WORLD CUP 2010: THE FINAL 16

ITALY. Again the nation that teeters so elegantly will hold hopes for over 56 million people. No one in my lifetime has backed up a world cup with another, and no one really expects this incarnation to buck the trend. Marcello Lippi, the man who Peter Sellers would have looked like had he survived fame, has at once eschewed the glory days by not choosing some of the 2006 protagonists (Grosso, Totti, Del Piero) but has also included cup winners such as Pirlo, Buffon, Zambrotta and Gattuso, whose pants off celebration post penalties will remain indelibly in our memories.

As usual, the Azzurri have a sound defensive roster, a mix of hard and cultured midfielders, but curiously lack a matchwinning attack. No one triggers hope by the name of Baggio, Schilacci, Del Piero...instead the top scorer in qualification is one Alberto Gilardino, whose strange violin celebration at Germany 2006 proved to be an act of hubris as he failed to score again. Should Italy concede, they can hardly hope to see Pirlo nail 2 set pieces to get them through. That is the domain of Zizou, Platini, Zico and others.

Expect the usual grind through the group games, making hard work of relatively easy opponents and a second place in group F before bowing out to a crack Dutch team. Cue media frenzy and a snarling Lippi (whose face closely resembles that after winning in 2006 ie expressionless), who can retire without fear of resentment as he won in 2006.

The biggest mystery though is the omission of Antonio Cassano, a player whose consistent scoring in Sampdoria colours for 3 seasons suggest he would fare better than Iaquinta, Di Natale and former Man Utd offcut, Giuseppe Rossi.

But of course he is a destructive influence and therefore can play no part in Lippi's squad.

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