re: Germany/Italy Match Thread (2 p.m. on ESPN2)

Zaza's run up was ridiculous, but Pelle's was the absolute worst...

Lol

Holy shite

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Piscinin

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I refuse to type this every time. He gets a short name. Pissy?

I don't get the time wasting. Italy had about a lil under a minute left with the ball down on the German end. Go win the fricking game.

finally their chicken shite cost them.

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I'm more convinced after watching this tourney that Giovinco was not chosen not because he wasn't good enough but because he didnt fit how Conte planned to play. He knew what Italy was and how he needed to play. It almost worked.

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You're absolutely right about Conte wanting to stick with the 3-5-2 and preferring forwards that fit the system best.


However, I really disagree about that necessarily affecting Giovinco.


What you're explaining is less why Giovinco didn't make the team because he did choose a number of attacking players that didn't really fit the 3-5-2 any better than Giovinco.

It explains why Conte left the most creative forward Italy had available, Lorenzo Insigne on the bench along with the most in-from stiker, El Sharaawy and the dynamic young winger Bernadeschi.

These players are way ahead of Giovinco and even if Conte had been choosing the roster to fit a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, some players like Franco Vazquez, Manolo Gabbiadini and Dominico Berardi could have been chosen over Giovinco as well.


Giovinco has had multiple chances over the years to impress with the Italian NT but has always struggled a bit against elite defenders just like he usually did against the top of the table sides in Serie A.

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dk dude when I do see some of those guys you mentioned as well as others like Pelle they never show me anything that makes me think they are way better than Giovinco.

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I agree with you completely about Italy's options at #9 like Pelle, Immobile and Zaza not being world beaters.

However, Giovinco isn't competing with any of these three players anymore than he's competing with defensive midfielders for a spot on the team.

These are #9 type strikers that are going to be competing with other #9s for a spot unless the plan is to run something like Spalletti's 4-6-0.


The player that is actually quite similar to Giovinco is Insigne: small, fast, explosive dribbler and very creative passer but not much defending his position.

Insigne, not Giovinco, is the one Italian fans who follow closely really thought may warrant a change of formation to get on the pitch more because, like Giovinco, he doesn't fit in the 3-5-2.

Insine is really much better than Giovinco by almost any measure (production in Serie A, how good he's looked for the NT against top level competition, actually being chosen by managers and also being a star on a top team).


Like you say, if Conte had planned to go 4-2-3-1 then you could see Giovinco making the team.

However, even then, he'd have certainly been behind Insigne and almost certainly Franco Vasquez as well (who also didn't make the cut) for playing time.