England vs. Italy: Players Sure to Excite During Friendly Showdown

England and Italy will square off on Wednesday in what is sure to be a colossal friendly clash between two of Europe's finest soccer nations. 

Italy broke the hearts of England last June in the Euro 2012 quarterfinals, topping the English in bitter fashion on penalty kicks after a scoreless 120 minutes of action.

This August, the two rivals will be reunited in an exhibition that will present fans with a potential 2014 World Cup preview.

Even if it doesn't count, both sides will still want to win and the players are a lock to entertain. With that said, here are the players sure to excite in Wednesday's showdown.

Andy Carroll

England's best chances to score against the defensive-minded Italians will be through 23-year-old striker Andy Carroll. The Liverpool forward has just a handful of caps for the English senior squad since 2010, but has broken through twice, scoring against Ghana in a friendly match in 2011 and against Sweden at this summer's Euro 2012 tournament.

With Daniel Sturridge, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain out of the side for Wednesday's matchup with Italy, Carroll will have to be the guy to step up. His 6'3" frame gives him a significant advantage in the air, so don't be surprised to see the English midfielders float some passes to him over the top. 

Daniele De Rossi

The veteran midfielder helped Italy reach the Euro 2012 final last month, and will again be called upon to lead them to a friendly win over England.

De Rossi has not scored a goal in a friendly matchup since 2006, which means he is long overdue. With supreme goal-scorer Mario Balotelli out for Wednesday's match, don't be surprised if De Rossi takes a few chances from outside the box.

De Rossi is a World Cup champion and has experience on the sport's brightest stages with Roma in the Italian Serie A. Expect big things from the 29-year-old midfielder on Wednesday. He will be pitted against a younger and extremely vulnerable lineup. 

Frank Lampard

The English captain will attempt to lead his team past the Azzurri less than two months after they were knocked out of Euro 2012 by the Italians.

Lampard is a proven stud in midfield, and has 23 goals for the English national team in 90 appearances. Even if he isn't a threat to score on Wednesday, he will still make more than his fair share of plays getting the ball forward.

At age 34, the Chelsea legend remains one of the elite players on the planet, and is capable of sparking his younger side against Italy. After missing Euro 2012, expect Lampard to be motivated, energized and looking to get plenty accomplished against a solid Italian side.

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