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• Italy midfielder ponders possibility of losing to New Zealand • ‘We’ve got to aim at reaching the semi-finals,’ he says The holders Italy are still aiming high despite a stuttering display in their opening game, with their midfielder Daniele De Rossi insisting that failure to qualify from the group would be like the mighty New Zealand rugby union side flopping. The stuttering Azzurri, little-talked about among the favourites for glory in South Africa, face New Zealand in their second Group F game on Sunday after an uninspiring 1-1 draw with Paraguay in their opener. “Absolute failure would be not getting through, failure would be to go out in the second round,” De Rossi, complete with rugged beard and a snaking tattoo on his arm, told a news conference. “We’ve got to aim at reaching the semi-finals, it may sound limiting but it’s an important goal as then it’s anyone’s game.” New Zealand’s soccer team, ranked 78 in the world, are the polar opposite of the country’s great rugby side and De Rossi knows the humiliation the world champions would face should the result go against them in Nelspruit. “Losing to New Zealand would probably mean we would risk going out like France,” he said. “You can imagine what that would mean, it would be like New Zealand going out in the first round of the rugby World Cup.” The fact that Italy are even talking about the remote possibility of losing will not instil their fans with huge confidence but at least with De Rossi on the field they know they have a fighter, and one of the world’s top defensive midfielders. He scored the equaliser against Paraguay and has somewhat matured since the 2006 World Cup, when he was sent off for an elbow in the second game against the United States but returned to score a penalty in the shoot-out in the final. The 26-year-old joked he might not matured yet. “Last time something happened in the second game so let’s wait to say I can be a leader,” he smiled. He enjoys the rough and tumble in midfield but with Italy’s strikers only scoring once in six games, De Rossi could become an important attacking element given his penchant for long shots and charging forward. “I like a man’s game, sure, but I like to play football too, I don’t like needlessly aggressive matches,” he said, before pointing out that Italy triumphed last time without having a stand-out player in attack. “Results are the important thing. So far it has been a balanced World Cup. Italy World Cup 2010 World Cup 2010 Group F New Zealand guardian.co.uk

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Italy can still reach the World Cup semi-finals, says Daniele De Rossi