WC Playoff previews: Italy on edge, Sweden shorn of stars and another chance for Lewandowski

Italy are back in the World Cup playoffs, one of 16 European teams competing for the four remaining spots from the continent for this summer’s tournament

Alessandro Del Piero looks on as the World Cup Trophy is unveiled during the Los Angeles stop of Trophy Tour. Pic: Frederic J. Brown/Getty

When Fabio Cannavaro raised aloft the golden World Cup trophy inside Berlin’s Olympic Stadium in 2006, few could have imagined the pain soccer’s biggest event would inflict on Italy over the next two decades.

In 2010, the Azzurri put up a woeful title defense, not even winning a game in an embarrassing group-stage exit. In 2014, they again didn’t reach the knockout stage, dumped out by a Uruguay goal scored soon after Luis Suarez bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini.