Serie A: Juventus vs Livorno [August 25 2007] (26 Viewers)
- Thread starter CORVETTE
- Start date
Noce didn't contribute much in fact he made a lot of mistakes when passing the ball, also his yellow showed his inexperience..Zanetti's rating reflects the fact that Livorno were never that threatening and made plenty of mistakes when attacking...He held his line well but a 6.5 I think is fair..
Tiago player for about 20 mins during which he impressed me enough to get half a point more than the average rating of 6.
Tiago player for about 20 mins during which he impressed me enough to get half a point more than the average rating of 6.
Now that the live part of the match is over... time for analysis...
Well, that was a confidence booster.
In the first half, the 1-0 scoreline didn't reflect how well we dominated. But the 5-1 final score didn't reflect how close this match was to turning early in the second half. After a rather gifted PK call for Iaquinta, the wheels simply came off for Livorno.
But one of the things I really like about this new-look Juve: up 3-0, they looked hungry for more. In seasons past, this squad would rest on its laurels and be content to kill the clock. Ranieri seems to have instilled a spirit of, "Hey, scoring is fun. Why let up now?" And it showed in the team attitude and play later in the second half. These guys didn't want the match to end, and that's a good thing when you have a lead.
But back to early in the second half, Juve wasn't firing on all cylinders and Livorno were creeping back into it -- creating more offensive chances and moving possession to their side of the pitch while Juve looked too disorganized to score again any time soon. The PK awarded to Iaquinta seemed to change all that.
In the immortal words of The Wolf from Pulp Fiction, "Let's not start sucking each others' **** yet." So I am kind of glad to see the late goal from Livorno. Our defense was shaky against what was a really poor Livorno, and it would have been too easy to get too cocky after a win like this. But there was some great team play. I couldn't be happier for a start to the season back in A.
Players...
Buffon - 6.5 - Mostly solid and untested. But let one go at the end. I love that he's our backup captain.
Chiellini - 6.5 - Not too shabby on defense. And would occasionally put in some good offensive shots.
Andrade - 6 - I was worried about his foot speed after seeing the Armenian NT beat him often in quickness, if not for his ability to pull out raw defensive skill for the stop. But he looked quick today. It made me real nervous to see him playing so deep in the Livorno end at times -- at least without another CB we can really rely on in a counterattack situation. But overall he did well (who didn't in a 5-1 match?). Some positional choices weren't so good, but nothing I'd worry about -- should be tightened up in the weeks ahead. Needs to get control of the long ball.
Criscito - 6 - Out of position at times, including that late goal. But overall did well for his first real start for us. He'll need to develop: Livorno offered few real credible threats on offense today.
Salihamidzic - 6 - While his crosses could have been more accurate, I did like the interplay between himself and Nocerino on the right corner. Good involvement offensively from the wing, and an occasional good stop on the other end.
Nedved - 7.5 - The engine that could. This guy was non-stop. He stuck is leg out to poke a ball while lying on the ground from a tackle, etc. A bundle of energy. Classic early season Nedved though -- not tired and bruised enough to hit the turf for some rest, so he was really active. We'll see as the season wears on. A real leader from the center of the pitch, and perhaps the guy most responsible for the team's rhythm today. MOM edge, even over a higher-rated Trez, because of how he lead the most pivotal part of our club today: midfield.
Nocerino - 6.5 - A real fighter. Snarling junk yard dog. He took a lot of abuse in the first half, but he dished some out too. I really think he's making a great addition to the squad already -- he looks comfortable and he fits our team role/need well. Surprisingly, he added a bit on offense too today, particularly in his exchanges on the wing with Salihamidzic.
Zanetti - 6.5 - A rather solid game. Best when he's not taking shots on goal as usual.
Some good stops and redirection of play.
Almiron - 6 - Pretty solid, but we've seen him play better before. A good game only overshadowed by the fact that our midfield played particularly well as a unit today. That was clearly the strongest part of our game today.
Trezeguet - 8 - It's hard not to give a guy with a hat trick less than a 7, and I won't here. Maybe not as stellar as he can be, but this was one of his better matches. Good ball movement and most of his finishes were good. At worst, his finishes sometimes went directly to Amelia.
Del Piero - 6.5 - The DP worshippers probably think this game completely sucked and Claudio should be beheaded for subbing Del Piero first. He was having a good game. And DP didn't look thrilled to be pulled. But when on the pitch, he created a lot of opportunities. Great assist on the first goal. And while his free kick went exactly where I expected, it was classic DP.
Subs:
Iaquinta - 6.5 - You can't knock a guy who scores a brace after coming on in the second half, no matter what you think of a player. I wasn't sure the Iaquinta-Trez combo would work with two big men up front, but Claudio had him play a lot on the wings, which worked since we didn't have enough dangerous crosses in this match ... and particularly with DP subbed. Great penalty kick taken to really blow out this game. And the tip on Nedved's shot for his second goal may have been cheeky, but it was effective. And a great assist for Trez's last finish. Iaquinta 1 - Haters 0 this time around.
Tiago - 6.5 - Perhaps his best match yet in a Juve kit. We need to expect that from him. He gets five points just for looking good in a Juve kit -- I don't know what it is. (And it's not because he looks like Sarah Silverman in cleats.) Really good ball control in close quarters to recover things and send them constructively upfield. Some good stops too.
Zebina - 6 - Not involved much, but didn't make any blatant mistakes. Prevented crosses when we needed it.
Coach:
Ranieri - 6.5 - The team was well-prepared, looked organized, and continued to fight even with a 2-0 lead. I like that style already. Still, big challenges ahead and it will be interesting to see how he can prepare the team for road matches and ones where our offside trap today could be easily shredded apart by quality offenses. And some of the subs worked, but I am not certain they were exactly the best ones. But for now, Ranieri 1 - Haters 0.
Well, that was a confidence booster.
In the first half, the 1-0 scoreline didn't reflect how well we dominated. But the 5-1 final score didn't reflect how close this match was to turning early in the second half. After a rather gifted PK call for Iaquinta, the wheels simply came off for Livorno.
But one of the things I really like about this new-look Juve: up 3-0, they looked hungry for more. In seasons past, this squad would rest on its laurels and be content to kill the clock. Ranieri seems to have instilled a spirit of, "Hey, scoring is fun. Why let up now?" And it showed in the team attitude and play later in the second half. These guys didn't want the match to end, and that's a good thing when you have a lead.
But back to early in the second half, Juve wasn't firing on all cylinders and Livorno were creeping back into it -- creating more offensive chances and moving possession to their side of the pitch while Juve looked too disorganized to score again any time soon. The PK awarded to Iaquinta seemed to change all that.
In the immortal words of The Wolf from Pulp Fiction, "Let's not start sucking each others' **** yet." So I am kind of glad to see the late goal from Livorno. Our defense was shaky against what was a really poor Livorno, and it would have been too easy to get too cocky after a win like this. But there was some great team play. I couldn't be happier for a start to the season back in A.
Players...
Buffon - 6.5 - Mostly solid and untested. But let one go at the end. I love that he's our backup captain.
Chiellini - 6.5 - Not too shabby on defense. And would occasionally put in some good offensive shots.
Andrade - 6 - I was worried about his foot speed after seeing the Armenian NT beat him often in quickness, if not for his ability to pull out raw defensive skill for the stop. But he looked quick today. It made me real nervous to see him playing so deep in the Livorno end at times -- at least without another CB we can really rely on in a counterattack situation. But overall he did well (who didn't in a 5-1 match?). Some positional choices weren't so good, but nothing I'd worry about -- should be tightened up in the weeks ahead. Needs to get control of the long ball.
Criscito - 6 - Out of position at times, including that late goal. But overall did well for his first real start for us. He'll need to develop: Livorno offered few real credible threats on offense today.
Salihamidzic - 6 - While his crosses could have been more accurate, I did like the interplay between himself and Nocerino on the right corner. Good involvement offensively from the wing, and an occasional good stop on the other end.
Nedved - 7.5 - The engine that could. This guy was non-stop. He stuck is leg out to poke a ball while lying on the ground from a tackle, etc. A bundle of energy. Classic early season Nedved though -- not tired and bruised enough to hit the turf for some rest, so he was really active. We'll see as the season wears on. A real leader from the center of the pitch, and perhaps the guy most responsible for the team's rhythm today. MOM edge, even over a higher-rated Trez, because of how he lead the most pivotal part of our club today: midfield.
Nocerino - 6.5 - A real fighter. Snarling junk yard dog. He took a lot of abuse in the first half, but he dished some out too. I really think he's making a great addition to the squad already -- he looks comfortable and he fits our team role/need well. Surprisingly, he added a bit on offense too today, particularly in his exchanges on the wing with Salihamidzic.
Zanetti - 6.5 - A rather solid game. Best when he's not taking shots on goal as usual.
Some good stops and redirection of play.Almiron - 6 - Pretty solid, but we've seen him play better before. A good game only overshadowed by the fact that our midfield played particularly well as a unit today. That was clearly the strongest part of our game today.
Trezeguet - 8 - It's hard not to give a guy with a hat trick less than a 7, and I won't here. Maybe not as stellar as he can be, but this was one of his better matches. Good ball movement and most of his finishes were good. At worst, his finishes sometimes went directly to Amelia.
Del Piero - 6.5 - The DP worshippers probably think this game completely sucked and Claudio should be beheaded for subbing Del Piero first. He was having a good game. And DP didn't look thrilled to be pulled. But when on the pitch, he created a lot of opportunities. Great assist on the first goal. And while his free kick went exactly where I expected, it was classic DP.
Subs:
Iaquinta - 6.5 - You can't knock a guy who scores a brace after coming on in the second half, no matter what you think of a player. I wasn't sure the Iaquinta-Trez combo would work with two big men up front, but Claudio had him play a lot on the wings, which worked since we didn't have enough dangerous crosses in this match ... and particularly with DP subbed. Great penalty kick taken to really blow out this game. And the tip on Nedved's shot for his second goal may have been cheeky, but it was effective. And a great assist for Trez's last finish. Iaquinta 1 - Haters 0 this time around.
Tiago - 6.5 - Perhaps his best match yet in a Juve kit. We need to expect that from him. He gets five points just for looking good in a Juve kit -- I don't know what it is. (And it's not because he looks like Sarah Silverman in cleats.) Really good ball control in close quarters to recover things and send them constructively upfield. Some good stops too.
Zebina - 6 - Not involved much, but didn't make any blatant mistakes. Prevented crosses when we needed it.
Coach:
Ranieri - 6.5 - The team was well-prepared, looked organized, and continued to fight even with a 2-0 lead. I like that style already. Still, big challenges ahead and it will be interesting to see how he can prepare the team for road matches and ones where our offside trap today could be easily shredded apart by quality offenses. And some of the subs worked, but I am not certain they were exactly the best ones. But for now, Ranieri 1 - Haters 0.
Buffon: 6 he could have got a 6.5 or a 7 if he would have saved the goal
Andrade 5.5 him and Criscito were okay but they need to work on their awareness
Criscito 5.5
Brazzo 6
Chiellini 8
Nocerino 7
Almiron didn`t see him
Nedved 7.5
Zanetti didn`t see him
Trezeguet 8 played well moved his ass for a change and scored
Iaquinta 7 and luck has to do with his rating
Del Piero I have just started watching when he went to the bench
Zebina 7 altough he didn`t play much
Tiago 6.5 didn`t play much but looked better than his very dissapointing pre season
Andrade 5.5 him and Criscito were okay but they need to work on their awareness
Criscito 5.5
Brazzo 6
Chiellini 8
Nocerino 7
Almiron didn`t see him
Nedved 7.5
Zanetti didn`t see him
Trezeguet 8 played well moved his ass for a change and scored
Iaquinta 7 and luck has to do with his rating
Del Piero I have just started watching when he went to the bench
Zebina 7 altough he didn`t play much
Tiago 6.5 didn`t play much but looked better than his very dissapointing pre season
I agree about Zanetti but what did Nocerino do? He was non-existent for way too long and his tackle for the yellow card was horrible. I don't think he was good at all.
My ratings:
Buffon 6
Salihamidzic 6.5
Andrade 6
Criscito 6
Chiellini 7.5
Nocerino 5, possibly 5.5 but only for the assist at the end
Almiron 6
Zanetti 6.5
Nedved 7, maybe 7.5
Del Piero 6
Trezeguet 8
Iaquinta 6.5
My ratings:
Buffon 6
Salihamidzic 6.5
Andrade 6
Criscito 6
Chiellini 7.5
Nocerino 5, possibly 5.5 but only for the assist at the end
Almiron 6
Zanetti 6.5
Nedved 7, maybe 7.5
Del Piero 6
Trezeguet 8
Iaquinta 6.5
