WORLD CUP:Italy v Costa Rica

Italy v Costa Rica (kick-off, 5pm)
Good afternoon: Shall we discount the
England equation from this match between
Group D’s two undefeated sides until the
result is confirmed shortly before 7pm UK
time? I think we should because no side has
ever qualified for the next round having lost
both group games before, Italy have not won
all three of their group games since Italia 90
and, frankly, England do not deserve to go
through. For all the green shoots of promise
in the front four plus Jordan Henderson and
Ross Barkley, their defending has been
hopelessly, negligently, incompetent.
So let us not wallow in disappointment or
beguile ourselves with false hope. Even if
Italy win tonight, why would anyone think
England could keep a clean sheet on
Tuesday?
Instead, let us enjoy the marvellous Andrea
Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi, Claudio Marchisio
and Antonio Candreva, let us be thrilled by
Mario Balotelli and Joel Campbell while
monitoring the confidence and growing verve
of Christian Bolanos and Celso Borges.
These two have met only once before in the
build-up to the 1994 World Cup where Italy
finished runners-up. Here’s Beppe Signori
scoring the only goal.
Just as Robert Baggio was the man for
opponents to fear in 1994, so Pirlo is today.
The Costa Rica manager Jorge Pinto said: “It
is true I worry about [Andrea] Pirlo. I have
been studying him since 2006, because in my
opinion he has been the best player since
then. We have to block him because he is the
player who thinks best in Italy.”
“Thinks best”. That’s a perfect description.
And while we wait shall we wallow in (sorry
Robbie Smyth) Pirlorotica?