Random Rants: World Cup Blog

U.S. must not forget about applying defense to Pirlo.

Andrea Pirlo is yet another weapon in Italy's potent arsenal. -- AC Milan web site photo --

By Chris Courtney
SoccerTimes

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany (Friday, June 16, 2006) -- Following its 3-0 opening loss to the Czech Republic, the United States men face another one of the world's top teams Saturday with a do-or-die match against Italy.

In Italy, the U.S. faces yet another formidable midfield, serving one of the World Cup's top strikers in Fiorentina's Luca Toni. While many focus on the goal scoring talents of Toni and Alberto Gilardino, or the wizardry of Francesco Totti, the quiet leader of the Azzurri is AC Milan's Andrea Pirlo.

The 26 year-old started his career as a creative playmaker with a solid reputation until AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti moved him into a deeper role, just in front of the back line. The role fit him like a glove and, since then, he has grown into one of the best midfielders in the world.

Pirlo is a calming influence in front of the defense and has developed into one of the best free-kick artists in the game. He claims to have modeled his set-piece style on former Brazil international Juninho, preferring to strike the valve of the ball, thus placing more movement on the ball as he seeks to dip it over the defensive wall.

Pirlo is comfortable working in tight spaces and threads superb long passes to wherever a teammate prefers it -- at his feet or into space. When possession is lost, he battles hard to regain it and quickly sprays the ball just about anywhere, seeming to have eyes on all sides of his head. Also, much like Czech ace Tomas Rosicky, Pirlo does not hesitate to take the long-distance shot when he sees the opportunity.

Perhaps the highest praise Pirlo has received of late came when Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said he would like to have Pirlo on his squad. It appears he is not the only one impressed with the Milan maestro. "There is one person in (Italy coach Marcello) Lippi's setup who many of my players consider as an equal and that man is Pirlo," Parreira said. The Brazilian players even went as far as to compare him to Dunga, captain of their nation's 1994 World Cup winner.

As Champions League play demonstrated, Pirlo can be contained, provided he is not given much space in midfield. As Frank Rijkaard's Barcelona side showed, taking an aggressive and sometimes physical approach with Pirlo can prevent him from doing too much damage. If the Americans spend too much time focusing on Totti, Toni and Gilardino -- and let Pirlo run free -- he likely will make them regret it.

Despite the recent fuss in Italy over the Serie A match-fixing scandal, the Azzurri seem more focused than ever. If anything, being away from Italy and their clubs has allowed the players to put distance on their problems and focus on the task at hand.

Chris Courtney is SoccerTimes European correspondent and lives in Brussels. He is in Germany covering the World Cup.