1st half review: Gli difensori

By: Joe | January 5th, 2008

While Napoli coach Edy Reja’s preferred formation is 3-5-2, the reality on the pitch is that it’s more like a 5-3-2 with the wingers acting more as fullbacks than wide midfielders. In any case, we’ll focus for now on the true defenders in Reja’s setup.

Paolo Cannavaro (born June 26, 1981)
Italy

Games	Minutes	Goals	Yellow/Red cards	Gazzetta rating	Joe’s rating
16	1,521	0	3/0	5.78	B

There were smiles all over Napoli when Pier Paolo Marino brought young Paolo Cannavaro back to Naples. The younger Cannavaro started his professional career with his hometown club back in 98/99 but didn’t play much in his two seasons and moved to Parma where he was briefly reunited with older brother Fabio on the Tardini backline, making his Parma debut replacing Fabio in a match against Lecce. Cannavaro became a regular for Parma at the age of 23. Prior to Aurelio De Laurentis’ third year, he became a prime target for Napoli following their promotion to Serie B. Although Napoli achieved promotion from Serie C1 in a cakewalk, allowing a measley 20 goals in 34 matches, Marino knew the step up in quality against the likes of Bologna, Genoa, Rimini and some Turin club required a quality above the journeymen and young starlets on loan typically found in Italy’s lower divisions. Cannavaro provided an immediate impact scoring an incredible bicycle kick goal in the dying moments of extra time in a Coppa Italia match against the prison-stripers (at about the 1minute mark of the video). Cannavaro has, like the rest of the Napoli side, had an up and down season in his return to Italian top-flight football. He’s started everyone of our matches with the exception of the season opener against Cagliari as he was serving a carry-over suspension from last year. While Canna’s play has rarely been atrocious, he has seemed a step slower in his tackles and has been lucky to only receive three yellows.

These next three or four years should be Paolo’s best given his age and lack of serious injury in his career. If he can perhaps faster anticipate the cutting runs that have left him sometimes exposed in the back, then he may be able to provide the long term solution Marino is hoping for in the middle of Reja’s 3-man backline.

Officials at the club have certainly placed their trust in Canna as Reja announced the ‘hot potato’ captain’s armband will rest on young Paolo’s arm. You can’t question Paolo’s commitment. I mean the man has a tattoo of the day Napoli was promoted to Serie A on his right arm (June 10, 2007). Canna loves the city and the squad and his reaction on that glorious day in Genoa spoke volumes about his passion. I just think he needs to couple that passion with some veteran foresight to really take the next step and lead the Azzurri forward.

Maurizio Domizzi (born June 28, 1980)
Italy

Games	Minutes	Goals	Yellow/Red cards	Gazzetta rating	Joe’s rating
15	1,393	4	4/0	5.97	B+

One of the most overlooked purchases this summer was Domizzi’s. Marino was able to come to an agreement with Sampdoria and end the co-ownership the sides had in him. Turns out that was an incredibly well spent 5 million euros. Domizzi has an absolutely killer left foot and is one of the few Azzurri players who can cross the ball in from the wings. While he lacks tremendous pace, Domizzi is a sure tackler, has a mean streak a mile wide and fights for every loose ball. In a 4-4-2, Domizzi would be the ideal left back, but here again Reja’s formation tactics don’t allow the talents of his players to shine as they should.

Perhaps the oddest part of Domizzi’s season was the fact that Reja has him taking penalty kicks this year. Despite missing one against Torino, anyone who saw the Roman-born player fake out Gigi Buffon twice on pk’s would be hard pressed to argue with Reja’s choice. There has been talk of a potential swap with Lazio for Gugliemo Stendardo but I just don’t see that
happening. Domizzi is loved by the tifosi and the deal wouldn’t improve either squad tremendously as the players are probably equal in terms of talent. Stendardo has fallen out with Lazio but I don’t see Marino being dumb enough to let Lazio off the hook here.

Andrea Cupi (born January 27, 1976)
Italy

Games	Minutes	Goals	Yellow/Red cards	Gazzetta rating	Joe’s rating
12	955	0	1/0	5.88	B+

Yes, he looks like a roadie for Lynyrd Skynyrd and he can’t be counted on to start every week due to an arm’s length of ailments. Yes, I said Napoli would be better off without him as he didn’t play at all last year and no one was quite sure he’d recover from his knee injury.
And yes, he isn’t particularly fast and has never scored a single goal in a 13-year professional career.

All that said, he’s played a hell of season thus far. Cupi has been a rock on the right side of the defense. Often having to cover defensive errors for Gyorgy Garics or Gianluca Grava, Cupi has played with a calmness which seems to settle down his mates. You have to give it up to
Marino for sticking by his guns on Cupi. The only problem is he’ll be 32 by the end of the month and you can’t just can’t pencil his name on the team sheet every Sunday.

Matteo Contini (born April 16, 1980)
Italy

Games	Minutes	Goals	Yellow/Red cards	Gazzetta rating	Joe’s rating
12	704	0	3/0	5.78	C+

When Marino’s courtship with Salvatore Aronica from Reggina ended badly, he turned to Contini who was scooped up from Parma. The results thus far have been mixed. Contini is never likely to set the world on fire, but judging him from what I’ve seen this season, it’s hard to see how
he was a regular starter for Parma for three straight years. He is prone to rattle into opponents and the reckless challenge. While he provides a bit more muscle for attacking headers in the opponents box, his deficiencies on defense make him a clear second choice behind Cupi. It’s only Cupi’s ailments that have given him so much playing time thus far in the first half. He has not been a total loss and Contini is certainly serviceable enough, however, he is no long term solution and Marino would do well to add to our back line because these
four players are the only viable defenders Reja has in his 3-5-2. Unless you’re feeling really suicidal and then you insert this shmoe into your lineup:

Ruben Maldonado (born
April 25, 1979) Paraguay

Games	Minutes	Goals	Yellow/Red cards	Gazzetta rating	Joe’s rating
2	152	0	1/0	5.5	F

Perhaps it was simply the talent in Serie B, but after watching Maldonado last year I didn’t think he was too shabby. He seemed to move pretty well, capably covered his defense assignments and was decent in the air. All that changed when Maldonado made his Serie A
debut in Palermo. The Paraguayan international couldn’t tackle without committing a foul…a horrendous foul, the kind of foul that gets your ass kicked if you’re playing in a rec league. He played so badly after he was substituted in that Reja had to blow another sub just to take his sorry ass out of there. I mean, wow, he was historically bad. Thankfully, he hasn’t played
much and won’t especially if he can’t his visa problems sorted out (he is still in Paraguay and hasn’t joined the squad yet). There have been a fair number of Serie B sides who’ve inquired about Maldonado and Marino would be better off letting him go. The man is not simply cut out for Serie A.

Overall assessment: Our defense has been decent thus far. The main problem is that we only have four bodies to cover a 3-man backline. One serious injury and we’re in trouble. Reinforcements are needed simply for depth purposes.