By Anna Italia


                                     ITALY - Spain          
    Buy Italy - Spain Tickets, Wednesday August 10, 2011, San Nicola Stadium, Bari, Italy

Italy - Spain, without a doubt, it's a gala football friendly game.    Italy four times World Cup champions with all the pedigree and historical football achievements.  Spain, the revelation, a one time World Cup winner in 2010, and arguably, currently,  the national team playing best football. 

Objective for the friendly to be ready for the return of the EURO 2012 Qualification.  Currently, Italy and Spain lead their respective EURO 2012 Qualification Groups.  Italy leads Group C with 16 points while Spain leads Group I with 15 points.  Last FIFA World Ranking have Spain in first place with 1,588 points while Italy in the 8th position with 1,059 points.  I am ready for this match rooting 100% for our Italian National team, are you?


      

Buy Estonia vs. Italy Tickets Saturday September 3 2011 Italy - Euro 2012 Qualifying Tickets Italy National Soccer team Estonia National Football team Buy Italy vs. Slovenia Tickets Tuesday September  6 2011 Italy - Euro 2012 Qualifying Tickets Italy National Soccer Team Slovenia National Football team Buy Serbia vs. Italy Tickets Friday October 7 2011 Italy - Euro 2012 Qualifying Tickets Italy National Football team Serbia National Football team Buy Italy vs. Northern Ireland Tickets Tuesday October 11 2011 - Euro 2012 Qualifying Tickets Tuesday October 11 2011 Italy - Euro 2012 Qualifying Tickets Italy National Football team Northern Ireland National Football team Here are some Music, Chants to support the Azzurri! -  Italian National Anthem "L'Inno di Mameli" Sung by the Italian National Soccer Team and Italian fans  -  Support our Italian National Team with our chant PO PO PO PO PO PO PO!! -  Chi Non Salta Un Francese E', E'... play the video and sing along for the Azzurri -  Motivate our 23 Italian Players to be like ROCKY with the music of "EYE OF THE TIGER"  Buy Italy Jerseys Online, Italia National team Shirts, Italy gear, Italy Puma Home Shirt, Italy Puma Away Jersey, Forza Azzurri, Forza Italia

You might think this is only a friendly game and nothing is at risk.  Well, let me tell you: WRONG.   Sure, on paper, nothing is at risk neither a qualification or a title.   However, it is a game between two giants and Italy wanting to make their comeback playing again top football to clean their poor image in the 2010 World Cup eliminated in the first round while Spain won the World Cup that year.   It's a game for prestige, for honor. 

Last time Italy and Spain played  were in the UEFA Euro 2008 Quarterfinals defining the match in penalties.  Spain 4 - 2 Italy.   In this game, written for the records, it was the first time for Spain to defeat Italy in 88 years.  A defeat not easy to forget for Italian football fans, like me, and you bet neither the Italian National team forgets it. 
That was the first time I ever saw beloved Italian midfielder "Sleepy Prince" Andrea Pirlo cried so much that I still have that image clearly recorded in my mind.   Hence, it will be a time to put things in order....

It's a match where we will see face to face again the two goalkeepers considered as best:  Italy Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and Spain Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas. 

Oh gosh, I will be glued to the screen pouring out my heart for the Azzurri. 

Battle in the attack with David Vila and Fernando Torres versus our Italian guys Giampaolo Pazzini and Giuseppe Rossi.  Though, seems Prandelli will opt for Antonio Cassano in the line up. 

Casano will find his ex Real Madrid teammates including goalkeeper Iker Casillas.  Cassano played for Real Madrid from 2006 to 2008 making 19 appearances and scoring 2 goals.  

My top 3 players for Italy: goalkeeper Buffon, defender Chiellini, and forward Pazzini.

My top 3 players for Spain: goalkeeper Casillas, midfielder Iniesta, and forward Villa.


Here are the 24 official called up players by Italy Head Coach Cesare Prandelli:

Goalkeepers: Gigi Buffon (Juventus), Morgan De Sanctis (Napoli) Salvatore Sirigu (Paris St. Germain);

Defenders:  Federico  Balzaretti (Palermo), Bonucci (Juventus)  Mattia Cassani (Palermo), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Criscito (Zenit St. Pietroburgo), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Ogbonna (Torino), Andrea Ranocchia (Inter);

Midfielders:  Alberto Aquilani (Liverpool), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Motta Thiago (Inter), Antonio Nocerino (Palermo), Angelo Palombo (Sampdoria), Andrea Pirlo (Juventus);

Forwards:  Mario Balotelli (Manchester City), Antonio Cassano (Milan), Sebastian Giovinco (Parma), Giampaolo Pazzini (Inter), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal).


Here is the list of SPAIN called up players by Spain Head Coach Del Bosque:

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Reina (Liverpool/ING) & Víctor Valdés (Barcelona).

Defenders: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Álvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Raúl Albiol (Real Madrid), Gerard Piqué (Barcelona) & Andoni Iraola (Athletic).

Midfielders: Thiago (Barcelona), Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Santiago Cazorla (Málaga), Xavi Hernández (Barcelona), Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona), Javi Martínez (Ath. Bilbao).

Forwards: David Silva (Manchester City), Fernando Llorente (Ath. Bilbao), Juan Mata (Valencia), Pedro Rodríguez (Barcelona), David Villa (Barcelona), Fernando Torres (Chelsea FC) & Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla)


 
Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon


Italy and Spain are both playing for the EURO 2012 Qualification.  So, you can bet that they will test their tactics, formations.  

ASphoto (FIGC archive)

Here is the Italian National Football team lineup in the game Ukraine 0 - 2 Italy on Tuesday March 29 2011.

 Join me guys to keep the Italian Flag waving with honor, Forza Italia!!!!!!!!!




Here are some Statistics for Italy - Spain. 
 

FIFA World Cup Victories
Italy		Spain
Winner (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006) Runners-Up (1970, 1994) Third (1990) Fourth (1978)		Winner (2010) Fourth (1950)

FIFA Coca Cola World Ranking  July 27, 2011

1	Spain	1588	0		-283
2	Netherlands	1542	0		-119
3	Germany	1305	0		-112
4	Brazil	1202	1		72
5	Uruguay	1156	13		247
6	England	1146	-2		0
7	Portugal	1076	0		30
8	Italy	1059	-2		0

FIFA Ranking Detail time range summary - From Aug 1993 To Aug 2011

Team	Highest	Lowest	Average Ranking
Italy	Nov 1993 - 1	Oct 2010 - 16	7.182
Spain	Jul 2008 - 1	Mar 1998 - 25	5.345

Italy	Head-to-Head	Spain
7	Win	7
10	Draw	10
27	Goals Scored	24

	Current EURO 2012 Standing Group C Up to August 7, 2011	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
1	Italy	6	5	1	0	14	1	13	16
2	Slovenia	7	3	2	2	9	4	5	11
3	Serbia	6	2	2	2	8	9	-1	8
4	Estonia	7	2	1	4	7	11	-4	7
5	Northern Ireland	5	1	3	1	3	3	0	6
6	Faroe Islands	7	1	1	5	5	18	-13	4

Source: Uefa.com

	Current EURO 2012 Standing Group I Up to August 7, 2011	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
1	Spain	5	5	0	0	15	5	10	15
2	Czech Republic	5	3	0	2	6	3	3	9
3	Scotland	4	1	1	2	4	5	-1	4
4	Lithuania	5	1	1	3	3	8	-5	4
5	Liechtenstein	5	1	0	4	3	10	-7	3

Source: Uefa.com


Italy Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon
January 28, 1978

Record at FIFA Tournaments

Tournaments	Editions	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Y	2YC	R
FIFA World Cup™ Final	2002, 2006, 2010	12	6	4	2	0	7	0	0	0
FIFA U-17 World Cup Final	1993	3	0	1	2	0	6	1	0	0
FIFA Confederations Cup	2009	3	1	0	2	0	4	0	0	0
FIFA World Cup™ Qualifier	1998, 2002, 2006, 2010	18	13	4	1	0	10	0	0	0

Source: Fifa.com
 

Spain Goalkeeper Iker Casillas
Born May 20, 1981

Record at FIFA Tournaments

Tournaments	Editions	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Y	2YC	R
FIFA World Cup™ Final	2002, 2006, 2010	15	11	2	2	0	10	0	0	0
FIFA U-20 World Cup Final	1999	2	1	1	0	0	2	0	0	0
FIFA U-17 World Cup Final	1997	5	4	0	1	0	6	1	0	0
FIFA Confederations Cup	2009	4	3	0	1	0	4	0	0	0
FIFA Club World Cup	2000	3	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
FIFA World Cup™ Qualifier	2002, 2006, 2010	26	19	7	0	0	11	0	0	0

Source:  Fifa.com

Related Stories:

- RESULT International Friendly: SPAIN 1 - 0 ITALY with a Superb GOLAZO from David Villa After a Terrible Mistake from Cannavaro, March 26, 2008

-  UEFA EURO 2008 ResultsQuarterfinals: SPAIN 4 - 2 ITALY Cesc Fabregas was the MATADORkilling the Italian Bull with his penalty! Watch the video.


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