Is this the thanks we get?

By: Joe | August 29th, 2008

Before a not-near packed San Paolo (21,356 tifosi), Napoli completely tore apart Albanian champions FC Vllaznia 5-0. The match was hardly in doubt from the onset as Napoli took a 3-0 lead into the tie after playing well in Albania two weeks ago. However, once Napoli got themselves established and found their pace, they essentially laid seige to the Vllaznia goal and overwhelmed the squad. Napoli get rewarded for an 8-0 aggregate showing in the 2nd Qualifying round by meeting the most decorated Portuguese team SL Benfica (a record 31 Portuguese titles, a record 24 Portuguese Cup winners, and two time European Cup champions). Yeah!?!

Let’s at least take some time to revel in our victory here. It’s not often you see Napoli absolutely dismantle anyone. And, yes, given that we were playing the champions of what can at best be considered a 2nd rate European league, the result was expected. Napoli should’ve gone through the moment the draw was made. However, what should be isn’t always what is…that’s why it’s so much fun to watch the matches. Coach Edy Reja used the opportunity to give little-used players some minutes (Sam Dalla Bona, Matteo Gianello, Gianluca Grava, Francesco Montervino & Leandro Rinaudo) and to rest other mainstays with reduced or no minutes (Maggio, Luigi Vitale, Marek Hamsik). Marcelo Zalayeta also made his first appearance since blowing out his knee in March. El Panteron wasn’t expected to return to the pitch until October or early November and he seemed to run well (not that he has much pace) and he helped to set up scoring chances several times.
Napoli-Vllaznia highlights:

For what it’s worth, I jotted down some notes of the match which you’ll find below.
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It appears the signing of center back Tomasz Jodlowiec is not the slam dunk everyone assumed it to be, well maybe just me, as early as yesterday. Apparently “grave family matters” are preventing Jodlowiec from moving to Napoli. I read somewhere (though I can’t locate the source at the moment) that Jodlowiec’s mother is ill and he doesn’t want to leave her alone. Hard to fault the young man. We still need another center back and hopefully it’ll be Jodlowiec in the winter break, but we can’t wait until then to add some depth.

Midfielder Andrea Russotto was called up to the Azzurrini squad by coach Pierluigi Casiraghi. The U-21’s are facing Greece on September 5 and Croatia on September 9 in their UEFA U-21 qualification campaign. The fact that we’re getting more of our players leaving on national team duty is a double-edged sword. It’s great for the player to gain experience and it adds prestige to the club; you just pray there won’t be an injury. Luckily, Russotto won’t miss any Napoli matches as a result of the call up. For the record, I’m happy to see our boys called up…I’m just nervous for them.

Ginto’s scorecard of the Napoli-Vllaznia match

Napoli lineup: 3-5-2: Gianello; Santacroce, Cannavaro, Rinaudo; Montervino (c),Pazienza, Gargano, Dalla Bona, Grava; Zalayeta, Pià. Bench: Iezzo, Bruno, Blasi, Maggio, Hamsik, Lavezzi, Denis

5th minute – Dalla Bona hits a shot from the edge of the box deflected away. Ensuing corner (taken by Gargano) finds Zalayeta’s head but his shot is miraculously cleared off the line by Doci.
10th minute – Zala sets up Pia with a nodded on flick in the box to Pia but the Brazilian is offside
15th minute – free kick near the left corner flag taken by Grava…Gargano crosses it and Rinaudo’s header goes over the crossbar.
20th minute – Vllaznia earn their first corner and make a hash out of it
25th minute – Zalayeta earns a corner but Gargano overshoots the corner and the opportunity is wasted
26th minute – Game settles in and gets pretty ugly without much flow and lots of fouls halting the action
30th minute – Zalayeta gets free in the penalty box but mishits his shot over the crossbar
32nd minute – Vllaznia earns a corner nodded away by Santacroce
35th minute – Dalla Bona’s header from 10 meters beautifully struck on a pass from Pazienza but saved away by a Vllaznia defender
37th minute – Montervino crosses (huh?) in the area to Pia who splits two defenders but his shot goes obscenely high over the crossbar
39th minute – Montervino again gets off a cross to Pia who instead of getting off a shot tries to a backheel which snuffs out the opportunity
41st minute – GOAL! Rinaudo scores his first in a Napoli shirt. All day long to settle the ball in the box and scorch the back of the net
43rd minute – Pazienza enters the area on the right-hand side but at the moment he’s about to shoot, it’s blocked off and the subsequent corner is wasted
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46th minute – Zalayeta scores his first goal but is wrongly called offside by the official
46th minute – Santacroce commits a dangerous foul giving up a free kick which is ultimately wasted. Santacroce lucky to not have picked up a card there.
50th minute – Grava provides a cross from the left side and Pia’s header goes over the bar
56th minute – GOAL! Pia! Cross from the right side by Zalayeta for Pia, stops on his right, spins on a dime and scores on his left through the keepers arms
57th minute – Santacroce prevents a counterattack with a beautiful tackle and takes a long distance shot (about 35 yards out) which is rifled but deflected away for a corner.
58th minute – GOAL! Rinaudo with a brace. Gargano’s short corner from the right side to Pazienza who crosses it into box and finds Rinaudo who tucks it into the back of the net.
59th minute – Rinaudo tries for a tripletta are thwarted when Grimaj parries a rocket from 11 meters
63rd minute – Dalla Bona removed for Hamsik
63rd minute – Pia has an opportunity for a brace wasted when receiving a pass from the left flank by Montervino…
68th minute – Pia removed for Lavezzi
70th minute – Lavezzi puts on a dribbling show and the San Paolo explodes in appreciation
73rd minute – Lavezzi gets off two dangerous crosses to Zalayeta to the applause of the tifosi. No scoring chances resulted in either case, however.
76th minute – Zalayeta removed for Denis
80th minute – GOL! LAVEZZI! El Pocho returns to Napoli in grand style. Jukes last defender, stumbles one-on-one with the keeper but is able
to maintain his balance and knocks it into an open net
81st minute – Lavezzi picks up a yellow for taking off his shirt and showing of his inkwork
87th minute – GOL! HAMSIK! Denis sets up Hamsik who again knocks it into an open net as Vllaznia’s defense has their minds on getting some pizza margherita after the match