re: Ives is hearing Klinsmann is the guy

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I'd take him all day over Bradley, but if a guy is going to rely on Gilardino and Iaqunita (who were not his workhorses in 2006) over Rossi, I have a hard time seeing him run out a line-up with Mix, Brek Shea, Mwanga (after Obama expedites his citizenship application), etc.

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The point is coaches tend to stick to what is familiar. It's not just about Rossi, it's about the veteran team in general.

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I think this can be explained by Judas playing in Spain and not Italy.

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Perhaps. Lippi took one less striker in 10 than he did in 06. Iaquinta is a versatile player who can play wide if needed. Gilardino has scored ten goals in 7 out of the last 8 league seasons, and is criminally underrated. Rossi should have gone, but he didn't go at the expense of either player, who weren't that old when they went. Di Natale was also a player coming off a 29 goal season in Serie A.

I'd argue that Lippi's mistake was including too many players with less than 10 caps, as he had 7. In comparison, he had 8 players from his WC winning squad. In addition, that team was built around Pirlo, a very specific type of playmaker who got injured.

There was space for Rossi, sure, but his exclusion doesn't tell the whole story about the team that was picked.

I know he's a massive headcase, but Cassano should have been on that roster instead of one of the Juventus holdovers.

I reported the Klinsmann scoop before all these false prophets