Socrates

Marchisio: Armenia won’t be easy Oct 12, 2012 Claudio Marchisio has warned his Italy teammates that there are no easy games in international football ahead of tonight’s Armenia tie. After a 2-2 draw in Bulgaria and a 2-0 win over Malta, the Azzurri resume their World Cup qualifying campaign in a tie that the Juventus man is not underestimating. “It’s a really important game,” stated the former Empoli man. “Not only do we want to get the win, but we want to put in a good performance too. “Armenia are a well organised side and we will have to show them the utmost attention on the field of play. There are no easy games at top level.” Italy struggled to impress last month, but the Euro 2012 player is optimistic that they’ll be sharper in their next two matches. “We’ve got Armenia this week and Denmark on Tuesday, so we need to be ready for both matches,” he continued. “We’re in good shape though, better than how we were before the encounters against Bulgaria and Malta.”

Serie A - Week 8 - 20-10-2012 (6:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Antonio Damato Pandev to avenge Juventus defeat Oct 12, 2012 Goran Pandev is looking for Italian Super Cup revenge when Napoli travel to Juventus in Week 8. The Old Lady defeated the Azzurri in August’s Supercoppa showdown thanks to a 4-2 scoreline, but only after Pandev and Juan Zuniga were dismissed. “The Super Cup tie in Beijing was a fake,” the Macedonian noted. “I didn’t say anything to the linesman, but I was still sent off. “One thing is certain, in the next game, I’ll keep my mouth shut. I won’t even look at an official in the face should I be fouled. “I now understand how to play against Juventus…” Both sides are currently top of the League and Pandev is hopeful that his Azzurri can be the first to collect an away victory at the Juventus Stadium. “I’ve scored three times past Juventus while in the Napoli shirt and now I want another one,” he continued. “We have to go to Turin without fear, because we have shown that we can play openly against anyone and we can beat the current champions of Italy. “We must avenge the game of August 11 as we all know how that one ended…” Juventus entertain Napoli on Saturday 20 October once Serie A resumes after the international break. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Alessio ban cut by TNAS Oct 12, 2012 Juventus assistant boss Angelo Alessio will be free to sit on the bench when Serie A resumes after he had his ban slashed. Alessio, like Coach Antonio Conte, was suspended from match-day duties after he was found guilty of failing to report an alleged attempt to fix a game while they were at Siena. Alessio took his case to the TNAS appeal court in a bid to be acquitted of the charge, but he was only able to get his six-month suspension reduced. He will now be banned until October 15, so he will therefore be available for the October 20 tie versus Napoli. Conte will return to the bench on December 9 against Palermo.

Pogba shines in Juve friendly Oct 12, 2012 Paul Pogba made an impression for Juventus on Thursday when he scored a hat-trick in a friendly victory. The Old Lady, without 16 internationals, beat Savona 5-1 with the Frenchman bagging the majority of the goals. Alessandro Matri netted the other two. The Bianconeri who are not on international duty will resume training at 3.30pm local time today.

Paratici snubs Spurs for Juventus Oct 12, 2012 Sporting director Fabio Paratici has decided to extend his contract at Juventus despite attracting the interest of Tottenham. Paratici has been in Turin since 2010 when he moved to the Old Lady along with director general Beppe Marotta from Sampdoria. The 40-year-old, a former player, will put pen to paper on a new deal with the Italian champions until June 2015. That agreement will be made official on October 26. Tottenham have also recently been linked with Roma director general Franco Baldini.

Serie A - Week 8 - 20-10-2012 (6:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Antonio Damato Crespo: Juve & Napoli teams to beat Oct 11, 2012 Former Parma and Inter striker Hernan Crespo believes there are only two teams to beat this season in Serie A. The Argentina international has praised both Juventus and Napoli, claiming that the Bianconeri and the Partenopei will undoubtedly be the two top come May. “Unless something extraordinary happens,” he told Radio Kiss Kiss. “Then I think Napoli and Juventus are favourites for the title. “They both have a recent history of winning, their Coaches are amongst the best and the teams have already proven their worth this season. Other teams are one step behind those two.” He also lamented the current international break, believing that the gap in League proceedings will damage the two teams when they meet on Saturday October 20. “It's a shame [about the internationals], because neither team will have a fresh squad to put on a show next Saturday,” he said. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 8 - 20-10-2012 (6:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Antonio Damato Chiellini: Napoli clash not decisive in title race The Juventus defender anticipates an interesting encounter versus the San Paolo side, and has insisted that he is in fine form physically. Oct 11, 2012 Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini is eagerly anticipating the Serie A match at home against Napoli on October 20 after the international break. The reigning champions and the Partenopei currently sit joint top in the league table with 19 points from seven games, but the Italy international does not believe the match will be vital in the title race. "It will be a great game just like the ones against AC Milan and Inter, but it won’t decide the Scudetto. It’s still too early for that," Chiellini told reporters. "Our biggest strength is to take things on a game by game basis, and we need to maintain that mindset." The defender then looked back on his return to match action in the past few weeks after a spell on the sidelines, and stressed that he's fully match fit. "It’s been a very positive month. I’ve played well and don’t need to rest, which is also down to the fact that I’ve recently spent a long time on the sidelines through injury." Chiellini is currently away on international duty with Italy as they prepare for the World Cup qualifiers against Armenia and Denmark. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 8 - 20-10-2012 (6:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Antonio Damato If only Juve had Cavani… Oct 11, 2012 Fabio Cannavaro believes that Juventus are an Edinson Cavani short of becoming a truly great side. Speaking to La Stampa ahead of the Week 8 game between Juve and Napoli, the stopper was asked for his opinion on his two former clubs. “Juventus would be stellar with Cavani,” he stated of the Azzurri striker. “He is the kind of top player that they were looking for in the summer. “He works hard for the team, he doesn’t leave any reference points and he scores goals. For a defender, he is an opponent that you don’t see but feel.” Both clubs are currently leading the standings after seven games, but the 2006 World Cup winner insists the game won’t be decisive. “It won’t decide the Scudetto,” Cannavaro, whose brother Paolo captains the San Paolo outfit, continued. “Both sides like to win by playing their brand of football and they line up in a similar way. But there is a difference in how they score. “Antonio Conte’s Juve attack as a unit, whereas Napoli leave it to their three attackers.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Agnelli: 'No Calciopoli evidence' Oct 11, 2012 Juventus President Andrea Agnelli has reaffirmed Antonio Conte’s innocence in the betting trial and insists “there was not a single shred of evidence” in Calciopoli. The patron has already spoken out in favour of Conte after his 10-month ban was reduced to four on appeal for failing to report a potential fix to the authorities while he was at Siena. “It took me just two minutes with Conte to understand his innocence,” said Agnelli at a Leaders in Football meeting at Stamford Bridge. However, he also looked back at the 2006 trial that saw Juventus demoted to Serie B and stripped of two Scudetti. “The conclusions were based on speculation. There was not a single shred of evidence against us. The decision was based on Article 1, relative to sporting behaviour. “The conclusion was that if you behave in an anti-sporting manner three times, then it counts as sporting fraud, but there was no proof. It was all speculation. “There is a court of justice that ruled the 2005-06 season was not influenced in any way and another court ruled that the previous season was never under investigation.” Juve and then-director Luciano Moggi maintained they were not running a cabal aimed to influence referees, but that every club was contacting officials in roughly the same way.

Serie A - Week 8 - 20-10-2012 (6:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Antonio Damato Cannavaro: Giovinco causes big problems Oct 10, 2012 Napoli captain Paolo Cannavaro says that he fears Sebastian Giovinco more than any other Juventus forward. Speaking to Il Mattino ahead of the Week 8 clash between the joint leaders in Turin, Cannavaro discussed the problems in facing players of Giovinco’s stature. “Giovinco is the player who scares me,” the Italian noted. “It’s really difficult for defenders to face small players who have that sort of speed. “It was once said that players of that type couldn’t play football, but players like him are now becoming decisive.” Both clubs have only dropped two points so far this term, but the Old Lady of Italian football haven’t been beaten in the championship for 46 games now. “It will be a game for real men as we are up against an unbeaten team,” he added. “Juventus put you under great pressure in Turin and they are a really hard team to beat. “But nobody is unstoppable in football even if we will need a perfect game against them to get a result. “Juventus are really strong mentally,” the centre-back added. “They always believe and are always aggressive to every ball.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 8 - 20-10-2012 (6:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Antonio Damato Pandev aims to stay top Oct 10, 2012 Goran Pandev has warned Juventus that Napoli don’t intend to relinquish their grip on first place in Serie A. The two teams are joint top of the Division and they’ll face each other in Turin when Serie A resumes after the international break. “I’m happy that I scored the decisive goal in the win over Udinese,” he said of the 2-1 triumph on Sunday. “But the most important thing was that we won. We’re still top of the League and we want to stay there…” Both sides have won six and drawn one of their first seven League games. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 8 - 20-10-2012 (6:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Antonio Damato Hamsik looks forward to Juve tie Oct 10, 2012 Marek Hamsik says his Napoli side will be ready to take on Juventus when Serie A returns after the international break. The two sides, joint top of Serie A with 19 points from the 21 on offer, will face up to each other in Turin on Saturday 20 October. “Lately, we like picking up victories when we suffer,” he stated following the 2-1 win over Udinese on Sunday night. “It was important that we won seeing as Juventus got the three points earlier in the day with a win at Siena. “We are a united squad and that is why we are in first place. “It’s too early to say that we are like Juventus, but we will be fired up to face the Bianconeri when the League returns.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Addio ad Haller, eroe del calcio delle figurine Gloria del calcio tedesco, perse la famosa finale del 1966 a Wembley contro l'Inghilterra. Popolarissimo in Italia, dove vinse con il Bologna lo scudetto del 1964 prima di passare alla Juventus, con cui sfiorò la Coppa dei Campioni nel 1973 perdendo la gara decisiva con l'Ajax. Aveva 73 anni. Haller duella con Burgnich nello spareggio scudetto del 1964 vinto dal Bologna sull'Inter Oct 11, 2012 Il tedesco Helmut Haller, scomparso all'età di 73 anni, è stato tra i grandi protagonisti di un'epoca del calcio, quello sospeso tra il bianco e nero e l'avvento del colore. Il massimo splendore come calciatore lo raggiunse negli anni sessanta, quando fu al centro di una serie di partite diventate poi epiche nella storia del calcio. Gloria della nazionale tedesca, disputò tre campionati del mondo (1962, 1966 e 1970), collezionando 33 presenze e segnando 13 reti. La più importante è senza dubbio quella che aprì la storica finale del 1966, che la Germania Ovest perse con l'Inghilterra ai tempi supplementari 4-2 con il gol fantasma assegnato al britannico Hurst che ancora fa discutere a distanza di 46 anni. Vide invece dalla panchina la leggendaria semifinale con l'Italia, il 4-3 di Città del Messico: non venne infatti utilizzato dal ct tedesco Schoen. Ma quella contro l'Inghilterra nel 1966 fu soltando la seconda partita 'storica' giocata da Haller. Due anni prima infatti, il tedesco si prese una delle più grandi soddisfazioni della carriera con il Bologna. Arrivato in rossoblù dall'Augsburg, fu tra i protagonisti dell'interminabile duello con l'Inter di Herrera, che tra mille polemiche (ci fu anche uno scandalo doping) ebbe l'epilogo nello spareggio dello stadio Olimpico di Roma. Un caso unico nella storia del calcio italiano: gli interisti giunsero a Roma freschi della conquista della Coppa dei Campioni contro il Real Madrid ma fisicamente stanchi. Nel gran caldo del giugno romano, i rossoblù guidati da Fulvio Bernardini che si imposero 2-0. Nel 1968 il passaggio alla Juventus, ed anche qui Haller lasciò il segno vincendo due scudetti. La partita memorabile in maglia bianconera fu la finale della Coppa dei Campioni del 1973 persa a Belgrado con l'inarrivabile Ajax di Cruyff e del calcio totale. Una sorta di passaggio di consegne tra epoche. Tramontava definitivamente con quella partita un'epoca. Il calcio elegante che piaceva ad Haller, quello dei colpi di genio, dei dribbling imprevedibili, lasciava spazio ad un calcio tecnicamente altrettanto fantastico, che però univa un agonismo ormai improponibili per le forme diventate piuttosto rotonde di Haller. Dopo la lunghissima parentesi italiana, tornò in Germania dove chiuse ufficialmente la carriera agonistica nel 1979. IL CORDOGLIO DEL BOLOGNA - "Con Haller se ne va un pezzo della nostra famiglia rossoblù. Sono molto addolorato per questa notizia appena appresa, conservo il ricordo di un grande campione protagonista dell'ultimo nostro scudetto -ha detto il Presidente Albano Guaraldi-, e di un grandissimo uomo che ha vissuto a Bologna una parte importante della sua carriera. Tutti i tifosi del Bologna, ed io per primo, ci stringiamo attorno ai suoi cari manifestando il nostro dolore per la perdita di un personaggio di sport così straordinario". di LUIGI PANELLA

Agnelli: 'No Calciopoli evidence' Oct 10, 2012 Juventus President Andrea Agnelli has reaffirmed Antonio Conte’s innocence in the betting trial and insists “there was not a single shred of evidence” in Calciopoli. The patron has already spoken out in favour of Conte after his 10-month ban was reduced to four on appeal for failing to report a potential fix to the authorities while he was at Siena. “It took me just two minutes with Conte to understand his innocence,” said Agnelli at a Leaders in Football meeting at Stamford Bridge. However, he also looked back at the 2006 trial that saw Juventus demoted to Serie B and stripped of two Scudetti. “The conclusions were based on speculation. There was not a single shred of evidence against us. The decision was based on Article 1, relative to sporting behaviour. “The conclusion was that if you behave in an anti-sporting manner three times, then it counts as sporting fraud, but there was no proof. It was all speculation. “There is a court of justice that ruled the 2005-06 season was not influenced in any way and another court ruled that the previous season was never under investigation.” Juve and then-director Luciano Moggi maintained they were not running a cabal aimed to influence referees, but that every club was contacting officials in roughly the same way. Meanwhile, President Agnelli also commented on the economic revolution at the club that has come with the Juventus Stadium. “For some time Juventus have been adhering to the Financial Fair Play rules and I hope other European clubs will too. “The Champions League is the most prestigious competition on the continent and, considering our history, we must try to win it.”

Chiellini prepared for Italy ‘snub’ Oct 10, 2012 Giorgio Chiellini says he’ll accept the decisions of Italy boss Cesare Prandelli amid reports that he won’t start against Armenia. The Juventus defender can play in the middle or as a left-back, but whispers indicate that the Azzurri will start with Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci in the centre, with Mimmo Criscito set to be fielded on the flank. “Sitting on the bench wouldn’t cause me any problems,” Chiellini noted on Wednesday. “There are a lot of very good players in this squad. “The CT knows me very well, he has some excellent alternatives and he’ll make the decisions. I’m not worried.” Responding to claims that Chiellini is best suited to a three-man defence, he stated: “The perfect system doesn’t exist, it is all about the interpretation of the players.” The former Livorno and Fiorentina player is back in action after picking up an injury at Euro 2012, but not everyone is convinced of his form. “If you’ve seen my games since I returned, I don’t think my performances have been below the norm,” he added. “Perhaps people are judging my displays on one or two incidents.” The stopper also spoke about the big match between joint leaders Juventus and Napoli once Serie A resumes on October 20. “We respect them,” he added. “They are a great reality of the game, a great club, with great players and a great Coach. “It’s like Juve-Milan or Juve-Inter. However, the result of the game won’t decide anything in terms of the championship.”

Montella tips Juventus and Napoli to battle it out for Serie A title The Viola boss says the division's early pacesetters have the character to continue their impressive form and praised the respective qualities of both sides. Oct 10, 2012 Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella is tipping Juventus and Napoli to battle it out for the Serie A title. Montella's side have started the season promisingly but trail the pair by eight points after the first seven league games. The Viola coach claims the competitiveness Antonio Conte has instilled in the Turin side makes the defending champions formidable opposition. "Conte created a team that believes in what he does, plays with great fury, and maintains it for 95 minutes," the former Roma striker told Corriere dello Sport. The 38-year-old has also been impressed with the start Napoli have made, despite them not always hitting top gear. "When a team wins with minimal effort it is a great sign. Napoli have also won against Fiorentina, which for me is a sign of a team that can compete for the title," he added. Montella then went on to stress that it would be wrong for Fiorentina to try and copy Barcelona's style of play as the Catalans are one of a kind. "It would be a mistake to use Barcelona as an example. They really are extraordinary and unique in what they do. It's true, though, that smaller strikers have become fashionable again." The young coach also had his say on the collapsed transfer of Dimitar Berbatov during the summer transfer window, and stressed that he's happy with the squad he has. "I honestly don't mind that Berbatov eventually didn't join us. If I look at our transfer activity throughout the summer, the club's done an excellent job." Berbatov eventually snubbed Fiorentina for Fulham as he preferred to remain in England.

Buffon: Inter can challenge Juventus for Scudetto The experienced shot stopper has voiced his opinion that the Giuseppe Meazza side are title contenders, while not ruling out Napoli and Lazio either. Oct 10, 2012 Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes that Inter are on the right path and could challenge for the Scudetto this season. The Nerazzurri have had a few poor results in the opening weeks of the 2012-13 campaign, but Buffon feels they could go far if they become more consistent under head coach Andrea Stramaccioni. "Inter have opted for a younger approach and I believe that’s the right way of going about things. If they manage to gain consistency they could be a threat all the way," Buffon told reporters. The goalkeeper also took the time to discuss Napoli and Lazio's title ambitions, and stressed that the two could be serious rivals. "Napoli have a settled system and style of play, along with a first-rate squad. "Lazio are also having an exceptional season so far. I don’t know their coach [Vladimir Petkovic], but he’s showing himself to be intelligent and capable of moving with the times, as well as speaking our language better than many Italians do." Nevertheless, Buffon remains confident that Juventus can successfully defend their title this season. "Our process of growth, which began a year and a half ago, is still continuing. By following a prudent strategy, the directors have strengthened the team during the summer transfer market, so there’s no doubt we’ll be able to fight for the title right until the end of the season." Juventus currently sit joint first in the Serie A table with 19 points from seven games.

Juventus no longer after Jovetic, says Marotta The Turin powerhouse have no intention of making a move for the creative forward this winter, while they did not make a move for Edinson Cavani last summer either. Oct 10, 2012 Juventus director Giuseppe Marotta has insisted that the Serie A champions are no longer interested in signing Fiorentina attacker Stevan Jovetic. The Bianconeri were close to signing the Montenegro international in the summer transfer window, but the move eventually fell through as they failed to reach an agreement with his current club. Juve remain keen to add some fresh blood to their attack, but Jovetic is no longer a transfer target as they have turned their attention to Roma's Pablo Osvaldo instead. "We spoke with Fiorentina president [Mario] Cognigni and sporting director [Daniele] Prade about Jovetic," Marotta was quoted as saying by La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. "However, we are no longer interested in signing him now." Marotta then went on to discuss his side's interest in Napoli star Edinson Cavani, and insisted that Juve did not attempt to sign the Uruguay international during the summer transfer window. "We have not even tried to sign Cavani. We knew that Napoli had no intention to sell him." Cavani signed a new contract with Napoli earlier this year that will keep him at the club until June 2017.

Verratti can play alongside Pirlo, says Prandelli The successful coach believes the duo can feature in the same team, while the youngster himself has stressed that he's ready to play wherever the coach needs him. Oct 10, 2012 Italy boss Cesare Prandelli is confident that Andrea Pirlo and Marco Verratti complement each other on the pitch and can play together, despite the similarities in their style of play. The national team coach feels the Paris Saint-Germain youngster could play slightly ahead of his Juventus colleague, or the two could even switch positions throughout the match. "I think he can play alongside Pirlo, maybe slightly in front of him. They could even switch positions during the game," Prandelli told reporters. Verratti himself, meanwhile, insisted that he's played in an advanced position before, and added that he doesn't feel important at Italy just yet. "I played a few games behind the striker at Pescara last season so I see myself as a versatile player. But, of course, I will play anywhere for Italy. "I don't feel important. I am lucky enough to be in the national team at 19 and this is something that doesn't happen to most players. "I can only be myself and try to improve, that's the only goal a player of my age should strive for. I don't know if I am a player for the future, I have to think about the present."

Juve truth on JoJo, Cavani & Verratti Oct 10, 2012 Juventus director general Giuseppe Marotta has revealed the transfer truths behind the club’s failure to sign Stevan Jovetic, Edinson Cavani and Marco Verratti in the summer. The Italian giants were linked with all three players, but the first two stayed at their respective clubs and Verratti left Pescara for Paris Saint-Germain. “We spoke to Fiorentina President Mario Cognigni and sporting director Daniele Prade about Jovetic,” he told the giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. “Nevertheless, the player is no longer of any interest to us. “As for Cavani, we didn’t chase him in the summer because we already knew that Napoli wouldn’t have sold him to us. “Verratti? Juventus signed Paul Pogba on a free transfer and we are enhancing Luca Marrone, two excellent talents who we believe in a lot. “Unfortunately we couldn’t spend €12m on Verratti. It’s the same old story of financial restraints.” The Old Lady did hope to net a big name striker ahead of 2012-13, but they had to make do with a deadline day loan deal for Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner. “It’s hard to reinforce this side,” the official added. “We’ll have a look around, but a so-called top player will cost you €40m in terms of a fee and then another €10m net in wages. “Those figures can’t be supported by our game right now. The big Spanish and English clubs earn double what we do. As a result, we’ll just look for wise opportunities. “This is the most difficult phase as the squad is competitive and it is not easy to make it better,” he continued. “We are only at 60 per cent of our project. Last season paid us back for the investments that we made, but the Juve world can’t stop. We need to grow. And by some way.” Marotta was also asked for an opinion on boss Antonio Conte and Napoli’s Walter Mazzarri, two tacticians he has worked with, ahead of the Week 8 top of the table clash. “Conte and Mazzarri are two Coaches who influence how their sides play. But, with all due respect, our Coach has already won. And he’s younger. Let’s say he is already ahead.” Conte, however, won’t be on the touchline when Serie A resumes as his ban will not expire until December 8. “It has been a heavy absence,” Marotta continued. “At times it just needs a gesture from Antonio to resolve a game situation. But everyone has done well during this time.”

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Andrea Pirlo (14′) Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′) Claudio Marchisio (85′) Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni Attendance: 15373 Zebes Crack a Tough Nut & DB Gets All Sentimental Oct 9, 2012 This was a result that could not have happened two seasons ago. Juventus dominated possession throughout the match (ESPN Soccernet says 29%-71%, which is as lopsided a statistic as I’ve seen outside a Barça match), and the Zebes looked consistently threatening. Sure enough, Andrea Pirlo scored an early goal off a free kick and after that, the ball somehow didn’t seem to get into the net. This was more of a concern than an actual problem during the remainder of the first half, at least until the Juve defense (still perfect of course, and always will be no matter what… um, probably… don’t hold me to that) headed off to the locker room about 30 seconds before the half technically ended, and Calaiò got a late equalizer. Antonio Conte was not impressed. Not, I’m sure, what the manager imagined when he returned to the scene of his supposed crime. Did the Zebes return from the half-time dressing room talk energized and rarin’ to go? Um, yes (remember the possession stat?) But still… THE. BOYS. COULD. NOT. GET. THE. BALL. IN. THE. BACK. OF. THE. NET. Until they did, and Juve won the match and they all lived happily ever after. Except for Dirtbunny, who hasn’t had a decent visit from her boyfriend in a long, long time. Oz is not convenient for a weekend hop across the pond the way Europe is. . Also, Margarita season is over, so the depth of my woes is nearly bottomless (well… not completely so; the black pants of the Zebes’ away kits may as well be a crotch burqa, but I still know how to work in a sad little dick joke… all is not lost). ★ ★ ★ Um, yeah. So we’re here to talk about a football match. Well, it started — as they do — with players taking the pitch with kids from the youth sector. Awww. Andrea Pirlo got a sweet little girl (I think) and Sebastian Giovinco‘s mascot looks like he’s going to trip on his own pants. ♥ I hoped they would wear the pink. I slept the night before in my pink Pirlo jersey in an attempt to exert some influence, and it worked! Speaking of Super-Seba, time for the Mirko Vucinic Gallery of Fail™! Not because he was bad (he wasn’t), and not because he had any actual fail (he didn’t… at least no more than any good player always has in every game… the shots — they do not all go in). But rather because of his Fail Face: That is a championship-caliber tantrum face. ♥ It’s even better than Maicon’s tantrum face because it’s real, whereas Maicon’s tantrums were invariably built on pure bullsh**. Geez, Felipe. Is that all you’ve got? You look almost as if you’re afraid to defend Seba, heh heh. Giorgio Chiellini came out hard and got a harsh early yellow. Later, when he really started committing fouls, he was lucky not to get sent off. My commentators wouldn’t call it “lucky”: they came this close to outright saying that Mr. Mazzoleni was bought. [Cuz THAT's the only possibility, right? If a referee makes a mistake it's NOT because he's a human being and error is human, but rather because he was bought by the other team, right? /end Referee rant — Ed.] After that, Siena tried to draw another card by crumpling to the floor any time Giorgione came within 2 meters of one of them, but Chiello settled down and kept it clean for the rest of the match, because he is a champion and not a dingbat. In place of Bunny’s Favorite Dingbat (suspended Leonardo Bonucci), Conte/Carrera started Luca Marrone (featuring above with some Luca Marrone belly). Ya know? Luca‘s a pretty decent center back. I wonder if Andy Carroll could be repurposed that way… [Take notes, Sam Allardyce — Ed.] ★ ★ ★ Aside from starting Marrone, the only notable squad rotation involved Paolo DeCeglie, one of my special favorites. He’s a soldier. Perhaps not the most effective soldier possible. Earnest good faith and hard work count for a lot but don’t make up for a lack of ability, as we learned from… *covers Marco Pantanella’s ears*… Molinaro. [Huh? Did someone say something? Something about Matteo Paro? — Ed.] Listen to me, complaining that PDC is not the world’s best left-back. Two seasons ago, we were crying for any competent left-back. Competent, he is, and more. I hope he’s happy. It’d be terribly sad to lose him to some crap team where he could play every week. Oh dear. I’m getting all soppy. Let’s just notice Claudio Marchisio in his traditional position on the pitch — Hiya Claudio! — and come back to him later. Andrea Pirlo. Oh My God. Let’s do him now. So, I told you in the PREVIEW‘s comments that Felipe was the worst defender in Serie A, right? Well, he is. He got a card for a foul on Seba and gave up a free kick on the edge of the area in the 13th. Pirlo lines up, looking unimpressed and perhaps even a little bored, as he tends to do (ADP always fiddled with his nose while he was waiting to take a FK). What do we normally think of when we think of a Pirlo free kick? I think of something with a beautiful curve that goes over the wall and tucks into the upper corner of goal. What did we get yesterday? A straight, squat groundball that went under the wall and splattered off the keeper and into the net. It was the Opposite of Pirlo. And it went in. Paci: “Oh crap! Dudes, it’s a low one! Try to un-jump or something!” You know what this means, don’t you? We already knew that Andrea was a Smooth Operator™… silky, tricky, slippery, and smarter than you. Well, guess what? Maybe you thought that a player could be one or the other, but now you know he can be both. Here, Pirlo receives his tribute from fellow BMF Giorgione. Wow. WE PAID NOTHING FOR HIM. MILAN THOUGHT HE WAS WASHED UP AND LET HIM GO FOR FREE! I know I’ve said that before, but I also said I may never stop laughing, and so far, I haven’t. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Moving along, Conte/Carrera started Arturo Vidal in his usual place as the “V” in the MVP midfield. I was a bit surprised. He looked tired and out of it against Shakhtar, and I thought he might get some rest. Yeah, I said tired. We love you Arturo, but you’re looking a bit fatigued and it showed in Europe (though you did fine yesterday). Now go home and get some sleep! ★ ★ ★ Mirko Vucinic started up front. He had a good match, but he could not get a goal. Why? It wasn’t for lack of trying. The Zebras had sixteen shots… eight on target. It wasn’t just Juve that couldn’t close the deal. Calaiò missed an absolute sitter. Seriously. My Grandma Buongiorne would have had time to step out from behind her walker and tap that one in. But of course, we don’t care much about that. What we do care about is why the Zebes had so much trouble. You know why. For some reason, when Juventus goes off into the provinces to play the smaller teams, the smaller teams’ second-rate goalkeepers get to work. Siena’s Gianluca Pegolo was no exception. Pretty baby made save after save after save. By the way is it a law that goalkeepers in Italy have to be shupa-sheckshee? Cuz there don’t seem to be very many exceptions. There are exceptions, of course coffcoffSebFreycoff and Salvatore Sirigu is banished for as long as he stays in France (I can understand having a desperate need to escape from the Palermo hellhole, but c’mon.) At any rate, Pegolo had a power breakfast, put on his savin’ boots and… well, I was going to say that he had the match of his life except I seem to remember that he did pretty much the same thing the last time Siena played Juventus. *looks it up* Yup. Six saves yesterday. Seven saves in last season’s ritorno. Lordy. What’s going on here? Does he get all jazzed up to face Juventus, The Mighty Opponent? Of is it that he thinks more people will see him against a bigger team and it could be his big chance to score a big contract at a bigger team? Dude only makes €250,000 a year, which is less than every single Zebra except Rubinho. He might as well have gone to law school. Carrera: Hey Pegolo! Boo. BOOOOOOO! Pegolo: If you don’t like it Old Man, then try to beat me. If you can. Carrera: Basta. You get in there Quags, and shut his mouth. And so Carrera did something really courageous. He took Marrone out of the game and put in Quagliarella in the 80th. He had already taken out Lichtsteiner and De Ceglie in favor of Giaccherini and Asamoah, so that left Juve with a *gulp* two-man defense (plus Asamoah tracking back to cover). Talk about balls out. Draws are for pussies: win big or lose big. So, yeah, that kind of substitution could never have happened two seasons ago. Most coaches would have gone defensive and played for the draw. But you know what else? Two years ago, if coach told his players in the 80th minute to buckle down and get the winner, the Boyz would have freaked out. But this year, this year, with this coach, the Boyz found something they didn’t used to have. Patience. And Grinta. To keep trying, trying, and trying, and never give up. And then… BOOOOM! It was half-glorious and half-hot mess. In the 85th, Giovinco swung a cross into the box from the left. Giorgione headed the ball away from goal — are you telling he me meant to do that? — and it fell into the path of Claudio Marchisio, who slammed it low and hard on the volley. ★ ★ ★ [sENTIMENTAL TANGENT TIME — Ed.] I didn’t cry at the time, but I’m starting to cry now just thinking about it, and I’m not much of a weeper. There’s something completely ridiculous about my JUVE-LOVE. It takes up time I could be spending, I don’t know, curing cancer, working to shut down animal agribusiness, writing the novel that’s in my head, refinishing the basement, or hell, just shaving my legs a bit more often. Fanhood doesn’t do anything. I can’t imagine it on my tombstone (“Here lies Dirtbunny, whore for goalkeepers.”) It’s completely useless. And expensive. All those extra cable channels and intraweb stuff cost actual money, and I burn some vacation time to watch midweek matches. That Luca Toni jersey from 2009-10, the ADP jersey from the 2008 Euros, the Giorgione and Gigi jerseys from World Cup 2010, and all the other jerseys and jackets and doodads that are too embarrassing to mention… well those ain’t cheap. I don’t technically need an audience for my silly fanlove and embarrassing sexual fantasies and imaginary boyfriends, and I may just be displaying my inner freak when I should be keeping it quiet like everyone else does with theirs. It takes hours to put these together. The editors need all the photos done just so and I understand why but it’s tedious and time-consuming to gather them and label them properly and then to figure out which ones to use and what to say. I have not yet seen El Clásico or the Milan derby because I’ve been working on this. Or eaten lunch. Or done my laundry. [Yup, blogging IS hard work. I haven't had lunch either... — Ed.] I’m not complaining. This isn’t always easy to do, for me, or for any of the JuventiKnows writers and editors. But I love it. I do it because I love the game and I love Juventus and all this Juve-stuff needs somewhere to go and it can’t be in real life because no one else has a clue. Mr. Dirtbunny comes close, but he likes Arsenal, so you can see there are certain impenetrable barriers there that hinder footie communication. I do it because I love connecting with other people who share the same goofy passions as me. Yeah some of you won’t want to admit that they’re the same, so you can regard them as similar or related (but without the icky sex stuff) and I promise not to mock you for the next 10 minutes. In fact, the posts and the matches are pretty much the same: SUFFERING and ARDENT LOVE. I love it all, even the sucky parts. I love the bitching and moaning and drama from the opposing players and coaches. Especially Serse Cosmi. He can really put on a show. I love the Juve players, even Kwadwo Asamoah whom I forgot to mention, and when I know them better, I end up loving them even more. I love the affection the players have for each other, or really, any sign that they have fun playing football. I love the ridiculous boots and I love Pirlo’s ripped socks. I love it when their socks are saggy and I love it when they jack their socks up over the knee. I love it when the players get pissy and grumpy, like Quags here. Or maybe you’d say he’s just been caught off-guard by a camera click. If that’s what’s going on here, then I love that too. Because it shows a moment where soccer players are real persons who aren’t used to having a camera on them 99.9% of the time, and who wish they had a little more personal space separating themselves from… umm… well, from us. I even love Simone Pepe (pictured here with his companion, the lovely and apparently normal Agnese Bizzarri) even though he’s a ham and a doofus and if he were actually here in my house goofing around, I’d probably have to kick him out. Come back soon, Simone. I miss you! *bawls* Thanks for listening. ★ ★ ★ Next match is after the international break, the big showdown against Napoli, at home, on October 20, a week from Saturday. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/