Mamma Mia Che Vo’ Sapé! news
By: Joe | March 4th, 2008Napoli hit the training ground at Castelvolturno today in preparation for the Sunday match against AS Roma. Napoli’s victory against Inter breathed new life to the giallorossi’s scudetto hopes. Roma can’t afford to drop many more points from here on out so the match takes on even more significance.
Injury news: Gyorgy Garics returned to p
ractice after being out injured for the past month. His return could see a diminished role for Serie C superstar, and Reja fave, Gianluca Grava. Garics isn’t all that much better but he’s younger at least. Meanwhile, Michele Pazienza, Andrea Cupi, Roberto Sosa and Genarro Iezzo trained separately from the group. It’s unlikely anyone other than Sosa will be available for Sunday’s match. We really miss Cupi on the right side of the back line. If he could actually get healthy we’d have a backline of Cupi-Santacroce-Contini-Domizzi and rotate Canna in there.
Card troubles: Based on Maurizio Domizzi and Paolo Cannavaro picking up red cards just for fun, you’d think the Azzurri were headed straight to an all day lockdown knuckle-wrapping session with Pierluigi Collina. It turns out Napoli is tied for 8th in Serie A with Juventus for least amount of yellows (67). Shockingly, Inter has the fewest cautions with 48 and Atalanta and Genoa get the biggest hacks award with 83 bookings apiece. Napoli does, however, have its clubhouse leader in terms of bookings. Manuele Blasi has picked up 12 yellows and 1 red in 19 matches. Blasi is tied with Morris Carrorzzieri from Atalanta whose 12 cards in 16 matches is simply astonishing. While Blasi is certainly not the most skilled tackler, based on his command of the midfield and presence on the pitch, he probably should be the Azzurri captain.
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Comments
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Joe,
You seem to have a real play by play feel for the game. I listen to all Napoli games on Marte Radio via the Internet feed. Do you subscribe to SKY Sports and actually watch the games. If so, how do you get a subscription?Posted from
United States
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I listen to the home matches on radio marte (www.radiomarte.it) and follow along with Gazzetta Dello Sport’s match tracker which gives fantastic detail. I’ve tried to do the SopCast thing to get a stream but I’ve never been successful at it so I just gave up. For road matches, I watch them on SerieA.tv which has been tremendous. We won’t have the issue next year as I believe the rights are being sold collectively from a league perspective.
So to answer your question…no, I sit there with a yellow pad as I’m listening or watching the game and jot myself some notes. I’m a geek. I’m seeking help.
Posted from
United States -
Here is wht my tidbit reading tells me today:
Looks like all our dreams can’t come true!!! Despite rumours that Totti wouldn’t play since he was under the weather and fighting the flu, Roma has announced that he will in fact play tomorrow.
Steady but inconsisent G. Garics is out so Reja is still insistent on the 3-5-2 format thus Maurizio Domizzi will move up and take Garics’ spot in the midfield leaving Canna, Santacroce and Contini on defense to fend off Totti as a striker and the likes of Perrotta, Vucinic and Taddei in behind.
Speaking of Domizzi, his agent went on record saying that Domizzi may leave us in June for a possible return to Roma since he is a Romanista by origin. I’ve always felt he was an unsung hero last year and a little too much credit went to Canna and Iezzo last year when really Domizzi was our unofficial MVP. Just my opinion!
All in all, I like Napoli’s chances tomorrow since they have proven (especially at home) to really standup against the best teams this year and although I am certainly not predicting victory, I am predicting a fired up Napoli team against a somewhat Champions League worn Roma team with a flued up Totti. Plus Roma, despite their win against Real Madrid in Spain this past Wednesday, are a different Serie A team away from Stadio Olimpico. FORZA NAPOLI!!!!Posted from
United States -
In the battle hailed as between the only two teams to beat Inter over the last two seasons, I think it’s safe to say that today Napoli just ran into a much better team in AS Roma and the gods were not shining upon us as we would have liked.
The game started off all wrong with a boo-boo from Contini in the 2nd minute off of a launch by Panucci, capitalized upon by the Totti-Perrotta combination executed perfectly. Perrotta’s right footed shot was perfect- no chance for Gianello.
As a whole, the first half belonged to Roma. Gianello appeared to be Napoli’s best player in that half as he made several tough stops particularly in the 25th minute off of Perrotta again (no one there from Roma to finish it off) and then again, in the 40th off of Totti. The first half could’ve ended 3-0 Roma had it not been for Gianello. AS Roma goalkeeper, A. Doni hardly broke a sweat!!!!
Second half, got off to the bad start for us. Mannini took down Cicinho in the penalty area (in my mind this was a questionable call), plus the yellow card and the penalty. Totti made no mistake on the penalty so at the 49th minute, Roma 2 Napoli 0..big mountain to climb but give our boys credit, they didn’t give up, they kept coming and the Napoli second half was much more productive than the first.
In the 16th miute, Gianello came up big against Vucinic.
In the 17th minute, Domizzi launched a perfect pass to Lavezzi who deked out Doni and passed to Hamsik who buried it into the yawning cage, BUT the linesman ruled that Lavezzi was offside(again, a bit of a tough call but in super slow motion I guess I can be convinced that it was in fact offside).
In the 24th minute, Lavezzi runs all throughout the Roma defence and sends a nice cross to Domizzi who knocks the ball forward and into the net with his left hand. Yellow card (as if he hasn’t had enough problems with yellows this year) and goal waved off.
Throughout the boys didn’t give up but a concern came when Santacroce was substituted after falling awkwardly injuring his neck. I really like this guy and I believe he has already become a major part of the back three in the month plus he has been with us. I believe he should be OK for the next match against Juve.
Although I love Napoli, we all have to get real with the expectations for this team. They are in the midst of a very tough stretch against world class teams and it won’t get any better with matches aginst Juve next week in Torino and back home against a really good Fiorentina team. They did what they could today but Roma was just too strong and too determined and probably still riding the high of the big win in Madrid on Wednesday. Roma was the better team since good teams bury their chances.
Special mention to Domizzi who was playing out of position in the far left midfield and he was credited with two shots on goal (Napoli’s total was three).
Way to go Maurizio! You once again showed us your vesatility. As always, FORZA NAPOLI!!!!Posted from
United States -
I was unable to listen to it on telecapri, so thanks for the recap Fortunato
Posted from
United States -
Our boys returned to training in Castelvolturno today and recieved the bad news that striker Marcelo Zalayeta’s season is over due to a torn crucial ligament in his left knee. In listening to the game I understood that he had collided with a Roma player after attempting to head the ball and got up slowly. I believe he finished the game so I am litte surprised that the injury is as serious as it turned out to be.
This paves the way for the return of Emanuele Calaio to the starting lineup. If you listen to the folks in Napoli (watch You Tube clips), for some reason Calaio has become public enemy number one (one guy went on to wish death upon him after the road loss to Genoa). All want him off the team and I quite figure out why.
Can someone explain it to me? Maybe I am overly loyal but Calaio scored 18 goals for Napoli in Serie C and then 14 goals for them last year in Serie B ad I hazard to guess tha without Calaio last year, there is no Serie A for Napoli this year.
Now I know that this is Serie A we’re playing in but wasn’t that Calaio that scored 2 goals for us against Livorno a few weeks back? The winning goal coming in the 92nd minute giving Napoli their first road win since the Udinese massacre in early September? Can we show this guy some loyalty, please? He’s proven to be a great finisher and he may complement Lavezzi’s playmaking ability well.
Personally, I’ll take Calaio as my starter over an old and grey, Pampa Sosa, any day.
As if the game in Torino isn’t going to be tough enough, both Blasi and Mannini are suspended with the back to back yellows. Mannini really hasn’t impressed me much, but I do think they’ll miss Blasi which may mean that Savini may still not be able to start thus I wouldn’t be surprised to see Domizzi back in the midfield and Mariano Bogliacino get the start for Blasi.
Also, Argentinian football has recruited Lavezzi to play alongisde of Inter’s Zanetti, Cambiasso and Burdisso in a March 26 Argentine friendly against Egypt. Fingers crossed he doesn’t get hurt as we could ill afford to finish the season with no Zalayeta or Lavezzi. Then I’d really be worried about the relegation possibilities should that happen (touch wood).
I hope someone will take me up on my arguement: Calaio or Sosa? Who would you start from this point forward and who would complement Lavezzi better?
One last thing, Gennaro Iezzo is about two weeks from being game ready. Do you start him? I say yes…..What do you do with Navarro. An arguement, is kiss Gianello good bye. Comments?Posted from
United States -
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11854_3285095,00.html
this is quite the blow for napoli.
Posted from
Canada -
Fortunato, I don’t think anyone’s taking it up, cause it’s not much of an argument. Calaio. The attack is more attacking when he and Lavezzi are both on the field at the same time, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why they aren’t more often. Maybe Reja thinks that Calaio feels he has something to prove if he’s coming off the bench instead of starting is the only thing I can come up with, but even that’s pretty weak.
That’s definitely bad news about Zalayeta’s injury.
Posted from
Italy -
penso che hamsik se sene andrebbe fosse una cosa migliore per il napooli e si prenderebbe un giocatore di piu esperienza
Posted from
United States
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