I fell back in love with Alice and football this weekend, being inspired oblige, i mixed story line and the sport.
It all happened this Friday, at the stadium Angelo Massimino, Catania’s home turf. When Muntari appeared at the 79th,within a tied game, over which Inter had a stronghold, Serie A’s Matchday 28 became the theatre of human emotions. By the 80th minute, Muntari has caused a foul and received a yellow for it. By the 81st he has received a second yellow card for blocking that same free kick with his hand. And by the 82nd, Mascara had scored a penalty, Panenka style, provoked by the newly expelled Muntari’s hand. 2-1. The classic: the undergod beats the favourites at home in front of a delirious crowd. Martinez and Lucio are childhood friends but the Brazilian turned evil and became a big shot. After years of struggle, the Catania striker gets his revenge by humiliating his counterpart with the splendid 3-1 . Mourinho’s big time tactics (Snejder finished sole Inter midfielder) loose out to local grinta and courage. The fans are in heaven, the relegation zone is now far and the horizon sets upon another year in the Serie A. On the other hand, the loss provokes Inter’s downfall, starting with Chelsea on Tuesday and finishing with the loss of the title. A real blockbuster! By Saturday, Napoli and Fiorentina had delivered a fantastic second half. Lavezzi opened the score at the 47th minute, his first goal at home after more than a year dry, to which Gilardino had responded ten minutes later. The game took grandiose standards when Gilardino, amidst innumerable Frey miracle saves, brought the score to 2-1 for the Viola on a clever header. De Sanctis even tried the famous goalie-runs-up-on-corner-kick-and-scores only to fail and engender the final 3-1 goal, scored by Jovetic in the empty goal. The tone was set: suprises, overturns, personal vendettas and goals.
And Sunday did not fail. Thirty-one goals in eight games didn’t hurt either. The first heavy contributor was Livorno-Roma, of the same genre as the Catania-underdog story, with a lead on the Livorno side. That lead would be Cristiano Lucarelli, who opened the score after just eight minutes of play, his 200th for the club please. 1-0 A minute later, Taddei delivers a Brazilo-pass to Perotta for the immediate equalizer. 1-1. Everything seems finally settled until the eighteenth minute when Toni appears onstage along his own stories of downfall, injuries and world cup, to score a much needed confidence goal. 1-2. It only takes Lucarelli seven minutes to score the exact same goal than his 200th, only this time it’s his 201st, like a cheap Z series show replay. 2-2. Four goals in twenty-fives minutes, and five by the twenty-seventh, with Pizzaro’s finition. 2-3. The first half will also see a missed penalty kick by that same Pizarro, eternal sign for the local hero to show up and save the day. Thing done by 70th minute after Lucarelli transforms a penaly kick he obtained. 3-3 final score, Roma wish Milan don’t win against Chievo that same day, and Livorno keep Lazio in sight for yet another fight against time and relegation, thanks in great part to their charismatic best warrior. But heroes can also be different. Juventus received Siena (last in the standings). For the occasion, Del Piero, record holder of the number of appearances at the club just to remind you, was given Diego’s spot. It takes six minutes for the Pinturicchio to score two goals, one of which is superb, and 10 for Juve to lead by 3-0, Candreva’s goal also a masterpiece. The stadium erupts, fans chants, coaches are acclaimed and Del Piero’s face shows up on all the flags. The spectator is then involved in one of the most cathartic experience since the times of the Greek tragedies. Maccarone first thanks Grygera for a fine assist at the end of the first half. The danger is far but looming. 3-1. It only takes 33 seconds for Siena to come back to 3-2 in the second half, when Maccarone mystifies Grygera again. The equalizer becomes inevitable amidst the posts and crossbars that Juve suffer. At the 76th Maccarone obtains a penalty kick for a foul by Grygera (fate impersonated tonight) and lets Ghezzal transform it. Del Piero misses decisive headers and 3-3 is the final score. But heroes are not necessarily on the score sheet. In a game that saw saves on the line, bicycle kicks, countless chances, excellent combinations and good saves, Di Natale showed us all how to control the ball and deliver delicious assists. The hard worker who sacrifices himself will soon be rewarded for his faithful work in supplying forwards with a constant flow of gold. Capocanniere?
But all this self-centered hero bullshit sometimes stops for the pleasure of the game itself. A rare occurrence, to be enjoyed as silence in a useless conversation, for the connoisseurs only please. Eight goals, posts crossbars, counter attacks son so forth. Genoa dominated the begininning of the game, with a post and crossbar, but is taken on the counter attack but an opportunist Cagliari. The chances now rain on Marchetti’s goal, Marco Rossi hits the same post at the 32nd, Palladino dances and Genoa obtain a penalty kick. 1-1 at the 35th. At the 39th Palladino continues his tango lessons, delivers to Palacio who looses the ball for a couple of seconds before finding it and scoring, 2-1. A minute and four passes later, Conti finds himself unmarked at the edge of the box scoring a volley. 2-2 40th. But the game must go on and Sculli beats Marchetti with a header for the 3-2 at the 42nd. The commentator runs out of breath and by 44th Genoa are in the lead 4-2 thanks to Marco Rossi and powerful shot after another great Palladino move. Another penalty will be given, this time for to the visitors, just for Matri, probably one of the best things to appear in Serie A this year, to buff up his stats. 4-3. Genoa seals the 5-3 win at the 68th minute with Milanetto’s conclusion of yet another great collective movement. The game died down of course, they are still only humans.
The weekend ended with Milan-Chievo. Back to the (ageing) celebrities and the soap opera attitude. In fact nothing really happens for some 75 minutes or so. Beckham gets his face destroyed by Yepes, then hurts his ankle and skips to the lockers. No world cup. In the meanwhile, Milan seem desperate, unstable in defense where Nesta’s absence is more than felt, fruitless in attack where even Inzaghi forgets how to score. But hope is not lost until the last seconds of the game. The catalyst’s name is here Clarence Seedorf, veteran of modern football. And if I wrongly predicted that he score at Manchester on Tuesday with a bashful shot in the 7, please forgive me as Mister-5-Champion’s-League had decided to perform his best trick tonight. Unleashing a clinical and powerful finish into Sorrentino’s top corner. San Siro erupts for the game winner and we are back where it all started, with Inter, only one point ahead of Milan.
This weekend wasn’t obviously only beautiful and passionate in Italy. On Tuesday I was talking about what definition I use for hat tricks, and as you had probably guessed, I used the most dramatic one, wishing for the day I see one again. Well I didn’t have to wait long, a couple of days, to see Messi destroy Valencia’s defence and offer Barcelona a 3-0 win all in one half. I could have also turned to Higuain’s show against Vallaloid, who scored three of his own, with two great CR7 assist included. I could have even turned to Robben’s free kick (who needs to go around the wall when you can kick at 105km/h?), Arshavine’s goal against Hull city or even look at the four goals Chelsea scored. Could I simply say I like serie A better, because I feel like it is my home country's? Too cheesy. Say it keeps me hopeful in this underdog year? Too journalist-ish. Say that football isn't dead quite yet and history is made just as much today as before? Too cheesy again. Or say it is dead because now everyone can in fact aim to break records? Too grandpa like. Happily ever after.
No comments:
Post a Comment