Socrates

Serie A - 8^ Giornata - Ritorno - 11-3-2012 (ore 15:00) 0 - 0 Stadio Luigi Ferraris - Genoa Arbitro: Nicola Rizzoli Spettatori: 28000‎ Serie A - A Genova la Juventus rimane al palo Due legni di Vucinic e uno di Pepe condannano la Juventus al quattordicesimo pareggio stagionale. Con il Genoa alla fine è 0-0. Ingressi nel finale anche per Del Piero ed Elia ma risultato che non cambia. Milan che scappa a +4. Eurosport - Domenica, 11 marzo 2012 Ci sono partite in grado di descrivere in 90 minuti l’andamento di una stagione. Per la Juventus, molto probabilmente, la sfida del Marassi contro il Genoa è una di queste. L’ennesimo pareggio stagionale, il quattordicesimo per la precisione, ha mostrato tutti i pro e i contro degli uomini allenati da Antonio Conte in una stagione che doveva essere del riscatto e, di punto in punto, ha rischiato di trasformarsi in qualcosa di più: tanto dinamismo, molta voglia di fare e disponibilità al sacrificio hanno finito inesorabilmente con lo scontrarsi con poca lucidità sottoporta e perché no anche un po’ di sfortuna. Sono 3 i legni infatti che condannano la Juventus a lasciar scappare il Milan a +4, due di Vucinic – sfortunato ma anche poco preciso - e uno, clamoroso, di Pepe che dentro l’area piccola non è riuscito a trasformare il pallone d’oro offertagli da Pirlo nelle rete che avrebbe tenuto aperti ben altri discorsi. A godere è quindi il Genoa che con una partita onesta e finalmente ordinata in fase difensiva blocca la voglia di riscatto dei bianconeri. Emblematico infine, che contro una delle peggiori difese casalinghe della Serie A, la Juventus non sia riuscita a trovare il gol. Insomma, tutti segnali che non possono essere letti che in una maniera… PARTENZA A RAZZO - Che Juventus e Genoa avessero voglia di scrollarsi di dosso il momento no appare evidente fin dai primi minuti. Nemmeno il tempo di entrare in campo e la retroguardia bianconera, in piena emergenza, si fa beffare dal taglio in profondità di Palacio: Vidal sbaglia il movimento del fuorigioco e l’argentino, davanti alla porta, prova un tocco sotto chiamando Buffon a un colpo di reni degno del Mondiale 2006. Pericolo scampato la Juventus prova a concedere pan per focaccia e, un minuto dopo, Giaccherini sottoporta non trova il guizzo giusto deviando fuori un bel pallone servitogli da Pepe. Tre minuti e già due occasioni. VUCINIC, GENIALITA’ RITROVATA - La Juventus però, forse per la prima volta in stagione, è sospinta dall’azione di quel Vucinic che, giusto 7 giorni fa, Conte indicava come l’uomo di maggior talento. La ricezione del messaggio del montenegrino è probabilmente a scoppio ritardato e il numero 14 bianconero decide soltanto oggi di salire in cattedra: svaria a sinistra, prova giocate di prima, salta l’uomo, insomma, in una parola, è il giocatore propositivo di cui la Juventus aveva bisogno. Non è un caso dunque che tutti i palloni pericolosi finiti sui piedi di Matri – il più clamoroso a 7 minuti dalla fine del primo tempo e ben salvato da Marco Rossi - partano proprio dai piedi di Vucinic, così come quello al minuto 18 che ancora una volta scatenerà le polemiche del dopo partita: l’attaccante lombardo prende il tempo a Carvalho che lo trattiene vistosamente per la maglia e lo fa cadere in area. Proteste bianconere, rigore non concesso e spazio alle moviole. DINAMISMO BIONDINI - Il Genoa però, nonostante lasci più spazio alle manovre della Juve, è attento a chiudersi e prova ad affidarsi alle ripartenze veloci di Palacio, Jankovic e Sculli. L’uomo in più dei rossoblu però è sicuramente Biondini, sempre il primo a rientrare così come il primo ad impostare la fase di ripartenza. Anche qui non è un caso dunque che la palla gol del primo tempo del Genoa, sparata alta dalla testa di Gilardino al minuto 26, nasca proprio dai piedi del centrocampista ex Cagliari. JUVE AL PALO – La spinta con cui si chiude il primo tempo è l’identico leitmotiv con cui si apre anche la ripresa. Vucinic, autentico funambolo, ne è oggi il protagonista principe e nel giro del primo quarto d’ora a Marassi si vede di tutto. I minuti per la precisione sono 8 – dal 52 al 60 – quando nell’ordine la Juventus colleziona e fallisce: un occasione con Matri ben pescato in area da Pepe; un colpo di testa di Vucinic terminato sulla traversa dopo un corner di Pirlo; un palo, ancora di Vucinic, che da centro area colpisce di testa indisturbato ma trova la base del palo e, come già accennato, un palo di Pepe da “zero metri” che alla fine risulterà decisivo. Il Genoa fa decisamente più fatica ad uscire rispetto al primo tempo ma la pressione della Juventus, così come la lucidità e le forze, vanno scemando di pari passo con i minuti del cronometro. Normale quindi che anche gli uomini di Marino, a 20 minuti dalla fine, abbiano la loro occasione con una mischia che Kaladze rischia di risolvere con un sinistro ben respinto dall’ottimo Buffon. GOL ANNULLATO E SILENZIO STAMPA – Il finale di gara non porta più le grandi occasioni arrivate in avvio ma c’è ancora tempo per una polemica. Pepe, lanciato tanto per cambiare da Pirlo, trova questa volta il gol sottoporta in una situazione identica al palo colpito precedentemente. Conte esulta in tribuna ma il guardalinee alza la bandierina. Il fuorigioco a velocità reale sembra netto ma il replay lascia più di qualche dubbio. La Juventus a fine partita dichiara il silenzio stampa. ELIA, OGGETTO MISTERIOSO - Gli ingressi finali di Elia, Del Piero e Borriello non portano i risultati sperati infatti. L’esterno olandese in 15 minuti spiega con il suo football il perché Conte l’abbia schierato in stagione per un totale di 50 minuti: dalla panchina gli urlano di stare largo… lui si butta a centro area per fare la terza punta. Il Genoa così non rischia più, porta via un punto e lascia spazio solo alle polemiche. Per quelle, si sa, di tempo ce n’è sempre a sufficienza. Simone Eterno - Eurosport Genoa - Juventus 0-0

Serie A Week 27 - 11-3-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 28000‎ Stating the obvious Mar 12, 2012 'Sometimes in football you have to score goals'. Those are indeed the wise (comedic) words once uttered by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, almost as obvious a statement as that which describes the current situation at Juventus. Four consecutive league draws, six in their last seven games, and just six goals scored since the start of February, all of which has seen the Bianconeri surrender their lead and allow Milan to open up a four point gap at the top of Serie A. Surrounded by cries of injustice and media blackouts, bad luck is one thing, having an impotent strike-force is another. Watching both Genoa-Juventus and Milan-Lecce simultaneously on Sunday afternoon, it became apparent the clear difference between the two sides. While both dominated their respective matches for large periods, it was clinical finishing in the final third of the pitch that separates them. Midfielder Antonio Nocerino registered his 9th goal of the season, albeit via a favourable deflection, while ‘Zlatan’ ruthlessly smashed home his 19th, more than Matri, Borriello, Quagliarella, Vucinic and Del Piero combined (16). Simone Pepe will have fair reason to feel aggrieved his goal was ruled out for offside, thus sparking the ban on speaking to the media, with a simple ‘Footage speaks for itself’ comment from the club on Twitter. The Bianconeri had 64 per cent possession, seventeen corners, roughly around 98 shots at goal and conspired to hit the woodwork three times. It just doesn’t seem to be happening for them at the moment. Gone are the goals from midfield of Claudio Marchisio and Simone Pepe, their last efforts coming on December 4 and December 18 respectively. Alessandro Matri continues to be the most consistent goalscorer, with his fellow strike partners lacking any sort of clinical edge to aid him. Fortunately, Lazio’s loss at home to Bologna curtailed any talk of second-place being in danger for now, but with games against Fiorentina (A), Inter ( H), Napoli ( H), Palermo (A) and Lazio ( H) to come, it would be preferable to see shots turned into goals sooner rather than later. Despite the criticism levelled at those at one end of the pitch, there was reason to be positive at the other. With Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli both injured, and Leonardo Bonucci suspended, in stepped Martin Caceres and Arturo Vidal to steady the ship. Along with several fine saves from Gigi Buffon, the makeshift defensive duo did well in shutting out a usually potent Genoa attack, with the clean sheet a respectable achievement in itself. It was also refreshing to see ADP and especially Eljero Elia to be given a reminder of how it feels to step onto a football pitch, albeit just for the final quarter of the game. As is expected, expectations are being lowered as the Scudetto begins to slip away. Yet in Antonio Conte’s first season in charge, 2nd place in Serie A with eleven games remaining and a semi-final Coppa Italia 2nd leg clash with Milan holding a 2-1 advantage isn’t such a bad return, is it? Looking ahead to the summer, a prolific striker might top the shopping list. Rather than a Marco Borriello 2.0, perhaps a proven goalscorer in the same mould of Gonzalo Higuain would help Juve make that step-up in quality? What do you make of the reaction by the club to implement a media blackout? Is there an answer to the current woes in front of goal, something to be addressed in the summer? With a make-or-break fixture list approaching, can Juve still challenge for the Scudetto? http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 27 - 11-3-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 28000‎ Juventus Between Pain And Hope Mar 12, 2012 In what was supposed to be an entertaining encounter between two clubs with a combined total of 36 Scudetti at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, these giants of Calcio failed to get the ball in the net during 90 minutes of action. A solid performance by Genoa who did well to defend deep and a predictable Juventus, who once again lacked the creativity and the final third to make their opponent pay. Suspended and sitting in one of the Marassi’s commentary boxes, Antonio Conte didn’t seem to be missed him much, proving to once again that the team knows how to react well despite missing three of their regular defensive starters. With Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci unavailable due to injury and suspension, the Bianconeri lined up with the South American duo, Caceres and Vidal, instead, and both did an excellent job of keeping Genoa’s strike force at bay. However, the attack is the main problem of this unbeaten Juventus side. Led by Alessandro Matri, Mirko Vucinic and Simone Pepe, together this “MVP” has produced 19 from a total of 39 goals scored this season and one would immediately argue about how much of an impact the midfielders have had during the course of this season so far. To make matters worse, the three men up front have been disappointing when it comes to converting opportunities on goal and the lethal touch seems to be all but forgotten at times. Against Genoa, the Bianconeri had a staggering amount of shots – 30 in total, from which only an implausible five ended on target, a fact which deserves zero excuses. Just four points behind the leaders AC Milan, lady luck was not smiling on the Old Lady as in the last six matches they have won only one and drawn the other five. With the exception of the performance against Chievo last week, which was arguably the worst of the season, the Bianconeri have been dominating especially in possession in almost every game so far, though the creativity and finishing in front of the goal remains an issue which today sees the club in trouble. Add to this, the harsh refereeing calls against them during the course of the season, such as the scenes in Genoa on Sunday which saw the club call a media silence in protest at the refereeing decisions against the Bianconeri. For example the penalty appeal not given on Matri when he looked to be clearly pulled back by Carvalho, and the very evident goal by Pepe which was called wrongly offside. You could get down to the nitty-gritty of refereeing decisions but as a fan, (while not completely ignoring the “discrimination by the officials” so to say), I would rather worry more about the performance of my own team and stop playing the blame game with the officials. It is rather painful to see such a determined team on the pitch that is all but incompetent in terms of finishing their chances, they spend so much effort against the minnows yet still only manage to secure a single point, which is a situation much more worrying compared to that of a denied penalty or a valid goal called off. On the bright side of things, we should never forget the fact that Scudetto was never one of the objectives at the very start of this campaign, whereas today we stand here staring at the high probability of exceeding expectations and are only four points away from the current Serie A leaders. Practice what you preach, have faith, trust your coach, the espirit de corps is well in the team and sooner rather than later, the goals will hopefully appear. This, however, is a crucial year which will see the Bianconeri rest between pain and the hope of another tricolore in the name of Juventus. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Agnelli: Juventus are fighting against everything and everyone The Bianconeri supremo has indicated that the club will be more prudent in their criticism of the work of match officials, but suggested that the team is being treated unfairly. Mar 12, 2012 Juventus president Andrea Agnelli has revealed the reasons why the club have decided to enforce a media blackout. The Bianconeri decided to call media silence after Sunday's goalless draw at Genoa in protest against the standard of refereeing in the club's latest matches. Juventus have complained on multiple occasions about the lack of penalities awarded to the club this season, and players and staff were told not to address the media after Sunday's match, in which Antonio Conte's men had a goal disallowed for offside. "We have decided to take a moment to reflect because the thoughts we have expressed in the past are the same, but right now we consider it is not appropriate to repeat them, because of the attention that they received," Agnelli said at a news conference. "At this point we must continue to believe our chances. We are still in contention for our two goals: Serie A and Coppa Italia, where we are fighting against everything and everyone. "We are very satisfied, because we started a two-year project in the summer and the results are starting to show."

‘Juve fighting everything and everyone’ Mar 12, 2012 Andrea Agnelli has revealed why Juventus imposed a media blackout in the aftermath of their 0-0 draw at Genoa on Sunday. The Bianconeri dropped points in Week 27 for the sixth game from the last eight played, despite hitting the frame of the goal on three occasions against the Grifone and seeing Simone Pepe’s goal incorrectly ruled out for offside. Immediately after the game, the players and coaching staff refused to speak to the Press - an action that President Agnelli has looked to explain in a news conference on Monday evening. “We took a moment for reflection. Some of the thoughts we had previously expressed in the recent past have attracted much attention, so we felt a day of reflection would to well. This morning was the usual opportunity for us to take stock. “With Milan there is a healthy sporting rivalry and I think it’s great and right. Between the two clubs there has also been great political convergence. “We knew that to return Juventus to success would take a great effort and we now realise that we must be able to fight against everything and everyone, conscious that our strength is sufficient enough to get results. “Did we pay for Antonio Conte’s outburst after Parma? I do not think so, because from this point of view you can say that Juve have paid from the first week. “Are Juve angry? No, this is a Juve of fun, that appeals to the fans who make us proud, this is a Juve that is doing its job, which is to compete to win.” The club confirmed that the news blackout for the players will continue, with only the directors talking to the Press this week, whilst Coach Conte is expected to hold his pre-game Press conference later in the week as usual in the run-up to the Fiorentina game.

Serie A Week 27 - 11-3-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 28000‎ Comments: Genoa-Juventus Mar 11, 2012 Pasquale Marino: “Juve created much more and put us under pressure. We lost possession too many times to make the most of the counter-attacks. I am therefore happy to hold on to the point.” Juventus declared a media silence, releasing a statement that declares “the footage speaks for itself.” http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 27 - 11-3-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 28000‎ Juventus call media silence after Genoa draw The Turin-based club have decided that none of their employees will make comments to the press after they were held to another draw in Sunday's Serie A contest. Mar 11, 2012 Juventus have enforced a media blackout on their players and staff in protest against the referee's decisions in Sunday's goalless stalemate against Genoa. The Bianconeri had a goal disallowed late in the second half, when Simone Pepe was flagged offside after sending the ball past Sebastien Frey. "Footage speaks for itself," the club said via Twitter. Juventus coach Antonio Conte was in the stands after being given his marching orders in Wednesday's 1-1 draw against Bologna. The result against Genoa was Juventus' fourth draw on the trot and their sixth in the last eight matches. Sunday's tie leaves the club four points adrift of leaders AC Milan, who defeated Lecce 2-0. The Turin-based side have made no secret of their unhappiness with the standard of refereeing in their matches this season, with Conte complaining earlier in the week that his side were not awarded penalties nor fouls close to the box. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 27 - 11-3-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 28000‎ Preziosi: 'Juve deserved win ...' Mar 11, 2012 Genoa President Enrico Preziosi concedes “Juventus deserved to win,” but feels both sides had reason to complain about the referee. The Bianconeri hit the woodwork three times during a 0-0 draw at Marassi, but then refused to speak to the media in protest at refereeing decisions. “I will just say this: on the field, Juventus clearly deserved to win,” said the Genoa patron. “It’s true we had a few chances, but Juve were a class above from the first to the 90th minute. If it had ended 2-0, we’d have had few complaints. “Despite the fact they played on Wednesday, Juventus showed great strength and it’s no coincidence they are fighting for the Scudetto. “Having said that, at the end we should’ve had a penalty, just as Simone Pepe’s offside goal could’ve been allowed. I’ll be honest here. “I don’t know if is because we were at the end of the game that it wasn’t given, but I am not angry and have no intention of complaining. I just want it explained. “As for Juventus refusing to speak to the media, I don’t think that’s right just because of the refereeing incidents. “I do want to understand why the referee did not give us that penalty, but I don’t intend to stir up controversy. “I am holding on tight to this point that I consider very fortunate in the circumstances. Compliments to Juve for their performance.” http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 27 - 11-3-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 28000‎ Juve call media silence Mar 11, 2012 Juventus have called a media silence in protest at the refereeing decisions during today’s 0-0 draw with Genoa. Coach Antonio Conte was already in the stands after his red card for dissent against Bologna. The Bianconeri had a Simone Pepe goal disallowed for a tight offside decision, while there were also a couple of penalty appeals. Genoa also thought they deserved two spot-kicks for challenges on Rodrigo Palacio and Marco Rossi. The media silence means none of the Juventus employees will speak to the press. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 27 - 11-3-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 28000‎ Player Ratings A Juve side decimated by injury and suspension at the back were unlucky not to score as the Scudetto race is firmly in Milan's hands now. Mar 11, 2012 Genoa Sebastien Frey 7.5 - A superb showing from the shot-stopper who was equal to everything the visitors threw at him. Great stops from the likes of Marchisio and Pirlo prove him as one of the best in Italy. Roger 6.5 - A great stop on Matri's shot early in the second half and a solid part of the backline that shut Juve out. The only low point on his grade comes from risking a penalty on 17 minutes, but he emerged unscathed. Kakhaber Kaladze 6.5 - Could have won the game himself with two shots on goal after 64 minutes. Solid if unspectacular at the back. Emiliano Moretti 6.0 - Blocked a shot from Marchisio in the 69th minute and did well at times to contain Pepe. Booked however when the winger got the best of him. Marco Rossi 7.5 - Had a superb game and put in a true captain's performance. Did well to restrict a lively Vucinic, shut out Matri completely and could've even had a penalty very late after Pirlo's tackle. Juraj Kucka 6.5 - Booked early on for a challenge with Marchisio but much less reckless after that, and forced Buffon into a great save from his free kick in the 74th minute. Davide Biondini 6.5 - Absolutely ran his heart out during the match, even if he was unable to prevent Juventus from dominating possession. Always willing to try creative passes as well. Rodrigo Palacio 7.0 - A constant problem for the makeshift visiting defence. Full of running and creative movement, forced a booking on De Ceglie but was somewhat wasteful of the chances he got. Bosko Jankovic 6.5 - Subbed just after he was booked, alternated between wasteful and creative. An up and down performance from the player today. Giuseppe Sculli 5.5 -Had one shot that blazed over the bar, but otherwise taken off at halftime due to a lack of involvement. Much less impressive that Palacio up front. Alberto Gilardino 6.0 - Superb at holding up the ball and winning fouls, and a constant presence in the box, but failed to get on target during the match. • Substitutions Giandomenico Mesto 6.5 - Came on for Sculli in the second half and was a bit more lively but failed to truly compliment the impressive Palacio up top. Fernando Belluschi N/A - Came on as a late sub for the very tired Biondini. Kevin Constant 7.0 - Still has Elia in his pocket and was immense in the box during set plays. Juventus Gianluigi Buffon 7.5 - Had one of the toughest jobs of the evening: a spectator for large parts of the match but always ready to deal with shots. One of the best goalkeepers of his generation, as he showed within the first minute when he had to be lively to keep out Palacio. Martín Cáceres 6.5 - Did well with an unfamiliar partner to keep a clean sheet but was run ragged at times. Produced a perfect tackle on Biondini at the edge of the box to keep the home side out. Arturo Vidal Pardo 5.5 - Will be hoping that one of the centre-backs returns so he can go back to his role in the midfield. Caught out a few times in his new position and hassled endlessly by Palacio. Paolo De Ceglie 7.0 - A very impressive performance from the full-back, who was always full of running and helpful in both offense and defence. Could have earned a second yellow, however. Stephan Lichtsteiner 6.5 - Not as dominant as one would come to expect from the fullback having a superb season in a Juventus shirt. Solid nevertheless. Simone Pepe 6.0 - Needlessly booked, full of running and tireless with his crosses: it was a classic Simone Pepe performance. Claudio Marchisio 6.5 - Not the same player he was earlier in the season. Should have scored in the 15th minute but was creative in his passing nevertheless. Andrea Pirlo 6.5 - As ever, the heartbeat of this Juventus side with some solid shots on goal, but the team needed a bit more from him to break down Genoa today. Emanuele Giaccherini 6.5 - Had a fascinating battle with Rossi that went back and forth, and put a number of balls into the box as well. A decent game if not terribly memorable. Mirko Vučinić 6.5 - Looked more and more like the Vucinic that nearly guided Roma to the Scudetto. Full of energy and creativity but couldn't score when his team needed him the most. Alessandro Matri 6.0 - Did very well helping his side defend corners but was poor up front, wasting opportunities that he really should've scored. • Substitutions Eljero Elia 5.5 - Came on as a late sub but was hounded by Constant for his 20 minute appearance. Ineffective. Alessandro Del Piero 6.0 - Came on with 15 minutes and showed flashes of creativity but like his fellow substitutes, failed to change the outcome of the match. Marco Borriello 6.0 - A very late sub who tried an audacious scissor kick but failed to connect properly on a corner. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 27 - 11-3-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 28000‎ Vucinic, Pirlo Shine as Juventus Draw Genoa in Exciting Match Mar 11, 2012 I've been hammering home a few Juventus-related themes during their latest run of depressing draws. Mirko Vucinic was hurting the team, Antonio Conte's player selection was stubborn, and so on and so forth. Well, today that all changed. Vucinic played well, and Conte gave inventive players like Alessandro Del Piero and Eljero Elia playing time. Neither man had that much time, and Elia's appearance was a mixed bag, but we'll get to that later. Conte was suspended for this game, due to his midweek sending off. Also suspended was Leo Bonucci, and of course Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli are both still out injured. So, Juventus came out with a backline consisting of Stephan Lichtsteiner and Paolo De Ceglie on the right and left flanks, respectively. They were complemented in the center by the South American duo of Arturo Vidal and Martin Caceres. Vidal was a makeshift option in central defense, but he did a pretty fine job. He committed a few too many fouls, but none were really serious, although he was cautioned once. For the most part, though, he took the best parts of his midfield game and moved it down the pitch. He had four tackles and four interceptions, two things that he provides in great amounts when he plays his usual role. Caceres and Vidal were also pretty efficient at clearing balls, with the Uruguayan in particular having five effective clearances from five attempts. Juve's defense were beaten a few times, and they were put in dangerous situations often. Genoa almost scored in the opening moments of the match, as Vidal was caught out of position on a pass to Rodrigo Palacio, whose effort was tipped away by Gianluigi Buffon. This save foreshadowed the many other saves that Buffon would make today. One especially poor area of Juve's defense (in the first half at least) was Paolo De Ceglie's positioning.The youngster tends to excel in only one area in each match. Some days he defends well, but usually he's most effective when pushing up and sending crosses into the opposition's penalty area. Today, Conte wanted him to provide cover to the emergency backline, but De Ceglie's poor positioning at times made that task more difficult than it should have been. As I mentioned previously, Buffon made a great save early in the match. He would continue to make great saves, and he probably had one of his best games of the season today. While Buffon usually is a high-quality keeper, he occasionally has those games where he just keeps making brilliant save after brilliant save. The match in November against Lazio was one example, and today's game is yet another. Had it not been for Buffon, Juve very well could have lost by one or two goals. While the defense may have been haphazard, Juventus were creating plenty of goal-scoring chances today. Andrea Pirlo was the main force behind this, as he crafted another masterful performance. Pirlo was really like a puppet-master today, dictating Juve's attack with his passes, crosses, and long balls. He had 16 accurate long balls, and eight accurate crosses. He also had eight "key passes." Pirlo's probing passes were behind most of Juve's chances. It was either a Pirlo pass that started things, or a Simone Pepe cross. And Pepe's crossing was far less accurate than Pirlo's passing. He even excelled in one area where he usually doesn't: Tackling. Pirlo led the team with six tackles. Of course, a deep lying midfielder cannot put together entire attacking motions by himself. Mirko Vucinic had a fine performance up top, helping to tie together Pirlo's passes into genuine goals. Vucinic didn't score, but the match he had today was his best performance in weeks. He wasn't the most accurate shooter, and he was dispossessed six times, but his creative efforts were pretty consistent. He had five key passes, and five successful dribbles. There was one more important hub for Juve's offense today, and that was Simone Pepe. Juve seemed to be, at times, focusing their attack down the right flank. The statistics reflect this, as Pepe had 17 attempted crosses. Most of these came from the wings and were supposed to give service to the strikers, but only three were successful. Granted, those resulted in some close chances for Juve. His most successful crosses went to Alessandro Matri. Each time, Matri would do very well to receive the ball and get a shot off with his first touch. However, these shots would be blocked. One of the blocked shots was probably going to go in had Genoa's captain Marco Rossi not made a last second block. Pepe found some success when cutting inside. At one point, he received the ball on the wing, then made a diagonal run into the 18-yard box. He fired the first shot off to the keeper, but it was blocked. Pepe followed up the rebound, but his second effort was also stopped for a corner. Pepe also had a goal disallowed due to an offside. The problem was that Pepe was onside. Pepe is basically exactly where he should be and onside. So, the real score should have been 1-0. Instead, it was 1-0 to the referees. Claudio Marchisio and Emanuele Giaccherini also provided some attacking impetus for Juve. Marchisio had a fierce long-range effort that was just tipped over by Genoa 'keeper Sebastian Frey, and he was useful in helping to create attacking movement as well. Giaccherini was all over for the field parts of the match; helping out in defense, central midfield, and attacking on the wings. He got tired as the game went on, and his crossing began to falter. He would later be subbed off for Marco Borriello. Borriello did nothing of note, but he managed to stay on his feet, which is a big accomplishment for him. As I mentioned at the start of this match review, both Del Piero and Elia came on today. Elia went on for Pepe in the 71st minute, while Del Piero came on for Matri in the 76th minute. Elia showed some glimpses of great ability and creativity, but he also made some errors. He was dispossessed a few times, but he also won the ball back immediately after two of his turnovers. His most jarring error came late in the match, he had moved to the center of the field as the ball was in possession on Juve's left flank. The ball began to move around more, and he was still in the center of the attack when Pirlo looked to the right side for a pass. Lichtsteiner was on the right, but he was back providing cover for Elia. Had Elia been in position, he could have received the pass in some space. Instead, Juve were denied an attacking option. There were some positive moments for Elia. His first touch was a dispossession of a Genoa player, deep in Juve's half. He also successfully dribbled through a defender to bring the ball in from the right side. He was dispossessed by a second defender, but he won the ball back. If Elia can accentuate the positives in his game while getting rid of the silly mistakes, he could really provide something for this Juve side. I have to say though, his absence does make a bit more sense now. Although, it is perhaps a bit unfair to judge him from only 20 minutes. Is a pressure-filled twenty minutes for a young player who hasn't played in months really the best sample size? Hopefully he can receive a bit more time, perhaps even starting a match or playing a full half. Then, he can settle and really show if he has what it takes to be a Juventus player. Del Piero came on too, but he was not given nearly enough time to influence the game. He had 14 minutes when he should have been given at least 30. He did not do much today, as by the time he came on, his supporting staff was pretty tired. While Juve drew yet another match, Milan won yet again. With their victory over Lecce, they are now four points ahead of Juve in the table. Juve's coming fixtures are difficult, but they can set a winning tone next week against struggling Fiorentina. The side from Florence lost to Catania today, 1-0. Next week could bring the return of Chiellini, and it will give the team a chance to get revenge against Amauri for his crimes against football. It's worth noting that Fiorentina has a rather leaky defense. However, Genoa has, statistically, the worst defense in the league and they held Juve to a clean sheet today. Maybe next week, the Juve squad will finally remember how to score. The players will have a full week of rest, and if Pirlo and Vucinic can keep up this form, it's only a matter of time until the goals begin to come in. Praise Conte (I guess, he did do what I wanted), and Forza Juve. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 27 - 11-3-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 28000‎ Juve lose ground on Milan Mar 11, 2012 Juventus' title hopes suffered another blow today as they were held to their fourth successive Serie A draw by Genoa in a match they had more than enough chances to win. Simone Pepe had a goal ruled out for a debatable offside decision after also hitting the post, while Mirko Vucinic also struck the woodwork twice as Juve sought to get back to winning ways. The visitors could find no way through, however, and their 14th draw of the season saw them slip four points behind leaders AC Milan, who beat Lecce 2-0 today. A frustrating afternoon might have been even worse for Juve as well, with Genoa also having several good chances to take the points in an exciting, open encounter at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Rodrigo Palacio had the opportunity to put the hosts ahead after just 20 seconds when he broke through and tried to lift the ball over Gianluigi Buffon, who managed to stretch and push the ball behind with his fingertips. It was a sign of things to come in a game full of chances, but lacking goals. In the third minute, Pepe's cross from the right was met by Emanuele Giaccherini at the near post, and he beat Sebastien Frey with his shot, but the ball went inches wide. Four minutes later, Frey made a good save from Pepe before Claudio Marchisio tested the Genoa goalkeeper's reactions from close range. Alberto Gilardino headed Genoa's next chance over the crossbar in the 26th minute before Vucinic hit the woodwork twice. His first effort was a glancing header at the near post which struck the crossbar with Frey beaten before, five minutes later, he headed against the outside of the post. Pepe should have put Juve in front on the hour mark, but he hit the post when it seemed easier to score from Andrea Pirlo's free-kick. Kakha Kaladze tested Buffon with a volley at the other end before Marchisio gave Frey more work to do with a shot from 25 yards. Pepe finally found the back of the net in the 71st minute, but the goal was controversially ruled out for a non-existent offside decision. Gilardino wasted Genoa's best chance of the game in the 79th minute when he beat the offside trap and touched the ball past Buffon, but he cut his shot wide from a tight angle as the match finished goalless. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 27 - 11-3-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 28000‎ Just 0-0 but ... Mar 11, 2012 It’s a mystery how Genoa-Juventus ended goalless, as the Bianconeri hit the woodwork three times and both sides had furious penalty appeals. The Bianconeri were falling off the title pace after five draws from their last six rounds. The tension got to Antonio Conte, who was in the stands due to a touchline ban, while the defence had to be completely revamped. Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli were ruled out along with the suspended Leonardo Bonucci, so Arturo Vidal had to act as makeshift centre-back. Assistant manager Angelo Alessio was on the bench. Genoa were missing Cesare Bovo, Andreas Granqvist and Luca Antonelli, but welcomed back Alberto Gilardino from an injury lay-off. In the opening 10 seconds Genoa almost took the lead. Rodrigo Palacio sprung the offside trap and his lob was acrobatically flapped out from under the bar by Gigi Buffon. Moments later Emanuele Giaccherini threatened for Juventus, scuffing his tap-in wide from six yards on a Simone Pepe assist. Sebastien Frey used his legs to parry a Pepe angled drive, while Buffon had to rush well out of his area to clear from Gilardino. It was end to end stuff at Marassi, as Frey beat away a Claudio Marchisio touch from Mirko Vucinic’s cross from close range. Juventus were taking control and Alessandro Matri had penalty appeals for an evident Carvalho shirt-tug on 17 minutes, but the referee waved incredibly play on. Gilardino’s header was just over the bar from Davide Biondini’s cross and there were more complaints for a Giuseppe Sculli handling offence as the ball ricocheted off Carvalho. A couple of Andrea Pirlo free kicks were off target. On 38 minutes Juve went close again, as Matri ran on to a Vucinic through ball, but Marco Rossi made a decisive block to rescue Frey in the box. A low Bosko Jankovic free kick went past the wall and Gilardino was inches away from getting the final touch. These teams had not drawn 0-0 here in Serie A since 1962, but the goals still weren’t coming despite their best efforts. Carvalho crucially blocked Matri’s shot from point-blank range, but from the resulting corner Juve rattled the crossbar! Vucinic flicked on the Pirlo cross with his head only to find the woodwork. Frey fingertipped a Pirlo blockbuster over the bar and Vucinic went extremely close again on 58 minutes, as his looping header back across the face of goal shaved a coat of paint off the upright from Pepe’s cross. The Genoa frame of the goal seemed cursed for Juve, as moments later Pepe hit the far post as well with low volley from Pirlo’s free kick that had Frey well beaten! However, the home side also threatened with two Kakha Kaladze efforts from the same set play, both bringing saves out of Buffon, above all the volley at the back post. Paolo De Ceglie also risked a second yellow card when he brought down Gilardino. A Marchisio blockbuster from distance was acrobatically palmed out from under the bar by Frey. Pepe was also left frustrated when he did hit the back of the net, but was flagged offside. Replays suggest it was not the correct decision. Palacio also had penalty appeals when he pounced on a horrible Vidal clearance, but fired wide under pressure from Marchisio, who might’ve clipped his heel. Even Marco Borriello was introduced against his former club, as Juve desperately poured forward. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Genoa: Frey; Rossi, Carvalho, Kaladze, Moretti; Jankovic (Constant 61), Kucka, Biondini (Belluschi 88), Sculli (Mesto 46); Gilardino, Palacio Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Caceres, Vidal, De Ceglie; Giaccherini (Borriello 88), Pirlo, Marchisio; Pepe (Elia 71), Matri (Del Piero 75), Vucinic Ref:Rizzoli http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 27 - 11-3-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Antonio Conte's misfiring side fall four points behind AC Milan after frustrating stalemate The Bianconeri were creative in attack but were not able to make their chances count as they fall four points off AC Milan at the top of the table. Mar 11, 2012 Juventus have extended their winless run to four matches after being held to a goalless draw by Genoa at the Luigi Ferraris. Despite creating numerous opportunities, the Old Lady were unable to make the breakthrough, and AC Milan's win over Lecce means that Juve now trail by four points in the table. It was an upbeat start to the first half, with Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon forced to make a great save just 10 seconds in to deny Rodrigo Palacio's shot. The visitors responded, however, and worked Sebastien Frey on two occasions in the following minutes. On the first, the Frenchman denied Simone Pepe's shot from inside the box, while he saved Claudio Marchisio's close-range shot shortly after. Genoa responded near the half-hour mark and gave Buffon a major scare, as Davide Biondini moved down the right flank and delivered a perfect cross into the six-yard box for Alberto Gilardino, who rose higher than his marker but powered his header over the bar. Juventus will certainly curse their luck after coming out strongly in the second half, only to find the woodwork in the way of the opener every time. In the 53rd minute, Mirko Vucinic flicked on a corner from the left and the ball smashed into the upright. Just five minutes later, the Montenegrin was unlucky again, as he connected well with a Pepe cross from the right, but his header hit the wrong side of the post. On 60 minutes, it was Pepe's time to hit the post as he was on the receiving end of an Andrea Pirlo free-kick, and with only Frey to beat inside the box, the 28-year-old could not direct the ball goalwards. The Bianconeri were piling the pressure, but often at the expense of opening spaces at the back. In the 64th minute, Kakhaber Kaladze almost put Genoa up, but his shot from point-blank range went straight against Buffon after his initial header had been denied by the Italian goalkeeper. Gilardino went close to scoring in the 78th minute, when he latched on to a through ball and rounded the onrushing Buffon, but from a tight angle, he screwed his effort high and wide. The draw leaves Juventus in further trouble, as they are now four points shy of leaders AC Milan, while Lazio could get just within touching distance of the Bianconeri if they beat Bologna in Sunday's late match. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Meriteremmo di vincere ...

Serie A Week 27 - 11-3-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Line-ups: Genoa-Juventus Mar 11, 2012 Juventus have Arturo Vidal playing centre-back as Genoa welcome Alberto Gilardino back from an injury lay-off. The Bianconeri risk falling off the title pace after five draws from their last six rounds. Antonio Conte is in the stands due to a touchline ban, while the defence is completely revamped. Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli are injured along with the suspended Leonardo Bonucci, so Vidal acts as makeshift centre-back. Mirko Vucinic keeps his spot in attack and is joined by Alessandro Matri and Simone Pepe. Genoa are missing Cesare Bovo, Andreas Granqvist and Luca Antonelli, but welcome back Gilardino from an injury lay-off. Genoa: Frey; Rossi, Carvalho, Kaladze, Moretti; Jankovic, Kucka, Biondini, Sculli; Gilardino, Palacio Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Caceres, Vidal, De Ceglie; Giaccherini, Pirlo, Marchisio; Pepe, Matri, Vucinic Juventus bench: Storari, Marrone, Padoin, Elia, Del Piero, Quagliarella, Borriello http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 27 - 11-3-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Luigi Ferraris Stadium - Genoa Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Vidal and Caceres start as Juventus centre-backs against Genoa The Chilean switches to a defensive role as Leonardo Bonucci sits out the trip to Liguria through suspension, with the Uruguayan already having moved inside to cover injuries. Mar 11, 2012 Juventus will cover the suspension of Leonardo Bonucci by starting with Arturo Vidal alongside Martin Caceres at centre-back for this afternoon's Serie A clash with Genoa at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. The Italian was sent off in the 1-1 draw at Bologna in midweek, resulting in a one-match ban which has forced Antonio Conte to switch Vidal from his usual centre-midfield slot to a centre-half role alongside Caceres. The Uruguayan himself is currently filling the role only due to injuries to first-choice pairing Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini. Emanuele Giaccherini steps up from the bench to fill Vidal's empty berth in the centre of the park, with Alessandro Matri starting up front. The home side are once more led by star forward duo Alberto Gilardino and Rodrigo Palacio, and will be hoping to secure the first win by any team against Juventus since May 2011 in order to move into the top half of Serie A. The Bianconeri go into the game, which kicks off at 15.00CET, two points behind leaders AC Milan. Coach Conte will be banished to the stands after being sent from the touchline during Wednesday's draw with Bologna. Genoa (4-4-2): Frey; Rossi, Carvalho, Kaladze, Moretti; Jankovic, Kucka, Biondini, Sculli; Gilardino, Palacio. Juventus (4-3-3): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Caceres, Vidal, De Ceglie; Giaccherini, Pirlo, Marchisio; Pepe, Matri, Vucinic. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/