PREVIEW: Champions Italy begin approach to World Cup finals

Nov 12, 2009, 11:22 GMT

Pescara, Italy - After a fairly easy qualification phase to the 2010 World Cup, holders Italy step up the level of their opponents welcoming the Netherlands in a friendly set for Saturday in the seaside town of Pescara.

The Dutch squad breezed through their qualification group and represent a tough hurdle for Marcello Lippi as he looks to fine-tune the group he will take to South Africa next June.

The game with the Dutch, one Wednesday against Sweden and a last friendly in March are the only three games left before the final phase, making the six months remaining shorter than they appear.

'The chances to make tests are not so many,' Lippi said. 'The 23 names for South Africa are to come out from a group of 30-35 players.

'It's unlikely that someone be considered after the last friendly, although not impossible.'

One exception coming to mind is that of Juventus striker Amauri, a Brazilian who could obtain the Italian passport before the tournament's start.

In the two close friendlies, Lippi is likely to test newcomers Davide Biondini, a midfielder from underdogs Cagliari, and Antonio Candreva of newcomers Livorno.

Other young players whom the coach has already called up but never, or briefly, fielded, are Parma midfielder Daniele Galloppa and Mattia Cassani, a defender with Palermo.

Using fresh forces was a must for Lippi, as world champions Daniele De Rossi, Gennaro Gattuso and Vincenzo Iaquinta are injured, while goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon could be available despite a flu.

The absence of De Rossi, who suffered a broken cheekbone from a clash with Inter Milan's Patrick Vieira, gives a chance to Riccardo Montolivo.

The Fiorentina midfielder hasn't been called since the Confederations Cup last June and is now given a chance to display his often inconstant talent.

In the striking package there should be room for Raffaele Palladino of Genoa, who played twice under Roberto Donadoni, but never with Lippi, and Giampaolo Pazzini.

'Il Pazzo,' the madman, as the young Pazzini likes to be nicknamed, has scored seven goals with Sampdoria this season and trails veteran top-striker Antonio Di Natale, also called up as he boasts nine goals with Udinese.

The Azzurri unusually set their camp at La Borghesiana sports centre outside Rome, rather than the federal centre outside Florence, and Thursday scheduled a training session in L'Aquila, the central-Italy town rocked by a severe earthquake on April 6.

'For us it will be very important,' AC Milan defender Gianluca Zambrotta said. 'We have never been in that area after the earthquake. It will be important to touch with our hands the difficulties of those people.'

The tremor killed 308 people. More than 1,000 were injured and about 65,000 lost their houses.