Group D is about to become a lot more clear on Tuesday as Italy and Uruguay face off with advancement hanging in the balance. The match is a decisive one in determining who moves past group play in the World Cup as both teams need a win, not a draw. The World Cup has not gone according to plan for either team thanks to upsets pulled off by Costa Rica and England at least putting up a slight fight. Now the two Group D favorites are fighting off elimination instead of getting guaranteed advancement.
Uruguay's big mistake came in their first game when they tried resting Luis Suarez. That backfired causing a loss. However, they bounced back against England and will now need him healthy in hopes of beating Italy. Suarez was dominant against England, something he intends to repeat in the elimination match. Suarez declared that his surgically repaired knee what in perfect shape and he would have no issues repeating his two-goal performance against Italy.
Italy needs just a draw to advance. However, they are coming off a less than stellar performance against Costa Rica where the team appeared unfocused and unmotivated to play. Manager Cesare Prandelli told the media that right now he simply cannot trust any of his players to perform to their abilities after the way the first two matches went. Despite only needing a draw, he notes this is the most important match in recent team history.
Italy is expected to switch their lineup around, deploying a 5-5-2 system. The team added Ciro Immobile to join Mario Balotelli in the attack. Getting Immobile alongside the attacker will help in escalating the offense. Moving to a three-man defense might help balance the field out and beat Uruguay. Daniele De Rossi is not expected to play which means Thiago Motta will get the start.
Uruguay will be motivated against Italy. It is win or go home for the team. However, playing on short rest could spell trouble for star Suarez who is still recovering from knee surgery. Italy simply needs a draw, but after struggling against Costa Rica, they must improve if they stand any chance of at least getting a draw to advance to the next round of the World Cup.
