ITALY's likelihood to win the World Cup this year on a scale 1 to 10 (10 being highest). Explain why?
448610
there are different point. point one they have always being a defensive team, so its going to be hard to break through Ferrari,Nesta,maldini, and probably materazzi. second point they have a solid mid, again very defensive, gatuso and pirlo if they recover balls and give them to totti, well.....you know what he will do..... ha... there is the trick.... totti will play them to either, luca toni or gilardino, and if none of them work on top... well there is del piero and insaghi maybe dinatale or vieri.. for the first time... Italy has a team very solid out front.....there is no stoping Italy..... by the way i am American....sorry... we wont make it to the second round...
354933
Picking a single team that would surely win the cup is very hard. But these ARE my picks that have a bigger chance of winning as this sport really sometimes create freak results.\nThe picks:\n1. Brazil: Possesses the most threatening attack, hands-down. Defense is highly improved.\n2. England: A well balanced team with every position filled with talents.\n3. France: Zinedine Zidane returning at the heart of midfield as with Claude Makelele rejuvenated this squad. Great attacking threat of Henry is crucial.\n4. Argentina: A team loaded with creative midfielders and attackers with a defensive line-up to be vey proud of.\n5. Germany: A team with a successful World Cup history. Although the team is not that threatening in terms of the line-ups with Ballack as the only one having a "superstar" status, their pride playing on their home soil could really step-up their performance.\n6. Italy: Defensively strong starting from the midfield and their cattenaccio style still works for them. They also have lots of great talents.\n\nSpecial Mention:\nPortugal and Netherlands: they have great potentials and could come out as dark horses
367975
I don't think you can pick any one team to win the 2006 World Cup. There are some many strong teams with each team having some tremendous talent. There could be a dark horse team in all of this, but the top picks (Brazil, Italy, Germany, Argentina, Portugal, Spain & France) all have a legitimate chance at winning. I will go with my guy and say Brazil. But think of this no South American country has ever won a world cup in Europe
1002404
- italy's team and tactics remind me of the 1982 team that became world champion - so it might be them\n\n- france's team, even if blamed to be one of the 'oldest' has returned to the tournament by sending home spain 3:1 - so it might be them\n\n- portugal's team combine's south american passion and european defense, scolari who lead brazil to win the last WC is their coach - so it might be them\n\n- germany is the host and is very strong, like in alsmost every tournament they have been so far - so it might me them\n\nmy guess for the final: italy vs. france, italy wins 2:1
931840
Future is looking good and bright. The team has reched its lowest that it can not go any further down from here. Hence, it can look forward to a better performance from here on. If you remember even prior to start of  the last world cup, we were at the lowest and in our first few matches against low placed teams like Holland we won with difficulty, but after that we reached the finals and lost.\n\nHence, its good that we have not peaked at the wrong time, but we should now start gethering momentum to peak at world cup. Hopefully, by that time we will have few changes in our team for better.
981726
It wont be Italy. If Italy is able to win france in the world cup, they will also be able to win them during the qualifying match in euro 2008. So i doubt Italy will win. I will go for France or Germany.
205944
No doubt brazil will be the hottest favourtie but don't forget about germany the host! They're strong once in the finals. Remember last world cup? They're mediocre in the qualifying rounds but fought to the final but lost 2-0 to brazil. Italy ain't bad also and watch out for argentina with lionel messi as their new engineer. These are the 4 potential winners, i believe.
1055464
Without a doubt. Defense has always prevailed for Italy (Nesta, Oddo, Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Grosso and so on) but this year they have an extra twist.  A couple of grade-A strikers in Luca Toni and Alberto Gilardino and don't forget to add the big names like Allessandro Del Piero, Francesco Totti, and Gianluigi Buffon.  But what I'm impressed with is the equalizers such as De Rossi, Gattuso, Inzaghi, Iaquinta, and Cameronesi who will be underestimated by the other teams.
1121046
Well, it only happens every four years and when it does come around - The FIFA World Cup holds the entire global public under its spell. An accumulated audience of over 37 billion people watched the France 98 tournament, including approximately 1.3 billion for the final alone, while over 2.7 million people flocked to watch the 64 matches in the French stadia. These numbers top even the Olympics!\n\nI lived in Italy for about 10 years, and when I got married there, my family came over for the wedding.  My brother is a HUGE football fan, and loves many of the teams in Italy.  We got tickets for him and my cousin to see a game in Genova - they were playing a team from Bologna - he was utterly amazed when he got there.  First, the visiting team fans had to be escorted into the stadium from the Carabinieri (the nations police) and then they were in a confined area that was covered in non-breakable glass (and bullet proof!)  It was not until then that my brother really understood the passion that these countries have for their teams - it is like a religion - countries go in mourning if they loose!\n\nSo WHY DO THEY GET SO UPSET?? - every four years, each country picks their top players and pray, chant, scream etc.. for them to win.. and if they do.. it is worth more to the country than any Gold Olympic medal.
1075188
There is officially no tenth place in the World Cup, only 1 thru 4. But if you make a ranking it is equal between Paraguay and Japan, they both lost 1-0 in the round of 16.
1157107
Yeah of course, Forza Italia. Lol and I'm English. I just don't like my country. I want Italy to win the World cup. I just like there players like Totti, Alessandro Nesta and Andrea Pirlo. Unfortunately the USA got knocked out. Italia, Brasilia final i think.
1167203
Nope, not in the least.  What people seem to not realize is that the FIFA World Rankings are not ranking the teams by their likelihood of winning or their overall abillity.  It is NOT a committy decision.  It is a formula plugged into a computer, nothing more and nothing less.  When you realize that you realize U.S. NOT getting a #1 seed bid (or pick) for the Group Drawings was accurate.  They were not in a group of death seeing as Italy was the only trully strong team (when healthy, which they weren't).  Oh by the way, Italy was ranked something like 14th or something in the Fifa Rankings!  No one voted for the U.S. to be that highly ranked...it was a formula based off of certain things.  The ONLY stat that was right was Brazil being a clear #1.  \nThe only overating that could have been there is from our disrespectful loud mouth Landon Donovan and co.  He has NEVER proven himself EVER on a big stage and never will.  He hasn't score in almost an entire calendar year at an international level (mind you that we have easily one of the weakest qualifying groups...he hasn't scored in close to a year against the likes of Jamaica, Morrocco, Venezuela, Trinidad, Costa Rica, and the list goes on of teams that are far from good).  \nThe only bit of overrated hype and belief came from ESPN, US media, and the U.S. team.  Anyone that watches the game or is from another country KNEW, not wondered, but KNEW this outcome would happen.  The fact we had a chance was a shock (a shock because Ghana has more international superstars than us and the only reason we had a chance was because we played a depleated Czech team and a VERY subpar Italy squad).\n\nSo no, we were not overrated to the world.  We did what we were supposed to.  However, the media here did there typical hype and exaggerations to get fans.  Unfortunately it built the expectations way to high and soccer passion and the growth in the U.S. has taken a huge blow.  We could feel this for quite some time.
9212
Us didn't make it to the top 8 in the world rankings, according to FIFA's algorithm in the selection of the seeding teams for the FIFA World Cup 2006.\n\nFIFA ranks the teams based on the results of the last 2 world cups - 2002 and 1998, where 2002's results weigh twice as much as 1998's results.
1127001
Nice choice with italy. I've always had a soft spot for them and would want them to do well. I'm for brazil and am pretty satisfied with them as well. That is a good question though, I'm interested to see the answers
1126715
Well, we'll need to be in the top 2 of 4 in our group, which is looking difficult.  At this point, tying Italy isn't bad, but we'll need to beat Ghana in our next game to actually have a shot.  Assuming Ghana loses all of its games from now on and Italy loses or ties, we might have a shot.  I believe if teams are tied for points they look at goals scored, so having a good scoring game for our last match would help a lot.  All in all, the odds are bleak, but, like most other sports, anyone has a shot.
993910
Sorry but hell no! \nI don't even understand how they got that weird ranking of 5th in the world.\nThey havee not played anyone really big before the World Cup that would place the so high.\n\nSorry but no way are they going to win against Italy.
1121167
they don't have much of a chance. At the moment, Italy has 4 points, Gana 3, Czech 3, USA 1.... I'm cheering for Italy!