Italy Cannot Afford an Early-Round Exit in Euro 2012

After a wildly disappointing performance by the Azzurri in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Italy must erase those less-than-memorable memories from soccer fans' minds and make some noise during the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament.

Unfortunately for Italy, Group C consists of themselves, the Republic of Ireland, Croatia and Spain—the reigning world champions.

There isn't the greatest chance that Europe sees this young(ish) Azzurri squad win Group C and embarrass the powerhouse Spanish team, but Italy needs to finish second in their group for the sake of their illustrious reputation.

While it may have been two years ago, the visions of the once-mighty Italian national team losing to Slovakia and tying both Paraguay and New Zealand en route to a 26th-place finish in South Africa have not been forgotten by many.

With Cesare Prandelli now calling the shots as Italy's new coach, the newly rebuilt squad gave up just two goals on their way to qualifying for the tournament and shined against their competition.

The Italians have always prided themselves on their defensive unit, and there are few teams that can compare to the talent and camaraderie of Juventus teammates Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli. Italy has a stingy defensive team, a veteran midfield lead by Andrea Pirlo and a healthy mix of young and old talent on the attack.

While many will question Antonio Di Natale's age, he is still as talented as he's always been, and Mario Balotelli will be an offensive game-changer if he can keep his head on straight during the tournament.

Despite the fact that many may still associate Italy with the words "old" and "disappointing" due to their failures in South Africa, savvy fans and analysts realize Prandelli has revamped the Italian roster into a mix of young and veteran talent.

The Azzurri made it to the quarterfinals of the last Euro tournament in 2008, and while many of the players from that squad have since left the team, that result shows that Italy has not fallen as far from grace as many have come to believe.

With Di Natale, Balotelli and the ever-talented Antonio Cassano up front and the Juve defense ready to take on all comers, Italy has the ability to finish second in Group C and make noise in this tournament.

Prandelli has made this team his own, bringing in young talent and cutting ties with over-the-hill team members to formulate a roster that boasts experience, young speedy talent and a coach the players believe in.

I'm not saying that the Italians are going to dominate and easily take home the Euro 2012 title, but the Azzurri have a fighting chance to finish just as good as, if not better than, their 2008 incarnation.