Soccer: Marchisio set to be Italy's playmaker

Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio is set to be the playmaker in Italy's World Cup team.

"I really like him in that position because of all the midfielders, he's the one who moves the most without the ball," coach Marcello Lippi said Sunday. "He inserts himself and accompanies the action and finds the open spaces. Plus, he helps with coverage in midfield."

Lippi said he was designing a "modern team, with only one true striker and nine other players who defend and attack."

During a 60-minute training match against fifth-division club Russi, Marchisio started in the playmaker role in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Vincenzo Iaquinta on the right wing, Antonio Di Natale on the left flank and Alberto Gilardino at center forward.

Gianluigi Buffon was in goal, Christian Maggio lined up at right back, Leonardo Bonucci and Fabio Cannavaro were the center backs, Gianluca Zambrotta was left back and Gennaro Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo played in central midfield.

In the second half, Mauro Camoranesi replaced Di Natale and took up his usual spot on the right wing, with Iaquinta shifting to the left.

Italy won 8-0 with three goals from Di Natale, two each from Gilardino and Iaquinta and one from Zambrotta.

Once Giorgio Chiellini recovers from a calf injury, he will likely regain his starting spot at either center or left back, and Daniele De Rossi is almost certain to replace Gattuso once he returns from minor back ache.

In a second training match, Lippi used his reserves in a 2-0 win over Settimo Torinese, another fifth-division club, Giampaolo Pazzini and Simone Pepe getting the goals.

Lippi needs to cut five players from his provisional squad before Tuesday's deadline for the final 23-man list, but he didn't drop any hints on the identity of those likely to drop out.

"Just have some patience and on Tuesday evening you'll know everything," the coach said.

Italy faces Mexico in a friendly in Brussels on Thursday, then travels to Geneva to play Switzerland on Saturday.

The Azzurri depart for South Africa on June 8 and will open against Paraguay on June 14. Italy's other opponents in Group F are New Zealand and Slovakia.

- AP