(From left to right) Italy’s defender Matteo Darmian, midfielder Antonio Candreva, midfielder Andrea Pirlo and forward Mario Balotelli run during a training session in Mangaratiba. (AFP)
A victory against Costa Rica would “virtually qualify” Italy for the next round, according to Daniele De Rossi.
But the Roma midfielder and his team-mates know all too well that this is easier said than done.
“There are no weak teams anymore, everyone has learnt to play football. Just look at Costa Rica: Back in 1990, all the members of the national team played their club football at home. These days, quite a lot of them play in Europe,” De Rossi said ahead of today’s match.
Despite being an unknown quantity at the Italia 90 World Cup, Costa Rica still managed to reach the last 16 thanks to memorable defeats of Scotland and Sweden.
And now that they lead Group D - the so-called “Group of Death” owing to the fact that it includes three past world champions - on goal difference, their confidence is more than justified.
“We have taken a big step forward [against Uruguay], one that is really going to help us ... Now we want to beat Italy and England,” said Jorge Luis Pinto, Costa Rica’s Colombian coach.
Having won their opening game against England 2-1, the Azzurri now face two formidable opponents in Recife: star striker Joel Campbell and the climate.
“I had said in an interview a few months ago that they would have been a tough opponent for everyone. That’s because I played against Olympiacos in the [European] Champions League and we were really impressed by Campbell,” goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu, who plays his club football for Paris Saint-Germain.
Campbell was on target in Costa Rica’s 3-1 rout of Uruguay but impressed with his all-round display and also set up Marcos Urena to score the decisive third goal.
Despite being just 21 years old, Campbell has already played in the Greek, French and Spanish leagues. It is no surprise that Premier League giants Arsenal have immediately secured his return to the club after a three-year loan spell.
But it is not just Campbell that has the Azzurri worried.“They run a lot, they are very technical and the game will require a lot of concentration [on our part],” Sirigu said of today’s game.
“We will face them with a healthy dose of respect,” De Rossi said.
In fact, Costa Rica’s win over Uruguay may have ended up playing in Italy’s favour. The Italians have traditionally fared badly against low-ranking opposition, only producing the kind of football they are capable of against more illustrious teams.
The Tica’s victory will therefore serve as a poignant reminder that the Azzurri should not underestimate their opponents, De Rossi said.
The other main concern for the Italians is the heat. After the game against England, midfielder Claudio Marchisio complained of suffering from “hallucinations” as a result of the stifling heat and humidity in Manaus.
And there isn’t one Italian player who has since refrained from complaining about the climate in Brazil.
Unlike the Manaus game, which was played in the evening, the match in Recife will be played at 1 pm local time (1600 GMT). The weather forecasts predict maximum temperatures of 27 degrees with a slight chance of rain.
Italy’s injury situation has improved though there is a slight doubt over defender Andrea Barzagli, who skipped training Wednesday for precautionary reasons.
Factbox: Italy vs Costa Rica
Where: Pernambuco arena, Recife.
Capacity: 42,610
Referee: Enrique Osses (Chile)
Probable teams:
Italy: 1-Gianluigi Buffon; 20-Gabriel Paletta, 4-Matteo Darmian, 15-Andrea Barzagli, 3-Giorgio Chiellini; 23-Marco Verratti, 16-Daniele De Rossi, 6-Antonio Candreva, 21-Andrea Pirlo, 8-Claudio Marchisio; 9-Mario Balotelli
Costa Rica: 1-Keylor Navas; 16-Cristian Gamboa, 3-Giancarlo Gonzalez, 4-Michael Umana, 7-Christian Bolanos, 6-Oscar Duarte, 17-Yeltsin Tejeda, 15-Junior Diaz; 5-Celso Borges, 10-Bryan Ruiz; 9-Joel Campbell
Key stats: Andrea Pirlo is one of three current Italy players who won the World Cup in 2006 along with 36-year-old keeper Gianluigi Buffon and 30-year-old midfielder Daniele De Rossi.
Italy have reached the final in two of their last four major tournaments as well as a semi-final appearance at last year’s Confederations Cup.
Costa Rica have not made it past the group stages in the World Cup since 1990.
Previous meetings: The two teams have played each other once, with Italy winning.
Last meeeting: June 11, 1994, New Haven, United States (friendly) - Italy 1 Costa Rica 0.