Well, it's been a while since I've been able to do one of these... glad that I can.
DD's face after the last whistle said it all about this match: relief. While we controlled much of the play, we were dodgy when the ball came near the net on either end. We really should be capable of more than this at home against competition such as Frosinone. Otherwise, shareholders are not getting their money's worth.
Thanks to SuperGigi for doing everything but score the goal in the few touches he had. And Forza Del Piero for scoring the goal -- despite its controversy. It's great to have that 200 monkey off his back so he can just focus on winning matches now ... and to do it before the home fans.
Gigi: 8 - MOM. Sure, he didn't get tested often. But when he was, he came up monstrous. Couldn't have got the points without him.
Balzaretti: 5 - Decent defensive match, but considering the competition I'm not all that impressed. What concerned me were his terrible passes and crosses upfield. More matches like today and he will rightfully earn the nickname Federico "Troppo Lungo" Balzaretti.
Kovac: 7.5 - Our pillar of strength in defense today. He showed some blazing speed to hunt down loose balls, and he showed some great field smarts in positioning himself where the ball was rather than where the Frosinone players went. Only mistakes were in a corner he errantly surrendered, etc.
Boumsong: 7 - Calm, cool, collected, and now very stable at the back. Not tested a whole lot, but showed excellent tight marking and made things very difficult.
Birindelli: 6 - A mix of some decent defensive work and hot-and-cold on his crosses. Played a smart game for our captain. Some surprisingly good ballwork on occasion.
Nedved: 7.5 - Other than his finishing, Nedved played a complete game. His ball control was fantastic, his movement was terrific, and he made smart decisions. Easily our most dangerous player on the pitch today. What I liked seeing is him playing through minor fouls when he knew it was to our advantage -- instead of his tendency to take a face-plant and earn a free kick.
Camoranesi: 6 - Decent match but could have, and probably should have, contributed more offensively.
Paro: 6 - Didn't get a lot of touches, IMO. Which, for a player in his position, is not a good sign. But he was effective when he got his touches. He needs to be involved more in moving the ball around. We were stronger on our wings and not strong enough from the center.
Zanetti: 7 - I really liked his play today. Some good challenges to win the ball, some good tackles. Very effective.
Trezeguet: 5 - Had some completely sweet chances that he blew. Mr. Finish was anything but today. Not good.
Boijinov: 6 - He got robbed of a goal by a close offsides call. Otherwise had an OK match. It's not his fault Trez couldn't finish.
Subs:
Marchionni: 6.5 - Solid. Created some dangerous plays. Some great crosses that opened up real chances. Needs to work on his shot a little, but overall a good showing.
Del Piero: 7 - Let me say for the record that I've been a bit worried about some of DP's self-centered actions of late leading up to his 200th. But you cannot deny he had a good match. He showed a real flair for creativity when Frosinone's 10-men-behind-the-ball tactics demanded it. Good goal, some slip-ups, but otherwise the best forward we had on the pitch today.
Marchisio: NR - I've never seen him play before, and it may as well have stayed that way, given how late he came on.
Deschamps: 6 - While the team controlled the ball, the finishing continues to be a concern. And if not for SuperGigi, people could be grumbling about this squad right now a heck of a lot more. Still, his subs were effective improvements over what was previously on the pitch. And while more of a relief than an achievement, we got the W ahead of a big match against Brescia.
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