Italy took on Costa Rica in Recife in their second World Cup Group D match which ended in disaster for Cesare Prandelli as the Central Americans ran out 1-0 winners.
The game saw the Azzurri deploy a 4-1-4-1 formation to begin but ended in a desperate 4-2-4 as the Azzurri tried to salvage a result.
Bryan Ruiz hit the goal in the first half as the Italians failed to really get going and produced one of their worst performances in years.
Did we get our ratings right? Have your say in the comments below.
Gianluigi Buffon – 5 – Shaky
Flapped at one corner and didn’t ooze the confidence that normally gets passed on to the rest of the team. Not really at fault for the goal but failed to inspire his side as the team captain.
Ignazio Abate – 4.5 – Ineffective
No attacking threat and looked distinctly average from the first minute. Mattia De Sciglio is desperately needed to offer a better option at full back.
Matteo Darmian – 5 – Inexperienced
His lack of caps showed as the Torino defender was a shadow of the player that made the difference against England. No link up play on the left side with Marchisio which hurt Italy, though one decent strike in the second half went close.
Giorgio Chiellini – 4 – Shocking
Huge mistake in the first half that ended with him hauling down Joel Campbell in the box which should have been a penalty. Was slow and lumbering and lost Ruiz for the winning goal. Luis Suarez must be rubbing his hands in anticipation.
Andrea Barzagli – 5.5 – Adequate
The big Juventus centre back was the best man on the field. Did his job adequately especially given his injury concerns and was the only player worthy of the blue shirt.
Andrea Pirlo – 5 – Ineffective
Italy’s conductor was playing a different tune to the rest of his Azzurri team mates. Other than one exquisite ball, which Balotelli failed to convert, his passes were not finding their target. Stifled by both the heat and the Costa Ricans, the Juventus midfielder was just another poor player in blue.
Daniele De Rossi – 5 – Anonymous
Played his role as expected, but failed to make any impact on the match once Prandelli changed to a more attack-minded strategy. Gifted passes too easily and was very quiet for much of the game.
Thiago Motta – 5 – Inconspicuous
Replaced Marco Verratti and though didn’t do too much wrong, certainly did not do anything to suggest he is of international class. One decent long range chance which he hit wide and was unlucky to be sacrificed at half time for an awful Antonio Cassano.
Claudio Marchisio – 5 – Suffocated
Worked hard for little end product and was not the player we saw against England. No link up play with Darmian and failed to get on the end of any Pirlo passes. Still in an unfamiliar role playing on the left for Italy and found no space in which to make bursts into the box.
Antonio Candreva – 4.5 – Poor
The Lazio wide-man toiled but was unable to beat his man or deliver any telling contribution. Just as on the opposite side, no real link up with Abate and was easily dealt with by the Costa Rican midfield. No danger whatsoever and failed to give the Azzurri the width we know he can offer.
Mario Balotelli – 4 – Irresponsible
A harsh rating for the star of Italy’s World Cup so far, but when your top player performs in a distinctly amateur fashion there can be no excuses. Missed a simple lob to put Italy ahead in the first half and then found himself looking for fouls rather than goals. Some petulance in his attitude and huge step back in terms of quality.
Subs:
Antonio Cassano (45 mins) – 4
Lorenzo Insigne (57 mins) – 4
Alessio Cerci (69 mins) – 5
Cesare Prandelli – 5
It is difficult to fathom this Italy performance in terms of tactics. Prandelli operated the same style that conserved energy and won the match against England but this opponent was much more forceful in their pressing game and the five man back-line proved impenetrable.
His poorest decision on the night were the lack of impact from the substitutions. Antonio Cassano lost every single ball he touched, Lorenzo Insigne failed to change the game and only Alessio Cerci looking marginally more effective.
Perhaps some arrogance from the team, but this isn’t a trait of Prandelli so we can only assume it was a case of ‘second game syndrome’.
However, the real test is to come as such a poor performance will undoubtedly raise huge questions in his mind given the importance of the Uruguay match. His next team selection will be of great interest.
Follow Enzo on Twitter: @enzom_fif
