By: COLIN REESE
Against England, in Italy’s first game of the 2014 World Cup, Cesare Prandelli fielded an Italian side without three center backs, and this tactical choice allowed Italy to win the midfield battle without losing anything defensively.
England under Roy Hodgson fielded one of its best sides in memory, and while England posed a real attacking threat and scored a goal, Italy’s defensive problems were with the selection of Gabriel Paletta and not with the formation or tactics.
With a complete midfielder like Daniele De Rossi of Roma being something of a defensive midfielder virtuoso, there is no need to use the three-man defensive system used by Juventus and often by Italy; the gap between two center backs is plugged by De Rossi, and this allows one less defender to be used, so that more midfielders can be started.
This is precisely what Italy did against England in their first game and win of the 2014 World Cup, and the defensive problems were primarily with the unwise choice of starting Paletta as the left center back.
Prandelli had the option of fielding a Back Four comprised of Ignazio Abate, Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini, and Matteo Darmian, and this would have allowed Chiellini to play as a center back, which is the defensive position where he plays his best. In fact, Chiellini should be on anyone’s short list of the top center backs in the world.
Paletta is a talented defender, but too often he was beaten with speed or found giving away possession near the top of the box.
Barzagli and Chiellini are a much better and more proven center back pairing – not to mention the fact that Leonardo Bonucci of Juventus was also available.
Bonucci is considered by many to be a center back that performs much better in three-man defense, which basically consists of three center backs lined up right, left, and center, but Bonucci certainly has more experience and skill than Paletta to play as a center back in a four-man defense.
Despite the problems with the Italian defense, Italy’s midfield put on a clinic of passing, team defense, and overall skill against England. England played well, but the Italian midfield comprised of Daniele De Rossi, Andrea Pirlo, Antonio Candreva, Marco Verratti, and Claudio Marchisio would have been too much for anyone.
In addition to running non-stop, every one of Italy’s midfielders can receive and release the ball quickly, show for the ball or move into space, play incisive and inventive passes, tackle and defend, and attack and score; one-footed players don’t play for Italy.
Armed with an apex predator of Mario Balotelli’s natural ability and athleticism as the lone striker, Italy’s five-man midfield is stocked full of world-class two-way midfielders that no team in the tournament can match.
Using five midfielders that are all gifted passes maximizes Balotelli’s talent. Balotelli is often described as an athletic and powerful striker, but Balotelli is an artist and a prodigy.
Balotelli’s close range chip that was on its way into the net before a last second header from under the cross bar saved a certain goal was so ridiculous, audacious, and skillful that only a few players in the entire tournament could have executed it – even trying it requires a certain level of healthy but total disrespect for your opponents. Being able to chip a ball that high with defenders so close without the ball sailing over the cross bar is not something that many players can do against World Cup competition.
Balotelli’s full arsenal of skills, tricks, and physical gifts make the five-man midfield more essential for Italy because it allows Balotelli to receive not only quality service but a steady stream of it. All of Italy’s midfielders can play final passes and dangerous balls for Balotelli.
Italy’s new formation is a real threat to Brazil in this World Cup because it helps Balotelli, makes Italy harder to break down with passes, and it gives Italy more weapons.
Brazil’s XI is outstanding (as are the substitutes), but Brazil is not only a balanced mixture of defenders and players making up the Front Six, but also attack-minded and slightly more defensive-minded midfielders.
Italy’s midfield is just a tsunami of complete midfielders that make it close to impossible for opponents to win the battle of the midfield or break through the center.
Whereas in the last few years Italy often used three center backs, two wing backs, three midfielders, and a first and second striker, the Nazionale is now willing to use the more common four-man defense with De Rossi as the defensive midfielder providing that extra protection for the center backs. This allows Italy to possess the ball, defend, and attack, which makes Italy’s midfield more difficult to outplay or even contain.
Against Italy, England used electric attackers like Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck, and Raheem Sterling along with a slightly older but highly-skilled and still reasonably fast attacker in Wayne Rooney, and this allowed England to break down Italy’s makeshift back four.
As soon as Italy fixes the Back Four (which Prandelli did not need to start), the vulnerability on the flakes will be gone, but since Candreva and Marchisio provided defensive help out wide anyway, the use of Abate and Darmian (or Mattia De Sciglio whenever he recovers from injury) will take away the one weakness Italy had.
Italy was so good that, even without Gigi Buffon in goal, Salvatore Sirigu was exceptional, just as everyone expected him to be. With Barzagli, Chiellini, and De Rossi covering the center of the defense, even attacks out wide will likely be shut down as soon as Barzagli, Chiellini, and De Rossi provide coverage when the outside backs are beaten.
The World Cup is just as much Italy’s to lose as it is Brazil’s. With Buffon or Sirigu in goal along with the defenders, midfielders, and striker discussed above, Italy is a scary opponent.
Gli Azzurri also have Antonio Cassano, Alessio Cerci, Ciro Immobile, Thiago Motta, and Lorenzo Insigne to set loose on their opponents.
Given how well Andrea Pirlo played for 90 minutes at 35 years old in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest and given how Mario Balotelli scored and performed well in his first World Cup game, Italy’s two players that skeptics like to target either because of age or perceived immaturity both proved to be more than up to the task of delivering in this World Cup.
It was only one game, but Italy is definitely one of the favorites to win the 2014 World Cup.
Italy’s Front Six comprised of De Rossi, Pirlo, Candreva, Verratti, Marchisio, and Balotelli is every bit as good as Brazil’s Front Six of Luiz Gustavo, Paulinho, Hulk/Willian, Oscar, Neymar, and Fred.