Defending champions Italy, who had a less-than-impressive first outing in the World Cup against Paraguay, may have more problems to deal with, as their number one goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon, was not to be found at the training ground for the 2nd day in a row. Rumours are making the rounds that the Juventus man may not be able to take any further part in the World Cup, which will surely be a huge blow for Italy, who have high hopes of defending their world title.
Believed to be one of the best if not the best, Buffon was sitting out of the training session on Wednesday, and tests conducted earlier showed a small herniated disc on his back, while a sciatic problem was also reported.
At first it was believed that he would recover in time for Italy’s second game, but that was not the case. However, his recovery was believed to take just a matter of days, but now the national team doctor Enrico Castellacci has come out and said that the recovery will not be quick, and may yet take a good amount of time.
Buffon was one of the most important players in 2006, when Italy won the World Cup beating France in the final on penalties, as he made a number of saves not only in the penalty shootout, but also during the entire tournament; Italy did not concede many goals. And if he is not able to be part of Italy’s set up, there may be some problems for the team and the coach, as Italy, who have not been too prolific as far as the offensive side of the game is concerned, and have thrived on defensive side of the game for years, may have to change their approach to a great degree. Their most reliable man may not be there to give them the shield in front of the goalpost they have become accustomed to.
Federico Marchetti came on after half-time to replace Buffon in Italy’s first match against Paraguay, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Buffon, who after the match was not too worried about the injury, said that he should be ready to play in two days’ time, but recent medical reports suggest otherwise, and the Azzurri may now have to reshape their entire game strategy, which currently emphasizes the importance of Buffon in the setup.
Giorgio Chiellini, who is Buffon’s teammate at his Club Juventus and in the national team, expressed his concern over the possible loss of Buffon, and said that it will definitely be a big downer for the team.
Chiellini believes that a goalkeeper as good as Buffon is even more important than a striker, as the striker may score a goal or two, but a good goalkeeper can save a number of clear goals.
Chiellini has no doubts about how important Buffon is to the team, and said that the team will not be the same without him.
Buffon had a fabulous record in the 2006 World Cup, uncharacteristically conceded in the very first match of the 2010 edition, but he could have done little to prevent Paraguay from taking the lead, as his defenders Cannavaro and De Rossi could not decide between themselves as to who was to go for the ball, and gave ample time to Antolin Alcaraz, who made no mistake and headed the South Americans in front. De Rossi, though, did make it up to some degree by levelling the match, but looking at the other side of the coin, had he not conceded the goal, Italy would have won the match.
Italy coach Marcello Lippi said that Buffon had been feeling pain even before the match, but it did not seem that serious at that time. After the break, however, it became unbearable for him so he had to be taken off the team.
The coach is under no illusion that losing his number one may be hugely detrimental to his plans.
While commenting on the one all result, Lippi said that it is not new for Italy to start off slow, and as the tournament goes on they will pick up the pace, as he believes peaking too soon can also be the downfall of a team. Now the whole of Italy would be holding their breath to have a final word on Buffon’s fitness and hoping that he does manage to recover in time, else the title defence may be a tougher task than imagined.
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