World Cup 2010: italy Defending Champion Takes Field Today

Italy's World Cup team, the World Cup 2010 defending champion and the four-time World Cup Soccer champions of the world come into the 2010 World Cup with a target on their back as defending champions, while simultaneously being viewed as weak by almost the entire world, including Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles (1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006) just one fewer than Brazil

Italy's World Cup 2010 team includes many of the same core players on the 2006 Italy World Cup champion team, returning for a second go at winning the ultimate World Cup 2010 trophy.

Italy's blue, azzurro, in Italian due to the "Azzurro Savoia" (Savoy Blue), the color traditionally linked to the royal dynasty which unified Italy in 1861, and maintained in the official standard of the President of the Italian Republic.

In 2006, Italy's Serie A was embroiled in scandal and Italy was expected to be dumped out of the competition quickly. The midfield were derided as having no creativity and the strikers were aging. Italy, of course, went on to top their group, beat a sensational Germany, and put on a defensive clinic against France to win the Cup on penalties.

Italy seems old and weak. They haven't impressed in warm-ups against Mexico or Switzerland, and play maker Andrea Pirlo (calf injury) could miss quite a few games. But, in the end, the Italians are the defending champions, and while they do have a penchant for giving lazy performances when the title isn't on the line, they also make it a habit of proving people wrong.

Italy 's first World Cup 2010 game is today 2:30 ET against Paraguay. For more on travel to Italy visit Italian Tourism and Italy Cruise.

Meet the Italy 2010 World Cup Squad - VIDEO

Current squad

23 players called up for 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Caps and goals as of 5 June 2010.

No.	Name	Date of birth	Club	Caps (goals)	Debut
Goalkeepers
1	Gianluigi Buffon	28 January 1978 (age 32)(1978-01-28)	Juventus	101 (0)	v. Russia, 29 October 1997
12	Federico Marchetti	7 February 1983 (age 27)(1983-02-07)	Cagliari	5 (0)	v. Northern Ireland, 6 June 2009
14	Morgan De Sanctis	27 March 1977 (age 33)(1977-03-27)	Napoli	3 (0)	v. Iceland, 30 March 2005
Defenders
5	Fabio Cannavaro	13 September 1973 (age 36)(1973-09-13)	Al-Ahli	133 (2)	v. Northern Ireland, 22 January 1997
19	Gianluca Zambrotta	19 February 1977 (age 33)(1977-02-19)	Milan	94 (2)	v. Norway, 10 February 1999
4	Giorgio Chiellini	14 August 1984 (age 25)(1984-08-14)	Juventus	29 (2)	v. Finland, 17 November 2004
3	Domenico Criscito	30 December 1986 (age 23)(1986-12-30)	Genoa	7 (0)	v. Switzerland, 12 August 2009
2	Christian Maggio	11 February 1982 (age 28)(1982-02-11)	Napoli	5 (0)	v. Greece, 19 November 2008
13	Salvatore Bocchetti	30 November 1986 (age 23)(1986-11-30)	Genoa	5 (0)	v. Republic of Ireland, 10 October 2009
23	Leonardo Bonucci	1 May 1987 (age 23)(1987-05-01)	Bari	2 (1)	v. Cameroon, 3 March 2010
Midfielders
8	Gennaro Gattuso	9 January 1978 (age 32)(1978-01-09)	Milan	72 (1)	v. Sweden, 23 February 2000
21	Andrea Pirlo	19 May 1979 (age 31)(1979-05-19)	Milan	66 (8)	v. Azerbaijan, 7 September 2002
6	Daniele De Rossi	24 July 1983 (age 26)(1983-07-24)	Roma	54 (8)	v. Norway, 4 September 2004
16	Mauro Camoranesi	4 October 1976 (age 33)(1976-10-04)	Juventus	53 (5)	v. Portugal, 12 February 2003
17	Angelo Palombo	25 September 1981 (age 28)(1981-09-25)	Sampdoria	17 (0)	v. Croatia, 16 August 2006
7	Simone Pepe	30 August 1983 (age 26)(1983-08-30)	Juventus	15 (0)	v. Bulgaria, 11 October 2008
22	Riccardo Montolivo	18 January 1985 (age 25)(1985-01-18)	Fiorentina	13 (0)	v. South Africa, 17 October 2007
15	Claudio Marchisio	19 January 1986 (age 24)(1986-01-19)	Juventus	4 (0)	v. Switzerland, 12 August 2009
Strikers
11	Alberto Gilardino	5 July 1982 (age 27)(1982-07-05)	Fiorentina	41 (16)	v. Norway, 4 September 2004
9	Vincenzo Iaquinta	21 November 1979 (age 30)(1979-11-21)	Juventus	37 (5)	v. Iceland, 30 March 2005
10	Antonio Di Natale	13 October 1977 (age 32)(1977-10-13)	Udinese	33 (9)	v. Turkey, 20 November 2002
18	Fabio Quagliarella	31 January 1983 (age 27)(1983-01-31)	Napoli	20 (4)	v. Scotland, 29 March 2007
20	Giampaolo Pazzini	2 August 1984 (age 25)(1984-08-02)	Sampdoria	8 (1)	v. Montenegro, 28 March 2009

For more about Italy travel visit Amalfi Coast holidays, Sicily tours, and cruises around Italy for the best Italy travel deals.

ROME - Golden Gala 2010

This year’s Golden Gala, held on June 10th, marked the 30th anniversary of the major athletics event.

Asafa Powell won the 100 meters for Jamaica with a time of 9.82 seconds. Two Frenchmen, Christophe Lemaitre and Martial Mbandjock, took second and third place in a photo finish in 10.09 seconds.

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Jeremy Wariner claimed victory in the 400 metres. The American finished in 44.73 seconds. Angelo Taylor (USA) finished second in 44.74 seconds and Christopher Brown (BAH) placed third with 45.05 seconds.


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In the women’s 800 metre race, 21 year old Halima Hachlaf (MAR) placed first with a world leading time of 1:58.40. Second place went to Janeth Jepkosgel for her time of 1:58:85. Jenny Meadows (GBR) finished in third position with 1:58:89.


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Results and statistics for all track and field events at this year's Golden Gala can be found on the Golden Gala official web page at
http://www.diamondleague-rome.com/en/Live-StartlistsResults/Overview/

Tickets to this year's Golden Gala, held at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, ranged from 5 to 25 Euros. To buy tickets for 2011, log onto the official website in May and book your tickets directly through the website.

The Cancun Mexico - Excelent Stress Therapy

The Cancun Mexico - Excelent Stress Therapy

...sleep tight... and welcome to the dream world..

Find the Best Holiday Accommodation in Helsinki, Finland

If you are thinking of being a bit different and taking the plunge by looking for a somewhat alternative holiday destination or city location to visit on your backpacking trip in Europe - then please consider taking the time to have a visit to the beautiful city of Helsinki, Finland. The city is surely one of the best city destinations to visit in all of Scandinavia if not Europe itself, and indeed has a host of great places to see.

Amongst the most popular tourist attractions in the city of Helsinki is the National Museum of Finland which is a stunning piece of architecture to behold in itself, with its so called “national romantic” building style giving it a unique and distinguished appearance. The city’s cathedral and maritime attractions are also popular draws for tourists visiting Helsinki, but the city also has the very pretty Esplanade Park in which visitors often like to have a romantic stroll, which is situated in the very heart of the city itself.

If you are looking for a place to stay in Helsinki then you can check out the many “hotelli helsinki” that are dotted across numerous great locations across the length and breadth of the city. One of the best known hotels in Helsinki is the Best Western which is great place for holidaymakers to stay either as a couple or with their family and kids. Wherever you stay, you are sure to find a great holiday experience that few places in Northern Europe can match.

Visit Finland - The Best holiday Destination in Scandinavia

The Scandinavian country of Finland is perhaps not the first place you would necessarily think of when planning on taking a holiday in Europe. When considering such vacations it seems as though many people immediately think of that European holiday destinations with high levels of summer sunshine and hotter temperatures - so it is often the case that locations such as coastal Spain, the Greek Islands or the South of France will immediately spring to mind.

While these are all great places to take a holiday in their own right, one country that is perhaps not immediately considered as a prime European holiday destination is Finland. However, you may be surprised to find that the country has a great deal to offer the visitors, travelers and backpackers alike that make this country a holiday location of choice for a surprising number of people - and indeed Finland currently proudly boasts an ever growing tourism industry.

Those travelling to Finland are often seeking a somewhat more upmarket and unique holiday experience from the package holidays so widely available in the Mediterranean region of Europe - and the country sports an extensive array of simply stunning natural scenery. The Finish capital Helsinki is also a brilliant tourist city to visit at any time of year with a host of cool visitor attractions and some great “hotellit” as the locals call them (or hotels in English) such as the Halvat Hotellit in which you can spend your nights in Helsinki.

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Recipe

One of my favourite things about Italy is the food. Without fresh Italian ingredients, it is next to impossible to re-create the same rich Italian flavours but here is a simple, colourful dish that you can pull off just about anywhere.

Sun-dried tomato pesto

Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Blend the sun-dried tomatoes (including oil), garlic, salt and pepper, and basil in a food processor until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Add the pesto to cooked pasta and mix until the pasta is gently coated.

You can make this up to a week ahead of time and keep in refrigerated in an air-tight container until you are ready to serve it. Enjoy!

Pescara: Amongst the Best Holiday destinations in the Adriatic

The city of Pescara is undoubtedly one of the finest holiday destinations to visit if you are travelling in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Many people who are backpacking in Italy will look to reach the city by train, but there is also access via the Pescara airport if you are just looking to take a holiday here. Located on the east coast of the country, Pescara is a quaint port city that lines up against the beautiful clear waters of the Adriatic Sea. The city has a fine beach which is well worth a look if you fancy a bit of sunbathing or maybe a quick dip, and has all the usual sun beds and umbrellas for hire to tourists visiting the city.

If you fancy a drive to the nearby Majella national park to enjoy the stunning natural scenery, then you can easily get car hire Pescara airport. Similarly to many other European countries you may visit, cheap car hire Italy is widely available to book online if you are visiting Pescara. The park is also a great place to go walking, hiking or climbing as it sports some impressive mountains, the largest of which is Mount Amaro which stands at 2793 meters tall. It also has some interesting caves to explore if that’s your thing - but always be safe and go with some experienced local guides if possible.