Buffon short-changed as Italy succumb to US

Gianluigi Buffon was disappointed to find himself on the losing side as the United States held on for a 1-0 win that the Italy captain felt was "not really deserved" – but commended Angelo Ogbonna and Fabio Borini on making a "great impression" for the Azzurri. For Christian Maggio and Domenico Criscito, meanwhile, the defeat was tempered by an "emotional" return to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris they once graced at club level.

Gianluigi Buffon, Italy goalkeeper
We didn't really deserve to lose. We didn't exactly shine but I think a draw would have been a fairer reflection of the match. In the first half we were a bit slower than usual. It was a friendly but that is no excuse.

I hope that come May our coach is spoiled for choice when it comes to players to take to the EURO so he can pick his best players and have everyone available for selection. That will solve all our problems. But I thought Angelo Ogbonna and Fabio Borini made a great impression. They showed great character and made an excellent contribution.

Alessandro Matri, Italy striker
I could have played better and I'm disappointed I didn't score, but I'll just keep working hard for my club and try to win my place in the squad. It's my responsibility to score, so not to have done so rankles. They were playing quite high up the pitch and we tried to catch them out with a few balls over the top but I was caught offside a lot.

Christian Maggio, Italy full-back
It was quite a strange match. When we lose we're obviously not happy but we have to take the positives from what we did well – and take that to the EURO. They scored then retreated in numbers and it's strange to see an international team shut up shop completely, but we have to be prepared for other teams adopting the same approach in Poland and Ukraine. It was great to come back to this ground where I spent two great years with Sampdoria – when I got here tonight it was a great feeling.

Riccardo Montolivo, Italy midfielder
We played alright tonight but we need to improve up front where we fell a bit short. I came close with a long shot – it was a shame I missed because it would have been a great goal. It was very close and I'll keep trying. You sometimes run the risk of not playing friendlies in the right frame of mind but tonight we had the right approach, we just fell short in attack.

Domenico Criscito, Italy defender
We had a few chances but unfortunately we didn't take them. We weren't anxious or anything. We are a great side, we showed that in qualifying, and we're going to the EURO to have a great tournament and to win. I thought Borini had a great debut and congratulations to him. For me it was emotional to come back to my old ground and I'd like to thank the fans for the great reception. It made it all the worse to lose but we are going to give our all at EURO and we're convinced we will have a great tournament.

Clint Dempsey, United States forward
It's a work in progress. For long spells we were under it today. We had to defend a lot, especially in the second half. When we got the ball, we did show quality. I think we just need to do a better job of being on the front foot, keeping the ball, playing with confidence. The more chances we create, the more goals we're going to get. I like to think we're closing the gap and hopefully one day we can do something special.