This is an excellent way to kick off play in Group D, as two of the world’s soccer powers will go at it. It’s also a very important match because Group D is essentially three teams playing for two spots (nothing personal, Costa Rica, I just don’t like your odds) and coming away with three points in this match would be huge for either side.
Italy enters the 2014 World Cup looking to move past an incredibly disappointing performance in 2010, when the Azzurri managed to finish last in a group with Parguay, Slovakia and New Zealand. Yes, even the Kiwis managed more points than Italy did. Possibly due to that poor performance the Italians come to Brazil being looked over by many as an actual contender to win it all, even after getting to the finals of Euro 2012 before falling to Spain.
This is still a team with premier talent, with names like Andrea Pirlo, Gigi Buffon, Daniele De Rossi, Giorgio Chiellini and the boisterous Mario Balotelli.
They’ll be facing an England team that is coming off its own World Cup disappointment, though that disappointment has been a permanent fixture since 1966, the last and only time England won a World Cup.
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