Rome - Gennaro Gattuso pulling up his shorts after a tackle and captain Fabio Cannavaro beating his chest amidst a shocked defence sum up Italy's 1-0 debacle against Egypt at the Confederations Cup. "Italy remain in their underwear," meaning they lost their shirts, opened La Gazzetta dello Sport's web site late Thursday, minutes after the Pharaohs clinched their first-ever win over the lacklustre world champions.
Friday's headlines ranged from la Repubblica's "Italy surrenders to the Pharaohs," to "Incredible KO against Egypt," on Il Corriere della Sera, where columnist Mario Sconcerti tersely wrote: "We create little, we are old, and, above all, lack a great playmaker."
Coach Marcello Lippi tried to look at a hard-to-find bright side as he commented that "luckily we played a good second half. I liked the team very much and we would have deserved a draw."
Unfortunately for Lippi, Mohammed Homos's winning header on 40 minutes confirmed what Italy displayed already against the US, who Monday went one up with 10 men in a first half that saw the Azzurri fail to convert their grinding game into goals.
Lippi's men then managed to clinch a 3-1 win, but displayed a lack of ideas that they failed to shake off Thursday against the African champions.
"Honestly, we can say that we deserved a draw and that we were clever but unlucky as we lost to Egypt, just as we were clever and lucky to defeat the US," goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said.
"However, our fault is to have still been too restrained in the first half. We always try to understand the opponents. We are not strong enough to press them from the start."
The strength of the group, which Lippi always praised as a crucial feature at the successful 2006 World Cup campaign, seems to have faded with the energies of the ageing champions.
Cannavaro, who turns 36 in September, and most of his long-time team-mates appear unable to repeat the feats that allowed to lift Italy's fourth World Cup.
The captain took the blame on himself when the undisturbed Homos nodded home a corner kick, but Lippi had to concede that his team "didn't do the things we had practised."
Further bad news hit Cannavaro after the game as he learnt that his grandfather died. The veteran is now to decide whether to remain for a crucial showdown with Brazil on Sunday.
Striker Vincenzo Iaquinta, who came close in three occasions, substitute Riccardo Montolivo and Buffon were the only ones to near sufficient marks from readers polled by la Repubblica's website.
Although Lippi noted that he added 12 new players to the old group, the veterans' calmer nerves and the newcomers' energies have failed to mix properly and produce telling results.
The four-time world champions have a last, tough chance to prove their worth Sunday in a stellar match against Brazil, who boast one more world title.
Even a win could not be enough for Italy to qualify from Group B as goal difference is likely to decide if Egypt beat the US.
