World Champions kick off

Having gone a good portion of the South American qualifying campaign as leaders, Paraguay come into this World Cup with their best squad ever. I couldn’t find a lot of confidence going into the Group F opener. We decided to stay in to watch this one, so we ordered food (they deliver everything here), Joey and I threw on our Azzurri shirts and we sat in front of the box to enjoy what was an entertaining match. I should have probably gone with the clan to the pub as I had to endure a few disturbances throughout. Matt and Nathan complained about the Cape Town weather, Aaron kept insisting that he feels no love for his father’s home country, and Musky was still going on about the formation Australia played the night prior.
For all the possession in the first half, we really had nothing to show for it and it was the Paraguayans who went ahead. Even at half time however, I still felt that we were playing well enough to mount a come back. It was my man De Rossi who was able to latch on to a loose ball in the box and equalise to get us back on track.
The game against Paraguay looks on paper as the toughest in the group so we should qualify easily for the second round. As perennial slow starters I can’t be disappointed with that effort. I do still feel that Iaquinta is a liability and I would have Quagliarella or Pazzini ahead of him in the starting line up. What’s pleasing is that Lippi has options. Hopefully the Buffon injury isn’t too serious. Forza Italia!