Socrates

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni Juventus-Siena Preview: Round 7 — Tuscany Tango Juventus travel to Tuscany to face a Siena team that have jerseys with the same kind of colors. Bianconeri on bianconeri crime! Beware! Oct 6, 2012 It seems like we've been here before, doesn't it? A mid-week meh-fest followed up by the chance, on short rest, to put the previous result in the rear view mirror. Pretty sums the past two weeks, doesn't it? Just change a few jersey colors and viola! It's the same. Kinda, I guess. Juventus travel to Tuscany to face Siena in the final game before the latest and greatest international break. This tie doesn't have as much pizazz as it did a year ago when Antonio Conte returned to the team he lead to a Serie A promotion, but it's still the chance to right the wrongs of Tuesday's showing against Shakhtar and get some momentum going again. That's what happened against Roma. Now there's the chance to rinse and repeat and do the same thing against Siena. That would be fun. I mean, who doesn't like when Juventus scores more goals than the other team and play incredibly awesome in the process? (If you raised your hand while answering that, lol u.) LE CHIAVI Siena enters the pre-international break clash with total bag of mixed results. Example: Beat Inter 2-0. Then, one week later, lose to Lazio 2-1.See? Totally unpredictable. But then again, can't we say that for just about anything in the calcio world these days? Siena's biggest strength this season has been keeping the opposition from finding the back of the net — there's only three teams (Napoli, Juventus, and Torino) who have allowed fewer goals (6) in the first six games of the Serie A season. Then there's the whole starting the season at minus-6 because of the match-fixing nonsense that continues to occupy or minds, but we won't get into that. Although, if it wasn't for starting the season with the big penalty, Siena would be sitting comfortably in sixth instead of hanging out in the relegation zone. GOOD NEWS We're at 45 games unbeaten and counting. That's pretty awesome. BAD NEWS The fellas may be a wee bit tired, as a lot of you guys probably already know by now. When the Juventus squad takes the field tomorrow, it will be their fifth game in the span of 17 days. That's something we knew going in that would happen, but when you reach the end and look back on it, it's still pretty darn impressive. WHAT TO WATCH FOR 1. Squad rotation. It's been rumored for a couple days now, and I understand why. Conte has made it no secret that with all the extra fixtures this season, he's going to take advantage of his squad's depth. You can likely count on hand where Juventus' strongest XI has been fielded. There's usually at least one player getting rest every game, and that's fine with me. Hopefully Juventus are busy for a lot of the season, that means they've advanced a long way in the Champions League and Coppa Italia. 2. Strikers. I know I say it pretty much every game, but you're just gonna have to deal with it. The non-Vucinic rotation plan seems like it's a go once again. If it were my guess, Sebastian Giovinco would be the next one to get a ride of the Magical Mystery Striker Tour. I'm done with the expectation that anybody but Vucinic will hold down a regular starting spot while they all struggle to find some good form. That's kinda expected, though, so I won't get too upset about it. 3. Luca Marrone. Why do I mention Mr. Brown? Well, because he's the name being thrown about in the media as the guy to replace the suspended Leo Bonucci. And let me just say this: I'm in full support of it. Marrone was fantastic in the preseason as a makeshift center back. To be honest, it looked he had been playing there for years. While Bonucci is a good passer out of the back, Marrone is a step up, which should add something to a starting lineup that looks like it will be Pirlo-less on Sunday. 4. How Juventus do against a three-man defense. We saw it against Fiorentina last week. We've seen it a few times last season as well. For whatever the reason is, when Juventus face a team that also sports a 3-5-2 — or some kind of variation of it — they seem to struggle. Who knows whether Siena will pack the midfield like Fiorentina did in the scoreless draw in Florence. If they do, however, things might not be as much of a piece of cake as it could possibly be. My starting XI (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Marrone, Chiellini; Isla, Vidal, Pogba, Marchisio, De Ceglie; Vucinic, Giovinco Siena probable (3-4-2-1): Pegolo; Neto, Paci, Felipe; Sestu, Vergassola, Rodriguez, Del Grosso; Rosina, Ze Eduardo; Calaió http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni Siena vs. Juventus PREVIEW – Begin Countdown to Conte’s Return… Oct 6, 2012 Last week was quite a wild one for our beloved Bianconeri. First we trounced Roma, most importantly humbling the always (for lack of a better adjective) douchey Zdenek Zeman who’s trademark kamikaze tactics proved to be even less effective than whatever psychological effects anyone would hope to achieve over an opponent with words. Several days later and playing the team’s fourth game in right around a fortnight, Juventus hosted Shakhtar Donetsk at home. That much more closely resembled the midweek trip to Florence before hosting Roma, and with little fan support at home due in part to the high ticket prices, a 1-1 draw and a single point was all that could be mustered from the first UCL game in Turin since 2009 (and first-ever at the Juventus Stadium). This Sunday, Juventus will travel South-East to face that other team in black & white stripes from Northern Italy (no, not Udinese). Rather poetically, the Siena trip is coming off the heels of the TNAS court reducing Antonio’s Conte ban for actions which allegedly occurred (or rather did not occur) while he was in charge at that very same club. Alanis Morissette might consider this ironic, if not for the fact that it bears too close of a resemblance to actual “irony”, but I digress. At any rate, our manager will return to active matchday duty on December 8, 2012, aka right before the away trip to Palermo. SIENA Siena, which has been docked six points from the start of the season for their alleged involvement in the Calcioscommesse scandal, have been in impressive form for a provinciale. Last month saw them rack up impressive wins against Bologna and Inter Milan (which we were all grateful for over here), before falling 2-1 to Lazio last week. Yet, they rest at 19th in the table currently with a paltry 2 points due to the aforementioned penalty. Likely to line up in a 3-4-2-1 to counter what has become a predictable 3-5-2, coach Serse Cosmi will likely try to exploit wide play and close down the midfield, thus neutralizing Juve’s biggest asset. Juventus meanwhile will hope to end the week on a high note, before the international break continues to toy with my emotions and delivers some much needed rest to some of the squad. Oh wait… SIENA (3-4-2-1) Pegolo Neto, Paci, Felipe Sestu, Vergassola, R.Rodriguez, Del Grosso Rosina, Zé Eduardo Calaiò BENCH: Farelli, Campagnolo, Dellafiore, Rubin, M.Martínez, Scoppola, Verre, Angelo, Bolzoni, Paolucci, Bogdani, Valiani Starting %: Sestu 60-40% Angelo Injured: D’Agostino (matchday #9), Contini (#9) Suspended: Larrondo (24 Nov 2012), Belmonte (9 Feb 2013), Terzi (9 Feb 2016), Vitiello (9 Sep 2016) JUVENTUS Juventus will undoubtedly look to tinker with their lineup a bit. Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal are looking a bit tired these days. Pirlo, meanwhile, is certain to feature in Prandelli’s plans for the upcoming qualifiers against Armenia and Denmark whether or not his presence is actually necessary. I would not be surprised to see youngster Paul Pogba earn another start. Meanwhile, Leonardo Bonucci is banned due to yellow card accumulation, so Lúcio, Martín Cáceres or even Luca Marrone — the young midfielder who deputized surprisingly well as a center-back during the summer friendlies — should all be ready to dust off their boots, the latter for either of two positions. Additionally, reports seem to indicate that Mauricio Isla may earn his first second Serie A start in Bianconero (no, I mean Juve Bianconero, not… oh, never mind). JUVENTUS (3-5-2) Buffon Barzagli, Marrone, Chiellini Isla, Giaccherini, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah Giovinco, Vucinic BENCH: Storari, Rubinho, Lúcio, Lichtsteiner, De Ceglie, Vidal, Pogba, Padoin, Isla, Bendtner, Quagliarella, Matri Starting %: Barzagli 60-40% Lúcio, Isla 60-40% Cáceres, Asamoah 60-40% De Ceglie Injured: Pepe (matchday #8), Conte (8 Dec 2012) Suspended: Bonucci (1) Here is where the depth of the squad is going to come in handy, as it will many times throughout the course of this triple-front season. Juve’s ability to patch together a starting XI stronger than most other Serie A teams out of a combination of A, B, and C teamers, should undoubtedly give them an edge. Siena do have a penchant for the occasional upset (and know Conte and his tactics well — and vice-versa), but despite the fact the Juve manager won’t on the bench again, Massimo Carrera has been deputizing and passing on the man’s word to pretty good effect so far. I am a big believer in numbers and odds and Juventus have to lose again in Serie A some time. However, I don’t believe it will be this time, even away from home. Vincere è l’unica cosa che… CONTE! http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Il goal di Marchisio era maturo.

Forse solo un nostalgico.

Triadeforever é sparito. Ma il suo nick me lo sono segnato per la prossima volta.

GOAL DI MARCHISIO DEDICATO A TRIADEFOREVER!

Ti vedo un pó nervoso amico!

No, é Buffon che para, o no?

Speriamo di no.

Esce l'ex bovino

Quasi goal del Siena

Asamoah tremendo.

Asamoah si allunga troppo il pallone.

Conte .... un leone in gabbia.

Il goal é maturo.

Che ha visto Mazzoleni?

Lichtsteiner crossa male.

Dominio della Juve.

Seba di nuovo pericoloso.

Che grida il pubblico? Siena o Seba?

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni Siena v Juventus Preview : Antonio Conte Visits His Old Side Oct 6, 2012 Antonio Conte’s former side Siena host reigning Serie A Champions Juventus at the Artemio Franchi on Sunday afternoon. Conte managed Siena for just a season, which was enough to see him achieve what he was hired for – promotion to Serie A. He then went on to join Juventus last season and the rest as they say, is history. The at Siena had its fair share of controversy, the consequences of which have impacted his current club Juventus. Conte’s alleged involvement in the Calcioscommesse scandal meant that he was slapped with a 10 month touchline ban. The ban has since been reduced to 4 months implying Conte will be available on the 9th of December when Juventus travel to Sicily to face Palermo. Siena, for their part, were slapped with a six points deduction which they may find hard to recover from and are certain relegation contenders. Team News and Tactical Brief Siena Serse Cosmi’s side begun their campaign with a six point deduction but that hasn’t deterred them as they have enjoyed a fairly decent start to the season. Had it not been for the deduction, Siena would have found themselves in mid-table, instead they remain second from bottom in the relegation zone with two points to their name. However, they have managed to record excellent wins against Inter and Bologna. Cosmi will field his tried and tested 3-4-2-1 formation. Siena are the underdogs going into this fixture and attacking Juventus might not be the smartest tactic to employ. They will sit back and soak up the pressure hoping to hit the champions on counter. A lot of their play revolves around striker Emanuele Calaio, who has bagged two goals this season. Owing to his huge physique, Calaio can hold up play and involve others in attack. The duo of Alesandro Rosina and Ze Eduardo will play just behind him. Rosina, a once very promising prospect, might just be given the task of escorting Andrea Pirlo wherever the former Milan man may decide to venture and suffocating him. Defence will be marshaled by the experienced Massimo Paci who will be flanked by Neto and Felipe. The three of them will have to contain the tricky movements of the Juventus front duo. The lack of a target-man could also work to their disadvantage as they may find it difficult to pick up a striker. Matteo Contini has been ruled out for Siena while Gaetano D’Agostino remains a doubt. Probable Starting Line-up (3-4-2-1): Pegolo; Neto, Paci, Felipe; Sestu, Vergassola, Rodriguez, Del Grosso; Rosina, Ze Eduardo; Calaio Juventus Juventus Juventus While Juventus completely outplayed Roma in what was their most impressive performance of the campaign so far, the Champions League game against Shakhtar was a stark contrast. The lack of home support was evident and Juventus were on the back-foot for the most part. They lacked the cutting edge they’ve shown at the Juventus Stadium against a highly technical opposition. The Ukranian Champions were comfortable in possession and constantly threatened. It was more of a point gained for Juventus than two lost. Now back to Serie A, Siena might test the fitness levels of Conte’s side. The games are coming thick and fast for the Bianconeri and their squad depth will be questioned again and again. The manager is likely to deploy his favored 3-5-2 formation. A few changes from the team that faced Shakhtar here and there are expected without being completely overturning the starting eleven. Luca Marrone will step into the heart of defence, replacing Leo Bonucci who is suspended. Marrone’s versatility has proven handy and the youngster has shown maturity beyond his age with composed displays in back three. Caceres and De Ceglie can replace Lichtsteiner and Asamoah. The former duo completely stretched Roma’s back-line with their marauding runs and forays into opposition territory. More of the same is what Conte will ask for against Siena as he looks to stretch the opposition. Andrea Pirlo should retain his place in the center of midfield. Pirlo of course will pull the strings and look to spread play with his vast range of passing. The maestro has looked a bit off color in a few games this season but his quality is renowned and should he hit top gear, there will be no shortage of goal-scoring chances. Up front, Mirko Vucinic is expected to be partnered by pint sized attacker Sebastian Giovinco. Simone Pepe remains sidelined for Juventus. Probable Starting Line-up (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Marrone, Chiellini; Caceres, Giaccherini, Pirlo, Marchisio, De Ceglie; Giovinco, Vucinic Key Facts Juventus are unbeaten in 45 Serie A games. Siena are undefeated at home this term. Juventus have scored the most amount of goals in Serie A so far with 15. Player To Watch Out For Sebastian Giovinco (Juventus) The Atomic Ant has blown hot and cold so far and is yet to cement his place as a Juventus starter. Fans still remain on the fence with his signing and whether he will really inject any quality into a fairly lackluster Juventus attack. He will get the chance against Siena to prove his detractors wrong and show himself to be worthy of the famous Bianconeri colors. Prediction Siena 0-2 Juventus The home side might just fancy their chances against a Juventus side coming off an exhausting few weeks. But the Bianconeri have quality in abundance and it is this very quality that should spur them on to another victory in Serie A. The game will be tight in its initial stages with Siena doing most of the running but Juventus should come out comfortable winners at the end of the day. Blast From The Past http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - 7^ Giornata - Andata - 7-10-2012 (ore 15:00) - Stadio "Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena" — Siena Arbitro: Paolo Mazzoleni Verso Siena-Juventus: Conte fa turnover, Cosmi punta su Calaiò e i ritrovati Rosina e Ze Eduardo. Il tecnico della Juventus è intenzionato a dare un turno di riposo a Barzagli, Vidal, Lichtsteiner e Asamoah. Spazio a Lucio, Marrone, Caceres, Giaccherini e De Ceglie. Oct 6, 2012 PROBABILI FORMAZIONI SIENAPegolo Neto, Paci, Felipe Sestu, Vergassola, Rodriguez, Del Grosso Ze Eduardo, Rosina Calaió JUVENTUS Buffon Lucio, Marrone, Chiellini Isla, Giaccherini, Pogba, Marchisio, Asamoah Giovinco, Vucinic QUI SIENA Cosmi sembra orientato a schierare la sua squadra contro la Juve con un 3-4-2-1. Rosina e Ze Eduardo sono recuperati e partiranno titolari, assieme a Rodriguez e Sestu, favorito nel ballottaggio con Angelo. D'Agostino è out per una ventina di giorni a causa di una lesione muscolare. In attacco, confermatissimo, ci sarà Calaiò. QUI JUVENTUS Conte sembra intenzionato ad attuare il turnover contro il Siena. Squalificato Bonucci, Marrone e Lucio saranno titolari in difesa. Riposo per Barzagli, Lichtsteiner, Vidal e Asamoah. In campo dal primo minuto Lucio e Marrone in difesa, Caceres, Giaccherini e De Ceglie a centrocampo. Giovinco-Vucinic sarà il duo d'attacco, con Bendtner pronto a subentrare a gara iniziata. L'ULTIMA SFIDA 05/02/2012, Juventus-Siena 0-0: Pegolo fa miracoli IL MOMENTO La sconfitta in casa della Lazio nella scorsa giornata ha messo termine ad una bella striscia di risultati positivi con cui il Siena, vittoria a San Siro contro l'Inter compresa, è riuscita a risalire l'ardua china del -6 in classifica con cui ha iniziato il campionato. La Juventus è invece reduce da un pareggio sofferto contro lo Shakhtar in Champions League, che ha comunque permesso ai bianconeri di prolungare la propria imbattibilità. In campionato, poi, il cammino della Juve è implacabile e la Roma ne sa qualcosa. PERCHE' GUARDARLA Veder giocare la Juventus è sempre un piacere, il confronto col Siena, poi, potrebbe non essere così scontato come la classifica potrebbe lasciar supporre. La squadra toscana sta incarnando alla perfezione lo spirito del proprio tecnico Serse Cosmi. Grinta che è un po' mancata nel match perso con la Lazio lo scorso weekend, ma proprio per questo c'è da attendersi un Siena caricato a mille dal proprio tecnico in vista del match con la Vecchia Signora. Testa a Testa Serie A ‎- 05/feb/2012 - Juventus 0 - Siena 0 Serie A ‎- 18/set/2011 - Siena 0 - Juventus 1 Serie A ‎- 14/mar/2010 - Juventus 3 - Siena 3 Serie A ‎- 25/ott/2009 - Siena 0 - Juventus 1 Serie A ‎- 24/mag/2009 - Siena 0 - Juventus 3 Ultime 5 Partite Siena 30/set/2012 - Lazio 2 - Siena 1 - Serie A 27/set/2012 - Siena 1 - Bologna 0 - Serie A 23/set/2012 - Inter 0 - Siena 2 - Serie A 16/set/2012 - Siena 2 - Udinese 2 - Serie A 02/set/2012 - Sampdoria 2 - Siena 1 - Serie A Juventus 02/ott/2012 - Juventus 1 - Shakhtar 1 - UCL 29/set/2012 - Juventus 4 - Roma 1 - Serie A 25/set/2012 - Fiorentina 0 - Juventus 0 - Serie A 22/set/2012 - Juventus 2 - Chievo 0 - Serie A 19/set/2012 - Chelsea FC 2 - Juventus 2 - UCL Previsione Siena 0 - 2 Juventus http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni Cosmi: 'Best not enough with Juve' Oct 6, 2012 Serse Cosmi warns Siena that “our best might not be enough” to get a result against Serie A leaders Juventus on Sunday. The Tuscans welcome the Bianconeri to the Stadio Franchi at 14.00 BST, click here for a match preview. “We have to give our all against Juventus, but still realise our best might not be enough,” said Coach Cosmi. “With that in mind, we must go beyond our limits, as it is the only way to get a result against such a great squad.” Juve look set to give Nicklas Bendtner his first Serie A start against the team he nearly joined over the summer. “I won’t think about that, as I am concentrated only on my own squad. My players entered the history books with their victory over Inter at San Siro, so they know full well they will need another historic achievement tomorrow.” Antonio Conte will be in the stands of his former club, even though his 10-month ban has been reduced to four on appeal. The suspension is for failing to report a potential fix to the authorities while he was the Coach of Siena as part of an investigation that also cost the club a six-point penalty. “I saw that Juventus expressed unhappiness at the verdict. I know it is a different situation, but I would love for them to only give a four-month ban to Claudio Terzi and Roberto Vitiello. I have given up trying to understand the sporting justice system.” Siena players Vitiello and Terzi are banned until 2016 due to the betting scandal, while Nicola Belmonte is suspended until February 2013 and Marcelo Larrondo until November 24. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni Siena lose duo for Juve Oct 6, 2012 Siena are without Gaetano D’Agostino and Matteo Contini for tomorrow’s match with Juventus. The Tuscans had already lost creative midfielder D’Agostino to injury earlier in the week and Contini was added to the list of absentees. D’Agostino is sidelined for two to three weeks due to a right thigh strain, while Contini is out for a couple of weeks after dislocating a toe on his left foot. Siena squad for Juventus: Campagnolo, Farelli, Pegolo; Angelo, Del Grosso, Dellafiore, Felipe, Neto, Paci, Rubin; Bolzoni, Mannini, Rodriguez, Sestu, Valiani, Vergassola, Verre; Bogdani, Calaiò, Paolucci, Reginaldo, Rosina, Zè Eduardo. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/