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Friday, June 25, 2010

Italy vs Slovakia Highlights: Defending Champs Out from World Cup

Italy vs Slovakia 2010 World Cup Highlights @ Sportsbook: Just a day after the French national soccer team was sent home in humiliating fashion after not winning a single game in the 2010 World Cup, the defending World Cup Champions from Italy were eliminated in the first round in a 3 – 2 loss to Slovakia in their last game of the group stage.

Slovakia jumped out to a 2 – 0 lead early, and even extended their lead to 3 – 1 in the dying minutes despite a desperate Italian onslaught in the last 10 minutes.

The loss doesn’t just put Italy out of the group of 16, but leaves them finishing last in their group, below even the 78th ranked All Whites from New Zealand – a team that probably contributed to the Italians downfall by playing the Azzurri to a draw in their group match-up.

Italian Coach Marcello Lippi left the field without even bothering to shake the hand of Slovakian coach Vladimir Weiss after losing as a World Cup odds-on favorite in this game, and resigned from his post, taking full blame for the performance of his team, stating:

“I take all responsibility, because if a team arrives at such an important appointment as this with terror in their legs, heads and hearts, unable to express themselves, then it means the coach has not prepared the squad properly on any level”

With the ousting of both the Italians and the French, the last two World Cup Champions are now out of the 2010 World Cup.

Italy’s loss lets Slovakia advance to the elimination round in second behind the surprising Paraguayans, and will move on to play the Netherlands as the winner of Group E.

See Italy vs Slovakia 2010 World Cup Highlights @ Sportsbook

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