Monday, November 21, 2005
Serie A - Week#12 Review
Juve won big at Roma this weekend. Roma had the better of the first 30 minutes but failed to capitalize and this omission came back to haunt it dearly. Nedved struck with a header just before the end of the first half and this was plain and simple demoralizing. Ibrahimovic scored an absolutely beautiful goal in the second half and Trezeguet added two others to make it 4-0 before Totti got on the scoreboard for Roma to make it 4-1 on a penalty kick.
Give Juventus credit for being so clinical on almost every single opportunity it had. This aspect of its game is firmly intact. On the other hand I was surprised to see Roma win the midfield battle at all in the first half. In part this had to due with Roma’s highly industrious midfield of: Perrotta, Dacourt, De Rossi and Taddei. But finishing on the team remains spotty. Montella looks way too isolated by himself and without a big man to play off of. Totti is in the play making role and can not advance himself too far forward to help Montella, otherwise the team lacks any ability to link the defensive players to the attackers. Dacourt had to start in place of an injured Mancini and Dacourt isn’t much of an offensive player.
Juve is back on track in terms of the standings, opening up a more comfortable lead now that Milan lost. Milan had some real favorable inertia heading into the week but now that is gone. Juve is still looking more beatable than earlier in the year in my mind. Teams don’t seem as intimidated with the midfield after Gattuso beat Emerson and Vieira at their own game with physicality. Camoranesi is also slightly more inconsistent than earlier in the year. The defenders looked a little shaky in the first half against Roma but the team as whole plays great defense as a general rule. Regardless of whether Juve is as strong or not the team nevertheless is plain and simple effective - the forwards are devastating at times and as a team Juve is still finding ways to pull off victories with surgical precision.
Milan had a chance to ride the momentum train but unfortunately they faced a team and, in particular, a player that is just way too hot right now. Toni has provided such an influential presence both literally and figuratively that Fiorentina is producing, objectively, above its means right now. Milan can only hope that Fiorentina plays as well against Juve in December. Milan has the talent to recoup the deficit with Juventus and can play exceptionally effective football at times as was seen in the recent game against Udinese. But it is also a little more likely to fall asleep on any given Sunday (or Saturday) and will have to avoid losses or draws to the “minnows” (Lecce, Chievo, Messina, Livorno, Parma) before the mid-way point of the season. Note that some of these teams are doing very well in the classifications to date – nonetheless these are teams that Milan should be able to steamroll with the abundance of talent it has. Only the match against Inter and perhaps, to a lesser extent, the match on the road to Roma should be in question at all. As bad as my Roma is playing I still believe that for the big teams they prove to be a very risky proposition at all times. The rest should be outright victories if Milan has any chance of staying close before the first half (19 matches) are complete.
Juve’s schedule is at home versus Treviso before heading on the road to Fiorentina before taking on Cagliari (at home), Lazio on the road, Siena at home, Palermo on the road and then Reggina at home. The match against Juventus will be Fiorentina’s chance to make the leap of Scudetto pretender to the “real thing”. While I’ll be rooting for Fiorentina I don’t think it will happen that they can replicate what happened to Milan. I think Palermo has the ability to pull off an upset. Juve may actually feel like they are at home since Palermo is home to so many Juventus fans. Palermo – while being inconsistent this year – is also home to many Italian Nationals and has a coach in Del Neri that really makes use of wingers in which Palermo has some good ones.
Inter managed to get a win. Still has an outside chance to get back in the race but it had better start a string of victories soon – especially against Milan in the upcoming derby.
Give Juventus credit for being so clinical on almost every single opportunity it had. This aspect of its game is firmly intact. On the other hand I was surprised to see Roma win the midfield battle at all in the first half. In part this had to due with Roma’s highly industrious midfield of: Perrotta, Dacourt, De Rossi and Taddei. But finishing on the team remains spotty. Montella looks way too isolated by himself and without a big man to play off of. Totti is in the play making role and can not advance himself too far forward to help Montella, otherwise the team lacks any ability to link the defensive players to the attackers. Dacourt had to start in place of an injured Mancini and Dacourt isn’t much of an offensive player.
Juve is back on track in terms of the standings, opening up a more comfortable lead now that Milan lost. Milan had some real favorable inertia heading into the week but now that is gone. Juve is still looking more beatable than earlier in the year in my mind. Teams don’t seem as intimidated with the midfield after Gattuso beat Emerson and Vieira at their own game with physicality. Camoranesi is also slightly more inconsistent than earlier in the year. The defenders looked a little shaky in the first half against Roma but the team as whole plays great defense as a general rule. Regardless of whether Juve is as strong or not the team nevertheless is plain and simple effective - the forwards are devastating at times and as a team Juve is still finding ways to pull off victories with surgical precision.
Milan had a chance to ride the momentum train but unfortunately they faced a team and, in particular, a player that is just way too hot right now. Toni has provided such an influential presence both literally and figuratively that Fiorentina is producing, objectively, above its means right now. Milan can only hope that Fiorentina plays as well against Juve in December. Milan has the talent to recoup the deficit with Juventus and can play exceptionally effective football at times as was seen in the recent game against Udinese. But it is also a little more likely to fall asleep on any given Sunday (or Saturday) and will have to avoid losses or draws to the “minnows” (Lecce, Chievo, Messina, Livorno, Parma) before the mid-way point of the season. Note that some of these teams are doing very well in the classifications to date – nonetheless these are teams that Milan should be able to steamroll with the abundance of talent it has. Only the match against Inter and perhaps, to a lesser extent, the match on the road to Roma should be in question at all. As bad as my Roma is playing I still believe that for the big teams they prove to be a very risky proposition at all times. The rest should be outright victories if Milan has any chance of staying close before the first half (19 matches) are complete.
Juve’s schedule is at home versus Treviso before heading on the road to Fiorentina before taking on Cagliari (at home), Lazio on the road, Siena at home, Palermo on the road and then Reggina at home. The match against Juventus will be Fiorentina’s chance to make the leap of Scudetto pretender to the “real thing”. While I’ll be rooting for Fiorentina I don’t think it will happen that they can replicate what happened to Milan. I think Palermo has the ability to pull off an upset. Juve may actually feel like they are at home since Palermo is home to so many Juventus fans. Palermo – while being inconsistent this year – is also home to many Italian Nationals and has a coach in Del Neri that really makes use of wingers in which Palermo has some good ones.
Inter managed to get a win. Still has an outside chance to get back in the race but it had better start a string of victories soon – especially against Milan in the upcoming derby.
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Ummm... Keep in mind that, at the Stadio Franchi, Juve couldn't beat LAST YEAR's Fiorentina. If not for a really terrible goalkeeping performance by Cejas we woulda easily won that game.
Mr. Puglia - good point. I've been wrong a lot about Fiorentina so far this year. As a slightly anti-Juvenista i'm hoping you are right.
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