PRETORIA // In Group F, the F stands for feisty. Its members are on the edge. Vladimir Weiss, the Slovakia head coach, has been overheard inviting a critical compatriot journalist to continue a rugged exchange of views in physical combat. The New Zealanders, with two more points in their locker than most forecasters thought possible, are showing symptoms of vertigo as they approach their match with table-topping Paraguay.
And Italy, well ... Italy are a little irritable. Marcello Lippi, their head coach, has not yet pulled a Weiss challenge on any of the reporters whose questions are getting on his nerves. But then it would hard to do so in the environment where he works with his critics. Italy usually receive the media here in the Casa Azzurri, a Pretoria venue set up to promote the fine things in Italian life, a dolce vita antidote to the sterility of the football Lippi's team have so far exhibited.
Fine cheeses are on display at Casa Azzurri, picturesque holiday destinations in the peninsula and its islands are shown off in photographs and brochures. The mood darkens when Lippi rehearses answers he has been giving for several months. "No," he replies to his inquisitors, he is not persuaded that he made some bad selections in the squad he chose to defend the World Cup. But he also gives himself the right to respond to that question further after the tournament.
"It's too early to make a judgement like that," Lippi told the assembled press at Casa Azzurri after overseeing the 1-1 draws against Paraguay and New Zealand. What Lippi does elaborate on is the theme he maintained ahead of the World Cup, that there is a shortage of young talent from which he could select, and that Italy suffered by comparison with other nations, in their pool of creative footballers.
"You can be sure that if there was a supernatural talent out there, I would have brought him," Lippi said. "All of the coaches here dream of picking a player who can make all the difference on his own." The difference is that the coach of, say, New Zealand, who took the lead against the Italians, albeit with a marginally offside goal, has to look in vain for that man in a low-key local league, in the lower divisions of English football, in the Australian A-League and the US Major League Soccer.
Lippi has Serie A in which to pan. Conscious that his comments on his team's mediocre performance level so far may have made him sound defeatist, Lippi added: "What I still don't understand is why we are not playing better. We are not matching the talent we have as a team. "And I remain absolutely sure I have with me a very, very strong squad." He is easily drawn to precedents, not just of 2006, when Italy made a winning start to a tournament they would go on to triumph in, but rather to 1982, when the Italians won their third World Cup after a dull group phase.
Asked if he paid attention to the fact that another draw against Slovakia tonight might be enough to see his side into the next round - if Paraguay beat New Zealand - he said: "I work on the principle that we need to win to go through. A draw might be enough but for a country like us, it would not be a good thing to progress with three points. "Even if the 1982 world champions [Italy] started with three draws. Nobody here is ready to go home, and there is a lot of desire among all of us."
On the lacklustre form of Alberto Gilardino, his centre-forward, Lippi made another comparison with 28 years ago. "Do you remember Paolo Rossi?," he asked. "He hardly touched the ball in the group phase. ut the coach then, Enzo Bearzot, kept him in the side and he took off, finishing highest scorer in the World Cup. I hope I'll find a Rossi." More literally, Lippi hopes he will soon re-find Andrea Pirlo.
The midfielder, injured last month, has practised with the rest of the squad and may have a part to play, although probably not from the kick-off, against Slovakia. "I hope I can field him," Lippi said, "but don't expect one footballer to push us through and then win us the World Cup. It's a team game." sports@thenational.ae
Paraguay (4 points, +2 goal difference) Need only draw with New Zealand to go through and even a defeat could be enough if Italy fail to beat Slovakia. New Zealand (2 points, 0 goals) The New Zealanders need to beat Paraguay to be sure of making the last 16 Italy (2 points 0 goals) Marcello Lippi's side would qualify with a win and a third successive draw would also be fine as long as Paraguay beat New Zealand. Slovakia (1 point, -2 goals) Slovakia must beat Italy though even that may not be enough if New Zealand beat Paraguay
