Calcio Debate: Azzurri Forwards On Fire

 

There has been so much focus over the past few months over whether Alessandro Del Piero or Antonio Cassano should go to Euro 2008 that the magnificent form of many of Italy’s forward candidates has passed almost unnoticed.  

At the top of the pile is Bayern Munich’s Luca Toni, dubbed the other day by former Fiorentina team-mate Giampaolo Pazzini as the “best striker in the world”.  

The 30-year-old is displaying the kind of form that won him the European Golden Boot in 2006. He is the top scorer in the Bundesliga with 20 goals, top marksman in the UEFA Cup with 10, and all in all has hit 35 goals in all competitions.  

Toni is on course to break the legendary Gerd Muller’s German record of 40 goals in a season, achieved in 1971-72. He was also Italy’s top-scorer in their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. At present there can be no doubt that Toni is the best target man in the world.  

On we move to Genoa’s Marco Borriello, who is the top scorer of Serie A with 19 goals. I still have my doubts whether he is a one-season wonder, even if I’m obviously hoping that I’m wrong.  

The 25-year-old has been a revelation this season, twice hitting hat-tricks against Udinese, and he is the current favourite to be Toni’s deputy at Euro 2008. Donadoni surely couldn’t ask for anymore than to have two forwards, both of whom are top of the scorer’s charts in their respective leagues.  

Next on the list is Alessandro Del Piero, who is possibly the most in-form player in the whole of Serie A at present. The Golden Boy has been rolling back the years in the past couple of months, and despite being 33 he is possibly in his best physical shape since a month before the 1998 World Cup.  

Del Piero has hit six goals in his last three games, including a clinical hat-trick against Atalanta last weekend. More impressively perhaps is the fact that he has been excellent in all of Juve’s recent matches against the big teams of Roma, Milan and Inter, tormenting Marco Materazzi to the point of mercy in the latter. With 17 goals in Serie A, 20 in all competitions, it seems impossible for Donadoni not to weigh in to public demand, and take him to the Euros.  

Another player who had seemed completely out of the reckoning until recently is Pippo Inzaghi. The veteran forward has struggled with injury this season, but he is now back at full fitness, and firing on all cylinders.  

The forward, who famously vowed to take Posh Spice away from David Beckham, has hit five goals in his last three matches, including doubles against Juventus and Cagliari. His statistics this season are actually excellent as in 1500 minutes on the pitch – just over 16 games – he has found the back of the net 13 times. This includes three goals in two finals (the European Super Cup and Club World Cup), as well as four in as many games in the Champions League.  

One player who is certain of a ticket to Austria and Switzerland is Antonio Di Natale, a player who Marcello Lippi believes has been Italy’s most impressive forward this season.  

Di Natale has been the driving force behind Udinese’s impressive campaign, scoring 16 goals in 32 games, thus placing him fourth in the Capocannoniere charts. The 30-year-old has been more than just goals though, offering numerous assists also.  

His strike partner Fabio Quagliarella, following a slow start to the season, has also weighed in with the goals, finding the back of the net on 10 occasions. None of these strikes were from the penalty spot, meaning that only seven players in Italy have scored more in open play than Quagliarella.  

Indeed when measuring in these terms the Neapolitan has scored more than Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Adrian Mutu and Kaka, while Francesco Totti and Amauri only have one more strike to their names.  

Finally of course there is Antonio Cassano, who it seems, despite all his talent will not be making the trip over the border. The 25-year-old has been possibly the biggest reason why Sampdoria are challenging for a Champions League place.  

Due to injury and suspension, the fiery frontman has only played 18 games in the league, but he has scored eight goals, as well as being involved, it seems, in pretty much every other goal Samp have scored.  

We must also not forget the likes of Vincenzo Iaquinta, who has impressed as a super-sub for Juventus, as well as Giuseppe Rossi, who despite having no chance of being called, has hit 11 goals in 25 appearances for Villarreal.  

What are your views on this topic? Are the Azzurri forwards on fire? Who has impressed you most? Who would you take to Euro 2008? What other countries’ forwards have been impressing? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think…  

Carlo Garganese