On the Left - USA Team USA is the reigning World Championships Silver medalists, reigning Olympic Bronze Medalists, 2019 World Champion, and Silver medalists at the 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2018 World Championships. It is surprising to see that Race IMBODEN has still not come back to competition after the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, especially as Olympic Qualifications will begin later this season and Race still has not fenced in the individual event since 2012. Chase EMMER continues to fill the fourth spot in absence of Imboden. On the Right - Italy Italy is the reigning 2022 World Champion as well as 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018 World Champions. As of the previous season, Stefano Cerioni returned to be the head coach of Team Italy Previous Match-ups - Italy v USA has been a classic match-up for the last ten years: 2012 London Olympics Semifinal - Italy blows up USA in the semis - as to be expected, USA were young and Italy were the favorites 2013 Budapest WCH Final - USA has a huge comeback in the semis against France, but the team was young and half its members were injured, so losing against Italy in the Final is honestly a pretty good result 2015 Moscow WCH Quarterfinal - Garozzo's first year on the team. USA put up a really good fight, but Cassara retakes the lead in the seventh, Garozzo 5-0 Miles in the 8th, and Baldini closed it out in the 9th. 2016 Rio Olympics Bronze - USA finally beats Italy at a major competition 2017 Leipzig WCH Final - USA won most of the medals in the season. Italy dropped Baldini for Foconi, and this was Garozzo's first year as anchor. Italy still wins 2018 Wuxi World WCH Final - USA won every world cup of that season. However, this time it wasn't even close - Italy wins again 2019 Budapest WCH - USA wins its first ever WCH, but it didn't face Italy along the way 2021 Tokyo Olympics - USA wins Bronze, while Italy lost to Japan in the quarterfinal. This was Nikita ITKIN's first season on the US Team 2022 - Italy won almost every competition in the season including the World Championships. Team Italy drops Andrea CASSARA and Giorgio AVOLA for Tomasso MARINI and Guillaume BIANCHI. On Team USA, Race IMBODEN takes a break from competition and is replaced with Chase EMMER Team USA Alexander MASSIALAS Gerek MEINHARDT Nikita ITKIN Chase EMMER (R) Team ITALY Daniele GAROZZO Tomasso MARINI Alessio FOCONI Guillaume BIANCHI (R)