The National Under 20 team landed in Buenos Aires yesterday at around 22:00 CEST and they will have their last training session this afternoon to prepare for tomorrow's big match (31 May) in La Plata against England (from 22:55 CEST Italian time, live on Rai Sport). Having overcome the inconveniences caused by the delayed departure of yesterday's flight, the Azzurrini rested this morning and the atmosphere is high, ready to face a team that is among the favourites for the final victory of this continental tournament. Nunziata will have to do without Ghilardi, who has been suspended. ''The discomfort caused by yesterday's trip,'' said Nunziata, ''is now over and we are not looking for excuses. Daniele is an important player for our defence, but let's look ahead: today we will have our last training session before the match and I will see how to arrange the team for tomorrow's game." The rest of the squad is at the disposal of the Azzurri coach.

The World Cup tournament enters the serious phase (today the first two matches: USA v New Zealand and Uzbekistan v Israel), with knock-out matches. England presents itself in great form, also availing itself of three reinforcements arrived between yesterday and today, and coming from the English leagues: Carnay Chukwemeka (Chelsea midfielder), Booke Norton Cuffy and Callum Doyle the first a right back, the second centre back, both playing for Coventry in the English second division (they played in the play-offs to go up to the Premier League, sadly losing). In the first phase they qualified in first place in group E, after wins over Tunisia (1-0), Uruguay (3-2) and a draw with Iraq (0-0). Ian Foster, with a decent footballing background that started at Liverpool and continued in the English lower leagues, is the coach of the team that usually practices the 3-4-2-1.

An extremely positive Cesare Casadei is having a dream World Cup together with his teammates: he is currently the tournament's leading scorer, thanks to his two braces, one scored in the opener against Brazil, a match interspersed by the stumble against Nigeria (lost 2-0), and then the other goal scored by Ambrosino). A decisive contribution, his, for passage to these round of 16 finals, obtained after finishing second in group D on goal difference. Purchased from Chelsea, on loan from Reading, he knows the English league and the English game. He was in the team last year in Slovakia for the European Under-19 Championship when they played in the semi-final against the Three Lions, which they lost 2-1 despite a first-half lead (Miretti's penalty) and many chances to double: "A good game," says the Reading midfielder, "unfortunately lost by a narrow margin. The players we will meet tomorrow are almost the same. A rematch? A little bit yes, but what is important is that it is a round of 16 of a World Cup and we, whoever we face, want to go all the way".

Round of 16 Schedule (Times in CEST)

Tuesday 30 May

19.30 USA v New Zealand

23.00 Uzbekistan v Israel

Wednesday 31 May

19.30 Brazil v Tunisia

19.30 Colombia v Slovakia

23.00 England v ITALY, La Plata, live on Rai Sport from 22.55 CEST

23.00 Argentina v Nigeria

Thursday 1 June

19.30 Gambia v Uruguay

23.00 Ecuador v South Korea

QUARTER FINALS: 3-4 June

SEMIFINALS: 8 June

FINAL: 11 June 

 

DOWNLOAD THE FULL SCHEDULE HERE

Squad

Goalkeepers: Sebastiano Desplanches (Trento); Jacopo Sassi (Giugliano Calcio), Gioele Zacchi (Sassuolo);
Defenders: Filippo Fiumanò (Aquila Montevarchi); Alessandro Fontanarosa (Inter), Daniele Ghilardi (Mantova), Samuel Giovane (Ascoli), Gabriele Guarino (Empoli), Riccardo Turicchia (Juventus), Mattia Zanotti (Inter);
Midfielders: Tommaso Baldanzi (Empoli), Cesare Casadei (Reading F.C.), Duccio Degli Innocenti (Empoli), Giacomo Faticanti (Roma), Luca Lipani (Genoa), Niccolò Pisilli (Roma), Matteo Prati (SPAL);
Attackers: Giuseppe Ambrosino Di Bruttopilo (Cittadella), Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Daniele Montevago (Sampdoria), Simone Pafundi (Udinese).

Staff - Head of Delegation, Marcello Nicchi; Manager: Gianfranco Serioli ; Assistant Head Coach, Emanuele Filippini; Fitness Coach, Vito Azzone; Goalkeeping Coach, Fabrizio Ferron; Match Analyst, Marco Mannucci; Observer, Claudio Coppi; Doctors, Carmelo Papotto and Lorenzo Ticca; Physiotherapist, Giuseppe Galli and Tommaso Cannata; Nutritionist, Alessio Colli; Secretary, Aldo Blessich; Press Officer, Giuseppe Ingrati; Administration, Francesco Casella; Club Italia, Matteo Galdelli; Logistics, Carlo Fanano.

History

(number of Under-20 World Cups won)

Argentina (six), Brazil (five), Portugal (two), Serbia (two), Ghana (one) Spain (one), Russia (one), Germany (one), England (one), France (one), Ukraine (one, current champions).