Napoli - Sampdoria match review

By: Joe | September 17th, 2007

FIFA international breaks can sometimes provide clubs with a fair amount of angst as they fret over their brightest, and usually youngest stars. Will the players return too tired? Will they pick up any knocks preventing them from playing their best when they return to their club? Will training and playing amongst the best in the world give them confidence or fill their heads with unrealistic expectations?

Napoli had to feel a measure of that pressure on their return from the break along with the reality of having the momentum from a tremendous 5-nil road victory dissapate as they welcome a tough Sampdoria side to San Paolo after a two week layoff.

Suffice it to say, the boys are doing alright. Napoli manhandled Sampdoria throughout the 2-nil victory yesterday in front of nearly 50,000 tifosi. Surely Sampdoria must have felt a bit unlucky as they were without Antonio Cassano, Emiliano Bonazzoli and the suspended Reto Ziegler. Despite the lack of the two forwards, Sampdoria probably missed the ex-Tottenham Hotspur left sided midfielder/defender most of all in this rugged match. The Swiss international’s size and defensive skills were missed on this day as the Genoa sides’ defensive tactics amounted to hacking Napoli, and especially Ezequiel Lavezzi, at every opportunity.

Andrea Caracciolo had one of Sampdoria’s best scoring chances just 27 seconds into the match as his shot curled just over Gennaro Iezzo’s reach and over the crossbar. The breakdown was perhaps the only mistake made by Andrea Cupi who, along with the more heralded Paolo Cannavaro and Maurizio Domizzi, shut down most Sampdoria attacks before they started. Napoli responded almost immediately as Lavezzi’s cross found Zalayeta in the box who headed a ball that almost grazed the post on its way out. The match then settled in with Napoli controlling most of the run of play and Lavezzi causing havoc down the left flank, right flank and all parts of the San Paolo pitch. Lavezzi’s vision and clinical passing abilities are raising eyebrows across Italy. Sampdoria could only foul the young Argentine in an attempt to keep him under wraps.

Napoli nudged in front on a comedic miscommunication between Samp keeper Luca Castellazzi and defender Alessandro Bastrini. Mirko Savini launched a hopeful ball into the Sampdoria box and Castellazzi, perhaps directing traffic too timidly, clatters into Bastrini and the ball falls to Marcelo Zalayeta. When the ball spilled out, Zalayeta had time to take a touch, decide which foot to use, draft a thank you letter to Pier Paolo Marino for rescuing him from riding the pines at Juventus and knock in the easiest goal of the day into an empty net. Certainly Sampdoria was unlucky, but the lead was certainly deserved given the possession and dangerousness of the Azzurri side to that point.

The few Sampdoria attacks were sandwiched between a multitude of dangerous Napoli runs or set pieces. Sampdoria simply had no answer for Zalayeta, Marek Hamsyk, Walter Gargano Manuele Blasi and Lavezzi. Hamsyk, fresh off playing two full matches with Slovakia, almost scored directly from a corner and had the technical skills and pace to keep the Samp defense on their heels. Blasi and Gargano absolutely stifled Sampdoria’s attack and quickly turned Napoli from defense to attack with a clinical tackle and precise pass. Napoli finally put the match away at the 75′ mark when Lavezzi, Hamsyk and Zalayeta combined on a beautiful combination play which displayed the class and lightning-quick ability of Napoli’s newest players. Lavezzi took a 50-meter pass and changed its direction onto Hamsyk with an ingenious turn of his body letting the ball bounce off his chest and directing it right to the feet of the 20-year old Slovakian. Hamsyk then played the ball to Zalayeta who quickly returned the pass to the onrushing Slovakian. Hamsyk then displayed his dribbling skill as he froze a Samp defender before burying the ball low in the corner of the net.

Last year’s forgotten heroes, Mariano Bogliacino and Emmanuele Calaio made the most of their limited playing time in the second half. Calaio almost scored his first of the year but was turned away in the dying moments when Castellazi made a glorious point-blank save.

The match can be considered a vindication of sorts for both Marino and coach Edy Reja. The purchases made in the calciomercato have far exceeded everyone’s expectations and the mix of quality youngsters and ‘just beneath the surface’ ability of veterans like Blasi and Zalayeta are paying dividends. Reja has come under a litany of criticism for his roster selection and rotation. Stalwarts such as Samuele Dalla Bona, Ruben Maldonado, Erminio Rullo and Fabio Gatti were left to watch the match in the stands. Rullo was so disappointed at not making the roster for the match that he refused to be in the stadium. However he’s doing it, Reja has created a disciplined side (Domizzi even played his first match of the year without picking up a yellow) with fluidity and pace up front and grit and power in the back.

The players all left San Paolo to a standing ovation. The praise is worthy for a squad currently sitting in 3rd place.

Thanks to Elio and the fine folks at clubnapoli.it for contributing to this report.