Friday 18 July 2008

[Olympics 2008] Azzurri rampant in practice match

Italy's Olympic side eased to a commanding victory in a friendly against an amateur side at Coverciano last night.

Training at CovercianoPierluigi Casiraghi's men head to China shortly ahead of their bid for a gold medal, which begins against Honduras on August 7 in Qinhuangdao.

But the team have been preparing in Italy and hammered a representative side from the Tuscan commune of Buggiano 10-0.


Cagliari hitman Robert Acquafresca shone as he scored an impressive hat-trick. Villarreal star Giuseppe Rossi struck twice, as did Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo.

'Overage' Lazio striker Tommaso Rocchi also hit the net and goals from Juventus playmaker Sebastian Giovinco and Sampdoria new boy Daniele Dessena finished off the rout.

The team will play a final preparation game on Italian soil against Romania next Tuesday in Pistoia before the final 18-man squad, plus 4 reserves, will be announced.

The Azzurri, who are scheduled to leave for China on July 25 and have two further practice games planned in Qinhuangdao, have been drawn in Group D with Cameroon, Honduras and South Korea.

Following their August 7 debut against Honduras, Italy face the Koreans on August 10 and the African nation three days later. The group winners and runners-up progress through to the quarter-final stage.

At the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece, Italy fell to eventual winners Argentina 3-0 in the semi-finals but clinched the bronze medal with a win over Iraq.

[Olympics Draw]

Source: C4 Football Italia

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