Group F Group Of Possibilities is made up of:

* Italy

* Slovakia

* Paraguay

* New Zealand

Welldone bro, but is that slovakia's flag? lol

-

[size=15pt]Italy[/size]

Confederation:
UEFA

Best World Cup Finish:
Winners (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)

Current FIFA Ranking:
5

Coach: Marcello Lippi

Previous Appearances: 16 (winner 1934, winner 1938, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, final 1970, 1974, 1978, winner 1982, 1986, third place 1990, final 1994, 1998, 2002, winner 2006)

Background

The current world champions don't need any special introduction. After Brazil, Italy are the most successful national team on the planet with four titles. They last conquered Germany in 2006 and surprised the media and the football world. After a disappointing showing at Euro 2008 and the Confederations Cup a year later, Italian fans don't believe that the new 'Lippi Boys' can triumph like four years ago, however this scepticism can become a lethal weapon for Italy.

How They Qualified

Italy qualified with a game to spare in Group 8 of the European qualifying zone. It wasn't exciting. The Italian team rarely played scintillating football during the qualification phase but they were undefeated nonetheless and Azzurri faithful are now looking to June.

Strengths

Marcello Lippi loves to speak about the group, the collective, the team. He doesn't like individualism, that's why cohesion is the most important Azzurri virtue. Like in 2006, if you remember. But Italy also have a solid defence led by Juventus trio Buffon, Cannavaro and Chiellini.

Weaknesses

Italy's biggest problem is in attack. The Azzurri lack a world class forward like Messi, Kaka or Torres. Gilardino, Iaquinta, and Di Natale are good players, but they don't seem to be decisive.

The Coach

Marcello Lippi is a winner. His honours list is as impressive as anyone in the world: from Serie A to Champions League, from Intercontinental Cup to World Cup, nothing is missing. He has clear ideas and precise principles that he doesn't betray even in front of popular uprisings. For this reason he's disliked by many Italian fans, despite Germany 2006,

Star Men

Gigi Buffon (Juventus)


He's back to being the best goalkeeper in the world after having spent some hard times with Juve in recent years. When Buffon is 100%, heis like a decisive playmaker or striker. He was one of the heroes of the Azzurri victory in Germany.

Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus)
Fabio Cannavaro is still the leader of the team, but the best Italian defender is Giorgio Chiellini. He has grown amazingly in the last few seasons and is a guaranteed starter for Italy and Juventus.

Andrea Pirlo (Milan)
If Pirlo plays well then his team plays well. The rule applies to Italy and AC Milan. Lippi has designed a new position on the field for the former Inter player, bringing him close to the strikers in the role of offensive playmaker. Will it be the decisive move for Azzurri ambitions?


Best Footballing Moment

The 1982 and 2006 triumphs were unforgettable. During Spain '82, the Azzurri defeated Argentina, Brazil and Germany, some of the best national teams in the world. Germany 2006 was a redemption after the Calciopoli scandal.


World Cup Objective

The world champions must fight to defend their crown, no excuses. An elimination before the semi-finals would be a complete failure.

Goal.com

***************************************************************************************


ITALY

Goal Keepers * 1 Gianluigi BUFFON* 12 Federico MARCHETTI* 14 Morgan DE SANCTIS

Defenders* 2 Christian MAGGIO* 3 Domenico CRISCITO * 4 Giorgio CHIELLINI * 5 Fabio CANNAVARO * 13 Salvatore BOCCHETTI * 19 Gianluca ZAMBROTTA* 23 Leonardo BONUCCI


Midfielders* 6 Daniele DE ROSSI* 7 Simone PEPE* 8 Gennaro GATTUSO* 15 Claudio MARCHISIO * 16 Mauro CAMORANESI * 17 Angelo PALOMBO * 21 Andrea PIRLO * 22 Riccardo MONTOLIVO


Forwards* 9 Vincenzo IAQUINTA * 10 Antonio DI NATALE* 11 Alberto GILARDINO* 18 Fabio QUAGLIARELLA * 20 Giampaolo PAZZINI

Italy always get easy groups

[size=15pt]Paraguay[/size]

Confederation:
CONMEBOL


Best World Cup Finish:
Second Round (1986, 1998, 2002)

Current FIFA Ranking:
31


Coach: Gerardo Martino.


Previous Appearances: 7 (1930, 1950, 1958, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006)

Background

This will be the eighth World Cup for la Albirroja, and the fourth in consecutive manner. In three of the last four Paraguay reached the first knockout round (Mexico 1986, Francia 1998 and Korea-Japan 2002). Paraguay have participated in 33 editions of the Copa America, and won the trophy twice, 1953 in Lima, Peru and 1979 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Another recent achievement was the Silver medal at the Athens Olympics of 2004.

How They Qualified

Paraguay qualified for South Africa one matchday before the end of the South American group stage's conclusion after beating Venezuela 2-1. The Albirroja, who were the best team in the first half of the group, ended up in a respectable third place, below Brazil and Chile but before Argentina and Uruguay.

One of the stars of qualifying, Salvador Cabanas, was tragically shot in January of this year. While the forward survived, he is still in recovery and will not travel to South Africa with the rest of the squad.

Strengths

Paraguay's historical main strengh is the defense, and today is no exception. The team conceded just 16 goals in 18 matches during WC qualification, the second best record of all. The counterattack is one of their main weapons, and they are extremelly dangerous in the aerial game. In addition, Paraguay comprises a brave team that likes challenges and plays better if the opposition is harder.

Weaknesses

One of the weaknesses is a lack of possession play. Paraguayans don't really like to have the ball: they feel more comfortable waiting and counterattacking. Teams who pass well, such as Spain, would have a field day.

The Coach

Argentine boss Gerardo Martino has imposed in the Paraguayan national team the same work ethic that made him such a succesful coach with local clubs Cerro Porteno and Libertad. He is from the school of Marcelo Bielsa, so he's a firm believer in tactics and strategy. Generally he goes with a 4-4-2, with 4-3-3 deployed on special occasions.

Star Men

Nelson Haedo Valdez (Borussia Dortmund)
Another threat in the Paraguayan attack zone. He is a different kind of forward when compared to Cabanas. He adds a lot more pace and bravery to fight for every ball. His speed, technique and great aerial power make him a real predator inside the box.

Cristian Riveros (Cruz Azul)
Riveros is the player with the main creative role in Paraguay's central line, but he's more like an all-around midfielder, as he is very generous and helps his mates with marking and pressing. Nevertheless, his main atributte is his technique and passing, and his job to create the chances for Cabanas and Haedo.


Best Footballing Moment

Paraguay's best moments are their Copa America victories. The first one was in 1953, in Lima, Peru, after beating Brazil 3-2 in the final match. The second was in 1979 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, beating Chile in the final, with a great generation of players, including Roberto Cabanas, Julio Cesar "Romerito", Roberto "Gato" Fernandez. The Gato, a skilled goalkeeper, later played in the 1986 World Cup.



World Cup Objective

The dream of every Paraguayan is that the team could reach the famous "fifth match" (quarter-finals). The Round of 16 has been as a wall in recent World Cups for Paraguay, and now it's time for La Albirroja to make a step forward.

Goal.com

******************************************************************************************

PARAGUAY

Goalkeepers * 1 Justo VILLAR* 12 Diego BARRETO * 22 Aldo BOBADILLA

Defenders * 2 Dario VERON * 3 Claudio MOREL * 4 Denis CANIZA * 5 Julio Cesar CACERES * 14 Paulo DA SILVA * 17 Aureliano TORRES * 21 Antolin ALCARAZ

Midfielders * 6 Carlos BONET * 8 Edgar BARRETO * 11 Jonathan SANTANA * 13 Enrique VERA * 15 Victor CACERES * 16 Cristian RIVEROS * 20 Nestor ORTIGOZA

Forwards * 7 Oscar CARDOZO * 9 Roque SANTA CRUZ * 10 Edgar BENITEZ * 18 Nelson VALDEZ * 19 Lucas BARRIOS * 23 Rodolfo GAMARRA

@muki

i don't think Paraguay and Slovakia will make this Group easy
and Italy has a knack for struggling in their group stages, although they always qualify

[size=15pt]Slovakia[/size]

Confederation:
UEFA


Best World Cup Finish:
Final (1934,1962)


Current FIFA Ranking:
34

Coach: [/b]Vladimir Weiss

[b]Previous Appearances: None


Background

Slovakia was a part of Czechoslovakia from 1918 until 1992. The Slovak players always featured for the Czechoslovakian national team. The Czech national team qualified for eight World Cups (1934 –2nd place, 1938, 1954, 1962-2nd place, 1970, 1982, 1990). The following Slovakian players were members of the squad in the 1962 World Cup in Chile: Schroif, Popluhar, Kvasnak, Adamec, Stibrani, Scherer.

The last World Cup that Czechoslovakia participated in was Italia '90. The team progressed to the quarter-finals and lost to eventual champions Germany 1-0. From the 17 national team players, eight were Slovakian : Kocian, Bielik, Kinier, Chovanec, Moravcik, Griga, Weiss, Luhovy. Slovakia turned into an independent Republic in 1993. This is their first World Cup participation as an independent nation.

How They Qualified

The Slovakians were not the favourites in their World Cup qualifying group but head coach Vladimir Weiss brought immediate success to the squad. His men played with self-confidence and won their first match of the campaign against Northern Ireland and then picked up a massive three points against Poland.

The key to their eventual qualification in Group 3 was the victory against the Czech Republic in Prague. Their second victory against Northern Ireland in Belfast was the most confident Slovakian performance.

The next match was at home against Slovenia and the encounter ended with disappointing loss for the Slovaks. They shook off that defeat and travelled to Chorzow, Poland where they took an early lead in the third minute and hung on to beat the Poles and punched their ticket to the World Cup in South Africa.

Strengths


Every member of the national team plays their club football outside of Slovakia in countries such as England, Germany, Netherlands and Russia. The pillar of the team's strength is in defence, led by the goalkeeper Jan Mucha and central defender Martin Skrtel (Liverpool). Slovakia are no slouches upfront either as they lead their group with the most goals scored. 

Weaknesses

It seems to be, that the most serious weakness of the Slovakian national team is the limited quantity of star players with top level international experience. If two or three of the squad's high end players were injured, then Weiss would struggle to replace them.

The Coach

Vladimir Weiss is one of the most respected and celebrated figures in Slovakian football He was born into a family with a rich football tradition. His father played for the Czechoslovakian national team. Weiss himself was also member of national team in Italia '90. His son – Vladimir Weiss Jr. also plays in the national team and plies his trade in England for Manchester City.

Star Men

Martin Skrtel (Liverpool, England)
He plays as a centre-back for Liverpool. He started his career for Slovakian outfit Trencin. He left the club for Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia. He turned into a solid defender and attracted the interest of a plethora of clubs and he decided to sign for Liverpool. He is fast and dominant in personal duels. He is good in the air and is a vital member of the Slovakian squad.

Marek Hamsik (Napoli, Italy)
Hamsik started his career with Slovan Bratislava. He transferred to the Italian outfit Brescia when he was 19-years old. At Napoli, he became one of the best midfielders in Serie A. He is technically gifted and plays well in big games.

Miroslav Karhan (Mainz, Germany)
The veteran has has earned 96 caps for the national team. He began his career with Spartak Trnava and then moved to Sevilla. He also played for Besiktas and Wolfsburg and now currently plies his trade for Mainz 05 as a tough-tackling midfielder.



Best Footballing Moment

The best footballing moment probably came in the 83rd minute of the qualifying game with Czech Republic in Prague. With the score deadlocked at 1-1, Erik Jendrisek scored after a great solo run to give Slovakia a herculean 2-1 victory. This was Slovakia's first against Czech Republic in their capital.


World Cup Objective

The expectations of Slovakian soccer fans are rather modest. Getting out of the group stage will be a huge success.

Goal.com

**********************************************************************************

SLOVAKIA

Goalkeepers * 1 Jan MUCHA * 12 Dusan PERNIS * 23 Dusan KUCIAK

Defenders * 2 Peter PEKARIK * 3 Martin SKRTEL * 4 Marek CECH * 5 Radoslav ZABAVNIK * 16 Jan DURICA * 21 Kornel SALATA * 22 Martin PETRAS

Midfielders* 6 Zdenko STRBA * 7 Vladimir WEISS* 8 Jan KOZAK* 10 Marek SAPARA * 15 Miroslav STOCH* 17 Marek HAMSIK * 19 Juraj KUCKA* 20 Kamil KOPUNEK

Forwards* 9 Stanislav SESTAK* 11 Robert VITTEK * 13 Filip HOLOSKO * 14 Martin JAKUBKO * 18 Erik JENDRISEK

[size=15pt]New Zealand[/size]


Confederation:
OFC (Oceania)


Best World Cup Finish:
First Round (1982)

Current FIFA Ranking:
78

Coach: Ricki Herbert


Previous Appearances: 1 (1982)

Background

Football is not as popular as rugby or cricket in this geographically isolated island nation of 4.3 million people. That is why it is remarkable that 2010 will not be New Zealand’s first World Cup appearance. The All Whites, as the team is known (to distinguish them from rugby’s All Blacks), were there once before, in 1982. After an arduous 90,000-kilometre journey that took the team all over Asia and Oceania, New Zealand qualified for the finals in Spain. New Zealand lost their matches against Scotland, Soviet Union and Brazil, but by that stage history had already been made.

How They Qualified

When compared to the 1982 campaign, the journey to South Africa was relatively straightforward. After winning the Oceania group, New Zealand met Bahrain, Asia’s fifth placed team, in a two leg, do-or-die play-off series. New Zealand prevailed 1-0 over their West Asian opponents.

Strengths

New Zealand is a physically strong team with a good work ethic. The average height in the squad for the last match against Bahrain was just under 185 cm. New Zealand will be dangerous at set-pieces and will not be easily out-muscled by their opponents. The fact that this will be the first winter World Cup since 1978 will probably suit New Zealand’s playing style.

Weaknesses

There is no hiding the fact that New Zealand will not be the most technically gifted team at the finals. Lack of regular competitive international fixtures may also affect performances of the team as a whole. Finally, there is a noticeable lack of depth in the squad. 

The Coach

Ricki Herbert, a former defender, was part of the All Whites team that qualified for the 1982 World Cup. He played in all three matches and went on to become one of New Zealand’s most capped players. Herbert has outwardly an understated manner which masks a person who is deeply passionate about the game - as his animated response to the teams qualification clearly demonstrated. Herbert also coaches the Wellington Phoenix side in the Australian A-League. 

Star Men

Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers, England)
New Zealand’s captain brings a lot of top-class experience to the team. He is a true leader and has a calming and motivating influence on players around him. Playing at the heart of the defence, a lot rests on his shoulder and he may have a very busy World Cup.   

Chris Killen (Celtic, Scotland)
The former Manchester City and Hibernian striker is another player with big match experience. He is not playing as often as he would like at Celtic but there is no doubt that he can get the job done when given the opportunity. Scored two morale boosting goals in the 4-3 loss to Italy earlier in the year. 

Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand)
New Zealand’s most creative player. If he can be shut down, New Zealand’s strikers will be largely cut off from the action.


Best Footballing Moment

Needing to beat Saudi Arabia in Riyadh by at least five goals to stay in the hunt for a spot at the 1982 World Cup finals, New Zealand did just that. Remarkably, after going into a 5-0 half-time lead, the All Whites failed to score further goals that would have given them automatic qualification. Instead, a play-off against China was needed.


World Cup Objective

New Zealand would have to get extremely fortunate in the draw to entrain any hopes of making the second round. Realistically, if points are taken off one or two teams then this will be deemed a great World Cup.

Goal.com

******************************************************************

NEW ZEALAND

Goalkeepers
* 1 Mark PASTON * 12 Glen MOSS * 23 James BANNATYNE

Defenders
* 2 Ben SIGMUND* 3 Tony LOCHHEAD* 4 Winston REID* 5 Ivan VICELICH* 6 Ryan NELSEN* 18 Andy BOYENS* 19 Tommy SMITH

Midfielders* 7 Simon ELLIOTT * 8 Tim BROWN * 11 Leo BERTOS * 13 Andy BARRON * 15 Michael McGLINCHEY * 16 Aaron CLAPHAM * 17 Dave MULLIGAN * 21 Jeremy CHRISTIE

Forwards * 9 Shane SMELTZ * 10 Chris KILLEN * 14 Rory FALLON * 20 Chris WOOD * 22 Jeremy BROCKIE

Pts P W D L GF GA

ITALY               

N. ZEALAND   

PARAGUAY       

SLOVAKIA       


Italy - Paraguay --- 6/14/10

N. Zealand - Slovakia --- 6/15/10

Slovakia - Paraguay --- 6/20/10

Italy - N. Zealand --- 6/20/10

Paraguay - N. Zealand --- 6/24/10

Slovakia - Italy --- 6/24/10

nice work mykali.

Italy: Italy are the reigning champions and will want nothing more than retaining the trophy they won four years ago in Germany. Marcelo Lippi returned to the side after series of poor display including an early exit at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland under Roberto Donadoni. They equally had a poor outing at the Confederations Cup in South Africa losing to Egypt and Brazil. Italy has an array of stars and still retains a number of the victorious side in Germany. They are one of the favourites for the trophy.

[center]TEAM LIST[/center]

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli), Federico Marchetti (Cagliari)

Defenders: Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), Leonardo Bonucci (Bari), Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Gianluca Zambrotta (Milan);

Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Gennaro Gattuso (Milan), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Simone Pepe (Udinese), Andrea Pirlo (Milan);

Strikers: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Juventus), Giampaolo Pazzini (Sampdoria), Fabio Quagliarella (Napoli).


Paraguay: Paraguay were impressive en route to the world cup with victories over Argentina and Brazil and finished third in the South American qualifiers. They have made the last 16 in two of the last three world cups and have a fair chance of making it through. They have a decent side  and with the likes of Oscar Cardozo who has been incredible this season for Benfica, scoring 36 goals in 42 games and Lucas Barrios who was equally prolific for Borussia Dortmund scoring 18 times in the Bundesliga this season, you can be sure that finding the back of the net wont be a difficult task for the Paraguayans.

[center]TEAM LIST[/center]

Goalkeepers: Justo Villar (Real Valladolid), Aldo Bobadilla (Independiente Medellin), Diego Barreto (Cerro Porteno)

Defenders: Denis Caniza (Leon), Paulo Da Silva (Sunderland), Claudio Morel (Boca Juniors), Julio Cesar Caceres (Atletico Mineiro), Carlos Bonet (Olimpia), Dario Veron (Pumas UNAM), Aureliano Torres (San Lorenzo), Antolin Alcaraz (Wigan Athletic)

Midfielders: Edgar Barreto (Atalanta), Cristian Riveros (Sunderland), Jonathan Santana (VfL Wolfsburg), Victor Caceres (Libertad), Enrique Vera (LDU Quito), Nestor Ortigoza (Argentinos Juniors)

Forwards: Roque Santa Cruz (Manchester City), Nelson Haedo Valdez, Lucas Barrios (both Borussia Dortmund), Oscar Cardozo (Benfica), Edgar Benitez (Pachuca), Rodolfo Gamarra (Libertad)

Slovakia : Slovakia will be playing in their fist world cup as an independent nation. They finished top of the group which also had Czech Republic and Slovenia. he Slovaks are captained by Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik, the outstanding player in the side by a distance. Fit-again Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel provides steel at the back, while new Everton keeper Jan Mucha was inspired in qualifying, and with New Zealand and Paraguay in their group, the knockout stages are a possibility.

[center]TEAM LIST[/center]

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).

New Zealand: On paper they appear to be the whipping boys of the group.  his will be New Zealand's first world cup since 1982. They qualified via the back door after a 1-0 aggregate win over Bahrain in the Asia/Oceania playoffs. With victory over Serbia and a 1-2 loss to Australia in a recent warm up match, you might want to have a rethink of the Kiwis chances.

[center]TEAM LIST[/center]

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), Jeremy Brockie (Newcastle Jets), Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Jeremy Christie (Tampa Bay Rowdies), Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United), Simon Elliott (unattached), Michael McGlinchey (Central Coast Mariners), David Mulligan (unattached)

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

@medjai
thanx bro . . .

Italy lost 1-2 to Mexico in a warm up game for SA 2010. Mexico's goals came from Carlos Vela and Alberto Medina while Italy pulled one back through Christian Bonucci

New Zealand will today take on Slovenia as part of its preparations for the world cup. The match will be played by 8:45 PM
Slovakia will square up against Costa Rica tomorrow by 5:00 PM

Don't be surprised to see Italy not make the round of 16.

I wont be surprised at all. This group truly is a group of possibilities. Apart from New Zealand every other team has a good chance of making it through. Paraguay have the best attack in this group with Oscar Cardozo who has been on fire this season, banging in goals endlessly, 36 in 42 games for Benfica and Lucas Barrios has also done well for Dortmund. He was third highest goal scorer in the Bundesliga. They also have Cristian Riveros who just transfered to Sunderland. He's an excellent midfielder.
I think Slovakia has enough quality to make through the next round. Marek Hamsik is one of the most wanted midfielders in Europe and Chelsea in particular have been constantly linked with him. He's a very good goal scorer and if he turns up then Slovakia must be feared. They also have Miroslav Stoch, on loan from Chelsea at Twente. He had a wonderful season and was instrumental in their Eredivisie win. There's Skrtel too who is always solid at the back. I think the star game in this group will be Par vs Slov

Apart from Di Natele and Alberto Gilardino the rest of the Azzuri's attackers have had a rather horrendous season. Vicenzo Iaquinta and the entire Juve team have been exceptionally poor. Giampaolo Pazzini and Quagliarella have been average. Di Natele was the highest goal scorer in the Serie A with 28 goals, but he finds it hard to replicate his club form for country, scoring just 5 goals in over 30 appearances. The Azzuri's might goals hard to come by but will rely on an experienced midfield with Andrea Pirlo, Genarro Gattuso, Mauro Camoranesi and Daniele De Rossi, who was exceptional with Roma. Their strong point will as usual be the defence. The defence is a blend of experience with the likes of Cannavaro, Giorgio Chiellini, Gianluca Zambrotta and youth in Domenico Criscito and Leornadi Bonnuci. They have the superman, Gianluigi Buffon, in between the sticks but he isnt quite the Buffon we used to know and has had a poor season with Juve. Qualification wont come easy for the Azzuri's here.

[size=20pt]SQUAD LISTS . . .[/size]

ITALY

Goal Keepers

  * 1 Gianluigi BUFFON
  * 12 Federico MARCHETTI
  * 14 Morgan DE SANCTIS

Defenders

    * 2 Christian MAGGIO
    * 3 Domenico CRISCITO
    * 4 Giorgio CHIELLINI
    * 5 Fabio CANNAVARO
    * 13 Salvatore BOCCHETTI
    * 19 Gianluca ZAMBROTTA
    * 23 Leonardo BONUCCI


Midfielders

    * 6 Daniele DE ROSSI
    * 7 Simone PEPE
    * 8 Gennaro GATTUSO
    * 15 Claudio MARCHISIO
    * 16 Mauro CAMORANESI
    * 17 Angelo PALOMBO
    * 21 Andrea PIRLO
    * 22 Riccardo MONTOLIVO


Forwards

    * 9 Vincenzo IAQUINTA
    * 10 Antonio DI NATALE
    * 11 Alberto GILARDINO
    * 18 Fabio QUAGLIARELLA
    * 20 Giampaolo PAZZINI

******************************************************************

PARAGUAY

Goalkeepers

    * 1 Justo VILLAR
    * 12 Diego BARRETO
    * 22 Aldo BOBADILLA

Defenders

    * 2 Dario VERON
    * 3 Claudio MOREL
    * 4 Denis CANIZA
    * 5 Julio Cesar CACERES
    * 14 Paulo DA SILVA
    * 17 Aureliano TORRES
    * 21 Antolin ALCARAZ

Midfielders

    * 6 Carlos BONET
    * 8 Edgar BARRETO
    * 11 Jonathan SANTANA
    * 13 Enrique VERA
    * 15 Victor CACERES
    * 16 Cristian RIVEROS
    * 20 Nestor ORTIGOZA

Forwards

    * 7 Oscar CARDOZO
    * 9 Roque SANTA CRUZ
    * 10 Edgar BENITEZ
    * 18 Nelson VALDEZ
    * 19 Lucas BARRIOS
    * 23 Rodolfo GAMARRA

******************************************************************

SLOVAKIA

Goalkeepers

* 1 Jan MUCHA
* 12 Dusan PERNIS
* 23 Dusan KUCIAK

Defenders

* 2 Peter PEKARIK
* 3 Martin SKRTEL
* 4 Marek CECH
* 5 Radoslav ZABAVNIK
* 16 Jan DURICA
* 21 Kornel SALATA
* 22 Martin PETRAS

Midfielders

* 6 Zdenko STRBA
* 7 Vladimir WEISS
* 8 Jan KOZAK
* 10 Marek SAPARA
* 15 Miroslav STOCH
* 17 Marek HAMSIK
* 19 Juraj KUCKA
* 20 Kamil KOPUNEK

Forwards

* 9 Stanislav SESTAK
* 11 Robert VITTEK
* 13 Filip HOLOSKO
* 14 Martin JAKUBKO
* 18 Erik JENDRISEK

******************************************************************

NEW ZEALAND

Goalkeepers

* 1 Mark PASTON
* 12 Glen MOSS
* 23 James BANNATYNE

Defenders

* 2 Ben SIGMUND
* 3 Tony LOCHHEAD
* 4 Winston REID
* 5 Ivan VICELICH
* 6 Ryan NELSEN
* 18 Andy BOYENS
* 19 Tommy SMITH

Midfielders

* 7 Simon ELLIOTT
* 8 Tim BROWN
* 11 Leo BERTOS
* 13 Andy BARRON
* 15 Michael McGLINCHEY
* 16 Aaron CLAPHAM
* 17 Dave MULLIGAN
* 21 Jeremy CHRISTIE

Forwards

* 9 Shane SMELTZ
* 10 Chris KILLEN
* 14 Rory FALLON
* 20 Chris WOOD
* 22 Jeremy BROCKIE

Italy play maker Andrea Pirlo has emerged as a doubt for world cup finals having returned home after sustaining a calf injury
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/team/_/162/italy?cc=3888&ver=global

Fabio Quagliarella believes Italy will arrive in South Africa "in the best possible condition" for their FIFA World Cup™ defence.

Gli Azzurri's underwhelming preparations for the FIFA World Cup were concluded with a 1-1 draw against fellow finalists Switzerland yesterday. That result followed a 2-1 loss to Mexico in Italy's only other warm-up match.

Coach Marcello Lippi has elected to focus the squad's efforts on altitude training rather than match sharpness in the build-up to the tournament and Napoli striker Quagliarella believes little should be read into recent results.

"The coach asked us to put in a good performance in the final game before we travel to South Africa and I think we did that," said Quagliarella, whose strike cancelled out Gokhan Inler's opener for the Swiss in last night's stalemate. "It is normal that against Mexico we suffered a little from fatigue given it was our first test since the end of the season."

He added to RaiSport: "The bottom line is that we arrive at the tournament in the best possible condition and who knows where we can go from there. Let's not forget we are still the current world champions."

Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino was delighted with his team's first training session after their arrival in South Africa.

The team landed in Pietermartizburg after a long journey from their training base in Switzerland yesterday before undergoing a light training session.

Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo, who has been suffering with an ankle injury, was able to train fully with his team-mates, and Martino was upbeat.

"We prepared thoroughly", he said. "We will be in excellent condition for our first match."

Paraguay are in Group F alongside Italy, New Zealand and Slovakia.

Martin Skrtel is tonight breathing a sigh of relief after learning an ankle injury will not keep him out of the FIFA World Cup™.

The Liverpool defender limped out of Slovakia's 3-0 friendly win over Costa Rica after only 16 minutes today and was then taken to hospital for scans. But Skrtel has been told he needs only a few days' rest before he returns.

"It is not too bad, it is just a gash," said Skrtel. "I think that in a few days it will be okay."

And Skrtel was also encouraged by his team-mates' efforts as they brushed Costa Rica aside.

"I saw the second half," he added. "I think we will have delighted the fans. We wanted to win this match to put ourselves in a good place before the World Cup. We managed that.

"Perhaps the only negative is my injury, because to go off after quarter of an hour is not nice."

Slovakia striker Stanislav Sestak believes low expectations around his side could work in their favour at the FIFA World Cup™.

Slovakia are contesting the tournament for the first time as an independent nation after surprisingly topping their qualification group but few pundits expect them to make waves in South Africa.

And VfL Bochum forward Sestak is happy for that to be the case. He told bundesliga.de: "We have nothing to lose. The fact we are participating is already a big achievement, so now we can play freely.

"However, our main goal is to get through the group stage. We want to reach the second round. Italy are obviously the big favourites to win the group, but the game against Paraguay will be close and we reckon we can beat New Zealand too."

Italy Coach Marcello Lippi: All My Men Are Great Players


Italy restored some pride following their embarrassing midweek defeat to Mexico with a well fought draw with Switzerland this evening. After receiving some encouraging signs from what appeared to be a second-string starting XI, coach Marcello Lippi praised the value of his group.

“These are all great players,” he declared to RaiSport.

“There is no such thing as an ‘Italy two’. We are a united unit and whoever I choose to start has an equal right to represent the nation by wearing the Azzurri shirt.

“My men I chose this evening had the benefit of three extra days rest and that was evident in the performance tonight.”

The coach was then probed on his views regarding Rino Gattuso who rolled back the years with a spirited performance in the middle of the park.

“We all know what Rino is capable of. He never holds back and can still provide a great contribution to this group.”

[size=18pt]
Pirlo injury a concern for Italy[/size]


Influential Italy midfielder Andrea Pirlo is facing a race against time to prove his fitness for Italy's FIFA World Cup™ defence after suffering a calf injury in yesterday's friendly defeat to Mexico.

Pirlo has been ruled out of the Azzurri's final warm-up match against Switzerland in Geneva tomorrow after picking up the injury that could rule him out for up to three weeks.

''Pirlo's injury is something that worries me but fortunately there's time.''
says Italy's team doctor

Italy team doctor Enrico Castellacci admitted the injury was a concern to the medical team but was prepared to give the 31-year-old every opportunity to feature in South Africa.

"Pirlo's injury is something that worries me but fortunately there's time," Castellacci told Sky Italia. "Every physique reacts in a different way, and Pirlo will be monitored day by day."

Pirlo will travel with the rest of the squad to South Africa following tomorrow's game against the Swiss, but might be unavailable for the Azzurri's opening game against Paraguay on 14 June.

FIFA.com

Slovenia yesterday defeated New Zealand 3-1. Novakovic opened scoring for Slovenia before Fallon equalised for the Kiwis. Novakovic then added a second before Kirm added the third just before half time.

I would expect Italy and Paraguay to go through.

Slovakia beat Costa Rica 3-0

Italy played a 1-1 draw with Switzerland. Ilner opened scoring for Switzerland before Fabio Quagliarella levelled for the Azurri's.

I Thought i heard somewhere that Cardozo is injured?

^^^You are very right. Paraguay's Oscar Cardozo has been ruled out through injury. This will be a big blow for Paraguay
http://www.goal.com/en/news/1863/world-cup-2010/2010/06/03/1956526/world-cup-2010-paraguay-striker-oscar-cardozo-will-be-ruled