[ITA] Serie A 2007/2008 (28 Viewers)

[Dostoevsky]

Serie A Team Of The Week: Round 11

Team of the week (4-3-3):

Gigi Buffon (Juventus): Not too many saves, but all decisive as they allowed the Bianconeri to remain in the game when the score was still 1-0 for Inter.

Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus): The main reason why Ibrahimovic failed to do anything on Sunday evening. A warrior without fear.

Ivan Cordoba (Inter): The Colombian defender cancelled Del Piero out of the game as he continues his excellent start to the season.

Abdoulay Konko (Genoa): Despite his side suffering three goals, he had an incredible game and will surely become the target of many big teams in the near future. He also assisted Boriello for his goal and tried his luck from the distance.

Fabio Galante (Livorno): Since Camolese took over, it was like he went through a re-birth and now he has become one of the most consistent Serie A defenders of the past month.

Mauro German Camoranesi (Juventus): Played final 20 minutes, but in those few minutes he did so much more than Del Piero did in the other 70 minutes. The Bianconeri fans are happy to see him back.

Mancini (Roma): Incredible first half by the Roma player who caused havoc in the Empoli defence throughout the first 45 minutes. He decreased in the second half, but was still a constant threat for his opponents.

Antonio Langella (Atalanta): A brace for the former Cagliari player who paved the way for another Atalanta win in their high-flying season.

Julio Cesar Leon (Genoa): Wonderful player who can turn the game in your favour at any point of the match. Genoa have a real gem in their hands.

Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli): Another important performance for the heir of Maradona as he scored the deserved equalizer for the Partenopei. How come no one knew about him before he joined Napoli?

Julio Cruz (Inter): Did not do much really, just one shot on goal, but that was enough to score yet again against the Bianconeri and Buffon (his two favourite targets) and help Inter maintain their lead at the top over their hate rivals.


Honourable Mention:

Matteo Sereni (Torino)
Christian Maggio (Sampdoria)
Cesar (Inter)
Emil Hallfredsson (Reggina)
Fabio Liverani (Fiorentina)
Raffaele Palladino (Juventus)
Giampaolo Pazzini (Fiorentina)

goal.com

 

Buy on AliExpress.com

[Oggy]

Konko was our player, wasn't ??

 

[soulslider]

Konko was our player, wasn't ??

 

[x-japan]

-I think we sold him to genoa

 

[Esteban]

nah this was sooo much better no goalkeeper would have stoped that, the ronaldinho goal seamen was at fault.

It was slightly better, sure. But they're almost similar goals. Doni is at fault here too. He should always be wary of the possibility of a shot on goal.

Anyway, my intention is not to take anything away from Seba. It was a great goal and his talent sure makes every Juve fan excited.

 

[Dostoevsky]

Ibra: Why I left Juve

After a hostile reception on his return to Turin, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has explained why he left the Old Lady for Inter.

The Swedish star caused controversy when he agreed a move to Juve’s bitter rivals after the Bianconeri were hit by the Calciopoli verdict.

“I just didn’t want to play in Serie B,” Ibrahimovic told Channel Five.

“I won two Scudetti with Juventus, but then everything happened and we were relegated.

"I still wanted to play in the Champions League and the other big games.

“In Serie B there aren’t any great matches. I knew that it would take at least a year to return, so I thought it wasn’t the best thing for me to stay.

“I had already thought before that I didn’t want to renew my contract so it was in the air, but the situation acted as a final push.

“Inter were one of a few clubs interested. Just as when I left Malmo and Ajax got there first, the Nerazzurri were the fastest.”

channel 4

 

[Marc]

Time to forget him. He will make the headlines for many more times but he shouldn´t get so much attention here. What´s done is done.

 

[Salvatore]

Ivan Cordoba (Inter): The Colombian defender cancelled Del Piero out of the game as he continues his excellent start to the season.

fouling = cancelling?

 

[Fred]

No = completely marking him out of the game.

 

[Marc]

fouling = cancelling?

You have to admit Cordoba did a good job.

 

[Red]

You have to admit Cordoba did a good job.

It's only a foul if the ref says it is.

 

[Dostoevsky]

Lippi Tips Fiorentina For Surprise Scudetto Challenge

Inter may be hot favourites to defend their Serie A title, but Marcelo Lippi feels that Fiorentina could prove a surprise package, should their fine start to the current campaign continue...

Marcelo Lippi has expressed little surprise with Fiorentina's fine start to the season and, indeed, seems to think that they can go one better as the campaign wears on.

Lippi told the Corriere dello Sport, "In a few months, if Fiorentina are still there or thereabouts then it won't be crazy to call them title contenders.

"The Viola have been near the top of Serie A for three seasons now, so it's hardly new."

Arrigo Sacchi, the former coach at AC Milan, believes that an absence of pressure could help the Florence men on their way.

"When I worked with a great squad, I never used to talk about the Scudetto to my squad," said the former Azzurri boss.

"What you ask of them is to play, fight, and keep doing their best.

"The Gigliati should be allowed to get on with it in peace."

Fiorentina haven't won the Scudetto since 1969. Their most recent piece of silverware was the Coppa Italia, last lifted in 2001.

goal.com

 

[joe5]

Happy Chiellini Wants New Juve Contract
Juventus star Giorgio Chiellini has revealed his happiness at the club and is keen to extend his contract.


zoom - galleria


The 23-year-old had seemed set to leave the Bianconeri in the summer after an argument with Coach Claudio Ranieri.

However the problems were resolved and Chiellini has been a colossus since switching from his natural left-back position into the centre of defence.

“I feel really important now playing in the centre,” he told Sky Sports Italia.

“The club told me before the Inter game that there will be meetings about a contract renewal.

“Nothing has happened yet, but I think we’ll meet soon and I don’t see any problems. Since I nearly left everything has changed so much.”

Chiellini produced a man-of-the match performance during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Inter, completely marking the Nerazzurri's star man Zlatan Ibrahimovic out of the game.

“It was a great satisfaction to have stopped Zlatan and have played well,” he added.

“When we walked on to the pitch he hardly greeted us and we were enemies rather than friends out there.”

Carlo Garganese

Goal.com

 

[Geof]

Scudetto expects firework finale

This weekend, the world’s eye was quite rightly on the exhilarating game between Arsenal and Manchester United. Ruud Gullit called them, along with Barcelona, the globe’s best attacking teams. The rivalry between the North London giants and their Manchester counterparts was watched by over one billion people, thus eclipsing the 2002 World Cup final as the highest watched football match to date.

So whilst Ferdinand, Ronaldo and Rooney locked horns with Fàbregas, Hleb and Gallas, one would have been forgiven for forgetting that in another part of the world football is as important as drinking coffee. Italy witnessed its very own special spectacle, albeit a grudge match. Juventus–Inter matches have always had an added spice to them, and the two teams have shared the most exquisite footballing talents of the 20th century: Roberto Baggio, Patrick Vieira, Roberto Boninsegna, Fabio Cannavaro, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Vladimir Jugovic and of course the Italia ‘90 hero, Salvatore ‘Toto’ Schillaci (memories of that goal celebration still replay in my head).

Of course, this time around the match was significant for other reasons. The Derby has not been part of the Italian game for a season as a result of the Calciopoli scandal and Juventus, despite their new organisational approach in the boardroom, have so far been acting like a wounded animal in this season’s Scudetto race. Calciopoli not only relegated them, thus making them financially inept and forcing them to sell some of Europe’s finest talents, but also inevitably forced the Turin giants to accept that they had fallen behind the likes of Inter, Milan, Roma; even Fiorentina and Lazio.

Many have suggested that Inter will take the title by Christmas. Marcello Lippi, the chain–smoking World Cup-winning coach, formerly of Inter and most famously Juventus, thinks the Scudetto will be back with Inter at least for this term. Speaking to Tuttosport before the game, Lippi stated, “The Nerazzuri will win the Scudetto, because over time they inevitably come out on top. In a one-off game, nobody who faces Inter can feel they are without a chance, so Juventus can quite easily win.’’

And so, despite the late kick off and the pre-match predictions of Italy’s finest tacticians, Juve and Inter kicked off a fantastic battle. The match itself was fast-paced, eye-catching and enjoyable to watch. All those who question Serie A’s ability to use its big games on the same scale as the big ties in other leagues should take note.


“Despite the match drawing only 200 million worldwide, a fraction of the Arsenal-Manchester United encounter, this was the perfect advert for Italian football”

Despite the match drawing only 200 million worldwide, a fraction of the Arsenal-Manchester United encounter, this was the perfect advert for Italian football. Right from the off, Juve went into fifth gear, controlling the midfield and using the craft and skill of Nedved and Del Piero to great effect. Impressive in midfield was Juve’s Nocerino. He has such power and technique that Juve may have a rising starlet in their team. However, as the saying goes, it takes two to tango. Inter provided entertainment in other forms. Maicon and Cesar were particularly impressive up and down the flanks, Cruz looks a better player than in previous seasons, and Cambiasso and Zanetti used their experience and know-how to balance Inter’s aggressive counter attacks.

Within the first ten minutes, Inter had a penalty appeal, a yellow card and a near goalscoring opportunity. After twenty minutes, Nedved missed a screamer by inches, Inter were offside about 400 times, and a little spat started developing between Zlatan and Juve defender Giorgio Chellini, which lasted until the last minute of the match with a long stare from Chellini, captured beautifully on Rai’s camera’s. Who said this league is boring? Finally, Inter did break that strong, strange conjunction of a defence mixed together by Ranieri. Cruz coolly finished off a fine move from the Nerazzuri, a finish so good that Sandro Mazzola would be proud.

And with the second half underway, I saw the strangest thing since Paolo Di Canio caught that ball when in a goalscoring opportunity against Everton because of an opposition player down. Julio Cesar, the Inter goalkeeper, was booked for time wasting. However, after a strange few moments, whereby the whole Juventus team, bench, and Claudio Ranieri all remonstrated with the referee, the official overturned his decision. Apparently Ranieri and co had convinced him that Julio Cesar was not at fault, but the delay of his goal-kick came from the fact that the ball took a long time to reach him. For a moment, I had to remind myself I was watching the Derby d’Italia and not some Serie C1 match. Its moments like this that justify why they call it the ‘Beautiful Game’.

So with victory in Inter’s sights, the last twenty minutes were as frantic as those last three minutes at the Emirates the day before. Inter had four opportunities to score clear-cut chances that would effectively finish off the game, but the jeering of the home support on Zlatan evidently got to him and he missed two great chances with substitute Suazo in space. When the Juventus equaliser came then, with 10 minutes to go, it was clear that the draw would be a fair result.

Despite Inter’s impressive counter attacking instincts, it was in fact Juve who had taken a major step in the Scudetto race. A draw was better for Juve because it instilled even more confidence and belief that they can challenge once again. For Inter, a third successive Scudetto appears inevitable as they wait for a genuine challenger. But this season has it all. Juve crave to be back amongst the best, Inter want recognition. For them, winning the title with Juventus back in the league and no points deduction for the other teams would be a major achievement. With Roma drawing and Milan consistently inconsistent, only Fiorentina pose a real threat. But over the longer term, every Inter player and fan knows: Juventus are back, and it may not be as easy as last time.

As the famous Peruvian-born best-selling author Carlos Castaneda once said, ‘A warrior never worries about his fear’. Unfortunately for Inter, they have already started worrying about Juventus.

Arriverderci

Goal of the week: Empoli’s second against Roma :toast:
Team of the week: Empoli [that’s four points from nine against Roma, Juve and Milan]
Quote of the week: “We have pride and now Mauro Camoranesi is back, so you can see that when he is on the field there is music and a new harmony.”

http://www.footballingworld.com/2007/11/07/scudetto-expects-firework-finale/

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

arsenal vs. man u was last weekend? who won?

 

[Red]

arsenal vs. man u was last weekend? who won?

No-one.

 

[x-japan]

and Milan consistently inconsistent

 

[swag]

No-one.

Actually, the English-language sports broadcasters won.

 

[Red]

Actually, the English-language sports broadcasters won.

Aye, Chelsea did well out of it too.

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

i was joking, i knew about the game. i was just trying to say that i don't give a damn about english football. although if i wasn't sleeping, i might have taken a quick glance.