The Marco Amelia show

By: Joe | September 27th, 2007

I’ll never score an easier goal, will I?

Azzurri backup keeper Marco Amelia has been a lighting rod of sorts throughout his brief career. The Roman keeper came up through the A.S. Roma youth system and as a 19-year old was loaned out to the Amaranto. The following year he made 35 appearances for Livorno in Serie B and his career took off.

Amelia won the UEFA U-21 championship in 2004 and an Olympic Bronze with the Azzurrini. He was chosen by Marcelo Lippi to be the third keeper for the Azzurri’s fourth World Cup title last year and has become Donadoni’s choice as backup to Gigi Buffon. Against FK Partizan Belgrade last year he scored the only goal ever by an Italian keeper in European competition with a vicious header. Despite signing a contract with Livorno through the 2011 just last year, he openly critized team President Aldo Spinelli after the Daniele Arrigoni fiasco from last year. Amelia urged Spinelli to give up his position if he had the testicular fortitude to do so. Spinelli indicated he has tried to teach young Marco the finer points of etiquette, however, “he can’t hold his tongue, like all Romans.” God, I love football.

Given Amelia’s talent, the offers started coming in this summer from Lazio (who reported to have offered €7.5 million) , AC Milan, Liverpool, Spartak Moscow and Manchester City. Although a deal could not be reached, the war of words continued through the summer and at the start of the campaing, young Marco found himself a spot on the Amaranto bench. Surrendering nine goals in the first two Serie A matches without Amelia was all the convincing Fernando Orsi needed to get Amelia back in there.

Which brings us to last night’s game at the San Paolo. Livorno could only muster a single shot on frame all night at Matteo Gianello. The best opportunity for a Livorno goal was an errant backpass by Gyorgy Garics (who played an excellent match otherwise in place of Gianluca Grava). Meanwhile, Napoli pepperred Amelia’s net with 9 shots on frame and 10 that missed the net, though some of those shots were the most dangerous of the match barely missing the net and some bouncing off the post. Marco absolutely stood on his head to make some spectacular saves on the night and it looked like Napoli might just come away from the match with a disappointing draw.

However, in the 85 minute Amelia inexplicably fumbled a Mariano Bogliacino cross that was in his arms. The ball rebounded out to Roberto “Pampa” Sosa who had a wide open net to shoot into, hit the post anyway, and had his rebound fall right at his feet for a tap in and Napoli grab their third victory of the campaign.

Now I’m not saying Amelia purposely muffed that cross in an attempt to punish the club or Spinelli, but it does make you wonder doesn’t it? So Napoli now sit in 4th place behind Roma, Inter and Juventus. While Napoli’s position in the table might not last long, it sure feels great to be ahead of Milan, Lazio and Palermo instead of Mantova, Albinoleffe and Crotone, doesn’t it?

YouTube highlights