De Rossi extends stay with AS Roma

July 2, 2008

ROME (SW) - Daniele De Rossi and AS Roma have come to a new agreement, which ties the midfielder to the Italian side for another four seasons.

Club and player had been certain of completing the deal without particular troubles all along.

Financially, De Rossi could have done worse as his salary will increase to no less than 8.1 million Euros a year in the last two seasons.

De Rossi, born in 1983, became an official AS Roma player in 2002, and has server no other team since.

The player represented the Italian national team at the 2006 World Cup and this year’s European Championships.

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Written by admin · Filed Under Italian Serie A, Players

Minute by Minute: Spain - Italy

June 23, 2008

Iker Casillas VIENNA (SW) - The fourth of the quarter finals promises to be one of the most exciting ones with Spain facing reigning world champions Italy. SoccerWay keeps you up to date.

Final score: 0-0 AET
Spain win 4-2 on penalties
More match information: Here.

Feel free to register or log in and start using the ‘discuss’ option below to give your opinion on this match!

Cesc Fabregas - ESP: GOAL (4-2)! He sends Buffon the wrong way and Spain are through to the semi-finals!

Antonio Di Natale - ITA: SAVE! Almost identical to the shot by Güiza, and Casillas is there to stop it. Goal for Spain wins it.

Daniel Güiza - ESP: SAVE! The youngster hits it low to his right, but Buffon is there.

Mauro Camoranesi - ITA: GOAL (3-2)

Marcos Senna - ESP: GOAL (3-1)

Daniele De Rossi - ITA: SAVE! He goes right and Casillas is down low to knock it away. Nice job by the keeper.

Santi Cazorla - ESP: GOAL (2-1)

Fabio Grosso - ITAL: GOAL (1-1)

David Villa - ESP: GOAL (1-0)

Spain to go first.

ET FULL-TIME: Nothing in extra time. Let’s go to the spot to decide it. Buffon saved a penalty against Romania, and it proved to be the moment that helped them into the quarter-finals. Should get underway in a few minutes. Keep it right here for more updates.

Minute 120: Best chance of the period. Cazorla takes a shot at the far post from the left side of hte area. He never saw Villa at the backpost. And there goes the whistle.

Minute 118: Long-range effort again, this time for Spain and Güiza and it too is nowhere near the target.

Minute 118: Speculative effort from 35 yards by Di Natale never gets off the ground. Goal kick for Spain.

Minute 117: Silva slides it forward into space, but no one was near it and Buffon gathers.

Minute 115: Güiza tries to squeeze his way through the area, but once again the Italian defense is there to thwart his run.

Minute 114: Di Natale decides to go down after a seemingly harmless clash, and play is stopped. It’s happened numerous times tonight, and the governing bodies should come up with a uniform policy to handle how to decide when to stop play. It’s badly affected the flow of the match.

Minute 113: Cazorla goes into the book for dissent after thinking he had won a corner.

Minute 111: Villa is played throw into the area by Silva, but he touches just too far in front of him, and Buffon is able to play it for a corner. The set piece comes onto the head of Ramos, but it’s wide.

Minute 108: Aquilani is taken off in Italy’s final switch with veteran striker Alessandro Del Piero making an appearance. This could be a switch looking toward the penalty shootout that is looming.

Minute 108: The left-footed effort of Grosso goes begging, and the flag was up in any event for offside.

Minute 107: Here comes a potentially good chance for Italy. Ramos with a dangerous tackle on Camoranesi on the edge of the left side of the area.

Minute 106: Fandel blows the whistle to start it back up.

HALF-TIME: They’ll switch ends and do it again. If it’s still nodded after 15 more minutes, it’s to penalties we’ll go.

Minute 105: Free kick for Fabregas on the right touchline is cleared. Whistle blows for half-time.

Minute 104: Güiza fires with Chiellini right in front of him, but all he can do is drag it wide. Chiellini did well to give him a small target to shoot out.

Minute 102: Senna is down after he caught Camoranesi coming through on a challenge. He’s receiving treatment. Remember, Spain have made all three changes and would have to play with 10 men should someone go off injured. But Senna is now walking off and he should be back on fine in a bit.

Minute 99: The Italian defense cuts out a run by Fabregas nicely. As soon as a red shirt gets into the area, he’s surrounded by three or four white shirts.

Minute 96: The corner is put back in, and Spain clear it back out for another corner. The effort from the left side by De Rossi is headed over the top by Toni.

Minute 95: Grosso’s low cross in for Toni is pushed away nicely by Marchena. Shortly after, Di Natale heads a cross from the left that forces Casillas into a fingertip save. Corner to the Azzurri.

Minute 93: Wow. So close for Spain. Güiza nods it down Fabregas, whose shot is blocked, but it comes back to Silva who rifles one wide of the near post.

Minute 92: Early free kick for Spain from 25 yards away, right of center. Silva takes it with his left boot and it goes out with a lot of bodies going down in the center.

ET Kickoff: Underway for more action!

FULL-TIME: And for the third time in as many nights at Euro 2008, the quarter-finals are headed to extra time. 30 minutes more, and perhaps penalties after that. Stay tuned.

Minute 90+3: Cross in for Villa has to be cleared for a corner. Last gasp here for Spain and it’s cleared away.

Minute 90: Three minutes to be added on.

Minute 87: Villa’s cross finds the substitute Güiza in the area, but he inexplicably handles it.

Minute 85: Torres is replaced by Daniel Güiza. Last switch for Spain.

Minute 83: Di Natale’s flick into the box finds Toni, who attempts an outrageous overhead shot. He didn’t see Grosso coming in right behind him.

Minute 82: Cross by Zambrotta looks for Toni, but he can’t get up to get his head to it.

Minute 81: Buffon is fortunate, indeed. Shot by Senna is fumbled by the keeper and it rolls back onto the post. If the woodwork isn’t there, Buffon might be credited with a horrible mistake.

Minute 80: Senna hits a free kick on target and Buffon chooses to just knock it away.

Minute 78: Overhead flick by Sergio Ramos falls into the hands of Buffon right on the goal line. Easy take for the Italian keeper.

Minute 74: Second switch for Italy with Cassano being replaced by Antonio Di Natale.

Minute 72: Villa goes down in the area, and this time he’s booked for a dive.

Minute 70: Zambrotta puts in a cross for the head of Toni, who snuck in between two defenders, but it was a tough chance that goes begging.

Minute 70: On the corner, Fabregas’ outswinger goes for naught.

Minute 69: Spain have a free kick now from about 30 yards away in the dead center of the pitch, and Villa’s effort goes off the wall and over the goal for a corner.

Minute 67: Free kick from Camoranesi on the right goes clear over everyone and out for a goal kick.

Minute 65: Effort from distance by Alberto Aquilani skids wide of the goal.

Minute 61: Scramble in the six-yard box almost leads to the goal for Italy. Toni jumped to head a loose ball, but it fell to Camoranesi, whose shot is saved by the feet of a desperate Casillas.

Minute 60: At the same time, Xavi is withdrawn for Cesc Fabregas.

Minute 59: And now Spain make a switch with Iniesta’s night ending. Santi Cazorla is the man who takes his place.

Minute 59: Corner kick by Xavi is punched away by Buffon as far as Silva, whose drive is off the mark.

Minute 58: First substitution of the match is for Italy as Mauro Camoranesi replaces Perrotta.

Minute 55: Torres shrugs off the challenge of Panucci to win the ball near the byline, but his cross is blocked out. He could have taken a crack at goal. Corner to Spain, but nothing comes of it.

Minute 49: An attempted clearance by Christian Panucci is knocked down by Silva, but as he tried to play it onto his better foot, Giorgio Chiellini is there to stop the chance.

Minute 48: Iniesta has space to run into the area, but a poor touch plays the ball onto his hand and play is whistled dead.

Minute 46: Back underway with no changes made for either team.

HALF-TIME: Some half chances for both sides, but nothing in terms of goals, not all too surprising given the style of play for both of these sides. As previously mentioned, one goal could decide this one.

Minute 44: A one-two between Villa and Iniesta leads to a shot for the latter, but all he can do is put it wide.

Minute 42: Silva goes down outside the area, but Fandel says he dove. However, he fails to book him for diving. Fans on both sides not pleased with his decisions thus far.

Minute 40: A free kick and corner kick for Italy don’t create anything.

Minute 38: Much better buildup from Spain. Torres breaks through on the left and has a shot blocked in the area. It then comes back to Silva whose shot is just past the far post.

Minute 36: Best chance so far for Italy. Cassano crosses in from the left onto the head of Toni, but the striker’s goalbound header hits off the shoulder of Carlos Marchena, who frankly didn’t know much about it.

Minute 35: Iniesta with a thunderous drive from distance, but it rises high all the time.

Minute 33: Xavi fires a shot that is deflected out for a corner. It comes to nothing as a foul is whistled.

Minute 32: Silva takes a crack at goal from outside the area, but his shot is saved low by Buffon.

Minute 31: Ambrosini goes down in the book for a studs-up challenge on Senna.

Minute 30: We’ve reached the half-hour with only a couple of half chances to mark the game. It’s the style of game that one goal could decide.

Minute 24: De Rossi fells Villa 25 yards out to set up a Spanish free kick and Villa’s low drive is well saved by Buffon to his left.

Minute 22: Gianluca Zambrotta’s cross from the right falls in the area with no one there to get on the end. Ambrosini then plays it in from the left looking for Luca Toni, but it’s out of his reach.

Minute 19: First chance of the game comes to Italy as Ambrosini puts it into the box from the left, but Simone Perrotta’s header is straight down and into the hands of Casillas.

Minute 16: Torres goes down in the area under the challenge of Ambrosini, but it was clean.

Minute 11: And Fandel wastes no more time using his book for Andrés Iniesta’s challenge on Grosso.

Minute 10: Torres comes in from behind on Cassano and the Spanish striker gets a stern talking-to from Fandel, but no booking. He’s likely on a short least now.

Minute 9: Attempted cross by David Silva is deflected into the air for Gianluigi Buffon to take. Fernando Torres was lurking in the six-yard box.

Minute 7: Free kick for Italy from 32 yards on the left swung in by Daniele De Rossi, but it’s strong and into the arms of Iker Casillas.

Minute 5: Italy on the break with Fabio Grosso on the left, but striker David Villa tackles it away and out for throw-in to Spain. Nice play by the forward.

Minute 3: Antonio Cassano is hauled down on a challenge by Marcos Senna as the teams battle in midfield.

Kickoff: We’re underway in Vienna!

Pre-Match: Germany’s Herbert Fandel is the referee tonight, assisted by Carsten Kadach and Volker Wezel. The fourth official is Belgium’s Frank de Bleeckere.

Pre-Match: Anthems going now. Italy’s “Inno di Mameli” first, followed by “Marcha Real” for Spain.

Pre-Match: Spain are the last hope for group winners in this tournament with Portugal, Croatia and the Netherlands all bowing out. Luis Aragonés will use the same squad that beat Sweden in the second group game, undoing the 10 changes he made against Greece.

Pre-Match: Massimo Ambrosini and Alberto Aquilani replace Gattuso and Pirlo respectively, otherwise Roberto Donadoni makes no changes to the side that beat France.

Pre-match: Spain will want to change history today, having failed to beat the Italians in a competitive match in more than eighty years. But Italy in turn, will be decided to make up for a rather shaky group phase. They’ll have to do so without the suspended Gattuso and Pirlo.

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Written by admin · Filed Under Euro 2008

2008-06-22 - Spain v Italy

June 22, 2008

Euro 2008 2008-06-22 - Spain v Italy Sports Betting Preview by Gooner
Spain vs Italy UEFA Euro 2008 - Quarter-Final Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna Sunday 22nd June 2008 - KO 19:45 The final quarter-final at UEFA EURO 2008 brings together two former winners in Spain and Italy, both of them bidding to add to their one and only success on the European stage. For Spain it is an opportunity to make the last four for the first time since 1984 while Italy are bidding for their second semi-final in three EURO tournaments. SPAIN Spanish fans would have been disappointed to see the final results from Group C meant that they had to face the Italians, as for all the Spanish bravado and boasting about their team, the Azzurri are the one European side that Spain worry about at competitive games. (see h2h below). Spain are in good form, that is clear, as they are on a runk of nine straight international wins and seven competitive match wins. Victory will see them break their record for longest winning streak which stands at nine - and last time that streak was ended by .. Italy. WEIRD FACT : Spain have been knocked out of major tournaments on three occasions on 22nd June, all three occasions after a penalty shoot-out. Spain went out against Belgium at the 1986 World Cup, England at Euro 96 and South Korea at the 2002 World Cup. ITALY Italy have not been very impressive at all during group play, heavily beaten by the Dutch 0-3, and then only claiming a 1-1 draw with Romania thanks to a penalty save by Gigi Buffon which gave the Azzurri a lifeline. It was a better performance against France winning 2-0, albeit a very disappoint France, but once again Luca Toni looked less than lethal, and it was a pair of goals from a free-kick and the penalty spot that won the game. The loss of midfielders Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo will affect Italy’s shape here, although it must be said that neither player has been living up to his reputation so far. A GOOD OMEN? : The last two reigning world champions from Europe went on to the final of the next European Championship. After winning the World Cup in 1990 Germany finished runners-up in 1992 and 1998 World Cup Champions France also won Euro 2000. HEAD TO HEAD Spain and Italy have played each other on 27 previous occasions. Spain have won eight, Italy nine and there have been 10 draws. In competitive matches, Spain have been less successful winning just one out of nine. Italy have won five times and there have been three draws. Spain though have not lost to Italy in their last four encounters since a 2-1 defeat in the 1994 World Cup quarter-finals, managing two wins and two draws in 4 friendly encounters. The most recent fixture came in Elche in March 2008, when Villa’s goal with 12 minutes remaining secured a 1-0 win for Spain. TEAM NEWS Spain coach Luis Aragones still says that he has not decided on his line-up yet but he is likely to stick to his first-choice side after having fielded his reserves in the 2-1 win over Greece. Aragones gave a strong indication to what his preferred starting line-up is when Spain trained on Friday - playing the XI in the first two games against the rest of the squad on Friday. Italy midfielders Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo are both suspended for this match after picking up two bookings. Alberto Aquilani and Massimo Ambrosini will probably come in while Daniele De Rossi and Simone Perrotta may also start. THE VERDICT The form line suggest Spain should win this match, while history, omens and that wobbly Spanish record suggest that Italy could provide some sort of upset. Italy do have the belief about them to win this game, but considering what I’ve seen on the pitch so far, I feel that the 2.60 price on Spain to win is a price not to be turned down. The Pick : Spain 2-1 Italy PERCENTAGE ESTIMATE : Spain 42% - Draw 30% - Italy 28% FIXED ODDS BETTING : I’ll go with SPAIN to finally get over their Italian hoodoo in competitive games. This is their best chance of doing it.

Euro 2008

2008-06-22 - Spain v Italy

Sports Betting Preview by Gooner

Spain vs Italy
UEFA Euro 2008 - Quarter-Final
Ernst Happel Stadion, Vienna
Sunday 22nd June 2008 - KO 19:45
The final quarter-final at UEFA EURO 2008 brings together two former winners in Spain and Italy, both of them bidding to add to their one and only success on the European stage.

For Spain it is an opportunity to make the last four for the first time since 1984 while Italy are bidding for their second semi-final in three EURO tournaments.

SPAIN

Spanish fans would have been disappointed to see the final results from Group C meant that they had to face the Italians, as for all the Spanish bravado and boasting about their team, the Azzurri are the one European side that Spain worry about at competitive games. (see h2h below).

Spain are in good form, that is clear, as they are on a runk of nine straight international wins and seven competitive match wins.

Victory will see them break their record for longest winning streak which stands at nine - and last time that streak was ended by .. Italy.

WEIRD FACT :
Spain have been knocked out of major tournaments on three occasions on 22nd June, all three occasions after a penalty shoot-out. Spain went out against Belgium at the 1986 World Cup, England at Euro 96 and South Korea at the 2002 World Cup.

ITALY

Italy have not been very impressive at all during group play, heavily beaten by the Dutch 0-3, and then only claiming a 1-1 draw with Romania thanks to a penalty save by Gigi Buffon which gave the Azzurri a lifeline.

It was a better performance against France winning 2-0, albeit a very disappoint France, but once again Luca Toni looked less than lethal, and it was a pair of goals from a free-kick and the penalty spot that won the game.

The loss of midfielders Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo will affect Italy’s shape here, although it must be said that neither player has been living up to his reputation so far.

A GOOD OMEN? :
The last two reigning world champions from Europe went on to the final of the next European Championship.

After winning the World Cup in 1990 Germany finished runners-up in 1992 and 1998 World Cup Champions France also won Euro 2000.

HEAD TO HEAD

Spain and Italy have played each other on 27 previous occasions. Spain have won eight, Italy nine and there have been 10 draws.

In competitive matches, Spain have been less successful winning just one out of nine. Italy have won five times and there have been three draws.

Spain though have not lost to Italy in their last four encounters since a 2-1 defeat in the 1994 World Cup quarter-finals, managing two wins and two draws in 4 friendly encounters.

The most recent fixture came in Elche in March 2008, when Villa’s goal with 12 minutes remaining secured a 1-0 win for Spain.

TEAM NEWS

Spain coach Luis Aragones still says that he has not decided on his line-up yet but he is likely to stick to his first-choice side after having fielded his reserves in the 2-1 win over Greece.

Aragones gave a strong indication to what his preferred starting line-up is when Spain trained on Friday - playing the XI in the first two games against the rest of the squad on Friday.

Italy midfielders Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo are both suspended for this match after picking up two bookings.

Alberto Aquilani and Massimo Ambrosini will probably come in while Daniele De Rossi and Simone Perrotta may also start.

THE VERDICT

The form line suggest Spain should win this match, while history, omens and that wobbly Spanish record suggest that Italy could provide some sort of upset.

Italy do have the belief about them to win this game, but considering what I’ve seen on the pitch so far, I feel that the 2.60 price on Spain to win is a price not to be turned down.

The Pick :

Spain 2-1 Italy

PERCENTAGE ESTIMATE :

Spain 42% - Draw 30% - Italy 28%

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

I’ll go with SPAIN to finally get over their Italian hoodoo in competitive games. This is their best chance of doing it.

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Written by admin · Filed Under Preview and Prediction

France 0-2 Italy & Netherlands 2-0 Romania

June 18, 2008

Rossi Celebration

Italy clinched a quarter-final meeting with Spain as they sent France crashing out of Euro 2008 with a deserved win.

France had a nightmare evening, losing key man Franck Ribery to a serious injury after only seven minutes.

Eric Abidal was then sent off after 25 minutes for fouling Luca Toni to give away a penalty, scored by Andrea Pirlo.

Thierry Henry then deflected in Daniele De Rossi’s 30-yard free-kick after 62 minutes, with Italy going through after the Netherlands beat Romania.

Raymond Domenech’s side carried all the appearance of a spent force and their display will now surely herald a changing of the guard for a group of players that has enjoyed so much success.

Italy, in contrast, celebrated their recovery from an opening defeat against the Dutch to move into the last eight - although they will lose influential midfield pair Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso through suspension.

Coach Roberto Donadoni was under huge pressure before the game, but the world champions delivered when it mattered and can now go forward with renewed optimism.

Italy dominated what was a calamitous first 45 minutes for France - and it was only the wayward finishing of Luca Toni that kept the scoreline respectable.

Toni set the tone for his display after only three minutes when he collected a long ball but pulled his shot hopelessly wide.

France needed all their big guns firing, and they suffered a desperate blow after seven minutes when key man Ribery collapsed as he challenged Gianluca Zambrotta and was stretchered off in agony.

Samir Nasri, a transfer target for Arsenal, came on as substitute but his evening was also short-lived as Italy continued to create opportunities at will.

Claude Makelele had smuggled Christian Panucci’s header off the line before Italy deservedly went ahead after 25 minutes following another dreadful moment for France.

Abidal hauled down Toni as he raced in on goal, leaving referee Lubos Michel with no alternative other than to produce the red card.

Pirlo hammered home the spot-kick - and the unfortunate figure of Nasri was then hauled off as former Newcastle flop Jean-Alain Boumsong was introduced in a defensive re-shuffle.

An astonishing passage of play followed, with Italy carving out a succession of chances that were all wasted by Toni.

Toni was off target when well placed three times in the space of just two minutes, as France threatened to collapse under the weight of Italian pressure.

France finally had a half-chance after 33 minutes, but Henry pulled his finish across goal from Jeremy Toulalan’s pass.

Italy ended the half in the ascendancy, with France keeper Gregory Coupet superbly turning Fabio Grosso’s free-kick on to an upright.

France finally gathered their forces after the break, with Henry twice forcing Gianluigi Buffon into saves, albeit comfortable ones.

Hopes of a French revival were snuffed out after 62 minutes when De Rossi’s 30-yard free-kick was deflected past Coupet by the outstretched foot of Henry.

Buffon had hardly been extended, but he produced a brilliant diving save from Karim Benzema’s curling long-range shot.

Toni rounded off his night in typical fashion, crashing an opportunity against the outside of a post, but Italy’s fans had been celebrating their triumph long before the final whistle.

____________________________________________________________________________________
France: Coupet, Clerc, Gallas, Abidal, Evra, Govou (Anelka 66), Toulalan, Makelele, Ribery (Nasri 10), Benzema, Henry, Nasri (Boumsong 26).
Subs Not Used: Mandanda, Frey, Vieira, Malouda, Thuram, Squillaci, Gomis, Sagnol, Diarra.

Sent Off: Abidal (24).

Booked: Evra, Govou, Boumsong, Henry.

Italy: Buffon, Zambrotta, Panucci, Chiellini, Grosso, Pirlo (Ambrosini 55), De Rossi, Gattuso (Aquilani 82), Toni, Perrotta (Camoranesi 64), Cassano.
Subs Not Used: Amelia, De Sanctis, Gamberini, Barzagli, Del Piero, Di Natale, Borriello, Quagliarella, Materazzi.

Booked: Chiellini, Pirlo, Gattuso.

Goals: Pirlo 25 pen, De Rossi 62.

Att: 25,000

Ref: Lubos Michel (Slovakia).

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Written by admin · Filed Under Euro 2008

Italy Euro 2008 Squad

May 29, 2008

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni has named his 23-man squad and Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo has been cut from Italy’s Euro 2008 squad.

Montolivo, who has one cap, had been expected to be the unlucky player having been a surprise pick in the initial squad. Udinese striker Fabio Quagliarella and AS Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani were the other likely contenders.

The world champions face Belgium in a friendly in Florence on Friday ahead of their Euro 2008 Group C matches against the Netherlands, Romania and France.

Italy Euro 2008 Squad

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Marco Amelia (Livorno), Morgan De Sanctis (Sevilla)

Defenders: Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid), Marco Materazzi (Inter Milan), Christian Panucci (AS Roma), Andrea Barzagli (Palermo), Gianluca Zambrotta (Barcelona), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Fabio Grosso (Lyon)

Midfielders: Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Massimo Ambrosini (AC Milan), Daniele De Rossi (AS Roma), Simone Perrotta (AS Roma), Alberto Aquilani (AS Roma), Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus)

Forwards: Luca Toni (Bayern Munich), Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus), Antonio Di Natale (Udinese), Marco Borriello (Genoa), Fabio Quagliarella (Udinese), Antonio Cassano (Sampdoria, on loan from Real Madrid)