There will be one less American-born player on the field in Brazil this summer after it was revealed Sunday that New Jersey-born Italian international Giuseppe Rossi did not make his country's final 23-man roster for the World Cup.
It is the second time Rossi, 27, has missed out on Italy's World Cup squad after being cut from the team's provisional roster ahead of the 2010 World Cup. He suffered a knee injury in January and came back in May to score two goals in four Serie A games for Fiorentina to take his season total to 16, but it was not enough to convince national team coach Cesare Prandelli.
Rossi was born in New Jersey and moved to Italy's Parma FC at the age of 12. He has represented Italy from the U-16 level onward, and turned down an offer from then-US head coach Bruce Arena to participate in a pre-World Cup training camp for the US in 2006. He's scored seven goals in 30 Italy appearances since debuting at the senior level in 2008.
Among the other forwards going in place of Rossi were Serie A top scorer Ciro Immobile, veteran Parma man Antonio Cassano and Napoli starlet Lorenzo Insigne.
Milan midfielder Riccardo Montolivo was the other notable absence after breaking his left tibia during a friendly with Ireland on Saturday.
Italy find themselves in a difficult Group D, where they open play against England on June 14, then face Costa Rica on June 20 and Uruguay on June 24.
GOALKEEPERS (3)
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus - Italy/36 yrs)
Salvatore Sirigu (Paris Saint-Germain - France/27 yrs)
Mattia Perin (Genoa - Italy/21 yrs)
DEFENDERS (7)
Matteo Darmian (Torino - Italy/24 yrs)
Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus - Italy/29 yrs)
Mattia De Sciglio (Milan - Italy/21 yrs)
Gabriel Paletta (Parma - Italy/28 yrs)
Andrea Barzagli (Juventus - Italy/33 yrs)
Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus - Italy/27 yrs)
Ignazio Abate (Milan - Italy/27 yrs)
MIDFIELDERS (8)
Thiago Motta (Paris Saint-Germain - France/31 yrs)
Antonio Candreva (Lazio - Italy/27 yrs)
Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina - Italy/29 yrs)
Claudio Marchisio (Juventus - Italy/28 yrs)
Marco Verratti (Paris Saint-Germain - France/21 yrs)
Daniele De Rossi (Roma - Italy/30 yrs)
Marco Parolo (Parma - Italy/ 29 yrs)
Andrea Pirlo (Juventus - Italy/35 yrs)
FORWARDS (5)
Mario Balotelli (Milan - Italy/23 yrs)
Antonio Cassano (Parma - Italy/31 yrs)
Alessio Cerci (Torino - Italy/26 yrs)
Ciro Immobile (Torino - Italy/24 yrs)
Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli - Italy/22 yrs)
