Gilardino not surprised by Mexico loss

(GSM) – Alberto Gilardino was not surprised by Italy’s friendly loss against Mexico (1-2). The Fiorentina striker said “it was normal to struggle.”

The Squadra Azzurra seemed tired in their first of two pre-World Cup friendlies and coach Marcello Lippi will hope his side improves their form before their first match in South Africa, against Paraguay.

“It was normal to struggle after 15 days of intense training against a side that had already played four or five times recently,” said Gilardino.

“Our legs are heavy from some specialised training work, so we were not sharp and had a lot of difficulty.”

Italy conducted a training camp in the mountains at Sestriere to become accustomed to the altitude in South Africa.

“The debut World Cup game is in 12 days and we have everything we need to keep working and improve our fitness.

“It was right to play this evening and again on Saturday against Switzerland so we can further improve our preparation for the games that matter.”