Pato bermain cemerlang dengan mencetak dua gol ke gawang Madrid.

Sebelum menghadapi AS Roma (18/10) di Liga Italia dan Real Madrid (21/10) di Liga Champion, AC Milan seolah sedang melangkah di jalan yang sesat. Konon pelatih Leonardo bahkan sempat mendapat ultimatum akan dipecat, jika tak mampu membawa I Rossoneri meraih kemenangan. Sebuah misi yang sangat berat bagi sang pelatih muda pastinya. Namun ternyata Andrea Pirlo dkk justru mampu mendulang poin penuh dalam dua pertandingan itu. Milan menang 2-1 atas Roma di San Siro, dengan gol yang dicetak oleh Ronaldinho dan Alexandre Pato. Sehabis itu skuad Merah Hitam unggul 3-2 atas Madrid di Santiago Bernabeu, lewat satu gol dari Pirlo dan dua gol dari Pato. Hasil dua pertandingan tersebut seakan telah mengembalikan Milan untuk melangkah di jalan yang tepat. I Rossoneri telah menunjukkan jati dirinya sebagai salah satu tim besar Italia dan Eropa, yang mesti selalu diperhitungkan kiprahnya. Semoga Pato cs tak bakal salah jalan lagi. Forza Milan!

]]> http://voetblah.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/seedorf-niet-in-oranje/ Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:00:44 +0000 voetblah http://voetblah.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/seedorf-niet-in-oranje/

Ere wie ere toekomt. Woensdag in Estadio Bernabeu was Clarence Seedorf de allerbeste. Hij voetbalde eigenlijk zoals altijd, maar nu lukte het allemaal. Voorzetten met links bij de tweede paal, voorzetten met rechts bij de tweede paal. Crosspasses van linksback naar rechtsbuiten. Een kleine honderd saaie doch effectieve balletjes breed. Allemaal in karakteristiek Clarence tempo.

Het contrast met oerzwoeger Filippo Inzaghi kon niet groter zijn. Na ongeveer een uur spelen werd de Sandro Calabro van de Serie A uit zijn lijden verlost: 8 kilometer gedraafd, 9 ballen aangeraakt en 4 ook daadwerkelijk in de voeten van een medespeler geplaatst. Een maal produceerde hij een rollertje met links in de handen van Casillas. Aan de andere kant kwam Karim Benzema niet direct tot betere cijfers. Neen, Pato maakte weliswaar twee goals, maar strandde ook vaak in goede bedoelingen. Pirlo flenterde fantastisch raak, maar was voor het overige nog plichtmatiger dan een Seedorf in normale doen.

Seedorf speelde eindelijk zoals hij suggereert altijd te spelen. Een klasse apart dus. Maar toch gaan we er niet in trappen. We gaan niet roepen dat Clarence het Nederlands elftal in moet. Daarvoor is Clarence gewoon te goed. En dat WK winnen we juist omdat we net niet zo goed genoeg zijn. In dat geval heb je meer aan spelers die dat beseffen en het gebrek compenseren met geestdrift. En geestdriftig is Clarence nou eenmaal niet.

Kaka' no brilló ayer con el Real Madrid. Al fondo sus ex-compañeros del AC Milan festejan la victoria en el Bernabéu.

Grupo A

GIRONDINS BORDEAUX 2-1 BAYERN MÜNCHEN
El monarca francés derrotó al poderoso equipo alemán en casa por 2 goles a 1. Los primeros en adelantarse fueron los bávaros con el autogol de Ciani tras despejar mal un corner al minuto 6. Al 27’ el mismo Ciani enmendaría su error también en un tiro de esquina, marcando un golazo de taquito para igualar el juego. Planus meter al 40’marcó el segundo tanto rematando un centro. En la segunda parte el Bordeaux pudo aumentar la diferencia, sin embargo el penal rematado por Gourcuff fue atajado por el guardameta Butt, cuando el mediocampista francés remató al estilo panenka, muy fácil para el portero. Bordeaux es líder del grupo con 7 puntos.

JUVENTUS 1-0 MACCABI HAIFA
Al equipo italiano le bastó con el solitario gol de Giorgio Chiellini al 47’, rematando de cabeza un centro de Diego. Los italianos consiguieron su primera victoria y los israelíes sumaron su tercera derrota.

GRUPO B

CSKA MOSKVA 0-1 MANCHESTER UNITED
El equipo británico triunfó con el gol del ecuatoriano Valencia al minuto 86. Los ingleses consiguieron su primera victoria en tierras rusas ante escuadras de ese país (disputó la Final de la Champions 2007 en Rusia) donde habían conseguido dos empates sin victorias ni derrotas por esta competición.

WOLFSBURG 0-0 BEŞİKTAŞ
El campeón alemán no pasó del empate 0-0 en casa ante el Beşiktaş de Turquía. Los alemanes son segundos del grupo B.

GRUPO C

REAL MADRID 2-3 AC MILAN
El equipo rossonero visitó el Santiago Bernabéu y derrotó 2-3 al Real Madrid. Muchos medios españoles señalaron y sigue señalando al hepta-campeón europeo como un equipo viejo y acabado, incluso decrépito; sin embargo los italianos con mucha experiencia europea y la alegría, picardía y velocidad de Pato; les alcanzó con su juego pausado e inteligente para derrotar al “súper-galáctico” equipo merengue. Al principio del juego un ataque de Benzema fue frenado con falta dentro del área de Zambrotta, sin embargo el árbitro no pitó el claro penal. Poco después al minuto 19, un sencillo remate de Granero llegó a las manos de Dida, el arquero brasileño pensó que hacer con la bola antes de amarrarla bien y por esto estrelló la bola con su rodilla, se le soltó de las manos y Raúl con su instinto goleador nunca dejó de ver al arquero y aprovechó el error para tirar cruzado y marcar su gol número 68 en la historia de la Copa, con la puerta vacía. El partido entró en un ritmo lento a excepción de una jugada de Marcelo, en la que eludió a varios rivales remató y Dida está vez si hizo bien su trabajo. El partido fue dominado por el Madrid hasta que llegó el bombazo de Pirlo que cambió por completo el ritmo del juego. Pirlo al 62’ sin marca disparó desde más de 30 metros y el arquero Casillas no reaccionó a tiempo, el balón pasó entre la mano de Íker y el poste derecho del portero. El AC Milan aprovechó esto como un envión anímico y soltarse a jugar más, un contragolpe montado por el Real fue robado por Ambrosini, el capitano lanzó un pase largo y colocado a Pato, Casillas salió a nada y dejó el marco desguarnecido, lo que aprovechó Alexandre Pato para darle la vuelta al resultado al 66’. El equipo local desesperado, buscó el empate y en un tiro de esquina cobrado por Raúl, Drenthe recibió, dominó, remató raso, colocado al palo y potente para empatar el partido una vez más al 76’. Parecía que el Madrid estaba reaccionando pero no fue más que un espejismo. Al 85’ Pato remató solo y Casillas la desvió al corner, el tiro de esquina fue ejecutado, entraron Thiago Silva, Ramos e Íker por la pelota, Ramos chocó con su portero y metió la pelota con la mano. El árbitro inexplicablemente anuló el gol milanista y por ello se armó una gresca. Silva, Nesta y Ambrosini entre otros se fueron contra el colegiado belga Frank De Bleeckere. Raúl y otros merengues llegaron, Ronaldinho le dio un “manazo” al capitán blanco y la situación empeoró. Seedorf llegó a calmar la situación y finalmente Raúl y Nesta se fueron con amarilla. Parecía que el partido terminaría igualado pero el AC Milan sintió que podía ganarlo y lo buscó, una descolgada de Pato por la banda derecha fue frenada parcialmente por Raúl Albiol, el balón quedó en pies de Ronaldinho, este esperó a la llegada de Seedorf, el holandés pacientemente aguantó el desmarque de Pato en el área merengue y centró al brasileño que definió el juego al 88’ rematando a bocajarro. La madre de todos los partidos, como lo describió Galliani, finalizó con 3 puntos dorados para los lombardos. Ahora ambas escuadras lideran el grupo C con 6 puntos.
La otra nota especial de este juego, era el reencuentro de Kaka’ con sus excompañeros, sin embargo el brasileño fue un fantasma más en el equipo madridista, y le tocó observar a los rossoneros festejando en su nueva casa.

FC ZÜRICH 0-1 OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE
Un solitario gol de Gabriel Heinze al 69’ le da los primeros puntos al Marseille en su visita a Zúrich. Ambos equipos tienen 3 puntos y siguen en la lucha por clasificar a octavos.

Grupo D

CHELSEA 4-0 ATLÉTICO MADRID
El equipo londinense prácticamente selló su pase a la otra ronda con esta goleada sobre los pupilos de Resino. Los goles de los ingleses fueron de Kalou a los minutos 41 y 52, siguió la fiesta Lampard 69’ y cerro el autogol de Perea al 91’. Atlético es colero y Chelsea tiene 9 puntos de 9.

FC PORTO 2-1 APOEL NICOSIA
Los lusitanos tuvieron que venir desde atrás para dejarse los 3 puntos en casa ante el complicado APOEL. El tanto chipriota llegó al 22 por intermedio Álvaro Pereira en un autogol más de esta jornada. Sin embargo el brasileño Hulk anotó al 33’ para empatar y también marcó de penal el de la victoria en el minuto 48. Porto es escolta del Chelsea.

Photo courtesy ArchiM's Flickr account

Football fans are often questioned for their unstinting loyalty – The blind belief that, ‘on their day’, their team could beat Barcelona in the Camp Nou (even if they support Crewe Alexandra) and their sheep-like ability to keep going back even after 10 successive years of threatening not to renew their season ticket ‘to watch that shower’.

Wednesday night at the Santiago Bernabéu summed up why they bother.

In any normal year, an A.C. Milan victory against Real Madrid might have been rightly passed off as one European giant succumbing to another, but this has not been any old year at Via Turati. The Rossoneri have lost their star player – to Madrid – spent little of the proceeds, had their former World Player of the Year bouncing from nightclub to nightclub on multiple continents, been pilloried in the press and, worst of all, they have played like Ipswich Town on an off-day.

So, then, where on Earth did Milan’s 3-2 victory in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday over the Galacticos – a team worth a quarter of a billion Euros – come from?

Even Milan’s 2-1 home win over Roma on Sunday, which lifted the San Siro outfit into the top half of the Serie A table, came on the back of not only a very unconvincing display, but also a highly questionable refereeing decision. The victory hardly seemed a precursor to a major upset in Europe, but rather a way of papering over the considerable red-and-black cracks for a few days before a right royal tonking against world football’s biggest of big spenders.

What was predictable on Wednesday was Madrid’s first goal, and the manner in which it went in. (Note: You can watch the video of that goal here. -Ed.) Nelson Dida is no longer Milan’s first choice goalkeeper, and he’s lucky to be Milan’s third choice right now with Flavio Roma snapping at his heels in the absences of Christian Abbiati and Marco Storari.

One thread which has remained common in Dida’s Champions League career, though, has been the Brazilian’s ability to come up with the odd rick. Whether it be dropping a speculative Lee Bowyer shot in the back of the keeper’s own net in 2000, or falling to the ground long after a cheeky scamp had wagged his finger a bit too close to the Brazilian’s face at Celtic Park in 2007, the two-time competition winner has had the uncanny knack of occasionally bringing a smile to opposition fans’ faces. His inability on Wednesday to run a few yards and hold the ball at the same time after Esteban Granero’s weak 19th-minute shot came as a surprise to few, then – least of all Madrid striker Raúl González, who had been following up for just such an eventuality and thereby tapped in Wednesday’s opening goal.

What followed, though, was surely the story of this season’s Champions League so far. First, Madrid’s imperious first-choice goalkeeper Iker Casillas committed goalkeeping’s cardinal sin by allowing Andrea Pirlo’s dipping 30-yard strike on 62 minutes to squirm through a gap at his near post. Four minutes later, Casillas, the European Championship-winning skipper for Spain, raced out of his area to meet Massimo Ambrosini’s through-ball for Alexandre Pato, only to withdraw his hands when he realised a red card could be the result, allowing the young Milan striker to roll the ball into the empty net to give the Italians a shock 2-1 lead.

It appeared that normal service was about to resume when Madrid’s Royston Drenthe was left in space on the edge of the Milan area and was allowed to fire in a shot which Dida failed to get to in the 76th minute, but Leonardo’s side had still more fight in reserve, which was a quality rarely seen from them on the Italian peninsula this season.  Though Thiago Silva’s header was wrongly disallowed, the Rossoneri then finally clinched the full three points in the 88th minute when Clarence Seedorf’s chip found Pato in space, and the 20-year-old striker’s right-footed finish was his second winner in two games and put Milan top – yes, top! – of Group C.

The reaction in Italy’s papers on Thursday has been predictable to say the least, particularly from Milan-based La Gazzetta dello Sport, which proclaimed “The night of Pato” in Madrid and told of Adriano Galliani’s boast that “I was right about Leonardo” when deciding to stick with the Brazilian tactician during their recent travails back home in Italy.

Wednesday’s result for Milan helps to advance the thinking that Italian sides might well have something to say in this year’s Champions League after all, but with victories for Fiorentina and Juventus over the lowest-ranked opponents of their respective groups, it’s suddenly Inter who are under the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Tuesday’s 2-2 draw at home against Dynamo Kiev showed that even when coming off the back of one of their best performances under Jose Mourinho (a 5-0 win in Genoa on Saturday), the Nerazzurri still can’t seem to find the formula in Europe.

It is now a full year (plus another eight games) since Inter recorded a win in the Champions League, and their trip to Kiev in two weeks’ time has suddenly taken on a ‘do-or-die’ mantle, with anything less than a win likely to strike up links between Mourinho and Liverpool’s potential managerial vacancy. The self-ordained Special One has never looked entirely at ease in Italy, nor has club president and Italian oil tycoonMassimo Moratti looked entirely at ease with Mourinho, and should the Italian champions fall out of the tournament at the first hurdle, changes could well be afoot.

And so it is with football. Four days ago, Milan were under massive pressure, but now it’s their supporters who get to point and laugh at their rivals – If only for a couple of weeks.

Kris Voakes

E’ proprio vero. La Champions League è un capitolo a parte rispetto al campionato e di sostegni a questa tesi, nelle due giornate dedicate alla Champions League ne abbiamo avuti più di uno.

GRUPPO A – Il Bordeaux conserva la testa del girone davanti alla Juve, vittoriosa in casa contro il Maccabi. I francesi invece battono 2-1 il Bayern Monaco grazie ai gol di Ciani e Planus, ribaltando il risultato sbloccato al 6′ del primo tempo proprio con un’autorete di Ciani. GRUPPO B – Manchester United al fotofinish: i russi del Cska Mosca cedono solo nel finale. Il gol vittoria dei Red Devils, infatti, arriva all’86′ quando Valencia ha infilato la porta difesa da Akinfeev con un destro preciso. Nell’altro match è 0-0 tra Wolfsburg e Besiktas. Il Manchester guida il girone B a punteggio pieno con 9 punti.

GRUPPO C – Il Milan fa l’impresa a Madrid, mentre l’Olympique Marsiglia espugna Zurigo grazie al gol seganto da Heinze al 23′ della ripresa. In classifica Milan e Real comandano con 6 punti a testa, seguiti da Zurigo e Olympique appaiate a 3. GRUPPO D – Il Chelsea di Carlo Ancelotti è una furia. A Stamford Bridge l’Atletico Madrid è piegato 4-0 con i gol di Lampard, Kalou (doppietta) e l’autorete di Perea. Nell’altro match il Porto liquida 2-1 l’Apoel Nicosia, con due gol di Hulk. In classifica i Blues sono a punteggio pieno seguiti dal Porto che ha 6 punti. Un punto a testa per Atletico e Apoel.

After a horrific weekend it seems that the universe, or at least my universe, is back on track. Yesterday’s fixtures proved to be a series of pleasant surprises, as several of the Champions League’s underdogs secured impressive results – and today’s seem to be along the same lines. What a glorious year for the underdogs!

Pirlo's second-half screamer brought Milan right back into it.

AC Milan 3-2 Real Madrid – Let me get this out of the way: I have been predicting this for a very long time. Ever since Los Blancos kicked off the 2009/10 season, I have argued that they had yet to come up against any teams which were truly capable of testing their mettle, and that when faced with a real opponent, they would falter. They fell to Sevilla domestically in Week 6 of La Liga, and now they have fallen to AC Milan in European competition. Keeper errors were the fashion of the day, with both Dida and Iker Casillas giving up easy goals (to Raul and Alexandre Pato, respectively). Raul’s tap in would give his side the lead on 18′, an advantage which would see Los Galacticos comfortably into the half. However, Andrea Pirlo would send the message that Milan were not yet out of it with a spectacular strike that beat Casillas from range and levelled for i Rossoneri (63′). Alexandre Pato’s aforementioned goal would come just 2 minutes later as the latter half of the 1-2 punch that saw Milan take a 2-1 lead. Madrid weren’t out of it yet, and Royston Drenthe would equalize for his side (off of a short corner kick from Raul) with a low ball that somehow made it through the crowd in front of the Milan net. However, it would be Alexandre Pato who would have the final word (it would have been Thiago Silva, but his headed goal on 86′ was wrongfully disallowed), meeting a chip from Clarence Seedorf with a calm volley in the 88th minute. With today’s victory at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, AC Milan rest atop the Group C table and will be in high spirits when they entertain Los Blancos at the San Siro in two weeks time. Hate to say I told you so!

Chelsea 4-0 Atletico Madrid – After losing to Aston Villa in Premiership play this weekend, Chelsea needed a win badly. After the skid that has been Atleti’s season so far this year, Los Colchoneros needed it worse. Chelsea almost took an early lead on 12′, but hitman Salomon Kalou was ruled for offside. Ultimately, it took 41 minutes for the scoring to open up, but when it did it was the Spaniards who were on the business end; Kalou hammering a ball from Ashley Cole into the roof of the Atletico net. After the break Kalou was back for more, bagging a brace in the 52nd minute with a header that put Chelsea up 2-0. Frank Lampard would break a 10-match goalless drought on 69′ to put the match simply out of the other Madrid side’s reach. In fact, the only Atletico player who would make an impression upon the match would be Louis Amaranto Perea, whose own goal in stoppage time sealed an absolute rout for the London side. This match affirms Chelsea position atop Group D, and also begs the question: exactly how much longer can Abel Resino hang on to his job?

Dutra, the Butcher of Haifa.

Juventus 1-0 Maccabi Haifa - Juve finally, finally grab their first victory in Champions League play this year. Israeli side Maccabi Haifa provided more resistance than most would expect in tonight’s fixture in Torino, but it was i Bianconeri who would eventually come out on top. Big centre-back Giorgio Chiellini would nod in a goal for Juventus on 48′ and, alongside the usual spectacular work between the uprights from Gigi Buffon, it was enough to see the Italians to all three points. Juve controlled the pace for much of the game, though Haifa proved dangerous on multiple occasions and challenged Juventus’ back line. Not helping the Haifa cause was substitute Tiago Dutra, who promptly injured Felipe Melo, forcing the Brazilian out of the match with a horrific challenge that went unnoticed by referee Faustino Benquerenca. Soon after, Dutra’s luck ran out and the midfielder was shown straight red for a studs-up tackle on Chiellini which forced the big defender off the pitch for several minutes. As an aside, it was interesting to see the attacking potential of a Juve side which started Sebastian Giovinco, Diego and David Trezeguet up front – they were perhaps unlucky not to improve their advantage this evening and it will be an attack force to watch moving forward.

Once he figured out who he played for, Ciani scored a wicked backheel.

Bordeaux 2-1 Bayern Münich – A strange fixture in which Michael Ciani scored for both Bayern and Bordeaux, Hamit Altintop added his own own-goal to the tally, and Bordeaux should have easily been up 4-1 but for a man named Butt. A game that started off a French nightmare (with Ciani’s own goal on 5′) soon turned into a German one. Ciani more than made up for his earlier error with a brilliant back-heeled goal off a corner kick which drew the French side level on 28′. Bayern would sink further into despair just moments later, as youngster Thomas Müller received his second yellow for a brash tackle on Matthieu Chalmé and was shown his marching orders. For Die Roten, things would only go from bad to worse before the end of the half, as Hamit Altintop’s attempted clearance was interrupted by Marc Planus and the Turkish International would go on the scoresheet for an own goal. After the half, Bayern were unable to wrest control of the game from the French side, though perhaps their best chance fell to the much-maligned Luca Toni, who promptly hit the post. In the 66th minute, Bayern keeper Hans-Jörg Butt was caught out of his net and forced to down Marouane Chamakh – a spot kick was awarded and disaster seemed nigh for the Germans. However, Butt was able to keep out Yoann Gourcuff’s effort, and therefore atoned for his own mistake. Tonight was not to be Bayern’s night; as the game wound down Daniel van Buyten became the second Roten to see red for hauling down Chamakh (again? poor guy!) in the box. The ensuing spot kick was taken by substitute Jussiê, who became the second Bordeaux player to be foiled by Butt. All in all, tonight’s match was a disaster for the Bavarians, who now sit at 3rd in Group A – but when you think about it, it could have been a lot worse.

Manchester Utd 1-0 CSKA Moscow – The only thing surprising about United’s wholly unsurprising victory over CSKA Moscow is how long it took for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men to get ahead. The Muscovites were able to hold off the Mancunians for 86 minutes, until Luis Antonio Valencia finally found the back of the net. A result that leaves me a little bitter, as I was surrounded by Red Devils’ fanboys as I ate my lunch today and dearly hoped that CSKA would be able to silence the prattling gobshites. Ah well though – the Mancs can’t lose them all!

These are th- Well, you get the point.

Well, International week has come again. The qualification stage for South Africa 2010 is soon coming to an end (and good riddance to it); although yesterday saw several dramatic matches and the final qualification matches on Wednesday should also prove exciting. As of yesterday, the following nations have qualified for the World Cup: Serbia, Germany, Denmark, England, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, Australia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, the USA, Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay and Chile. Notable exceptions include France, Argentina and Portugal – all three of these footballing powers have struggled greatly on the road to South Africa, but all three will be heartened by the results they achieved yesterday. Oh, and the fact that FIFA has decided to seed the qualification play-offs and destroy football in the process. But I digress – let’s get down to it:

Argentina 2-1 Peru – Man oh man, did Diego Maradona ever need this. Argentina’s nightmarish qualification campaign was almost drawn to a premature close yesterday but for the heroic last-ditch efforts of Martin Palermo. Palermo’s goal on 92′ cancelled out the last-ditch heroics of Peruvian substitute Hernan Rengifo, who thought he had sealed a draw for his side with his headed goal in the 89th minute. Argentina had gone ahead earlier in the game on a strike from Higuan just after the break, but Peru had thought they were going to keep the Albicelestes (who needed the win) out of the World Cup with Rengifo’s late header in the torrential downpour of Buenos Aires. However, Argentina was not willing to say die, and when the ball flashed across the mouth of the Peruvian goal just 3 minutes later, Palermo was there to bury it. A win that keeps alive both Argentina’s hopes of getting to the World Cup and Maradona’s hopes of keeping his job.

Gilardino plays last minute hero for Italia.

Italy 2-2 Republic of Ireland - Keeping with the theme of last-minute heroics are the Azzurri, who played to a 2-2 draw against Ireland in front of a crowd of over 70,000 in Dublin’s Croke Park yesterday. The Boys in Green took the lead twice in the game, and twice Italy equalized. Ireland took an early lead on 7′, with a schoolyard free kick that caught the defending Italians with their pants down and left Gigi Buffon dumbfounded. Liam Lawrence appeared to be taking the kick from out on the wing, but instead teed up an onrushing Glenn Whelan in the middle, who, unchallenged, beat Buffon with an unstoppable swerving kick. It was a beauty of a goal and a wake-up call for Lippi’s men. However, Mauro Camoranesi would make it equal on 26′ with a goal of his own, a bullet header that beat Shay Given off the end of a perfectly-placed corner kick from Andrea Pirlo. The game would remain level until 88′, when the Irish took the lead once more (on another poorly-defended set piece) with Sean St. Ledger scoring a dramatic diving header. Giovanni Trapattoni’s men thought they had the game in the bag with their 2-1 lead, but the Italians weren’t done yet, and two minutes into extra time substitute Alberto Gilardino put a slow-rolling ball past Shay Given to seal automatic qualification and send the Azzurri to South Africa next summer.

Bolivia 2-1 Brazil – Well, the Bolivians have slain another Giant. The Seleção needed only a victory in today’s match to cement their place atop the CONMEBOL standings, but Dunga’s men seemed uninterested in pursuing that goal. Instead, they started the game at a jogging pace, wary of the effects that the altitude of La Paz can have on a squad. This slow start backfired though, when the home side took the advantage in the 9th minute on a strike from Edgar Olivares. The atmospheric made possible fantastical long-range strikes, and both teams tested the other with attempts from over 30 yards. On 31′ Marcelo Martins Moreno would, incredibly, double Bolivia’s lead with a swerving strike from 25 yards that Julio Cesar was powerless to stop. In the second half the Brazilians came to life, and Nilmar would halve the home side’s lead on 70′, but the game belonged to the Bolivians. In the end it was the side who have already been eliminated from World Cup qualification that would handily defeat a squad who have long looked like probable World Cup favourites. Good Job, Bolivia!

Fair enough Cesc, fair enough.

Spain 2-1 Armenia – The Spanish had qualified for South Africa long before this weekend – but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t pursue a perfect record in their qualification campaign. Cesc Fàbregas gave his side a first-half lead with a beautifully chipped goal on 33′ – after a long build-up in possession Xavi found the streaking Arsenal man, who beat the keeper with a light touch into the far corner of the net. However, the Armenians were equal to that, and on 57′ Robert Arzumanyan equalized with his head off of a free kick. The Armenians gave a spirited performance – perhaps ultimately too spirited, as Spain’s second goal would come from a spot kick after Juan Mata was clipped in the box by keeper Roman Berezovskiy. Ultimately, not a surprising win for the Spanish – but what was surprising was how hard they had to work to earn it.

Ukraine 1-0 England – Fabio Capello’s England was another national squad looking to continue their perfect qualification record yesterday as they visited Dnipropetrovsk, in the Ukraine. The Three Lions have looked dominant ever since the Italian took over, and suffered only the first defeat of their campaign yesterday. The Ukrainians should have taken the lead on 13′, when Robert Green was sent off for his tackle on Artem Milevsky, but Andriy Shevchenko missed the ensuing spot kick. The home side would take the lead eventually, with a 29th minute long-range strike from Serhiy Nazarenko. Though England started strong, play was interrupted early by flares thrown on the pitch, and the one-two punch of Green’s sending off and Nazarenko’s strike was enough for the Ukrainians to come away with a win. The victory means that the Ukraine will likely progress to the qualification play-offs (at the expense of Croatia), while Capello’s men will have to settle for a less-than-perfect qualification campaign.

France 5-0 Faroe Islands – The French, despite having a far less perfect campaign than the English, managed to achieve a far more positive result yesterday – sealing their play-off spot with a commanding victory at the Stade du Roudourou. To be fair, the Faroe Islands aren’t the most imposing of European competitors, and it was nothing short of expected that the French cruised to an easy victory yesterday. Gignac André-Pierre opened the scoring in the first half with a brace not five minutes apart, and William Gallas, Nicolas Anelka and Karim Benzema would all add their names to the scoresheet in the second. Despite the imbalance in the scoreline, Faroese keeper Jakup Mikkelsen put in a strong performance, and the final result would have been even more lopsided without the heroic efforts he made for his nation. The victory could not stop Serbia from clinching the top spot in Group 7, but nevertheless, Raymond Domenech’s men have ensured that their qualification campaign will not end prematurely with their match against Austria on Wednesday.

Seeding means more of this. Pure evil, I say.

Portugal 3-0 Hungary – Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. have progressed one step closer to a spot in the qualification play-offs with their commanding victory over Hungary yesterday. Portugal have long been underachievers in Group 1, and only recently have begun to look like a squad fit to participate in the World Cup. Portugal took the lead in the 17th minute as Simão buried a rebound after Hungarian keeper Gabor Babos intercepted Cristiano Ronaldo’s low cross but couldn’t hang on to it. Hungary had an opportunity to equalize on 39′, when Balazs Dzsudzsak cut in from the right flank to fire on goal – his low shot missed just wide of the goalpost. Liedson doubled Portugal’s lead on 73′ with a direct header that just barely beat Babos, who punched it away but couldn’t stop it from crossing the goal line. Simão returned just minutes later to bag his brace and seal Hungary’s doom with a classy volley that was borne out of a botched clearance. Portugal needs only defeat Malta on Wednesday to make the play-offs – and with FIFA implementing their new seeding policy for the play-off rounds, it looks like we will surely be seeing Cristiano Ronaldo in World Cup play next year.

The other Poulsen's still a douche, though.

Denmark 1-0 Sweden – It was a late goal from Jakob Poulsen which saw Denmark secure their place atop Group 1 and book their spot in South Africa next year. Sweden looked strong coming into the match, with Henrik Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimovic causing all sorts of trouble for the Danish backline – but ultimately the Danes held their ground and Poulsen’s long-range strike on 78′ was enough to see them past the Swedes. Both Thomas Sorensen and Andreas Isaksson looked impressive between the uprights for their respective sides, and prevented the scoreline from being much more dramatic. Sweden will need to beat Albania and Portugal to lose or draw to Malta Wednesday if they are to keep their World Cup hopes alive.

Germany 1-0 Russia – Guus Hiddink’s men were looking to usurp Germany at the top of Group 4 yesterday at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. The Russians needed a win if they were to have even the opportunity to bypass the play-off round and qualify automatically for South Africa. Despite a hard-fought performance from the Russians, it would be Miroslav Klose’s lone goal on 34′ which ultimately separated the sides. Russia looked at times to be the better and more creative side, with Vladimir Bystrov and Andrei Arshavin creating many chances but ultimately failing to capitalize upon them – heroic efforts from German keeper Rene Adler didn’t help their cause. Jerome Boateng’s sending off on 69′ spelled trouble for Joachim Löw’s men, but they were able to hold off the home side for the last 20 minutes despite being down a man. Yesterday’s victory sees Die Mannschaft seal their position atop Group 4 and book their place via automatic qualification for next year’s World Cup.

Mission accomplished, Didier.

Côte d’Ivoire 1-1 Malawi – Les Éléphants became just the second African side (discluding South Africa) to qualify for the World Cup yesterday via a 1-1 draw with Southeast African side Malawi. Both goals in the match were scored within a brief period in the second half, with Jacob Ngwira giving his side the lead on 64′ and Didier Drogba equalizing on 67′. The Ivorians have reached the second consecutive World Cup in their history due largely to the strength of the Chelsea hitman.

Defending champion Italy did not win the match against Ireland, but a 2-2 draw was enough for them to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Alberto Gilardino, the substitute striker, scored 90th minute equalizer that sealed Italy’s spot in the World Cup. It’s their 13th consecutive appearance in the World Cup. Since Italy is the four time champion of the World Cup, maybe it is not that surprising  to hear that Italy has qualified. But did they really play like a defending champion?

I must say that there are some things that Italy needs to improve based on the game against Ireland. One thing particularly, Italy lacks defense on set plays. Two goals that Italy allowed in this match was all from the set plays. Defense has always been the trade mark for Italy, known as “Catenaccio”, but today’s Italian national football team lacks strong defense.

Italy’s other problem comes from the center midfielder Andrea Pirlo. His vision, and accurate passes was the key for the Italy. However, the play maker’s speed and passing tempo is getting slow these days. Italy’s coach, Marcello Lippi, used Pirlo as an attacking midfielder in this game, but the change of the position did not improved Pirlo’s play. If Pirlo have played like what he did in the 2006 World Cup, Italy would not had a big difficulty through out the qualifications.

People say Italy is Italy. I know they have some skillful players and great coach. However, current Italian national football team is not playing like a defending champion. It will be interesting to see how Marcello Lippi will change its team in the near future.

See all the goals from Ireland vs. Italy match

Are back, it seems. Time for the Azzurri to finally qualify for next year’s World Cup. With any luck we’ll be able to seal our qualification against the Republic of Ireland this coming Saturday – however, if we fail to get the result we need (just a measly draw) we’ll be leaving it to our last qualification match, against Cyprus, a week from today. Personally, I think that Italia is perfectly capable of coming away with wins in both Dublin and Parma – despite the fact that I also believe that Marcello Lippi has continued to make a cock-up of his squad selection.

I’ll be the first to admit that after the disappointment of the Azzurri under Donadoni at the Euros last summer, I was amongst those clamouring for the return of the ‘Silver Fox’ – but this qualification campaign has been a disaster so far and I am not sure that what was good for us in 2006 will be good for us in 2010.

il Rino e la Volpe

Some Italians might want to shoot me for this, but seriously, what is Gennaro Gattuso doing in the Italian National squad? I mean, I loved the guy in 2006 – back then he was the perfect mediano, charging all over the midfield, winning balls and forcing mistakes from the opposition. It is not the fact that he is now 31 years of age so much that he simply does not have the legs under him needed to go charging around the pitch like that anymore. Instead of the bulldog who fought so voraciously, putting his heart and soul into his game for his country two years ago, we now have Rino Gattuso, the rhinoceros who charges about so clumsily and blindly, costing his nation many dear mistakes. The same could be said for Gianluca Zambrotta, whose bombing runs up the flank used to be the terror of any opponent – his legs too seem to have left him, and while his runs are still fantastic, he is slower coming back and too often caught out of position. Even Andrea Pirlo, the small midfield genius with the perfect touch, has shown a form of late that is but a shadow of his play in 2006. I am not against the inclusion of veteran players in the Azzurri shirt – Fabio Cannavaro has made an outstanding case for his continued inclusion this year (but is suspended against Ireland anyways).

What disappoints me is Marcello Lippi’s continued inclusion of players who are no longer the men they used to be (or who are simply mediocre); leaving out more talented, creative players because they do not fit into ‘the system.’ The unwillingness to include creative players such as Antonio Cassano (perhaps the most talented forward in all of Italy) reveals Marcello Lippi’s tactics for what they are – not in fact, tactical at all, but rather political.

It seems that while the ‘Silver Fox’ is still around, so will be these old boys, these 2006 World Cup champions who may no longer be worthy of their place in this squad. Lippi refuses to acknowledge the importance of individual performances, choosing instead to focus entirely on players who fit like cogs in a machine – but the machine is broken. Italy has serious problems in the final third in the pitch, and Lippi’s search for an answer to these questions belies the personal and political bias through which he sees his squad. Why does Fabio Quagliarella continually receive call-ups despite having been in nothing but dismal form of late for both club and country?

The strongest case against the inclusion of Cassanata.

And another thing. The fact that he would be willing to call up Amauri, once the Brazilian receives his Italian passport, is to me ridiculous. This is a man who is not even an oriundo – not even of distant Italian ancestry – why should he be included ahead of Antonio Cassano, an Italian boy from Bari? I do not mean for this to seem xenophobic, but there is no explanation for this. Cassano has been a prima-donna in the past, yes, but he nonetheless possesses far more skill and all-around depth than Juve’s Brazilian striker. A good coach chooses a squad that he knows will work well together, this is true – but a good coach should also be able to look beyond his own personal feelings and recognize talent and potential when he sees it. I am not speaking only of Antonio Cassano – what of Palermo’s Fabrizio Miccoli, or Cassano’s teammate Giampaolo Pazzini?

Hell, why don’t I just come out with it and suggest Francesco Totti? The man is second in the Serie A goal tally at the moment (6), behind only Antonio Di Natale (who already has a place in this weekend’s squad and 9 goals), why even should he be selected behind Amauri, who has 0?

What I’m trying to say, folks, is that even though we are so close to qualification for South Africa 2010, we have a long way ahead of us. And if we want to find a World Cup at the end of that dark, winding road – we’d better make sure our guide knows the way.

Only big games folks – you know the drill:

Football:

Arsenal 6-2 Blackburn - Not to be outdone by Liverpool and Tottenham’s high-scoring performances last weekend, the Gunners responded with a blowout of their own in which six different players appeared on the scoresheet. Thomas Vermaelen, Robin Van Persie, Andrei Arshavin, Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Nick Bendtner all netted for the Londoners; while David Dunn and Steven N’Zonzi scored for the visitors – N’Zonzi giving his side an early lead in the 4th minute. An important win for Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, and a result which puts them ahead of rivals Liverpool with a game in hand.

"Please, please - it's only Liverpool."

Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool – For a match that was touted in the days leading up to it as all-important and due to be a spectacular showdown of two top-notch Premiership sides, neither Liverpool nor Chelsea were able to make an impact upon the early stages of the game. Both sides looked tentative and unwilling to leap headfirst into the match – the sides would remain even until the 60th minute, when a Nicolas Anelka strike put the blues ahead. The wind was more or less taken out of the Merseysiders’ sails at this point, though Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun did all they could to equalize (the latter missing a late sitter which should have brought his side level). However, the the Scousers’ fate was sealed by Florent Malouda on 91′, as Chelsea proved that all it takes to win in the English Premier League are French strikers and an Italian manager.

Manchester Utd 2-2 Sunderland – As usual when things go wrong at Old Trafford, the blame for Manchester United’s draw against  lowly Sunderland was all the fault of the match official – if we’re to believe Sir Alex Ferguson’s side of the story. Ferguson lashed out at referee Alan Wiley after the match, questioning his physical condition and claiming he did not add on enough stoppage time at the end of the second half. However, I think it is a bit ludicrous to blame United’s perhaps disappointing result on anyone but themselves. Goals from Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones (on either side of a classy volley from Dimitar Berbatov) had seen the Black Cats go ahead of the home side at Old Trafford, but the visitors’ luck began to turn when Kieran Richardson was sent off for poor sportsmanship in the 84th minute. Things went from bad to worse when, on 92′, Anton Ferdinand deflected Patrice Evra’s long-range effort into the back of his own net – earning a not-quite-deserved draw from a United who had looked hapless and disorganize all throughout the match. Who would’ve thought that the Black Cats could be so unlucky?

Fußball:

FC Köln 0-0 Bayern Münich – This match has been called the most boring game of the Bundesliga played yet this year – and not just by me. Die Roten played almost the exact same squad they utilized in their midweek draw against Juventus – the only change being for Arjen Robben, who picked up an injury in that Champions League match, thus forcing the hand of Louis van Gaal. The fans at the Allianz Arena were treated to a game riddled with fouls and choppy play – game broadcasts panned over the stands at halftime to find fans fast asleep. I am not exaggerating. While Bayern could barely get an attack started, the dull play was not entirely their fault – Köln seemed content to park the bus in front of their goal, not playing a single player upfield and holding the home side to a nil-nil draw. Dull stuff from Deutschland, I’m afraid.

Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 Nürnberg - Elsewhere in Der Vaterland, goals were scored, and in fact scored aplenty. Keverkusen hit hard and early, taking control of the match at the BayArena with a fantastic set piece goal from Toni Kroos on 2′, followed by a spot kick by Simon Rolfes on 28′ and a strike from Erin Derdiyok on 34′ to round out the first half. In the second half the home side eased up on the throttle a little, but not enough for Nürnberg to bounce back, and not enough to stop Stephan Riessling from scoring his league-leading 6th goal of the season. A win that sees Bayer seated atop the Bundesliga table, separated by goal difference from Northern side Hamburg SV.

Hamburg SV 3-1 Hertha Berlin – Speak of the devil – Hamburg also pulled off a win this weekend, defeating Hertha in their own house at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. Hertha took an early lead thanks to an Arne Friedrich header in the 9th minute, but after an own goal from Claudiano Bezerra Da Silva equalized, Hamburg added two more of their own to go up 3-1 before the half. Neither side managed to add to that tally in the second half and so Hamburg comes away with a victory that (as mentioned) sees them second in the Bundesliga behind Bayer Leverkusen. David Jarolim and Ze Roberto netted for the away side.

Calcio:

"Gee Rob... my bad."

AS Roma 2-1 Napoli – Francesco Totti is trying to get Roberto Donadoni fired. Donadoni’s Napoli have had a miserable start to the season – a positive result at the Stadio Olimpico today might have gone towards convincing Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis that the manager was worth keeping around. Unfortunately for the ex-Azzurri boss, Roma came out strong, with Simone Perrotta and John-Arne Riise missing a pair of early chances that should have put i Lupi easily ahead of their struggling opposition. However, it would be Napoli who would ultimately strike first – after Roma keeper Julio Sergio was substituted for injury, his replacement Bogdan Lobont was beaten by Ezequiel Lavezzi’s low shot on 25′. However, Roma weren’t about to let their bright start be ruined, and equalized on 37′ with a ball that started at the feet of Mirko Vucinic, but was redirected by Perrotta and then (who else?) Francesco Totti into the back of the Napoli goal. Totti would strike again in the second half with a low shot from some distance against which Napoli keeper Morgan De Sanctis never stood a chance. Er Pupone’s brace was enough to see his side clear of the visitors and put Roberto Donadoni’s job in serious danger. Sorry Rob; nothing personal eh?

Inter 2-1 Udinese – A last-gasp win for i Nerazzurri which, combined with other events to have transpired this weekend, sees Jose Mourinho’s men sitting atop the table for the first time this season. The game was played at a lightning pace straight from the outset, with Sulley Muntari and Simone Pepe spurning early chances. Dejan Stankovic gave the home side a lead on 22′ at the San Siro, only for the on-fire Antonio Di Natale to equalize not 5 minutes later. Both teams would have plenty of opportunities – though a combination of Sulley Muntari’s lack of aim and Samir Handanovic’s goaltending ability saved Udinese on several occasions. However, it would be Inter who would take home the full spoils, as Wesley Sneijder’s 93rd minute strike gave La Beneamata a late, late victory.

"Did I look worried?"

Palermo 2-0 Juventus – Many thanks to il Rosanero for keeping my claims of the Year of the Underdog alive. The Sicilian side absolutely dismantled Juventus, who have been flying high in Serie A of late, and shown them their first defeat of the season to prevent i Bianconeri from rising to the top of the table. It took a pair of first-half strikes in quick succession to slay La Vecchia Signora, who despite pouring on pressure lacked creativity in the final third of the pitch and were ultimately unable to prevent a defeat at the Stadio Renzo Barbera. Edinson Cavani and Fabio Simplicio were the heroes for the home side, with their goals on 37′ and 42′ respectively proving a hurdle too difficult for Juventus to overcome. All in all, a fantastic win for Palermo which sees them rise to a comfortable midtable standing – and which no doubt allowed Walter Zenga a breath of relief after a stuttering start to the season. An impressive and deserved win for the Sicilian side.

AC Milan 1-1 Atalanta - I have never seen a side so bereft of confidence or direction as the Milan squad which played in the first half of today’s match in Bergamo. Milan were constantly found on the back heel in what is becoming their typical fashion -Gennaro Gattuso charged around like a tank, the strikers had no service, and Andrea Pirlo looked like a shadow of his former self. L’Altri Nerazzurri, as I like to call them, were often the aggressors in the first half and star man Cristiano Doni looked like a legitimate threat to the Milan goal every time the ball was at his feet. In fact, it would be lowly Atalanta who would take the lead in the match, after Simone Tiribocchi buried a ball left for him (perhaps accidentally) by Doni. The goal was borne out of a gross defensive error, as Alessandro Nesta had left Tiribocchi completely unmarked, but nonetheless Atalanta was on top and deservedly so. However, Atalanta would be dealt a crushing blow on 38′, when Ivan Radovanovic was handed a second yellow card for laying hands on Alexandre Pato. For my own part, I had initially thought it was a straight red card, and was seriously questioning whether match-fixing was still alive and well in the Italian game. Ultimately, the card was harsh, but not to the extent that I’d imagined – though it certainly turned the match around and gave i Rossoneri the chance to go on the attack. After the halftime break, the momentum had decidedly been reversed, and it was AC Milan who were on the offensive. Atalanta did all they could to stay ahead in the game, but Ronaldinho’s volley on 83′ inevitably earned the visitors an equalizer. One more thing: Klaas Jan Huntelaar failed to make his mark in the first half, and was substituted early in the second. How is a young striker supposed to build up confidence when he is constantly substituted in what are essentially votes of no confidence from his coach? Just an example of poor man-management from Leonardo, and perhaps another example of why Milan needs to secure themselves a replacement for the disappointing Brazilian tactician.

Futbol:

Sevilla 2-1 Real Madrid – I feel vindicated by this result. I’ve been saying since the shiny new Real Madrid started tearing up La Liga (and Champions League) that when Los Blancos finally found themselves up against an opponent capable of mounting a serious defense, Manuel Pellegrini’s men would find themselves shut down and unable to account for it. Well, it appears that it is Sevilla who was that squad, as Real visited the Estadio Sánchez Pizjuán and suffered their first loss of the season. Madrid were unable to create chances and it was Sevilla who controlled tonight’s match. Jesus Navas gave the home side the lead on 32′, which would stand until Pepe equalized early in the second half. However, Renato would see that Sevilla took all three points from Los Galacticos with a goal on 66′. Perhaps the reason for this defeat can be traced back to the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, but for the successes of a team which cost hundreds of millions of euros to assemble to ride on the back of a singular player just reveals the shaky foundation upon which this new Galacticos era has been built.

Barcelona 1-0 Almeria – Oh, and Barcelona beat another relatively small team. Spanish youngster Pedro scored the only goal of the match at the Camp Nou.

I feel this picture best captures Kakhader's performances of late.

Although this time I’m a little less pleased about it. At least Roma isn’t the only Italian team to have fallen before the …might… of a Swiss squad in this year’s European competitions. Oh wait wait wait – that’s not embarassing enough – Milan somehow managed to fall before the …might… of a squad that is facing relegation from the Swiss first division. The only aspect of the Rossoneri’s game more toothless than their offense was their defense – with Kakhader Kaladze and Marek Jankulovski looking more like they were auditioning for a role in a Three Stooges film than attempting to hold a backline for a football team. Not even Clarence Seedorf and Filippo Inzaghi could save Milan this time – despite the fact that the veteran pair had more than their fair share of opportunities to find the back of the net.

From the get-go it seemed that Leonardo’s side were in trouble. Milan stumbled from the starting blocks, and were barely getting into their stride before they were dealt a crushing blow – Zurich’s Finnish defender Hannu Timinen volleyed the ball past Marco Storari with a scissor kick in the 9th minute. Suffice it to say that the rush of that early goal was enough to take FC Zurich into the half looking comfortable (if a little surprised) with their 0ne-goal lead.

Not Pictured: Capable Defenders.

Leonardo made some changes at the half, bringing on Ronaldinho and Gianluca Zambrotta, and while it appeared that new life had been breathed into Milan, it would not be enough for i Rossoneri to save their first-half blushes and come up with an equalizer. While Pirlo, Pato and ‘Dinho all came into the second half looking energetic and spry, it would not be enough; their efforts failed to produce and the best chance that the Serie A Giants could come up with was a shot from Gianluca Zambrotta which crashed off the woodwork in second-half extra time. Making matters worse, Alessandro Nesta was forced from the pitch by injury in the second half to be replaced by Oguchi ‘Gooch’ Onyewu. Without Nesta’s guidance, Milan’s backline really did start to look like a Three Stooges act, and when Zurich was able to break on the counter attack it was with a certain air of panic that i Rossoneri dropped back to defend their goal.

In all honesty this is a game that Zurich should not have won – though they did, and I am not trying to take credit from them for that. But let me say this: This is a Milan side which all but gave up on themselves after the 9th minute, when they conceded a single goal to a team who in any other year they would have handily defeated. Leonardo, you need to make some changes and start getting results fast - your job depends on it. Your men have no self-confidence, no will to believe that they can defeat teams like the …mighty… Zurich handily, as the AC Milan of old would have. Milan’s problem is that with their piecemeal squad and their young and inexperienced coach, even they do not believe they have what it takes to compete in this competition.

When even Goliath does not believe that he can win the fight, how can David lose?

After the poor 2-0 qualifier victory in Georgia (Kakha Kaladze scoring two own goals) on the 5^th of September, Italy, in spite of taking three points, seemed to have reached their creative nadir.

The summer was a tough time for the Azzurri. The Confederations Cup was a definite low for the reigning world champions and it didn’t really help that the summer debacle was followed by a 0-0 friendly against Switzerland. The Georgia match seemed to highlight what had become evident. As Andrea Pirlo, the spark of ingenuity for Italy for the last five years or so and perhaps the most important individual reason for their success in 2006, seems to be gradually draining out of his genius, there is a shortage of heirs to the midfield crown. Italy’s midfield stock is traditionally bolstering with industry, athleticism and consistency but few have the capacity to deliver the stroke of magnificence. Pirlo did it in Germany and Italy took the Cup home.

Marcello Lippi, despite denying any sort of creative crisis in the Italy camp, had a tough task in providing the answer to the midfield problem in time for the clash against Bulgaria. His answer had been sitting in the stands three days earlier. Claudio Marchisio made his second full appearance against Bulgaria and despite perhaps not orchestrating the performance by himself, the 23-year-old was heavily involved in the turnaround of outlook for Italy as they beat Bulgaria 2-0 in Turin, at Marchisio’s home stadium.

After the call-up to the opening line-up in the national side, the Juventus midfielder, who was already a regular last season, has flourished to full bloom. Marchisio scored the second of Juve’s two goals in the victory over Livorno with a perfectly placed lob after a surging run inside the box. In the next game at the Stadio Marrassi in Genoa, Marchisio put in a man of the match performance as he dominated the midfield especially in the second half. It’s no wonder Marco Tardelli, the Juventus and Italy legend and current Ireland assistant coach, drew parallels between the midfielder and himself and called the young Italian a great player. Graced with a superb over-all technique, dynamism and an impeccable eye for a pass, Marchisio embodies all the qualities of a modern midfielder.

Against Genoa, Marchisio started on the left side of the midfield pyramid, alongside the enforcers Christian Poulsen and Felipe Melo. In the defensive-minded Juve midfield line, Marchisio is the focal point in terms of their attacking build-up. He is the player Juventus look to provide the link between the defence and the playmaker Diego (replaced by Mauro Camoranesi against Genoa due to the Brazilian’s injury). Although perhaps most at home in the centre of the park, Marchisio can operate on the wing as well. This he showed in the first half as he stormed down the flank and provided the cross from which (with the help of Camoranesi’s delightful dummy) Vincenzo Iaquinta scored the opener.

As the generation of Pirlo, Totti and Alessandro Del Piero are gradually beginning to blow out the candles on their magnificent careers, they are leaving a huge creative deficit in the national team. Marchisio is top of the class among the young players who are taking over the huge responsibility of filling that void. Lippi could do a lot worse than trying to ensure this happening by giving the Juve player an extended run in the Azzurri shirt.

Back from International week – hoo hah! Roma won – hoo hah! …Okay, lets get on with it. As per usual, just the big games.

Football:

Manchester Utd 3-1 Tottenham – 47 seconds. That’s all it took for Jermain Defoe to give the Spurs a gloriously early lead over the Red Devils. With a bicycle kick, no less. It would take United twenty-two minutes to recover completely, as Ryan Giggs curled an equally glorious free kick away from the fully outstretched keeper Cudicini. The play went back and forth for a time, but Sir Alex Ferguson’s men went ahead before the half (40′) courtesy of Anderson’s first ever EPL goal. Dimitar Berbatov had an active night, posing a constant problem for the Spurs defensive line until he made way for substitute Michael Carrick. United saw their fortunes flag a bit upon the hour mark, as Paul Scholes received a (perhaps harsh) second yellow and was shown his marching orders after clattering into Tom Huddlestone. However Tottenham was largely lackluster and the Devils would double their lead on a Wayne Rooney goal with twenty minutes remaining – more than enough to see 10-men United earn a deserved three points.

Chelsea 2-1 Stoke City – Stoke Fans knew it couldn’t last forever. The team looked to continue their 100% success rate at home in Britannia Stadium, and were aided in that by the head of Abdoulaye Faye in the 30th minute. An enormous amount of pressure was put on the Blues, and Cech was forced to make more than a few last-ditch saves, but the tides began to turn in the second minute (out of a whopping eight) of first-half stoppage time, when Didier Drogba proved that Chelsea are not going to let a little FIFA ban ruin their fiery streak by smashing the ball into the roof of the net. After the half the Stoke back line took a relentless pounding, and though they looked rock-solid, like any rock they eventually began to crumble under the waves of assault. It would be Florent Malouda who would eventually find the back of the net, though it would be again in stoppage time (4th minute) that Chelsea preserved their fantastic winning streak.

Manchester City 4-2 Arsenal – Manchester City faced by far the hardest test they have come up against this season in the form of Arsenal – and passed with flying colours. It was the first return to the Emirates for former Arsenal players Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor since both picked up big-money transfers to Manchester in the offseason – neither expecting a warm welcome. Both sides were missing key players, with Robinho and Carlos Tevez out for City and Andrei Arshavin missing from the Gunners – all picked up knocks while serving international duty this week. A Manuel Almunia own-goal opened the scoring in this fiery first battle between the two sides who will both likely be jockeying for fourth place this season – the ball hitting the crossbar and bouncing, somewhat comically, off the diving keeper’s head and over the line. The second unfortunate own-goal in two weeks for Arsenal did not diminish their spirit, as they dominated the early portion of the game despite the deficit. The game was an incredibly scrappy outing, and the next goal did not come until well into the second half, with Robin Van Persie equalizing for the Gooners on the counter-attack on 62′. Soon after, Emmanuel Adebayor left the Dutchman with a mark to remember, making accidental boot-to-head contact, drawing blood and enraging his former sides’ fans. Unfortunately, their outrage would not subside any time soon, as Craig Bellamy would restore City’s lead before none other than Adebayor doubled it, celebrating his goal with a 90-yard run to stand defiantly before the Arsenal supporters, a move which earned him a booking and a plastic seat thrown at him from the stands. Shaun Wright-Phillips would all but seal the win in the 83rd minute, capping off a half that saw City turn the game around to dominate the home side, though Tomas Rosicky, returning from injury, would do his best to shake that dominance with a fantastic strike in the 87th. A day to forget for City fans, though they’ll take consolation in the fact that the FA will have taken an interest in Adebayor’s inflammatory celebrations.

Yeah, they almost looked this good.

Liverpool 4-0 Burnley - Welcome to the Yossi Benayoun show! The Israeli international was nothing but class on Saturday, bagging a brace and lifting his side through a thorough thrashing of the Clarets. Burnley started well enough, looking organized and confident under the leadership of Owen Coyle. Liverpool fans suffered through a frustrating first twnety-odd minutes, as Fernando Torres seemed to lack any conviction on the attack – but Rafa Benitez moved Steven Gerrard up from his unusual position as a holding midfielder and Dirk Kuyt in from the wing to add some danger to his side. On 25′ Glen Johnson spotted Yossi Benayoun making a run and fed him the ball – the Israeli continued his mazy run past two defenders before slotting home to give his side the lead. Burnley looked to silence the jubilant Kop by way of Martin Patterson, who troubled the home side’s defense and might have drawn a spot kick after being nudged off the ball in the box by Lucas. Dirk Kuyt doubled ‘Pool’s lead before the half, burying a rebound from a long-range Benayoun strike. Gerrard only gained dominance in the second half, passing up a clear-cut chance for himself to supply Benayoun with his second of the night, and hitting the post after a bombing run into the box. It would be the Israeli who would ultimately knock the Clarets into the dust, with an easy finish after taking advantage of a misplayed offside trap to lift his side to a 4-0 win at Anfield.

Calcio:

Roma 2-1 Siena – I don’t really know how to feel about this one. The win is much-needed, but Massimo Maccarone made mince-meat out of our defense to score the opener, despite Claudio Ranieri’s ultra-defensive 4-4-1-1. Speaking of ultra-defensive, this was an ugly game – I feel that the fickle Roma fans who effectively ousted Spalletti might soon be longing for his attractive attacking style of football. It is noteworthy that both of our goals came from our back lines (Philippe Mexes and John-Arne Riise, respectively), though Mexes was set up beautifully by Totti. Also notable is that both were second half goals, and that our winner came in the 89th minute. Daniele De Rossi seemed to be on the verge of exploding throughout the match, and several times had to be calmed down by his teammates – a sign of intensity, or a worrying one? One bright spot: When Vucinic took the field, the whole squad was galvanized; Totti became a new man (well, an old one – but the one we like) and we began to look dangerous. At any rate, a win is a win, and let’s look towards grabbing another one against Fiorentina next weekend instead of picking apart this one too much.

Juventus 2-0 Lazio – Another entry for the good news column. I hate Juventus as much as any self-respecting Italian, but the choice between La Vecchia Signora and I Biancocelesti is no choice at all. Like Roma, Juventus scraped out an ugly win to secure a place at the top of the Serie A table, two points ahead of scudetto favourites Inter. Lazio thought they had gone ahead just before the half with a strike from Stefano Mauri, but the shot was disallowed after Julio Cruz was adjudged to have fouled Nicola LeGrottaglie in the box and the whistle had blown. Neither side was able to find the back of the net until the 73rd minute, when a rocket-powered volley from on-loan Martín Cáceres, making his Juventus debut, beat Lazio shot-stopper (and fellow Uruguyan) Fernando Muslera. Lazio pushed hard to equalize, but to no avail, and David Trezeguet added insult to injury with a late, late goal in the 94th minute to ensure Juve back-to-back successes in the Eternal City. The good news for Juve haters though is that young star Sebastian Giovinco, who was substituted after Diego picked up an injury (more good news) has complained bitterly about the club’s continued practice of ignoring its young talent – going so far as to say that he regrets being born Italian, as the foreigners get better starting chances (paraphrasing, of course). Gio; come to Roma – ti amiamo!

AC Milan 0-0 Livorno – Milan coach Leonardo has lamented after this weekend’s match that his team failed to show up for the first half of their disappointing draw against the newly-promoted Amaranti. Both teams missed golden opportunities, with Cristiano Lucarelli losing his marker to nod just wide of goal, and Andrea Pirlo crashing a free-kick off the crossbar. For the most part though, it was a quiet night, and won’t say any more than that – because I don’t think I can put it any better than Leonardo did himself.

Genoa 4-1 Napoli – Leonardo isn’t the only disappointed manager this weekend: Napoli’s Roberto Donadoni is livid with his squad after they lost their 17th straight away game at Genoa this weekend – a streak that extends all the way back to October of last year. Sergio Floccari, Giandomenico Mesto, Hernan Crespo and Houssine Kharja all netted for I Grifoni, despite Napoli taking the early lead by way of Marek Hamsik. Genoa have grabbed 9 points from their first three outings to tie them with Juventus and city rivals Sampdoria at the top of the table.

Inter 2-0 Parma – A result to be expected – the newly promoted Parma failed to live up to the promise of their companions in promotion Bari and fell to the reigning champions. However, though they didn’t see much of the play, the visitors did manage to frustrate the Nerazzurri at home in the San Siro, and managed to hold them off for 70 minutes before Samuel Eto’o broke the deadlock and Diego Milito sealed their fate.

Udinese 4-2 Catania - Le Zebrette were lifted from a rather tepid start to the season by an Antonio Di Natale treble which saw them rise above the Sicilians in front of their home crowd at the Stadio Friuli. Finally a truly convincing result from the Northern side.

Fußball:

Bayern Münich 5-1 Borussia Dortmund – Fallen Bundesliga giants Bayern Münich have reasserted themselves as a force to be reckoned with after the international break, dismantling Borussia Dortmund in their own home at Signal Iduna Park. Borussia manager Jürgen Klopp had been adamant that his side would attack the visitors and hold them at bay, but Bayern were in unbeatable form and goals from Franck Ribery, Mario Gomez and Bastian Schweinsteiger, as well as a brace from Thomas Müller, were enough to ensure that Louis Van Gaal’s men emerged victorious. Not even the capacity crowd of 80,000 was enough to daunt Die Roten, who sent their opponents packing with style and ease.

Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 Vfl Wolfsburg – Last year’s Bundesliga Champions Wolfsburg suffered another blow to their title hopes, with their second loss in as many weeks of play. Wolves’ keeper Diego Benaglio was sent off early in the first half after a reckless foul, and Leverkusen smelled blood, taking the lead just six minutes later thanks to Simon Rolfes, who would bag a brace in the outing. Zvjezdan Misimovic and Grafite would score for Wolfsburg, and their ten-man disadvantage was eased with the second-half ejection of Eren Derdiyok, but Stephan Kiessling’s fast-break goal would prove to be enough to see Der Werkself take three points and rise to the top of the table.

Futbol:

Valencia 4-2 Valladolid – Valencia’s lethal combination of David Silva and David Villa proved that the International break did them absolutely no harm, with Silva grabbing a goal and Villa a brace (alongside a goal from Mata) to lift their side in an impressive display away at the Estadio Jose Zorilla. Los Che maintained their winning start to the season, while Valladolid picked up their second loss. Nauzet Alemán and Manucho netted for the home side.

Villarreal 1-1 Mallorca - Neither side could come away with more than one point from this weekends match at El Madrigal, with Giuseppe Rossi and Borja Valero scoring a lone goal for each respective side.

Real Madrid 3-0 Espanyol – The Catalan side fell before the still-shiny-new might of Los Galacticos, with new signing Kaka proving his worth by providing two crucial assists that lifted his side well clear of Los Periquitos. Granero, Guti and Cristiano Ronaldo, who came on as a substitute, all found the back of the net to make sure Madrid returned home with three points in hand.

Barcelona 2-0 Getafe - No surprises here. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi both scored in order to ensure Barca a win away at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.

Sevilla 4-1 Zaragoza – Luis Fabiano once again proves that he is one of the most dangerous (and perhaps underrated) strikers in the world, bagging a brace to help his side dismantle Zaragoza at home in the Estadio Sánchez Pizjuán. Abdoulay Konko and Perotti added to their sides total with a goal apiece, while Arizmendi scored Zaragoza’s lone goal which briefly equalized in the 32nd minute.

Dopo la prima giornata di campionato aveva sorpreso tutti il nuovo Milano low cost targato Leonardo, espugnando Siena per la quarta volta nelle ultime cinque stagioni, e candidantosi prepotentemente come Out-Sider fra Inter e Juve. Tanto entusiasmo, troppo, che ha finito per ridimensionare clamorosamente il Milano dopo la pesante sconfitta nel Derby.
Il problema, sostiene la critica, non è solo tecnico, ma più che altro psicologico: tutte le certezze la squadra rossonera le aveva accumulate nell’ultimissima settimana di precampionato, dopo la vittoria nel trofeo Berlusconi; certezze, appunto, sgretolatesi rovinosamente dopo venti minuti al Meazza contro l’Inter.
In discussione è stato messo in primis l’allenatore, definito inesperto e incapace di gestire lo spogliatoio, vedi il mancato ingresso di Seedorf che è costata l’espulsione di Gattuso, e la sfuriata di quest’ultimo contro la panchina rossonera. Sabato dovrà dar prova di sagacia tattica e psicologica, trascinando il suo Milan nella difficile trasferta di Livorno, squadra parsa in buona forma nonostante la sconfitta a Napoli.
Bisognerà vedere cosa azzarderà Leo, che dovrà ripartire dalle certezze: Thiago Silva e Nesta coppia centrale intoccabile e Pato in forma strepitosa. Per il resto tutto in discussione, ma proviamo ad ipotizzare l’esordio da titolare di Huntelaar (pagato 15 milioni…) e Pirlo versione numero 10, che in nazionale ha regalato perle di saggezza.
In casa Milan pare esserci ottimismo, voglia di riscatto e soprattutto fiducia nell’allenatore, ribadita da Galliani in più di una conferenza stampa, ma in caso di doppio passo falso, in campionato e soprattutto in Champions (la trasferta a Marsiglia è un passo fondamentale per il passaggio del turno), sarà difficile rivedere il brasiliano ancora sulla panchina del Milan.
Come sostituti i soliti nomi: Zaccheroni, ma anche Tassotti; abbandonata (?) l’ipotesi Juande Ramos, dopo la sua firma con il CSKA di Mosca.

Not even the Hand of God can help you now, Diego...

Okay – the title doesn’t really have anything to do with the hip-hop legend. I just thought it sounded cool. However, today many national teams did play another round of qualifiers for World Cup 2010, and so I’ll skirt the issue of hip-hop greats and do a bit of a recap of the results from some of tonight’s games:

Italy 2-0 Bulgaria – Sorry, gotta tend to this one first. Finally, the Azzurri put in a performance worthy of their calibre; taking steps towards both the World Cup and silencing their detractors. With midfield-general Daniele De Rossi back in the squad, Marchisio adding some excellent quality in the midfield, and Andrea Pirlo playing the trequartista role that he once played for the U-21 Azzurrini, the Italia squad finally clicked. The Azzurri went ahead on 10 minutes courtesy of Fabio Grosso on a beautifully chipped pass from Pirlo, and doubled their lead before the half thanks to Vincenzo Iaquinta. Bulgaria, not exactly minnows sitting at 19th in the FIFA World Rankings, should have had a chance to equalize on 26 minutes, but Buffon put Stilian Petrov’s header over the bar with a wonder-save. Italy are one step closer to qualification – but Ireland may prove to be one of their stiffest challenges yet.

Germany 4-0 Azerbaijan – Is anyone surprised? Didn’t think so. To be quite frank, this was little more than a warm-up for Germany in anticipation of their next match against 6th-in-the-world-ranked Russia. That aside, however, this was still an impressive victory for Die Mannschaft – who tore apart the low-intensity Azerbaijan defense despite the oft-incredible effort from goalie Kamran Arhayev. The keeper did well to stop many dangerous attempts on goal, including particularly potent ones from Mario Gomez and Bastian Schweinsteiger. However, Arhayev could not hold off the Teutons alone, and the Germans opened the scoring with a penalty after Lucas Podolski was dragged down in the box, and which captain Michael Ballack clinically dispatched. Miroslav Klose bagged a brace, and Lucas Podolski, despite being somewhat out of form tonight, grabbed a goal of his own. The Germans are looking quite convincing, but, like Italia, they still have one very stiff challenge yet to face. Bring on the Motherland.

Spain 3-0 Estonia - Even those surprised by Germany’s victory surely cannot be surprised by this result. While La Furia Roja didn’t match the numbers they put up against Belgium last weekend – thanks to a spirited match on the part of the visiting side – they cruised for much of the game after Cesc Fabregas put them ahead on the half-hour mark. Estonia’s best chance to equalize came as Martin Vunk hit the post in the 72nd minute. However, it was not to be for the underdogs – Santi Cazorla and Juan Mata scored a goal apiece late in the second half to seal Estonia’s fate and Spain’s World Cup Qualification. A night of surprises, this…

England 5-1 Croatia – The English were another side to polish off a flawless qualification campaign this evening, doing so in style as they handily defeated Croatia 5-1 at home in Wembley Stadium. The Three Lions got off to a bit of a messy start until Aaron Lennon was hauled down in the box (sound familiar?) and Frank Lampard slotted the spot kick home. Steven Gerrard managed to double the lead soon after, and though Croatia fought back hard, it was England running the show and the Croats running themselves ragged by halftime. After the half England seemed content to play the counter-attack, which almost resulted in a goal off the head of the marauding Eduardo, but ultimately produced another Lampard goal off of some nice running play by Glen Johnson. Lennon was absolutely class tonight, with his off-the-ball pressuring producing a mistake from left-back Daniel Pranjic, off of which Stevie G capitalized to make it 4-0. Croatia finally got a bit of vengeance late in the second after Eduardo blasted a close-range shot (after two rebounds) into the roof of the England net. It would be England though, who would ultimately have the last laugh, with Wayne Rooney coolly slotting one home to send his nation to South Africa and Croatia home with their tails between their legs.

France 1-1 Serbia – What can I say about Les Bleus? France went a man down after only 9 minutes, when keeper Hugo Lloris was given his marching orders after being adjudged to have taken down Milan Jovanovic in the box. Raymond Domenech, perhaps unfortunate here but looking increasingly inept, was forced to shuffle his squad frantically as France went down a man and a goal after Milijas converted the spot kick. The French still looked strong though, making quite a game out of it, and after 31 minutes Thierry Henry equalized for Les Bleus. Both sides would strive to leave the game with all three points in hand, but neither would succeed (despite the man-advantage being equalized late in the game through a straight red for Lazovic). France will have to settle for a singular point and the knowledge that as Serbia now sits four points ahead of them in their group, there is a good chance that Les Bleus will be participating in a dreaded playoff.

Portugal 1-0 Hungary – The Selecção das Quinas have breathed some life back into their World Cup dreams after a Pepe header gave them an away win in Hungary. They still trail both Sweden and group leaders Denmark, but the positive result is at least a ray of hope for the Portugese after their disappointing last match – a 1-1 draw with the Danes. Portugal may yet reach the World Cup, though I will be among those cheering on their Scandinavian opponents.

Paraguay 1-0 Argentina – Diego, it is time to go. Paraguay see their qualification dreams become a reality as Argentina see theirs fade through the failings of their fearless (and hapless) leader. Lionel Messi was once again the only threat from the Albicelestes, though he cannot qualify for the World Cup by himself, much less win it. The Paraguayan defense did an excellent job of overpowering the tiny forward, though he still produced the only clear chance of the game for his side. Argentina’s frustration clearly showed through, as Juan Sebastian Veron was sent off for a pair of nasty and violent tackles and the side seemed to be out of ideas all over the pitch. Speaking of all over, if his team continues to perform in this fashion, one can only imagine that Diego Maradona’s coaching career will be just that – I think that it soon will be all over for Diego, at least at the helm of his nation.

Slovenia 3-0 Poland – Unfortunately for the Poles, this result means that their nation has most probably missed out on next year’s World Cup, after successive qualifications for Germany 2006 and Austria/Switzerland 2008. The win ties Slovenia for second place with Northern Ireland, five points behind closely named (but vastly different, I’m sure) Slovakia, and three ahead of Poland, who sit in 5th place. The home side went up three goals at home in the The Ljudski Vrt Stadium, with Zlatko Dedic, Milovoje Novakovic, and Valter Birsa finding the back of the net for their nation.

Andrea Pirlo: “Il nostro gioco è più bello di quello dell’Inter, i trucchi di Mourinho non funzionano più. Il tecnico portoghese mi diverte: distoglie l’attenzione dalla squadra e concentra tutto su di sé. All’Inter adesso non basta più buttare la palla davanti a Ibrahimovic“.

Vigilia

Mourinho in conferenza stampa
La passata stagione aveva detto che Davide Santon avrebbe potuto giocare anche a centrocampo. Il derby sarà l’occasione per vederlo agire anche in quella zona?
Chi l’ha scritto o detto è uno di quelli che ho visto sugli alberi. Era molto lontano e non ho capito chi era, hanno visto il lavoro della squadra…. hanno visto…(ndr.: sorride)…. Il fatto di spiare è molto comune nel mondo sociale, ma nel mondo del calcio è una cosa assolutamente nuova per me. È proprio così, i giornalisti e i fotografi nascosti sugli alberi per me sono una cosa nuova, ma adesso quando l’ho scoperta e non mi preoccupo più. Quando ho provato Santon a centrocampo sapevo che, due giorni dopo, sarebbe uscito sulla stampa e chi fa questa domanda sa che non è una domanda innocente: sa perfettamente quello che voglio dire.

In questa settimana come è stato il volume del rumore dei nemici?
Normale. Il rappresentante numero uno della Juve è stato molto esplicito: si è dichiarato apertamente un nemico, non si è nascosto. È un nemico con personalità, che parla in maniera chiara, così è anche meglio. Faccio un esempio: non m’interessa chi potrà vincere tra Roma e Juventus. Giocano due squadre che lotteranno per lo scudetto, sono due formazioni al top e per me non cambia nulla se dovesse vincere una o l’altra. Se giocano Livorno e Juventus, allora posso preferire una vittoria dei toscani, ma se giocano Roma e Juve il risultato mi lascia indifferente. E credo che la Juve dovrebbe pensare la stessa cosa riguardo al risultato del derby, visto che si affrontano due squadre che lottano per lo stesso obiettivo. Ma non è così: il rappresentante numero uno della Juve ha dichiarato di preferire la vittoria del Milan. Questo mi preoccupa solo per un motivo: il campionato finisce con una partita tra Milan e Juventus…

Significa che si vuole far vincere il campionato a una di queste due squadre?
No, non voglio intendere nulla, solo che sono squadre amiche e che tifano gli uni per gli altri, anzi è la Juve tifa per il Milan perchè i rossoneri, in realtà, non hanno detto assolutamente nulla. Ma non è un mio problema.

Sulley Muntari sarà disponibile per la gara di domani?
La situazione di Muntari purtroppo è responsabilità vostra, non mia. Io so perfettamente quello che ho detto nel post partita di Inter-Bari, fortunatamente ho anche le registrazioni televisive, ma a qualcuno di voi piace modificare le parole e far intendere qualcosa che non è mai stato detto. Io ho sempre detto che ‘non è criticabile la decisione di Muntari perché riguarda una questione di fede e religione’. Se qualcuno dice che non è criticabile, significa che non si può criticare e che non è stato criticato. Punto. Poi, come allenatore, dovrò fare le mie valutazioni e capire se il giocatore è al massimo della sua forma e per quanto tempo potrà stare in campo. Non ho mai preteso che Muntari dimenticasse la sua fede, però a voi giornalisti piace cambiare le parole e ipotizzare una situazione ipoteticamente difficile. E se in questo momento c’è qualche rappresentante della comunità islamica che è arrabbiato con me, è colpa vostra.

La comunità islamica ha effettivamente fatto delle minacce nei suoi confronti?
(ndr.: sorride)… Tu saresti felice di questo… Se dovesse succedermi qualcosa è un problema vostro. È la stampa che ha cambiato le mie parole. Dopo, se io vado… tu non ti dimenticherai di me… Ma su queste cose non vale mai la pena scherzare. Come ho ricordato prima la mia dichiarazione è stata chiara: non è criticabile la scelta di Muntari. Che cosa posso dire di più?

Il presidente dell’Ucoii, Unione delle comunità islamiche, Mohamed Nour Dachan ha espresso la propria solidarietà nei confronti dell’allenatore José Mourinho, condannando fermamente le minacce di morte apparse nei giorni scorsi su alcuni siti di estremisti islamici, successive alle sue dichiarazioni del post Inter-Bari sul Ramadan osservato da Sulley Muntari.

Samuel Eto’o: “Spero innanzitutto che sabato ci siano bel gioco e allegria per i tifosi. E, con tutto il rispetto per il Milan, che vinceremo noi. Se mi dicessero che non segnerò ma che batteremo il Milan, ci metterei la firma“.

Massimo Moratti al tg1
Che cosa si prova ad avere il tifo contro? Mi riferisco, ad esempio, al presidente della Juventus Cobolli Gigli che ha detto che sarebbe contento se il derby lo vincesse il Milan. È un ruolo normale per una squadra molto forte che fa paura?
No, se è per questo, dicevano lo stesso anche quando perdevamo (ndr.. sorride). Credo che in questi casi sia una questione di simpatia e devo dire che questo è stato sempre motivo del grande orgoglio per me. È una delle motivazione che mi permette di continuare ad avere questo ruolo, altrimenti forse avrei già mollato da tanti anni.¨

A proposito di Lippi, come mai secondo lei l’esperienza dell’attuale c.t. della nazionale italiana all’Inter andò male?
Non è stato l’unico al quale è capitato, ma credo possa capitare che qualcuno non si sposi con un certo ambiente. È un ottimo allenatore, ma allora non si sposò con l’ambiente e lo stesso pubblico non lo sentiva come un proprio rappresentante. (risposta monumentale)

Allora, in bocca al lupo.
Crepi il lupo.

È morto il Milan.

Partita

Uno 0-4 che sta stretto all’Inter. Che altro aggiungere… i ragazzi hanno dominato il campo e umiliato i milanisti in ogni reparto.

Il giorno dopo

Secondo Tuttosport, l’espulsione di Gattuso (peraltro graziato da Rizzoli in occasione del rigore, era rosso non giallo) avrebbe determinato l’esito della gara. Peccato stessimo già sullo 0-2. Che ridere ragazzi

Fonti: inter.it, gazzetta.it, fcinternews.it

MILAN, KOMPAS.com – Andrea Pirlo dan sejumlah pemain veteran AC Milan ternyata sempat meragukan kemampuan Leonardo. Namun, perasaan itu kini telah berganti dengan semangat dan dukungan penuh kepada pelatih mereka itu.

Leonardo ditunjuk sebagai pengganti Carlo Ancelotti akhir musim lalu. Sebelumnya, ia tak pernah menjabat sebagai pelatih dan hanya menjadi pencari bakat di Milan. Minimnya pengalaman Leonardo itu memunculkan pertanyaan soal kemampuannya melatih tim sebesar “I Rossoneri”.

“Musim lalu, ketika beredar rumor bahwa dia akan mengambil alih, kami sedikit skeptis,” aku Pirlo kepada Sky Sport Italia. “Dia tidak pernah menjadi pelatih dan aneh jika direktur mengambil keputusan ini.”

Benar saja, Leonardo bisa dikatakan gagal total saat melakoni ajang uji coba selama musim panas ini. Dari sekian laga persahabatan lawan tim-tim terbaik dunia, “Il Diavolo” hanya menang sekali. Itu pun terjadi melalui adu penalti lawan Juventus di San Siro dalam ajang Trofeo Berlusconi.

Meski demikian, Pirlo dkk tetap memercayai mantan pemain Brasil itu. Mereka yakin bahwa Leonardo telah dan akan bekerja dengan sungguh-sungguh. Lepas dari berbagai kekurangan yang ada dalam tim, Pirlo menilai bahwa ada perubahan positif sejak tangan dingin Leonardo menangani para pemain.

“Namun, setelah melihatnya pelan-pelan mulai kerasan di posisi barunya, semuanya berjalan baik. Leonardo sangat memperhatikan setiap detil dan langsung turun tangan. Kami mencoba membantunya sebaik mungkin untuk meraih sukses,” tambahnya.

Pirlo menambahkan, untuk mewujudkan sukses itu, para pemain harus bertanggung jawab bersama dan mau berkorban bagi tim. Dengan atau tanpa pelatih, tujuan utama mereka adalah memenangi pertandingan dan memburu gelar juara.

Sumber : KompasOnline

Andrea Pirlo has explained that if he didn’t believe Milan could win the Serie A title this season, he would have quit the club to join Chelsea.

The 30-year-old was expected to join former Rossoneri coach Carlo Ancelotti at Stamford Bridge this summer, and for a while the transfer looked inevitable.

However, this week Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi announced that Pirlo will not be joining Chelsea and will instead be finishing his career at the San Siro.

“I knew there was an important offer on the table from Chelsea, and my agent kept me up to date, but I did not spend the summer glued to the telephone,” the ex-Inter man told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“The reason was very simple – I wanted to stay at Milan and never asked to leave. I must also confess that I already knew about what was going to happen three nights before Berlusconi flew in.

“Did Ancelotti take it well? Well, not really. He was disappointed, but he understood.

“Something should be made very clear: if I thought Milan’s objective was just a decent placement, I would be at Chelsea right now. I want to win. These are not just words – I am convinced it is possible.”

Despite the signing of Klaas Jan Huntelaar from Real Madrid on Thursday, many people still feel it is going to be a rough season for Milan, but Pirlo will hope to prove them all wrong.

Goal