So, after a little break, Serie A officially kicks off. Whilst the majority of the “big teams” – AC Milan, Inter, Juventus, – and title aspirants like Roma, Napoli, and Fiorentina all resume action tomorrow, if you can’t wait for a taste of calcio, tune in to catch Genoa facing Sampdoria today at 14.45 EST/20.45 CET (or whatever time zone you’re based in).
The Derby della Lanterna (Derby of the Lighthouse for those who non parlano Italiano) is one of the many derbies that take place in Serie A over the course of any campaign. It is as bitterly contested as any major city rivalry, but both teams have had a torrid time this season. The Blucerchiati have not enjoyed the rapid turnaround they had expected after appointing former striker Vincenzo Montella; indeed, the ex-Fiorentina boss was only able to win his first game since taking over in November right before the Christmas break.
Currently in 14th place, Samp have won just one out of their last five fixtures and will be eager to start 2016 off right with 20 points from their first 17 matches. The same certainly applies to Genoa, who are in an even worse-off 17th place. Gian Piero Gasperini’s men are an uncomfortable two points away from relegation candidates Frosinone and will know that a loss in today’s derby, coupled with a good result for the Serie A newcomers will equal finding themselves in the dreaded drop zone by the time round 18 concludes on Wednesday.
Just four points divide these city rivals, but Genoa unfortunately have a bad record when it comes to the Derby della Lanterna. The Grifone last won this fixture on September 15, 2013. Since then, it’s been two wins for Samp, and the most recent meeting finished as a 1-1 stalemate. Both Gasperini and Montella will be desperate for a win to start 2016, and what better way to endear oneself to the fans by winning the first derby of this season?
Tomorrow will be a hectic day . First will have Udinese taking on Atalanta; the Zebrette will come into this game having won their last game of 2015. After, Serie A fans will have their pick of fixtures, with a whopping six being played simultaneously at 9.00 ET/15.00 CET.
Juventus, who have won their last seven games will hope to make it (a highly expected) eight against Hellas Verona, who are still the only side yet to win a league game this season. Lazio face Carpi, whilst the Aquile’s city rivals Roma will aspire to redeem themselves after a torrid conclusion to 2015 with a much needed win (both for the team and Rudi Garcia) against Chievo.
AC Milan, who have been maddeningly inconsistent – yet again – take on Bologna. Fans may see a former player in action at some venture, but, no, it’s not the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic nor Thiago Silva, but rather…Kevin-Prince Boateng (insert sarcastic clap of joy here), and Sinisa Mihajlovic may still be in charge, but the pressure on him certainly has not abated.
Other games include Palermo versus Fiorentina, the latter of whom have been quite impressive, and plucky side Sassuolo taking on Fiorentina. Later on, Empoli will hope to derail league leaders Inter and finally, the day concludes with Napoli battling Torino.
It’s going to be an interesting 2016. The Nerazzurri lead the way, with 36 points, with the Viola and the Partenopei just one point back. Then there’s the Bianconeri who have surged up the table on 33 points and have forced their way back into the title race. The Giallorossi, with 32, might have suffered a downturn in results in the latter stages of 2015 but they still are well within it, and below them, the Rossoneri, Sassuolo, and Empoli are all jostling in the hopes of snatching a European football spot and closing the gap on fifth-placed Roma.
16 wins, 3 draws. 48 goals scored, 9 conceded. So read Paris Saint-Germain’s stats after the first 19 games of the 2015/2016 Ligue 1 campaign. Mind you, we are now at the exact midway point and Les Parisiens, in the hunt for their fourth straight title, have been literally unstoppable.
A quick glance at the Ligue 1 table shows Laurent Blanc’s men enjoying a seemingly insurmountable 19 point gap over Monaco. More significant, another look at that “losses” column reveals something even more interesting and noteworthy, indeed something that makes stats aficionados sit up and take notice.
19 games, 51 points. It does not take a math whiz to figure out the numbers. 48 of those points, of course, have been from their 16 wins as they have absolutely crushed the competition.The remaining three, well, one cannot be on top of their game all the time, and the occasional “stumble” is bound to happen.
Or, as the opposing teams – Bordeaux, Reims, and this season’s surprise packagers Angers – may feel, they managed to somehow prevent the reigning champions from clinching all three points, which, given the rampant form of the cash-rich capital club, may have felt like a win in itself.
Meanwhile, Monaco, Lyon, Marseille, and Lille, all teams bandied about as potential contenders have all been swept aside. None of these four have been able to stop the Parisian juggernaut in their first of what will be two league encounters this season. And with each having their respective struggles, with the latter trio sitting in a disappointing 9th, 10th, and 11th place respectively at the time of this article, it certainly does not look like the balance of power is going to shift any time soon.
The addition of Argentinian star Angel Di Maria has made an already omnipotent side – as far as Ligue 1 is concerned – seemingly untouchable. The marriage between the ex-Real Madrid ace and PSG has been nothing but fantastic from the start, making his year long frustrating spell at Old Trafford appear to be a small hiccup rather than the massive blemish on his footballing CV that some had made it out to be.
Currently leading the assist charts with nine, plus six goals of his own, Di Maria has formed an excellent partnership with strikers Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic and despite the rumors linking the big Swede with a summer exit, for now, fans must be truly feeling quite fortunate to see the South American duo and the veteran European in action this season.
Meanwhile, perhaps it is coincidence, perhaps not, but so far this season Les Parisiens have only lost once in all competitions – a 1-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League group stages. And in the form they have been in so far, one would not bet against them getting the job done against a struggling Chelsea in the round of 16 to march on towards the quarter-finals later this year.
Last season, despite being thwarted again in their quest for European glory, PSG nonetheless clinched an unprecedented domestic quadruple: the Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Coupe de la Ligue and the Trophée des Champions. In the 2013/2014 campaign, they set two records: firstly, by becoming the first side to win 27 games in a season, and secondly, accumulating 89 points in the process.
But there is one thing that still eludes PSG as they chase what, for all intents and purposes, appears to be their fourth straight league title: to complete a Ligue 1 campaign sans defeat. Across Europe’s top five leagues, only two sides in recent times – Arsenal and Juventus – come to mind when one casts their mind over a squad to finish a full domestic season without losing once. No one has done this in the Bundesliga, nor in Ligue 1.
Still, back in the 1994/1995 Ligue 1 term, Nantes came painfully close. That is, until Strasbourg – now plying their trade in the Championnat National (French football’s third tier) – decided to spoil their fun and handed them their sole loss of the season. Even more painful for Nantes supporters was the fact that the 2-0 defeat happened on April 15th, just one month prior to the conclusion of the season.
So, with 19 games down, 19 to go, the question becomes: Can PSG become the first team to achieve this historic feat? Still in the running in four competitions, Les Parisiens will have their plates full between now and the conclusion of this season. They will still have to play potentially tricky sides like Monaco and Marseille, as well as plucky Angers, who currently boast 11 clean sheets, a truly impressive feat for a team making their return to Ligue 1 after a 21 year absence.
In fact, this record places them ahead of teams like Bayern Munich and Inter (due to having played two more games than die Roten and the Nerazzurri as of January 1, 2016).
The French do have that saying, On verra (We will see). And Lady Luck does play her part; just ask any Nantes fan old enough to remember the 1994/1995 season.
But if PSG, who will resume Ligue 1 action against Bastia exactly six days from today, can come roaring into the new year with the same verve that saw them absolutely dominate the first half of the season thus far, one would not be entirely daft to fathom that we just may see them make history yet again this season.
*This article was originally published on International Soccer Teams (www.internationalsoccerteams.com) on 1st January 2016*
Simply put, Friday, 25 April was not a good day for AC Milan’s supporters.
After experiencing a mini-renaissance under Clarence Seedorf, which saw the team win five straight games for the first time all season and slowly start to climb the Serie A table, the Rossoneri were sent crashing back down to earth after succumbing to a 2-0 loss to Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. Now, given the fantastic form of the Giallorossi this season, coupled with the disappointing showings by the Diavolo, a defeat was not entirely a surprise.
No, what was really making the headlines wasn’t the defeat in Rome, but rather striker Mario Balotelli. And, as has become the case over his time in Italy starting from his time at city rivals Inter, it was for all the wrong reasons. The Azzurri international responded rather violently to criticism by several notable football pundits and immediately, the press became abuzz with speculation that the 23-year-old will finally be offloaded by his employers during this summer’s transfer market.
Of course, it was not the first time that Balotelli has been linked with an exit. From the time he arrived his native country after signing with the squad he described as his “childhood dream”, there were always whispers and mutterings concerning his place within the Rossoneri squad. Club owner Silvio Berlusconi was quick to deny that he referred to the player as a “bad apple” shortly after he arrived back in Serie A, and the hope among Milan’s supporters was that “Super Mario” would be the man to help them salvage their struggling season.
And, indeed he did. When Stephan El Shaarawy, who had ended the first half of the season at the top of the league’s scoring charts, began to suffer from a dip in form (certainly due to the arrival of his compatriot), Balotelli was more than quick to pick up where il Faraone left off and scored a respectable 12 goals to help the team clinch a crucial Champions League spot at the cost of Fiorentina.
However, in his first full season, despite netting 14 strikes in 28 league games, and a total of 18 in all competitions, his performances have been largely disappointing. Despite appearing to have found his footing under the tutelage of new manager Seedorf, he still continues to display the same kind of petulant behavior that characterized his time at Inter and Manchester City. Diavolo supporters were hoping that he could become that clutch man a la Zlatan Ibrahimovic–able to, at the drop of a hat, turn the game on its head and turn a loss into at least a tie, and a frustrating draw into clinching all three points.
Sure, the big Swede was quite mercurial and it was pretty much guaranteed that he would miss at least a couple of games through suspension, but the big difference was that he would step up when his side needed him. The same can’t be said for Balotelli, who, yes, has put on some good showings for his club, notably most recently providing the game-winning assist in yesterday’s Derby della Madonnina that moved them closer to clinching a Europa League sport.
More significantly, it gave Milan their first derby victory over the Nerazzurri since the 2010-2011 season and he could have had a goal of his own had Giampaolo Pazzini been offside and deflected his long range effort, ruling the strike null and void. No, rather, what fans have become accustomed to is temper tantrums, tears, and overall disappointing showings for someone of his caliber and potential, leading some to wonder when he will ever make that step towards becoming a world-class striker.
The attacker has long been linked to a host of clubs across England and France–in particular Arsenal and Monaco–and should he have a good performance at the upcoming World Cup, could see his value increase. But would Milan benefit from his sale? Economically, the answer is obvious, as the club has been struggling financially for years. Tactically, however, is more tricky. El Shaarawy still yet to feature this year due to injury and hence remains to be seen whether he can capture the same blistering form from the first half of the 2012-2013 season.
Robinho, who has been like that piece of awful furniture that you just can’t get rid of, will hopefully finally say adieu this summer. Pazzini, who will be 30 this year, has been alright with some good showings here and there, but can’t be expected to lead the line day in and day out if they want to start off next season on a better foot. And on-loan youth product Andrea Petagna looked promising during the team’s pre-season friendlies but has a long way to go–having failed to score a single goal during his loan spell with Sampdoria.
So, given all this, offloading him might not be their best option. However, should they decide to keep him, let’s hope that this never-ending and aggravating soap opera surrounding Balotelli turns out to have a favorable conclusion rather than an unfortunate end.
This article is also featured on Forza Italian Football
On 13 January, while much of the footballing world was focused in on the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland, rapid changes were taking place in Italy’s fashion capital. Following their 4-3 capitulation at the hands of a Sassuolo outfit spearheaded by 19-year-old Domenico Berardi, Milan opted to part ways with coach Massimiliano Allegri and immediately moved to place former Rossoneri midfielder Clarence Seedorf in charge.
It was a long time coming. Allegri had the look of a man who knew his days were numbered, and despite growing reports that he would be out the door this past summer, he was given the full backing of owner Silvio Berlusconi in what was supposed to be a continued rebuilding phase after the turbulence of last season. But instead of moving forward, the side appeared to have taken multiple steps back: the Diavolo only managed to muster up their first away win in the league on 1 December against a Catania outfit firmly rooted in the bottom of the table.
And they did not appear any more convincing in their continental campaign–registering two wins against Celtic but were fortunate that an Ajax side that despite having strength in numbers was unable to capitalize on this during match day six in the group stages.
As for Seedorf, the former Dutch international and four-time Champions League winner had long been touted as a solution to take over on the Rossoneri bench; however, his appointment mid-way through the season reeks more of desperation, like a stop-loss decision rather than something that was carefully planned and executed. While the newly retired player nicknamed “the Professor” due to his aptitude for languages and well-spoken nature in interviews, has won pretty much everything there is to win as a player, he has zilch coaching experience—whether it is in the amateur leagues, youth system, et al.
Then again, given the dire situation facing the club—with just a dismal five wins from 19 games played, their 22 points seeing them just an uncomfortable six away from the relegation zone and an insurmountable 20 behind third-placed Napoli—now might just be the time to throw all caution to the wind and try out something new. After all, as is said in the film Fight Club, “It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything”.
It is also from that same 90’s film starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton that the quote, “Only after disaster can we be resurrected” comes from. Last year was supposed to be the team’s so-called “year zero”, a period in which they had hit rock bottom and were supposed to be only moving up. Obviously the rebuilding process is going to take a lot longer than people had anticipated and the primary focus will be rallying the troops to help them salvage what has been an utter miserably failure of a season.
As a player, especially one that donned the famed red-and-black jersey for a decade Seedorf will certainly understand what this will feel like.
The man who twice lifted the Champions League trophy with the Rossoneri was a part of the team that went from soaring heights following their 2007 revenge and triumph over Liverpool—whom had beaten them two years prior—to crashing out of the continent’s premier competition in the first knockout rounds at the hands of Arsenal the following season. To make matters worse, the squad failed to qualify for the next year’s edition thanks to Fiorentina beating them out to the fourth place spot during the 2008-2009 term—for the first time since the 2001-2002 season.
Now the situation currently facing the team is obviously a lot direr than back them as they are currently sitting in the bottom half of the table. However whilst the Scudetto and Champions League football are certainly both a pipe dream, they are just ten behind their city rivals who presently occupy fifth place and a Europa League, ahead of surprise package Verona on goal difference. Ten points may seem like a lot, but string together a series of positive results and suddenly a team is hauling itself up that league table.
After all, it was around this time last year that Milan went on a 14-game unbeaten streak that was only halted by Juventus on match-day 33, which saw them move from seventh into third place.
And theoretically, once one has done something before, it can be done again. While it may seem unthinkable for a club of Milan’s caliber to be even contemplating playing in Europe’s second-tier competition, they have to start from somewhere. Just look at the case of Chelsea, who went from winning the trophy in 2012, beating the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich to becoming the first reigning champion to bow out in the group stages.
As we all know, the Blues went on to win the Europa League, and it is certain that it is something that their supporters initially were not too keen on, but the end of the day, silverware is silverware—something is always better than nothing. Moreover, the team, on paper, at least, is still in the running to win the Coppa Italia, having beaten Spezia 3-1 earlier this week.
What Clarence Seedorf lacks in managerial experience and know-how he can certainly compensate for with passion as well as a clear understanding and love for the club he called home for ten seasons. And with the organization offering him a contract until June 2016, the Rossoneri hierarchy obviously has put their faith in him to revitalize the team and get them back on track.
“I felt that it was my duty”, the 37-year-old told reporters after it was announced he would be taking over the reins at his former club. “Milan have suffered too much, and the idea is to bring back the cycle of success.”
Realistic, yet pragmatic and honest at the same time. Let’s hope he is given some time to do just that.
While the highlight this past Monday, 13 January was of course the Ballon d’Or and the whole football world waiting to see if either Cristiano Ronaldo or Franck Ribery would be able to knock Lionel Messi off his perch, another talking point was the FIFPro XI.
Last year this was dominated by La Liga, specifically the two-horse duo of Real Madrid and Barcelona, with Radamel Falcao being “the odd man out” by representing Atletico Madrid…so really, it might just have been called La Lig-Pro or something like that. No Chelsea players, despite their winning the Champions League made this list!
This year’s was a bit more balanced, although as usual, there were some who to be honest really should not even have been included:
2013 FIFPro XI…and what on earth is Messi wearing?!
Goalkeeper:
Manuel Neuer. Absolutely, no question about this one. The Bayern stopper was a key part in last year’s treble winning die Roten side that has now written its name in history as the first Bundesliga team to do so.
Defenders: 2 should be here, 2 shouldn’t. Will explain why below.
Philipp Lahm: certainly the Bayern and die Mannschaft captain can be considered as one of the best full-backs in the world. What is even more impressive is how he was moved into a defensive midfield role under Guardiola and has done fantastically in that position. Hence, by all means anyone would be mad not to include him.
Thiago Silva. Again, another one that no one can disagree with. He has simply been a beast for PSG and the Brazilian national team…but then again Milan fans already knew what a force he was as a center back, hence the wails and shrieks in rage/frustration when it was announced he was sold to Les Parisiens in the summer of 2012. And the Rossoneri have been shipping goals by the handful ever since.
Sergio Ramos: Um…no. With all respect to the Spanish international, I cannot help but go back to when Los Blancos were humiliated 4-1 at the hands of a certain Polish striker. Obviously Robert Lewandowski would not have been able to become the first man to score four against the nine-time CL winners if the defense had not decided to take a siesta. And mind you, he played that entire game, earning a yellow card in injury time. Real Madrid did not even finish at the top of La Liga, either. Spain finished as runner’s up at the Confederations Cup this past summer in Brazil. So really, he should not even be in this list.
My pick? Borussia Dortmund’s Neven Subotic or Mats Hummels or Juventus’s Giorgio Chiellini. Enough said.
Dani Alves: Even more of a joke than Ramos. From what I have read, there were apparently snickers when he was called up to the stage. Had I been there, it would not have been even a nice little snicker. You would have heard a loud guffaw/donkey bray/belly-whooping laugh. Then the confused frown, turn to whomever I were attending with and say, “Wh-what? Did I just hear that right? Dani Alves?!” As some Americans down south would say, “Aw, naw, hell naw!”
My pick? David Alaba, obviously. I mean, really?!
Midfielders: 2 I agree with, 1 is…iffy.
Andres Iniesta: Fair enough. If they were going to have to have a Barcelona player (obviously) I can not disagree with this one at at all. Solid season and it is still a shame he will never win a Ballon d’Or. Would have definitely deserved it in 2010 or 2012 but oh no, it went to his teammate Messi instead.
Xavi: Iffy. The maestro was not at his best this past season and I feel that he was only included based on reputation not actual achievements on the pitch. If they were going to include him, then they might as well as swapped him for Andrea Pirlo or something. And Pirlo, while a fantastic midfielder would not have been my first pick, either. Personally I would have replaced him with Bianconeri midfielder Arturo Vidal…or Dortmund’s Marco Reus.
Franck Ribery: Obviously the Frenchman deserves to be here, after all, he did come in third for the Ballon d’Or nominations. Interestingly, from what I have read were it just based on the media vote the Bayern man would have won the award, hands down…
Forwards: 2 I agree with whilst the other…no, should not be there.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: As obvious an inclusion as Franck Ribery. Fantastic season for the big Swede at PSG and I am hoping that someday he makes it into the top three for the Ballon d’Or…one can only dream, eh? So far this season, though he has started off very well, finishing second in the CL group stages only to none other than CR7 which is indeed impressive in itself. And despite being 33 later this year, Ibra shows no signs of slowing down–which is fantastic for his legions of fans (and discouraging for his haters) around the world. Keep on drinking the Haterade, folks…
Cristiano Ronaldo: He was my pick to win the Ballon d’Or even before it was announced and I was even bold enough to create a blog post naming him as the winner the day before the ceremony. And he has been part of the top XI since 2008, something that no one can disagree with, tied with a certain four-time Ballon d’Or winner, which brings me to the final one…
Lionel Messi: Yes, no one can dispute that the small Argentinian is not one of the–if not the–best player in the world and possibly might go down as one of the best of all time. Just not this year. Again, got selected based on his reputation…which was not a bad output considering that he was injured. Before his injury he had gone on a fantastic scoring run, netting in over 20 consecutive matches before seeing it coming to a screeching halt due to a hamstring injury. But given the caliber of other forwards included I would have more inclined to swap Messi for Lewandowski, Thomas Muller, or Mario Mandzukic. It is quite surprising that considering that Dortmund was the runners’ up in the Bundesliga and the CL that they had no players in this list?
But, hey, who am I–just a fan who enjoys putting her ramblings on the Internet! However, I did like UEFA selections a bit more, although still, would have made some minor changes…again, swapping Ramos for Subotic or Hummels and tweaking the formation to add another forward. But I do agree with the fact that no Blaugrana players are in this list:
2013 UEFA Team of the Year
It will be curious though to see who will be in this list this time next year…Luis Suarez just may get a nod if he keeps up his blistering form in front of goal and has a good run with Uruguay at the WC this summer…
Sure the games are yet to start but I’ve already made my picks for who will get through to the Elite Eight. Yep, it’s a slow day in the office today…
Might as well have played Bingo down the right hand side since all my picks come from there, although the Manchester City v. Barcelona one was a tricky one to pick, as was Galatasaray v. Chelsea.
We all know that Barcelona obviously are not going to be knocked out in the round of 16. City might give them a run for their money, but heaven forbid the Blaugrana are not through to the next round! Sure no one expected them to be humiliated 7-0 by Bayern Munich last season but now they do have Lionel Messi fit and firing on all cylinders so…
Without much ado, here are my preliminary picks as of 17. January. 2014. No, I can not wait four weeks until the first leg kicks off…
Many are called, but few are chosen. Only the strongest survive–Mishka’s picks for the next round…
Yes, I am a big Milan fan. No, I do not think they will be able to get past Atletico. Might get a good result in the first leg like against Barcelona but given that Los Rojiblancos are neck to neck with Messi & Co. in La Liga and are only one of three sides (the others being Real Madrid and Manchester United) to get through their group without defeat, I doubt the Rossoneri will be able to do good as Italy’s sole representative.
And frankly, to be brutally honest, I will be OK with them not progressing. This is a serious rebuilding time for them, with Allegri out and Seedorf in on the bench. Thought they had put that “year zero” nonsense behind them, but obviously not, so as long as they go out “positively”, that is, with a decent result, I will be fine. Besides, were they to get through, with their luck they will end up with, oh, yes, Barcelona, because Milan just can not seem to get through without dealing with a trip to Camp Nou. Or something scary like Real Madrid…or Bayern…shudder at the thought of Daniele Bonera dealing with CR7 or Mario Mandzukic or Thomas Muller et al…not pleasant at all. After all, if the Diavolo back-line could not deal with Sassuolo and 19-year-old Domenico Berardi netting four against them, I really do not know what else to say.
Ah, why do they have to be Serie A’s sole representative in the CL right now? Especially considering their struggles…as a calcio fan, I would have liked to see Napoli (they play some fantastic football) and/or Juventus joining them. At the very least, I am certain one of these sides could have made it to the quarter-finals like the Bianconeri did last year. A 4-0 defeat on aggregate was their fate, but hey, it’s better than 7-0, is it not?
Anyway, more on that in another article. It will be interesting to see which picks are right, and which are not but I am pretty confident I will be good for at least 50% of them. Dortmund v. Zenit–die Schwarzgelben are currently not faring well in the Bundesliga but still, the Russian outfit was the worst team to qualify for the round of 16, with just six points. So that’s a shoo-in.
Same with Real Madrid v. Schalke. In fact, Los Blancos do look pretty good to be considered one of the contenders to take it all this season. Bayern did have a shock upset against Arsenal last time around but I really do not think the Gunners should give die Roten any trouble. Same goes for PSG and Bayer Leverkusen–although Les Parisiens will have to be on their toes.
Manchester United–Olympiakos should go to the Red Devils. They might be floundering in the league and the Greeks will definitely put up a good fight but I would be surprised if they didn’t manage to get past them into the next round.
As for Gala-Chelsea–that is a tricky one, but I’m expecting the Blues to get the job done and move on. Didier Drogba will certainly be keen to put in a good shift against the club with which he won the CL back in 2012 so I expect that game to be a highly entertaining one, hopefully, for both fans and neutrals alike.
So, now we’re on to the last eight. Here are some fantastic clashes I would love to see…but who am I, I don’t participate in the “random” drawing of teams!
Last season, Graziano Pelle’s fantastic form in front of goal saw him surpass Christian Vieri and Luca Toni as the top scoring Italian striker in a foreign league in a single season, with his 27 strikes for Feyenoord bettering Toni’s and Vieri’s 24 for Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid respectively.
As a result of his exploits, the powerful attacker has become the subject of many Internet memes, with any casual better having a chance to make some easy money on him finding the back of the net on a Sunday fixture in the Eredivise—so consistently has he kept up his strong performances ever since signing a four year deal on January 5 of last year.
The Lecce born striker began his professional career with his hometown side after featuring with their youth teams in 2004, but failed to make no more than a dozen or so appearances for the Southern Italian side during his three years there. Loan spells with Catania (then in Serie B) and Crotone both proved to be fruitless, but he saw his fortunes improve whilst plying his trade with Cesena during the 2006-2007 season where his 10 goals earned him a call-up for with the Azzurrini during the 2007 U-21 EUROs in the Netherlands.
However, over the course of the tournament—his second time featuring for the youth set up of the Italian national squad, he made only three appearances—as a substitute, with his only goal coming in a penalty shootout versus Portugal in the fifth place play-off match. Prior to this he had put on a fantastic showing with the U-20 side in during the FIFA World Youth Championship (now the U-20 World Cup) in 2005, which despite being dominated by Lionel Messi’s Argentina, his four goals made him third only behind the now four-time Ballon d’Or winner’s half-dozen strikes, Juventus attacker Fernando Llorente’s five, and tied with Manchester City’s David Silva.
Finding opportunities to get more playing time hard to come by in his native land, the then 22-year-old Pelle opted to try his luck abroad, with his first sojourn in the Netherlands arriving with AZ Alkmaar, but found success disappointingly hard to come by there as well during his four seasons there and moved back to Italy, this time, with Parma before being sent out on loan again, to Sampdoria. As had happened previously, he failed to find his footing during either of these ventures and indeed, it appeared that a once-promising youth talent who was touted for big things by some had already fizzled out before his career even took off.
While he managed a decent four goals in 12 appearances with the Genoa-based outfit, he would soon find himself returning in 2012 to the very same country where he had failed to make his mark just a year prior in what appeared to be a last-ditch attempt to jump start his flagging career. And, unlike his debut feature in Dutch football’s top flight, this time, Pelle was like a man reborn: scoring 11 times in his first ten appearances, including a last-gasp equaliser versus hated rivals Ajax.
All in all, the 2012-2013 season was an excellent one for both the striker and his team, as his 27 goals saw him just behind Vitesse’s Wilfried Bony (now with Swansea City) in the top marksman’s charts, and the club finished third, only missing out on a Champions League qualifying spot to PSV Eindhoven based on inferior goal difference.
Proving that he isn’t just a one-season flash in the pan, he has continued in the same vein in his sophomore outing, netting 13 times (16 in all appearances) for his side as Feyenoord looks to remain within touching distance of league leaders Ajax. And as late as this past fall, the 28-year-old, who’s been linked with the likes of Chelsea, was still expressing hope that his recent renaissance would possibly turn the head of national team coach Cesare Prandelli, but as of now, nothing seems to have come to fruition regarding whether he’s done enough to earn himself a ticket to Brazil this summer.
Pelle will be rapidly approaching his 29th birthday by the time the World Cup rolls around in June. However, given Mario Balotelli’s unpredictable nature, Giuseppe Rossi’s new injury fears following Fiorentina’s victory over Livorno earlier on Sunday, Stephan El Shaarawy’s World Cup chances now hanging by a slim thread due to yet another injury setback, there is a general feeling of uncertainty as to who exactly will be the go-to-men to lead the Azzurri in a potentially tricky group that includes Uruguay and England. Given this, perhaps it’s time for him to be given the opportunity to potentially shine for his country on the world’s biggest footballing stage.
This article is also featured on Forza Italian Football
Torino 0-0 Fiorentina. The Viola’s striking woes have gone from bad to worse with Mario Gomez still out with an injury and current capocannoniere Giuseppe Rossi’s World Cup chances appearing to hang by a slim thread after the New Jersey-born attacker suffered his third nasty injury in the past few years last weekend.
Well, both his club and national side will be definitely missing him until he recovers from his horrible injury. Fiorentina were 2-0 down to Juventus heading into the changing rooms during the half-time break, until Rossi stepped up and converted a spot-kick to pull one back for the Viola. But, he was not done yet:
The Viola were unlucky to miss out on Champions League qualification last year after Milan snuck into the third-placed spot at their expense. And their desire to feature in Europe’s premier continental affair just got a whole lot harder without the services of Rossi; moreover with reports that he may need to undergo another surgery circulating around, things are not looking so good for the player right now. As for the team, they are currently in fourth, five behind Napoli and that last CL spot, and will obviously be looking to try to close that gap as quickly as possible.
Cagliari 1-4 Juventus. The Rossoblu’s joy was short lived, as Fernando Llorente quickly cancelled out Mauricio Pinilla’s 21st minute strike ten minutes later. However, the Bianconeri saved the best for after the half-time break, when Claudio Marchisio (who has been the subject of a move to Manchester United) came off the bench and scored this fantastic long-range blast to fire his side into the lead:
Marchisigoooool–Putting on a good show for his potential suitors?
Moyes looking on earlier during the match to see his target in action? He would have to wait until the second half, though:
After that, the floodgates simply opened as Antonio Conte’s men grew in confidence, whilst Cagliari seemed to realise that their game was up. Llorente easily picked up his second three minutes after Marchisio’s 73rd minute screamer and defender Stephan Lichtsteiner put the icing on the cake shortly after. Certainly, at this point, they might as well already award the Scudetto to La Vecchia Signoria, as there really does not seem to be anyone that will give them trouble, with an 8 point gap separating them from the pack. Despite seeming a bit ratted after conceding the first goal, in the fashion of true champions, they rallied quickly after and owned the second half to such effect that the Rossoblu really never seemed to have a shot at getting back into the game.
Roma 4-0 Genoa. Serie A’s second best team this season rallied back from their first league defeat to Juventus last weekend in style as they cruised to a comprehensive win over Genoa. Alessandro Florenzi opened the scoring with this fantastic acrobatic effort:
Florenzi’s fantastic bicycle kick:
5 minutes later, il Capitano got himself on the score-sheet with a lovely grass-cutter from distance.
Is he really 37? Totti’s still got it:
Gone are the days where perhaps Italian sides would say “one and done”, leading some (highly ignorant) folks to claim that Serie A was “boring”. Oh no. These days, you’re likely to see games more like this, where Napoli trounced Inter in a six game thriller:
Anyway, back to the Roma-Genoa clash. Following Totti’s 30th minute strike, Maicon added another shortly before halftime before Mehdi Benatia (who has been quite the fantastic signing from Udinese) completed their rout seven minutes after the restart. Coach Rudi Garcia had stated that his side needed 88 points to win the Scudetto (although with the way Juventus are cruising, it may take more than that), but it was a good result following their first defeat last weekend.
Hellas Verona 0-3 Napoli. The Partonepei continue to keep on the heels of Roma in an attempt to move into second place, and directly secure qualification without having to play extra games in the play-off matches.Their opponents, Verona. have been this year’s surprise package, punching well above their weight and are in contention for Europa League football next season, ahead of more established sides like Inter, AC Milan, Udinese, and Lazio.
But simply, despite being a case of “The Little Engine that could”, all was not peachy in Verona, as the Gialloblu were swept aside by their opponents on a mission…to to qualify for next year’s Champions League group stages without going through a potentially tricky play-off round.
Check out the highlights, which saw Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne, and Blerim Dzemaili all grab themselves goals:
Sassuolo 4-3 Milan. Or should I say Domenico Berardi 4-3 Milan?! Going into this game, the hosts, who are making their first ever Serie A appearance, were in 18th place and had just won three games all season. Additionally, the Neroverdi were the team with both the worst defensive in Italian football’s top flight this year, with 38 goals conceded; whilst their offensive record wasn’t much better as their 17 goals were only ahead of fellow bottom-feeder sides Livorno and Catania, as well as Chievo.
Now, not that Milan were doing much better, with just five wins all season and their 11th place standing seeing them well out of the race for the Champions League, let alone the Scudetto. In fact, the Rossoneri have earned just 22 points from 18 games, and would have obviously been looking to start off 2014 on a good note. Especially considering that their dismal performance was compounded by an even more atrocious away record, having just won one match on the road all season, a 3-1 victory versus Catania during round 14 on match day 1.
As for the match. It looked initially like Milan would cruise to victory after Robinho and Balotelli scored inside the first 15 minutes and really, one would not be blamed to think that a rout was on hand. After all, Inter beat that same side 7-0 at the beginning of the season…but oh no. The 19-year-old striker, who’s on loan from Juventus wasn’t going to let Massimiliano Allegri’s troops escape with all three points as his side fights to make their debut run in Italian football’s top flight more than just a one-off:
First-half hat-trick:
But oh no. He was not done yet. Rossoneri fans had to rune back in to see him complete his poker shortly after the restart, much to this writer’s dismay:
One of the fantastic things about football, though, is its unpredictability. The ineffective Antonio Nocerino was subbed on in favor of Riccardo Montolivo whilst Keisuke Honda finally made his first appearance and the Japanese international nearly had a goal on his debut, only to be denied by the post.
Montolivo fired in the Diavolo’s third five minutes before the end of time, and suddenly Milan had their tails up:
Where was this urgency, though, when they conceded four and allowed Berardi to run riot? In the end, it turned out to be too little, too late. Sassuolo, with some last-ditch, back to the walls defending hung on for a vital win and Milan’s misery on the road continues after it seemed like they’d started off 2014 on the right foot.
Atalanta 2-1 Catania: (Denis ’67, Moralez ’86; Leto ’89)
Monday
Sampdoria 3-0 Udinese. (Eder ’16, ’47; Gastaldello, ’87). The Zebrette continue to struggle this year. Gone are the days, seemingly, when the Friuli-based side would be up there battling it out for the big boys for a top placed spot, and with talismanic captain Antonio Di Natale set to hang up his boots soon, it seems like the “Rocky Balboa” of Serie A may be having a difficult time ahead for them in Italian football’s top flight.
Inter 1-1 Chievo. Walter Mazzarri’s men still continue to have a poor 2014, with this draw meaning that they have failed to pick up all three points in all their games so far this year. Sure, the Nerazzurri bounced back after they had fallen behind after Alberto Paloschi had fired the Flying Donkeys into the lead in the 8th minute with Yuto Nagatomo’s 15th minute equalizer, but they found their opponents tough to break down. After all, Chievo, at one point, was dead last in Serie A not too long ago and was desperate to hang on for a vital point, so they hunkered down and the hosts simply lacked the creative verve to find a way past them. As such, they are still in the top five, but only on goal difference which means that Verona is uncomfortably breathing down their neck for that last European football spot. In fact, this year’s surprise revelation actually has 10 wins versus Inter’s 8, but the Nerazzurri are fortunate that they’ve conceded–only slightly–less goals (23 vs. 30) versus last year’s Serie B runners’ up.
No, I’m not a fortune teller. But I’m pretty sure the CR7 will finally end his seemingly endless quest to take home the Ballon d’Or in less than 24 hours. The last time he won it was back in ’08 whilst with Manchester United and has had to contend with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi making it a four year sweep from 2009-2012.
To be honest, were I to be doing the voting, my top three would have been, in no particular order: Franck Ribery, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Why?
In terms of overall team performance, Ribery deserves it, hands down. The Frenchman was instrumental in Bayern Munich making history as the first German side ever to win the Treble.
Were it based solely on individual performance, CR7 has had a fantastic season, despite not winning any silverware with his club. What some silly people fail to recognise is that football is a team sport. It takes at least 11 players to win a game, even more to win a league or continental title. And the Portuguese single handedly has taken his side to the World Cup after his fantastic poker of goals against Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden, which no one, except the most delusional and ignorant “fan” (I put this in quotes for sarcastic effect) could not say that it was not an amazing performance. Two of the world’s top players going head-to-head with their country’s hopes resting on their shoulders, and the Real Madrid star emerged triumphant after 180 minutes.
And finally, why Ibra? Sure he has not yet won the Champions League, or a World Cup. But again, that really should not be to the detriment of the player, who was named as Guardian’s third best player in the world. And based on his overall achievements, winning the league in numerous different leagues (Eredivisie, La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1); top scorer in two different leagues (twice in Serie A with Inter and AC Milan, and once in Ligue 1 with PSG). So while he may not have the acclaim that Ribery and C. Ronaldo deserve, at the very least, he should have been nominated–whether he would win is another whole story all together. But 47 goals over the past year, second only to the Portuguese is not anything to scoff at, either.
Now, this is certainly not intended to take anything away from Messi, who certainly does deserve to go down in history as one of–perhaps even the greatest–footballers the sport has seen. Just that this past year was not his year, and that it would be an injustice to see him claim a fifth honour tomorrow. Come this time next year, if he has returned back to his out-of-this-world form, then sure, no one can dispute he would not deserve to be on the winner’s podium.
But not tomorrow on 13 January 2014.
Will my prediction be right? Looking forward to finding out…
On 11 December 2013, Napoli defeated Arsenal 2-0 in the last match of this year’s Champions League group stages—taking revenge on the Gunners for their defeat by the same score-line two months prior. As a result, the Partenopei earned 12 points, which, in theory, should have been more than enough to get through to the round of 16; after all, Russian outfit Zenit qualified with a measly six. But, unfortunately for last year’s Serie Arunners’ up, they were placed in the aptly titled “Group of Death”, which indeed lived up to his name and saw Rafa Benitez’s men dumped out of the competition—the first time in history that a side had reached a dozen and failed to progress to the first knock-out rounds.
This was the second time the Southern Italian club had graced Europe’s premier football competition—their debut was back in 2011-2012 where they were again paired in a tough group with the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester City. Still, they managed an impressive second placed-finish, only to be knocked out by eventual winners Chelsea in the beginning knockout phase. Due to falling to fifth place in Serie A that season, they missed out on Champions League football for last season and many had expected them to struggle without the services of goal-scoring machine Edinson Cavani.
However, in their sophomore appearance on the continental footballing stage, they showed that they more than have the personnel to fill the void left by the Uruguayan’s departure to PSG this past summer, notably with former Real Madrid duo Jose Callejon and Gonzalo Higuain putting on a good show—especially in their crunch clash with Arsenal at the Stadio San Paolo.
This season though currently sees them in third place, well behind a rampaging Juventus that save for a surprise 4-2 reversal to Fiorentina on 20 October have easily dispatched them as well as fellow Scudetto contenders Roma by a goal differential of +6, all whilst not conceding anything at the back. In fact, the reigning title holders have only had one goal scored against them, with Maximiliano Moralez’s strike for Atalanta on 22 December doing little to prevent the Bianconeri from steamrolling past them in the last game before the Christmas holiday.
Yet, while Rafa Benitez’s men are pretty much out of the Scudetto challenge—as their 39 points now see them 10 behind the Turin giants, with previous league leaders Roma also having fallen off the pace, they are still within touching distance of the Giallorossi’s 41 and uncomfortably close to Fiorentina’s 36. The Viola will be certainly keen to feature in next year’s Champions League after missing out last year to Milan, who experienced a rapid renaissance over the second half of the season to squeak into that vital third place spot in dramatic fashion.
Hence, given this, the pressure is on for this high-flying side to ensure that they cannot afford to slip up at any point during this season should they want to grace the continent’s top competition. At one point they were the highest scoring side in Italian football’s top flight but have no seen that surpassed by a highly efficient Juventus side that has not only outscored the 19 other sides with 42 goals but more impressively is only second to Roma’s 10 with 11 goals conceded over 18 games.
Since a surprise 1-0 loss to Parma on match day 13, they haven’t suffered defeat, but have dropped four vital points after being held to draws with Udinese—whose days fighting for a top spot with the “big” sides seems to have come to an end— and Cagliari in their last matches of 2013. They did trounce Inter in a thrilling six-goal encounter in between those two draws and rebounded with a 2-0 victory over Sampdoria in their first clash of 2014. The Partenopei will obviously need to make sure they stay on top of things if they want to keep a hungry Viola side (now perhaps weakened with the injury crisis to their top marksman Giuseppe Rossi) at bay and hopefully pip Roma to that second-place spot so as to avoid a potentially tricky play-off tie that could end their hopes to return to Europe’s biggest footballing stage prematurely.
But will they be able to do so? Midfielder Dries Mertens was feeling confident after scoring a double against Sampdoria early this week, stating to the Gazzetta dello Sport that “there were still many games remaining in the league” and that his side had no intention of giving up their Scudetto ambitions, despite the massive ten points between them and Juventus at the summit. Moreover, the former PSV Eindhoven man was clear that they intended to “close the gap on Roma” which is certainly a more realistic ask than somehow catching up with a side that has no intention of letting anyone prevent them from celebrating a Scudetto three-peat in Turin come May.
Indeed, there are quite a few games remaining in the season, including matches with Juventus and Roma which they will be keen on earning at least a point from these two given that they were outclassed and outscored by a combined five goals to zilch during the first half of this season–something that they will certainly want to make amends for the second time around. Napoli certainly do have the aptitude to do as they were able to claim second place last season and have seen their fortunes improve over the past few seasons. However, having the potential to do something and actually executing it are two different things, so in the absence of a crystal ball, it will indeed be interesting to see where the highly ambitious side will find themselves in a few months.
Mishka's Musings 