Just some brief pre-match...

Okay, I guess this post is rather diff. As in whatever I need to address, I've done so on the group stages. So what am I gonna say here? Same ol' formation, same ol' starting 11. More or less anyway. So maybe let me just add a little bit of my own take in Italy vs Croatia. Only one fella matters. De Rossi. De Who? Those who have followed Roma's fortunes like from dunno how many donkey years back will know who this fella is. In a very real sense, he's pretty much of a cardbait. Maybe far more than the rest of his peers from the same generation. But then was then, now is now. If there's anything to go by, I'll call him a souped up Lee "Catts" Cattermole. Why? The on-the-pitch style is eerily similiar. If anyone thinks the Italians can't play blood-and-thunder, then perhaps he should try and have a go on this Italian tiger. Tentatively, he's being plonked at the center of the back 3. So now the biggest question: Why? Now let's just get this clear once and for all. Back then in 2006, there's Gennarro "Maybe we should ask Joe Jordan" Gattusso. Now that he's gone from international scene, De Rossi has to take up the mantle. And a very damned heavy one at that as well. Gattusso might be a rough and tumble midfielder, but there's nothing roughshod over his on-the-pitch leadership. In fact, I will say he's pretty much to Italy akin to what Keano is to Man Utd. Altho to be fair, Keano would have done the same thing to Joe just like what he had done to Alf-Inge Halaand all those years back.

Now onto Bilic's Brigade. In order to breach the Italian defence, he will need all Modric and Jelavic can ever manage in their entire lives. Technically wise, they can't really do that much as long as De Rossi can maintain his on-the-pitch presence. But that's only on a collective basis. If Modric's creative spark (read: A free role?) is needed to split the defence up, then Jelavic will have to shoulder the task of killing the game off. Yet in order for the two to do their stuff, Bilic needs to build his tactics around the two. Simply put, just try to imagine 1 Barca, 2 Messis.

Spain vs Ireland. srsly there's nothing I can afford to say here. Barring something coming from a certain Señor...