity to put the Azzurri in front three minutes after half-time, but snatched at his shot, while Balotelli was denied by club colleague Hart and then saw an ambitious overhead kick fly over.

England retreated more and more as the game wore on and were almost punished in the first period of extra-time when Italy substitute Diamanti saw his cross come back off the post.

The Azzurri finally had the ball in the net with five minutes left of extra-time, but substitute Antonio Nocerino was fractionally offside when he stooped to head home and England held out to force a shoot-out.

Before the drama, all those pre-match predictions of a tight, cagey affair had been blown to bits inside the opening five minutes.

Claudio Marchisio picked out De Rossi with a peach of a cut-back and he let fly with a spectacular first-time volley, which curved away from Hart's despairing dive, only to crash back off the post.

Starved of possession in those early stages, England eventually countered through Johnson.

The Liverpool defender continued his run after laying a pass off to Ashley Young and was picked out inside the box by James Milner. Had the chance fallen to a striker, England surely would have scored.

As it was, Johnson took vital seconds manoeuvring the ball into a position from which he could shoot, and when he did, Gianluigi Buffon stood firm to make an excellent one-handed save.

They were the most notable efforts of a surprisingly open start, during which Wayne Rooney sent a diving header over and Andrea Pirlo released Balotelli, only for John Terry to rescue the situation with a vital tackle.

No-one could help when Riccardo Montolivo's disguised pass looped over the England defence and dropped invitingly for Balotelli, whose volley went straight to Hart.

At the other end, Danny Welbeck's precise effort sailed over after he had run onto Rooney's return flick.

It was spellbinding stuff, with Italy having the edge in craft and guile, whilst also looking vulnerable when England attacked at pace.

Balotelli's notoriously fragile temperament resulted in him lashing out at a post after spurning another opportunity, which Pirlo and Antonio Cassano combined to provide.

He ended the half driving over from long-range, extending a contribution substantially more effective than Rooney, whose failure to pick out a team-mate with a cross under no pressure was symptomatic of a player struggling to find his form.

England were caught cold straight after the interval when Marchisio found De Rossi in the box, only for the midfielder to mis-kick a volley wide from barely four yards when he had the time to do much better.

It was the start of an onslaught that had England teetering on the brink as Pirlo took command in imperious fashion.

At 33, the midfielder now assumes the Paul Scholes-role for his country, dropping deep and dictating the tempo, and for a while, England were powerless to stop him.

Terry denied Balotelli at the far post with a thunderous clearing header, then Hart repelled De Rossi's long-range effort and also Balotelli's follow-up. Montolivo got to the loose ball first but his shot sailed over.

Hodgson had seen enough and after Balotelli's overhead kick had gone over, Andy Carroll and Theo Walcott were introduced.

With Italy making changes as well, the game lost its shape, so, as had been imagined, extra-time was required.

After their defiant rearguard action, it would have been galling in the extreme for England's defences to be breached by a fluke.

Fortunately, what was intended as a cross by former West Ham man Diamanti clipped the far post after Hart reacted too late to the danger it was posing.

Nocerino thought he had won it six minutes from the end but his header was correctly ruled out for offside. It merely delayed the inevitable.

That England led after the first two rounds of penalties to give hope only made defeat all the more crushing as Diamanti delivered the final blow.

Pirlo Pokes England System

OSM News

Andrea Pirlo has labelled England 'very predictable' ahead of Italy's Euro 2012 quarter-final showdown with the Three Lions.

Sunday's encounter at Kiev's Olympic Stadium is expected to be a tight affair, with both sides having based their success so far on their ability to perform as a solid unit.

Italy are renowned for their defensive resilience and have favoured a counter-attacking approach for some time.

England are new to that system, under the guidance of Roy Hodgson, and have yet to prove that they can strike the right balance between defence and attack.

Pirlo believes that will work in Italy's favour, with the Azzurri brimming with confidence as they look to book a semi-final date with Germany.

The Juventus midfielder said: "People talk about England playing the Italian way, but that's rubbish. Only Italy can play the Italian way. And we do not care for anyone who tries to impersonate us. It's like trying to play against Spain the Spanish way.

"Roy Hodgson knows Italian football, which is a small advantage, and he is very tactically astute. But I have seen some of England's games in this tournament. They have been more practical than impressive, and we are confident of beating them.

"They have weaknesses that we can exploit, particularly in the midfield. They are missing some key players and I think we will have the measure of them in that area.

"They also look very nervous at times in defence and, France aside, they have not had to play too many big nations.

"I think they were more adventurous under Fabio Capello and I would have been more concerned if he was still in charge.

"It is very odd to see an English side play counter-attacking football. Maybe they will adopt a different approach against us, but I doubt it because in some ways they are very predictable.

"They have been very fortunate in getting this far. Against France they were completely outplayed, then they struggled against Sweden and were extremely lucky to win against Ukraine."

It has been suggested that England will look to target Mario Balotelli's fiery temperament should the Manchester City striker be handed a starting berth by Cesare Prandelli, and Pirlo admits he is 'slightly concerned' as to how the youngster will react if provoked.

He said: "As for Mario, he is very unpredictable but a very special talent. He's young and needs to mature but sometimes you have to treat players differently.

"He needs to be pampered a bit. He is fired up for this game and wants to do well with a worldwide audience watching.

"I just get slightly concerned that he is easily provoked and the English players will try and take advantage of this.

"He needs to stay calm and ignore any provocation because there would be dire consequences if he reacts to something and gets sent off and Italy lose the game."

Prandelli Ready for German Battle

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli says his side are ready ahead of their crunch Euro 2012 semi-final against Germany on Thursday.

Prandelli's side have exceeded expectations by reaching the last four at Euro 2012 following their dreadful 2010 World Cup.

After finishing second in Group C and then beating England on penalties in Sunday's quarter-final, Prandelli's unbeaten side now face the tough task of Germany, who have won each of their games to date.

"I have good sensations. We are ready. This is a match of strong emotions and big expectations," Prandelli told Italy's Rai TV in his traditional pre-game interview.

Consider future

The Italy boss also admitted he will consider his future whatever happens in their clash with Germany.

The former Fiorentina manager, who replaced Marcello Lippi as Azzurri boss after the World Cup, has a contract with the national side until 2014 but has long said that he misses the cut and thrust of club football.

"I have a contract that links me to the national team until 2014 and I have a very good relationship with everybody," he said.

"I have always said that I miss the training pitch, let's let the Euros finish and we will consider everything.

England v Italy - Preview - Quarterfinal

OSM News

The real power of the Premier League will be tested in Kyiv on Sunday night when England face Italy in the last quarterfinals of EURO 2012 at the Olympic Stadium. The elite of England pitched against the might of Serie A and a team that supposedly would be distracted by the recent match fixing allegations. Or so England would have hoped at this stage.

The advantage though is more likely to be with England boss Roy Hodgson who spent two invaluable years in the cauldron of the San Siro with Internazionale Milan. At a time when the Moratti family were as desperate as ever to win trophies. Also a time when the team was in a rebuilding phase allowing the Croydon born Englishman test his views in Serie A - with mixed results. 

But to his credit Hodgson got his team to the final of the UEFA Cup in his last season and learned how to get the best out of stars like Javier Zanetti, Youri Djorkaeff and Roberto Carlos. All at a cost of blood, sweat and tears. This experience makes Hodgkin one of the few English managers at the helm of England's football dreams ,who has earned his keep on the continent . In the way parallels the achievements of the late Sir Bobby Robson and Terry Venables. Both of whom got England beyond the quarter-finals of a major tournament 

In the endless PR battle from Sky Sports that the Premier League is the best in the world, the case for England's national team does not prove all beneficial - given that 65% of the players are imported n grounds around the country every weekend. A natural problem for the nurturing of talent for the domestic game and confusing when the domestic clubs keep making inroads in the Champions League year on year. 

But at the Allianz Arena last month a goal from Chelsea’s Ivorian striker settled the Champions League in favour of the Londoners, leaving the favourites Bayern Munich to host a runners up party in their rather silent home stadium. After climbing the numerous steps to received the trophy, John Terry, lifted the trophy from the hands of UEFA President, Michel Platini and passed it on to his team-mates. Only two others of which were also English gibe that Chelsea is a true mix of nationalities. 

In contrast in the Bayern Munich starting eleven only three were imported players, Arjen Robben from Holland, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk from Ukraine and French man, Franck Ribery. When Chelsea lost the final in Moscow to Manchester United there were four English players on the team sheet - John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole. On that day the winners had six players in their team a statistic that had changed little when Sir Alex Ferguson’s teams went out of the tournament in Basel last December. 

Little will change it seems after United's latest purchase of Japanese striker Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund this week. 

However on Sunday night it is an England’s day and the lack of Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry has now been well compensated by the solid performances of Scott Parker, James Milner, Steve Gerrard and Ashley Cole. In their last match against Ukraine England were functional rather than sublime, perfunctory rather than stylish and rewarded rightly in the end - rather than feeling any sense of footballing injustice. 

With a calmness in the squad that seems a long distance from the tetchiness brought on by the isolated seclusion that so typified the regime of previous manager, Fabio Capello, in South Africa two years ago. More importantly, on the pitch the players are perfuming better and the bitter memories of that loss to Germany in Rustenburg, nearly erased. Or will be if thus team progress against Italy. Against whom you have to be confident given the availability of their talisman Wayne Rooney. 

Undoubtedly the Manchester United striker gives the team something more in the attach and his energy will cause Italy fear. Or Chiellini may find costly given his eagerness to get overly physical. 

With Italy destined to try and control things in the middle, and hold the high line to play England attackers offside, it will fall to Gerrard and other runners to penetrate from deep. The willingness of the Italians to be niggly in the tackle will demand patience also, which Hodgson's men have gained this summer. The need also to control Cassano and De Natale will be vital for Scott Parker. Should Italian manager, Cesare Prandelli opt to play Balotelli, he will give England an advantage from the get go. 

The threat of Andréa Pirlo from the set piece remains the Italians best weapon in a tight game as the England back four - Johnson, Cole, Terry and Lescott - solid so far. However they will have so stay on their feet to deal with the onslaught and energy of the Italian forward to avoid conceding penalties. The experience of all the defenders at Champions League should ensure that happens. 

But it will be the freedom that Hodgson gives them, and his lack of fear of the Italian way, that should give the three lions the advantage for most of the game. However the frustration that Italy can cause has got the better of the world's bets footballers. None more so than Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final. 

This probably won't be any prettier than the previous quarterfinals this week and Italy could squeeze it on the night the longer the game goes on. 

But as Hodgson knows, fear of failure might be the one thing that halts the Italians. That fear of not meeting the expectations of the nation. 

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Italy v Republic of Ireland - Preview - Group C

Kevin Doyle has been restored to the starting line-up as the Republic of Ireland aim to salvage some pride in their final Group C game against Italy.

Giovanni Trapattoni's men are already eliminated from the European Championship, having lost their opening two games against Croatia and Spain respectively.

Italy must win if they are to have any hope for maintaining their challenge, but Trapattoni is not prepared to roll over for his homeland, naming his strongest possible side.

As expected, Simon Cox makes way for the return of Doyle, who was sacrificed against the Spaniards amid a failed tactical move from Trapattoni.

In a sentimental move, Damien Duff will captain the side at the expense of Robbie Keane to mark the Fulham winger's 100th appearance in a green shirt.

Shay Given keeps his place in goal, despite an indifferent tournament, while John O'Shea, Sean St Ledger, Stephen Ward and Richard Dunne complete the back four.

As ever, Duff and Aiden McGeady will operate the flanks in midfield, with Keith Andrews and Glenn Whelan in the centre.

Up front, Doyle reignites his partnership with Keane, who has this week reiterated his desire to continue with his international career after the Euros.

Meanwhile, a knee problem could force Mario Balotelli to miss out, with Udinese forward Antonio Di Natale waiting in line should the Manchester City striker fail to recover in time.

Boss Cesare Prandelli will be hoping for an improvement from his side, with successive 1-1 draws against Spain and Croatia leaving the Italians third in Group C.

Nothing less than a win will do, but the Azzurri may be forced to pile the pressure on the Republic, as goal difference could yet play its part should Croatia and Spain draw in the group's simultaneous fixture.