They only played half an hour together, in the friendly against Ukraine played almost a year ago, on 29 March 2011, in Kiev, site of the final of the next European championship scheduled for July 1st. And you're going to see what if Matri and Giovinco, the unprecedented starting attacking duo deployed by Prandelli tonight in Genoa in the friendly match against the USA, will convince the coach again, they will return together to Ukraine (first passing through Poland, home of the Azzurri group) with the hope of sinking the studs again in that stadium and the dream of lifting a trophy that has been missing from Italy since 1968.
The feat of the unprecedented couple is not impossible, despite the numbers: together, in total, the two boast just ten appearances (of which six for Atomic Formica) and just one goal, signed by the Juventus centre-forward in the aforementioned friendly against Ukraine won 2-0 (the other goal by Giuseppe Rossi), and precisely on an assist – with a back-heel – by the Parma playmaker.
Ma the attack of the national team, in the words of coach Prandelli, "is to be reconstructed". And the match against the United States of former German coach Jurgen Klinsmann could be the last significant test, given that Italy will not play other friendlies until May, by which time it will be close to the European Championship and with the group (hopefully) already formed.
A department, the attack, which therefore leaves several doors open. The starting couple tested during the qualifying round now seems impossible to repeat, the unfortunate one having first raged on Giuseppe Rossi, who tore the cruciate ligament in his knee on 26 October and is still recovering, and a few days later on Antonio Cassano, victim of heart problems that have kept him away from the fields since last October 30th. Both want to recover, but for neither of them this seems realistically possible.
And the others? There would be a certain Anthony DiNatale, super top scorer in Serie A, whom Prandelli "sees" little, and who has not called up this time either. Why? “It didn't seem right to call him after an injury – explained the coach -. But Antonio doesn't need to be tried, I already know where he can play ”. Then there would be Mario Balotelli, whom Prandelli first pampered, but is now starting to distance himself a bit: “He has received an 8-match disqualification so far in England. There are too many: a great player must know how to deal with provocations, he must not react ”.
In short, the umpteenth episode of the code of ethics. The same one who imposed the punishment on Osvaldo, the Roma center forward first sidelined by an injury, then by the alleged fist fight with teammate Lamela which cost him a fine and suspension and finally by the direct expulsion he received against Atalanta last Sunday. Different speech instead as regards the other eligible candidates to throw the ball into the opponent's net (a necessary condition to move forward and try to win the European Championship): Pazzini it's in its worst year, Borriello he is playing little and Quagliarella he seems to be recovering but is no longer what he was before the injury suffered in December 2010.
There would be news Fabio Borini, who has already scored 7 goals this year with the Roma shirt, and scored his first Serie A goal in Genoa. In such a context, there is even the possibility for him to dream of a place in the sun. But not right away. Tonight Prandelli starts again from used safe, from two players, Matri and Giovinco, who in that half hour played together in Ukraine showed an excellent understanding. From Kiev to Kiev via Genoa?
