Napoli-Lazio (Giornata 38)…that’s all folks!
By: Joe |
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The last match of the season is always tinged with a somber note. No more Sunday mornings spent watching La Giostra dei Gol on RAI International. No more wondering just high up Francesca Calligaro’s skirts are going to go or how many times Simona Cantoni will wistfully pull off her glasses and stare into the camera and say… actually by that point I’m not really sure what she’s saying and I don’t care. No more cursing at SerieA.tv for their horrible customer service or having the Radio Marte feed die on me just at kickoff time (three times this season!).
Category: match previews
Tags: Napoli 3- Milan 1: Game Review
By: fortunato | 12 Comments
In yet another example of playing the “big boys” tough in the 2007/2008 Serie A season, the Partenopei pulled out an outstanding performance against the big rosso-nero machine and in doing so dealt a crushing blow to Milan’s hopes of a 2008/2009 Champions League qualification spot. The Azzurri were powered by goals from Marek Hamsik, Maurizio Domizzi and Gyorgy Garics plus backstopped by a great netminding performance by Nicolas Navarro as our boys made the season’s home finale and Pampa Sosa’s final home appearance, a game to remember.
With the victory, Napoli moved ahead of Genoa into sole possession of eighth place with 50 points, sitting 7 back of Udinese (the final UEFA Cup spot). Milan’s loss was doubly difficult given Fiorentina’s comeback win against Parma and as such allowed the Viola to leapfrog over Milan into sole possession of fourth place with 63 points, while Milan remained at 61 points. Milan now must win next week versus Parma and while getting serious help from Torino (who are officially safe from relegation) to either tie or beat Fiorentina to qualify for the Champions League.
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Category: Team NewsNapoli-Rossonero (Giornata 37)
By: Joe | 4 Comments
Napoli will at last play a meaningful match this Sunday. With any relegation doubts long since removed since the late March victory against Palermo, Napoli has had little motivation the last few months. The match presents some unique opportunities for the Azzurri.
Category: match previewsTorino 2 Napoli 1 Review
By: fortunato | 7 Comments
Our boys headed into Torino after a goalless draw at the San Paolo stadium the week previous against Siena in a very winnable match. The Partenopei were sitting comfortably in ninth-place with 47 points and Manager Edoardo Reja was disappointed with the Siena draw when he declared, “Seeing the results from the other games we could have taken a step loser to Europe.” Well, this game at Torino was very disappointing as they fell to the Granata 2-1 in the Stadio Olimpico in Torino minus defender Paolo Cannavaro. This game marked the debut of new Argentine keeper Nicolas Navarro.
Unfortunately Napoli lost to a Torino team who sat just a single point above the relegation zone and in desperate need of a result. I am a little pissed off with this result and their crappy performances against Cagliari, Siena, Empoli, Reggina and Torino this season!! The Granata team did not deserve this win in any way. The penalty against Domizzi was BS!!
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Category: Team NewsTorino-Napoli Preview
By: fortunato | 2 Comments
I have a very busy weekend coming up so there may be a chance that I won’t be able to post a match recap and my boy Joe is out of commission this weekend, thus I will post this preview to get you Napoli fanatics your fix for the weekend with the promise that I will do everything I can to post the match recap. Here goes:
Napoli travel to Torino Sunday at the Stadio Olimpico in the 36th match of this Serie A season minus their captain Paolo Cannavaro who is suspended and with their regular keeper on the bench. Yes, Gennaro Iezzo will be sitting in favor of Argentine youngster Nicolas Navarro who will finally get his first Serie A action since coming over in the January transfer market.
The Torino FC club will be without defender Paolo Dellafiore (due to suspension) and have the following players injured: Defender Gianluca Comotto, defender Cesare Natali e midfielder Paolo Zanetti.
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Category: Team NewsNapoli 0-Siena 0: Game Review
By: fortunato | 1 Comment
Our boys took on 13th place Siena at the San Paolo on Sunday in front of about 40,000 fans with an opportunity to jump over their promotion cousins, Genoa, with a victory coupled with a Genoa loss. Napoli manager Edy Reja decided to start ex captain and Serie C1 original Francesco Montervino at midfield in the absence of suspended Manuele Blasi. Daniele Mannini started in the place of also suspended Walter Gargano. Previous midfielder, now striker Mariano Bogliacino started once again alongside of fellow South American Ezequiel Lavezzi after his heroics the previous week at Parma.
The Partenopei began well, with Mannini forcing a save out of Siena goalkeeper Alex Manninger with a left-footed shot from the edge of the area after five minutes. Soon after Gyorgy Garics then fed Lavezzi, whose shot from 15 yards drifted just wide.
Manninger again had to be alert just before the quarter-hour mark to deny Mannini when he tried his luck from distance. Lavezzi then had another go at finding a way past Manninger two minutes later but his left-footed cross-shot evaded his team-mates and went just wide.
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Category: Team NewsNapoli-Siena Giornata 35
By: Joe | Add Comments
Siena’s campaign really has been a tale of two halves. In the andata Siena managed only three victories (Palermo, Empoli & Genoa), were outscored 22 to 30 and finished up rooted at 17th. They appeared like a side that’d have to fight very hard not to get relegated. Coach Andrea Mandorlini left by mutual consent in November after a 2-3 home loss to Livorno and was replaced by former coach Mario Beretta who was at the bianconeri last year as they just barely avoided the drop on season’s last day.
Despite his relatively young age (48), Beretta has coached professional sides in Italy for 14 years, never staying in one spot for too long. Beretta’s luck changed in the ritorno as Siena’s fortues really changed on February 3 when they battered Roma 3-0. Their record in the ritorno is a respectable 5-6-4 record while outscoring their opponents by a 13-10 margin. The good form has pulled Siena safely into the comfort zone and they currently sit 13th in no danger of dropping into Serie B obscurity.
Category: match previewsIl Barracuda Del Napoli
By: fortunato | 4 Comments
Tribute to Lavezzi who has my vote for our player of the year (big surprise).
Priority number 1 in the calcio mercato is…get this boy some help if we’re serious about UEFA Cup spot in 08/09 which we should be accepting nothing less as loyal and dedicated tifosi. Is there anyone else who goes through the troubles and tribulations that we do, outside of Italy to follow home games by following text updates as the plays unfold?
Category: Team NewsParma-Napoli Game Review
By: fortunato | 8 Comments
Napoli fans have a lot to be happy about as they retire for the evening content that the club secured only their third road victory of the season (13th overall victory) in their inaugral return to Serie A. This was Napoli’s best road game since the September 2 2007 massacre in Friuli.
Parma was missing both backliner Fernando Couto and striker Ferreira Reginaldo due to suspensions and Napoli would be without backliner Matteo Contini and midfielder Daniele Pazienza for the same reasons. In a rather surprising move, Napoli manager Edy Reja, unhappy with either Sosa or Calaio as a starter at the striker position, started Serie C1, Napoli original, Mariano Bogliacino alongside of Lavezzi. The Napoli formation appeared to be of a 3-5-1-1 type formation. Way to go Edy for your progression in at least considering to alter that tiresome 3-5-2 formation.
The game proved to be an action packed encounter at the Stadio Ennio Tardini in front of 18,656 fans (seems small considering what the San Paolo draws) that saw the partenopei down the host Parma team 2-1 in a game which included four red cards. The win now gives Napoli 46 points and sole possession of ninth place, four points ahead of Palermo and two points back of Genoa (I’d love to catch Genoa) and five back of Udinese (imagine catching Udinese). Although our boys have been atrocious on the road this year, man did they show up to play today and they totally outclassed and outplayed a Parma team that appears destined for certain relegation. Both teams gave referee Sig Ayroldi a busy afternoon as Parma finished the game with eight players and Napoli was down to ten after all the misconducts. Here is a game synopsis below.
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Category: Team NewsNapoli - Parma preview
By: Joe | 3 Comments
Former La Liga veteran and Inter Milan coach Héctor Cúper look to stave off relegation this weekend as they host Napoli at the Stadio Ennio Tardini. For a variety of reasons the match means everything to the Gialloblu as they look to stay afloat and avoid the darkness and
anonymity of Serie B. A combination of the tinkerman and Joe Red kept them in the top flight last year. The last five matches of the ritorno will determine Parma’s fate as they sit a sole point above the drop. Parma’s remaining schedule includes matches against Genoa, Fiorentina, Reggina and Inter. Given Napoli’s horrific road form, Sunday marks a great opportunity to pick up three points and start climbing away from the cellar.
Category: match previews
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