2010 FIFA World Cup: Where Does Italy Turn After An Embarassing Tournament?

Italy deservedly crashed out of the World Cup today without advancing out of the group stages. The team was thoroughly outworked and embarrassed by Paraguay, New Zealand, and Slovakia, a thought that would have been laughed at only four years ago.

While Italy seemed to have a number of quality players and given their history of amazing performances, including four World Cup victories, it would be difficult to have imagined that Italy could look as terrible as they did.

The lackluster performance at the Confederations Cup last year was defended by Lippi as a warm-up to test out potential new players. Friendly losses were pinned on acclimation to the atmosphere, the rust from time off, and Italy's usual slow-to-build-up performances. But when all is said and done, actions speak louder than words. 

The actions of this World Cup showed a slow, distracted Italy, lacking any passion, skill,  or creativity. Even their desperate play in the last 15 minutes, with two goals against Slovakia, was undone by a third, easily avoidable goal.

It would be easy to play the blame game. One could point to the replacement of Buffon by the terrible Marchetti (who looked like he belongs in Serie B), every player on the defense, or Pepe, who missed a fantastic chance to draw the game level at 3-3 against Slovakia.

Sadly, no one looked like they even deserved to be on the bench.

But, even if Italy had gone through, how far could they have gone? Would it have been worth the draw just to see the team dismissed by the Dutch in the next round?

In the end, despite the arguments, the blame rests with Coach Marcello Lippi. He chose the players and the tactics, he defended his choices and refused to bury any old grievances, and he should take responsibility for Italy's loss.

What the country now faces is a desperate need for younger, better players. With Buffon, Cannavaro, Pirlo, Totti, Del Piero, and other top players of the past eight years already gone or showing they perhaps should have been, where is the future?

The top Serie A teams are famous for neglecting young Italian players in favor of high-priced international superstars—Inter Milan, Italy's treble winning team, includes only four Italian players with Marco Materazzi and Francesco Toldo already well past their prime. Where then do these players come from?

With Lippi, who was brought back as coach for lack of any better choices, on his way out and Cesare Prandelli ready to take over, Italy will hopefully see the cultivation of their youth players who will lead the country for the next 10-12 years. Italy still has four years to figure this out and hope that this World Cup was simply a transition period.

Looking back on this poor performance and glancing to a potentially bleak future, is there even one player from the current squad who deserves to play in Euro 2012?

Hopefully Prandelli will be able to figure that out.