OK, here's my match report.
Great for the win. But that's the only real positive I could take out of this match. Both clubs played way below their potential. And contrast this with the 1-0 win over Torino at the Olimpico, this next 1-0 victory there was a night-and-day contrast in ugly.
We deserved to win in better play, but we almost deserved not to in how we got lax and couldn't close it out. We should have been up 2-0 or 3-0 in the first half, and the second half was just dreadful. Players got too lazy to keep possession and create upfield, instead doing the tired thing of taking ridiculous long shots at goal and handing over possession.
Too many players got in a punchy mood on the pitch and it almost cost us points -- and I'm including the likes of Del Piero, Nedved, and Ranieri here. Where was our team leadership to get us focused on finishing off this match instead of bitching and sniping? Call their response deserved or not, in the end it only served to
hurt the team -- not help it. Very disappointing behavior from these three, IMO.
Genoa sucked in the first half. Their back-passing in their own end was horrible and treacherous, and only our clumsy finishing kept us from finishing this one out in the first half. Genoa couldn't even combine more than two passes before losing possession on the offensive half -- making it easy for our dicey backline situation.
The second half saw Genoa take the majority of possession, create some chances, are require Gigi to save our asses on occasion. Our offense was marked by laziness, slowness, and an inability to look for anything more than a cheap goal.
Ratings:
Buffon - 7 - Did everything we needed. Kept his cool. Kept the team focused when captain. Great handling when we needed it. A couple of key saves. For lack of a better alternative, I'd have to say MOM.
Grygera - 6 - Put in some good crosses in the first half. A foolish header that went awry was saved by Legro and Buffon from being anything dangerous. Disappeared for almost the entire second half.
Legrottaglie - 6.5 - A minor mistake here and there, but otherwise he was solid and exactly what we needed in CB in this situation. I worry about his foul troubles. But otherwise, the guy has made me say, "Criscito
who?"
Chiellini - 6.5 - Steady as a rock. A couple of reckless tackles, but otherwise made no major mistakes. He's really doing nicely in a pinch at CB again. Too bad he also offers a bit on the defensive wing too, but I'll take it. Our most trustworthy player on the back line.
Molinaro - 5.5 - I've seen him play much worse, but he could play a lot better. What I did like is that he was very cautious and careful with ball control. He didn't try to do too much himself, and he passed to a free defender whenever he got in a stick. He'll need to continue that to earn a regular role on the defense. But his marking of Papa Waigo was dreadful in the second half, and his screw-up almost cost us a goal if not for a nice Gigi save. Also didn't offer any real service deep on the wings.
Salihamidzic - 4.5 - I don't know what he was doing on the pitch, and neither did he apparently. Sky'ed over terrible shots and crosses. Added nothing to the team. Why Ranieri didn't pull him is a mystery, but he also should have given him better instructions. The man was lost out there. May as well have fielded Alena Seredova. At least then we'd have something pretty to look at during the match. Gigi would have been happy too.
Nocerino - 6.5 - So much better as a destroyer than as a right wing. Good pursuit on the ball. Dug them out. And sure, he can't cross for his life. But in that position we didn't need it.
Zanetti - 5.5 - His fine form this year seems to be hitting a low point. Where was the Zanetti from before? Not involved much, and not contributing enough.
Nedved - 6.5 - Neddy's back. OK, the week after next. Good pace, good ball pursuit, and great cross for the goal. On the downside, he let his temper and attitude hurt himself and the team. I'm surprised he waited to the last second of the match for his ticket out of this match.
Del Piero - 6.5 - Some great moves and play late in the first half. The goal was cheeky, but he made some nice footwork and runs before. On the downside, when the captain loses his cool like that, the team suffers. He needs to keep a cooler head. And his icy reaction to Ranieri subbing him was, IMO, unprofessional. He's capable of much better leadership than this. Disappointing sideshow to an otherwise decent technical game. Though he is, unfortunately, too slow these days and allows defenses to catch up too often.
Trezeguet - 6 - Few touches in any creative places in front of goal. So he had to settle for ball distribution at the post. Eh. Not bad, but this is what you get from one-touch Trez some games depending on the service.
Subs:
Palladino - 7 - When he came on the pitch, he seemed like the only player on the offensive half of the pitch who's head was still in the game. He was focused. He looked to create and make the clincher goal. But he wasn't getting much help from teammates who looked too tired or who were too busy bitching. We needed 4 of this guy out there late in the second half. Some good, constructive, and creative play while he was on.
Almiron - NR - Not on long enough/involved enough to really say one way or other.
Coach:
Ranieri - 4.5 - Team looked unprepared and unmotivated. No killer instinct to finish off the match. His presence did not add to the team's productivity. And his subs were late and, in the case of not having a plan nor a replacement for Salihamidzic - not helpful enough. The ref may have ejected him, but he may have done us a favor.
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