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Could Italy really miss another World Cup?By the time next summer’s World Cup kicks off, it’ll have been 12 years since Italy last played at the tournament they have won more times (four) than any other nation besides Brazil (five) and Germany (also four). That could be a single-game shootout to decide which team makes it directly to the World Cup.That Italy have missed the last two World Cups is somewhat anomalous considering the Azzurri won Euro 2020, but their qualification drought has prompted a lot of introspection.
Gattuso, who replaced Luciano Spalletti in June, has at least sparked some life into Italy’s attack.In Italy’s last World Cup triumph two decades ago, they had more icons than a Florence galleria – Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Del Piero, Andrea Pirlo, Francesco Totti and more. Slot says Wirtz is “adjusting” while Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has also defended his player.According to Nagelsmann, it’s “not his fault if his teammates don’t convert” the chances being created by Wirtz, and he might have a point.
Wirtz might be contributing more than many are giving him credit for, but those contributions so far haven’t been worth $155m.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionIs Poch finally getting through to the USMNT?When US Soccer hired Mauricio Pochettino as the most expensive head coach in the history of the US men’s national team, few would have imagined that his process would take a full year to bear fruit. The USMNT is finally starting to look like a Pochettino team.Mauricio Pochettino has the US playing as well as they have under his tenure as manager.