The Joy of Football

By: Neil | March 23rd, 2009

Napoli 0 Milan 0
It wasn’t the best-played game I’ve ever seen, but there was a certain joy in watching Napoli return to form after nearly four months of mediocre to downright ugly games. Milan threatened several times but never really created a great scoring chance and Navarro’s best save might have been tipping a Beckham cross away from danger. Napoli’s team defence was outstanding and they contained a Milan team that had scored eight goals in its two previous games. With all due respect to Maldini, man of the match had to be Daniele Mannini, who returned to action following more than two months off for a questionable suspension. Mannini played with the enthusiasm of someone who rediscovered the meaning of football after being exiled. It’s watching competitors like him and Maldini that make the game fun for the spectator.

It was great to see a vintage Maldini in what might be his last game at the San Paolo. His technique was perfect as usual and watching him chase down Lavezzi was priceless. I was hoping Milan would win the UEFA Cup this year so Maldini would go out winning one last title, but now I’m hoping he’ll play another year so his final season can be better than the current one. Either way I don’t think we’ll see a player like him again.

Here are the highlights:

Also, props to DeLa for coming down to the bench and making himself one of the boys. I think the players all respect him because of his character, not just because he writes their paychecks. After the gamed DeLa addressed rumours of Borriello coming to Napoli by saying he will listen to Donadoni before making any moves in the summer market.

This week I’m going to do a rundown of every Napoli player, followed by their pagella:

Nico Navarro – Yesterday we saw the good Navarro. He was alert but calm, and showed great technique. If you were scouting Navarro yesterday, you would have seen why Napoli paid a lot of money to make him the keeper of the future. I have a feeling he was one of those players that Reja, for whatever reason, could not get the best out of. Let’s hope he develops some consistency and plays at this level week in week out. (6.5)

Fabiano Santacroce – Another reliable display. Looked a little uneasy early on, but got more comfortable as the match progressed. What makes a great defender is getting the job done when you’re not at your best, and Santacroce was effective yesterday even though he wasn’t as dominant as other games. Napoli’s best overall defender. (6.5)

Paolo Cannavaro – A solid 90 minutes from our captain. Didn’t do anything spectacular, but he still reinforced his value to the team. I just can’t imagine this side without Cannavaro in the middle of our defence. The only replacement you can get for him is his brother. (6.5)

Matteo Contini – Napoli’s best defender in the first half. Made some crucial interventions and showed more composure than usual. We need this Contini every week. One of the funnier moments was when Contini had the ball but was pinned against the corner flag. He faked a clearing, and then casually stepped around a Milan player into space. Like Navarro, needs to establish some consistency. (6.5)

Gianluca Grava – I believe this was Grava’s first Serie A game this season? In any case he played to his potential, and like the rest of the team he got stronger as the game went on. Showed great stamina, and almost got a mini-breakaway after Lavezzi put him through only to be flagged for offside. Played the wingback position well, and didn’t get caught upfield at the wrong times. (6.0)

Michele Pazienza – An accomplished performance. Defended well, and didn’t try to do too much going forward. I think Pazienza, like many other Napoli players, will benefit from Donadoni’s attention to detail. (6.5)

Manuele Blasi – Put his stamp on the game. Forced the Milan players out to the perimeters of the field. Won’t get recalled into the Italy squad, but yesterday he showed how good he is when motivated. (6.5)

Marek Hamsik – Unlucky to see his goal called back. Had a quiet first half, but in the second half he showed his passing skills and his ability to find space in the midfield. A step forward after some recent struggles. (6.0)

Daniele Mannini – Defended and attacked well. Beckham could not do anything on the right except whip in some long range crosses. Was able to penetrate Milan’s defence and got some scoring chances. His only mistake was hitting an off-target shot when he had an open Lavezzi cutting into the 18 yard box, but I don’t think he even saw Lavezzi. Great to have Mannini back again. Man of the match. (7.0)

Marcelo Zalayeta – Missed a couple of chances in the second half. Looked good physically but didn’t have his technique with him yesterday. I think Marcelo is better suited for La Liga or the EPL. The Italian game is often very technical and precise, and Marcelo is a power player who doesn’t always have the control you need in tight spaces. (5.5)

Ezequiel Lavezzi – Delighted the San Paolo crowed with his amazing dribbling skills. When it came to the final ball Lavezzi was a little disappointing, and made an unusual number of stray passes. Not his best game, but at least it looked like he was having fun again. (6.0)

Roberto Donadoni – In just one and a half weeks Don has Napoli playing its best football again. The team was calm, collected, and tactically sound. I was surprised that Zalayeta wasn’t subbed earlier, but I guess Don didn’t want to change a team that was obviously playing very well. (6.5)

Here are the reactions from some of the protagonists last night:

Mannini

Ancelotti

Lavezzi

I have not been able to find any comments from David Beckham, who was clearly overwhelmed by his first game at the San Paolo. Welcome to Naples buddy.

Once again, it was great to watch a game where both teams competed and showed their quality. Napoli’s next game is a tricky away game against a Samp team that’s on fire. Based on last night’s performance I think Napoli will slowly climb up the standings. Many of the games Napoli lost under Reja will be draws under Donadoni.

One final note: the next time you play football, may you play with the youthful joy of Mannini and the quality and class of Maldini. Alla prossima.