Milan's Curva Sud!

Pirlo and Pato bring down the Bernabeu

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:01:00 +0000

It was a game that had everything as Pirlo's long range shot caught Real Madrid unaware, Pato's rise to maturity saw him net a brace while Casillas and Dida had a contest to see who could make the worst mistakes between the sticks, as the rossoneri came out 3-2 winners in Madrid.

With Gattuso and Storari adding to the latest list of injury woes many where not expecting Leonardo's team to deliver a thriller quite the way they did. However, Pellegrini had his own injury problems to worry about too as Cristiano Ronaldo, Guti, Fernando Gago, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Christoph Mertzelder were all sidelined. Though with the type of squad at Pellegrini's disposal a few absentees shouldn't have been a problem.

The game could have taken a turn for the worse for the rossoneri as Zambrotta's foolish fould on Benzema in the box could have resulted in a penalty but luckily for him the referee awarded a goal kick.

But minutes later the first of the goalkeeping errors occured as Dida gifted the ball back to Real Madrid for Raul to score his 68th European goal. This typical 'Didastro' (as the Italian Media are calling it) shows why he has been third choice goalkeeper all season and rightly so.

The first half ended with just the one goal to Madrid and the Galacticos started the half with a few possibilities to extend their lead as Kaka and Raul forced Dida into making a few saves.

But football iss a game of two halves and Milan proved that is just after the hour mark Pirlo turned a ball into the net to make a spectacular goal out of nothing. Casillas was totally caught off guard by the thirty metre drive that dipped so ruthlessly.

Five minutes later the Bernabeu was silenced as the rossoneri turned the game on it's head as they found the lead through Pato. The Brazilian latched onto an Ambrosini ball, which saw Casillas come running out the box only to pull his arm back, to avoid getting sent off, and miss the ball. Allowing Pato to slot it into the back of the net.

Though Real were up for a fight as Raul turned the corner to Drenthe who cutted it under the Milan all and into Dida's far post to bring both teams level.

Raul thought he had brought his team into the lead again as Dida's poor handling saw the ball slip out of his hands and to the feet of Raul who tried to place it into the back of the net. Though Nesta was equal to the challenge and cleared it off theline while the linesman raised his flag for offside.

Another corner brought more action to the game as Thiago Silva thought he had extended the lead as his header saw the ball perfectly placed into the back of the net. However the referee blew for a foul on Casillas and disallowed the goal rather controversially, as replays show there was no contact between the rossoneri defender and goalkeeper.

Though the rossoneri where to have their revenge as Seedorf placed the ball to a perfectly onside Pato who volleyed it into the back of the net, gifting Milan an amazing win.

This is the real Milan the fans know and love. After last Sunday's fightback over Roma, which saw Pato break his duck (no pun intended) and the rossoneri gaining a new sense of urgency, they have finally found a bit of spark to set the stage of football alight, and heck did they do it at the Bernabeu.

Who is really to blame?

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:21:00 +0000

I have done some thinking. Well, quite a bit in fact since I haven't been able to write, and the main question that has stuck in my head is; Who is really to blame for Milan's faults? Now it is so easy to point the figure at Leonardo, as he is young, inexperienced and has basically a handful (if that) of decent players at his disposal. And lets face it he has more players that are closer to his age than under the age of thirty.

Yes, part of the blame can be put on Leonardo but he cannot be made out to be the sole scapegoat in this crumbling rossonero side. Blame, if not the majority of it, has to go to management. Galliani and co. have done nothing to improve this Milan side since their 2007 Champions League victory in Athens.

That Champions League campaign alone, despite the win, saw Milan struggle and it was only in the latter half of the year did Ancelotti manage to reawaken his side with the return of Pippo Inzaghi from injury. However, Pippo is three years older and three times more susceptible to injury, there is no way he can carry this team on his shoulders for a whole season.

Returning to Gallaini and Braida; their transfer policy in recent years has been shocking to say the least. Seeing them get rid of the likes of Gilardino and Gourcuff and bringing in players like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Shevchenko to solve problems was never going to work. The only decent signing has been Pato and even he has been struggling to set the stage alight this season.

Leonardo has not been able to get the best out of Pato and has left questions about whether or not he will be able to. Leaving no surprise as to why 'the duck' could possibly want to rekindle his partnership with Ancelotti, as it seems that only Carletto holds the power to get the best out of this young Brazilian.

Which leads me to my next thought. If Leonardo is struggling with Pato- who knows how the team works, knows the players and the different environments in Italy- how does anyone expect him to bring the best out of Huntelaar who spent most of last year warming the Real Madrid bench? The Dutchman's confidence level undoubtedly took a knock and it will most likely take an even bigger knock as he struggles to score in a team that can barely provide him and Pato with a decent ball!

Now the latter problem does relate to the coach but it doesn't have to. Leo is still using the same system as his predecessor and it's the same team as last year except for the addition of Storari and Huntelaar; ironically the goalkeeper being Leonardo's best player this season. But there should be no excuse as to why the players are failing to score and letting in goals like it's going out of fashion. No excuse what so ever.

Personally, and I think most can agree, Leonardo was not the right man for the job and in actual fact isn't even qualified to coach a team in Serie A. This again goes back to my point about the poor management of the club. Milan should have hired a proper, qualified and experienced coach. There is no reason why Milan couldn't have got a proper coach to begin with as the likes of Edy Reja, Walter Mazzarri, Claudio Ranieri and probably for a few brief hours Walter Zenga were without jobs. While Luciano Spalletti was looking ever so close to being shown the door by the Sensi's too.

This just goes to show that fewer people have the desire to work and be associated with this club, as their fading reputation precedes them. Milan are no longer able to tempt the big names to the club, leaving them stuck with the same team just a year older.

Even if this is the case and Leonardo was the only option, Ancelotti and Galliani knew that his time had come to an end and that they had to call in someone new. They knew for at least a month before Carlo's departure that Leo would be named the new coach so why did Milan not make him Ancelotti's understudy?

There has been no sign that Leonardo sat in on training camps, worked on tactics with Ancelotti or anything coach like and this is where I believe Milan went wrong. To throw Leo in to the deep-end with no armbands to help him float has brought this team down by itself and this is management's problem. Despite the lack of new faces to the team the current team is still capable of producing results, yet they are not, and that is the reason why.

I believe it's time, not only for a team change, but a management change starting with Galliani and Braida and quite possibly even Berlusconi whose political career has put his Milan priorities to a stand still.

Just SomeThoughts...

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:52:00 +0000

Due to the fact that the writer's block looks set to be a long occurrence I have decided to try write various snippets on my opinions about the games being played as well as Milan's game. These will be just basic thoughts that pop into my mind. Hopefully this will help break the high wall that is preventing me from writing. Hoping for the best! The first post will start during today's Sunday's games that are about to kick off :)

Atalanta- Milan 1-1
* If Milan don't win this game, then they really don't deserve to be in Serie A. A must win for Leonardo's career and for Milan!
* Had such a feeling Tiribocchi will come back to haunt Milan and he has. 1-0. Huntelaar had a goal ruled out for offside... at least he got the ball at the back of the net I guess.
*Some hope for Milan? Radovavonic is sent off. Milan need to capitalise on this.
*Ronaldinho comes on for Flamini, not so sure that is going to make a difference...
* Where are Milan's forwards?? It seems as if only Seedorf and NESTA are trying to attack!
* The irony, Ronaldinho scores a goal... and a good one at that! 1-1
* The game ends in a draw... was this Leo's last game?
Bologna - Genoa 1-3
* Penalty for Genoa. Kharja scores! Bologna players continue to protest.
* A genoa player was down but they continued to play and managed to double their lead through Sculli. Good work.
* Di Vaio brings Bologna back into the game.... 1-2
*Zapater makes it 3-1
Cagliari - Chievo 1-2
*Matri breaks the deadlock for Cagliari.
*Marcolini scores a cracker of a goal for Chievo.
* Marcolini continuing to make a name for himself. 2-1 to Chievo with Cagliari down to 10 men.
Fiorentina - Lazio 0-0
* Should be a mouth watering game to watch. One of the many great games this weekend.
*Disappointed that there has been no goals so far and there is less than 15minutes left to go until the end of the game...
Sampdoria - Parma 1-1
* Good game for Sampdoria to regain their position at the top of the table.
* Great goal by Pazzini! Watch out Mourinho!!!
* Galloppa hands Parma a draw. This youngster is a real talent.
*As much as I like Parma, Sampdoria need to get back into this game to over take Inter. Who would have thought that Milanisti will be relying on the Doriani to keep Inter at bay?
Siena - Livorno 0-0
* Always great to watch a Tuscan derby :)
* Maccarone's penalty is saved under the curva San Domenico
Roma- Napoli 2-1
* Vucinic claiming a penalty, strong shout for a penalty. Napoli let off there
* Wow! Perrotta close to making it 1-0. Roma pushing hard.
* Motta substituted off within the first 10mins; right Calf Injury. Hard luck for him.
* Donadoni not looking to confident on the sidelines. He has to get a result today.
* Roma 0 Napoli 1. Lavezzi scores. Donadoni finally breathing a sigh of relief but for how long? Roma look like they can come back.
* Vucinic and Cannavaro bickering at eachother. Both recieved yellow cards and rightly so!
* Il Capitano does it again. 1-1.
* This is why he is a legend. Totti makes it 2-1 and over takes Batistuta's goal tally.
*Totti has a calf problem... oh no
* Huge problems for Roma. Ranieri has used up all their substitutions and Totti is not looking good.
* Four forwards on for Napoli... You think Donadoni is going on the attack? You can see the fear on his face...

Tonight's game:
Palermo - Juventus

Last Night's Games:
Bari - Catania 0-0
Inter- Udinese 2-1

Blog Break

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:45:00 +0000

As one can tell the articles have been few and far between and I only feel that it's right to call for a blog break. I am experiencing a horrible case of writers block and haven't been able to write or finish any article I begin with.

Hopefully this blockage is only temporary but I cannot tell when I will be back. I do hope that a win against Marseille in the Champions League will inspire me to write some more but the lack of winning- amongst other things- has left me uninspired and at a loss for words.

Regular updates on the scores and logs will still occur on Milan's Curva Sud but there will be fee articles. Hopefully this won't discourage the faithful readers of the Curva Sud. Best of luck and may the best team win.

A presto...

Kaladze Gives Azzurri Victory!

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 07:17:00 +0000

What was meant to be an international comeback and a comeback to football itself (after being out for six months) turned into a nightmare for the Georgian Kaladze as he scored two own goals give Italy victory.The 2-0 win has put Lippi and his men into the driving seat for qualification for the World Cup and a win at home against Bulgaria will secure a spot to 2010.

However despite the win Milan fans experienced heart break as their faithful defender netted the two goals that brought joy to the Azzurri supporters' faces. These goals come at the worst possible time for Kaladze as his career has already been put under a microscope by Leonardo and company as Milan debate whether to keep him or not.

It is still unsure if this performance will make or break Kaladze's role in the back line of the rossoneri as he is yet to play a game under new coach Leonardo.

With regards to Italy, the Azzurri are still yet to score a goal since their 3-1 triumph over the USA in South Africa in June. This is undoubtedly a team that is struggling to match up to the Azzurri side of 2006. While the average age is forever a topic of debate when it comes to the men Lippi chooses.

More work has to be done on the Azzurri side should they stand any hope of doing well in defending their World Cup title next year. Bulgaria beckons and this is the time to set things right!

Kaladze Hype!

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:21:00 +0000

To be honest I am not quite sure what all the hype is about Kakha Kaladze's possible change in his defensive position. Galliani stated in yesterday's press conference that Kaladze was asked if he would be happy to play in a left back position -rather than his preferred central position- and as usual the Georgian was ready to accept in order to help the team.

Quite frankly Kaladze is more than a proven left-back as he has played in that role on numerous occasions for the rossoneri and has always delivered the goods. Should the need occur Kaladze has always been willing to play in any role.

His change in position has also brought about an increase in speculation that Jankulovski could be on his way out as Leonardo doesn't seem to be convinced of the Czech's capabilities any longer. However, Jankulovski could be used on the left flank in the midfield should wingers be incorporated in Leo's new tactics.

In the end no matter what position Kaladze plays he is more than capable of that role and it's players like Favalli that should be departing rather than Kaladze or Jankulovski. These players still have much to offer the side and it's not only the left back position that isn't delivering the goods; it's the majority of the team!

Derby Disgrace!

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 10:23:00 +0000

The defeat hurts, and it hurts hard. How can any Milanista accept a 4-0 drubbing by their most bitter and oldest rivals, Inter? This defeat will cause indigestion for months and the heart ache will continue until revenge is achieved.

Mourinho made vital change to the side that played against Bari, which saw him introduce new signing Sneijder right from the off. While Leonardo, content with the team that beat Siena last weekend, kept the same line-up and leaving the available Huntelaar on the bench.

Milan started off well but found themselves reverting back into their old lacklustre ways, allowing for a fast paced Inter to capitalise on the rossoneri's faults. Seeing Thiago Motta, Milito, Maicon, and Stankovic all hitting the back of the net.

The second goal came from a Gattuso foul on Samuel Eto'o whose strength and stature proved to much for the captain. But it was minutes later where Gattuso was involved for all the wrong reasons. His passion got the better of him and made a horrible tackle in the midfield and was sent off for receiving a second yellow.

The last minute of the first half saw Maicon slot home the nerazzurri's third goal of the evening. Making the rossoneri's evening even more humiliating.

The second half saw a much slower tempo by the players seeing Milan playing while Inter tried to hit back on the counter attack. Though not much had to be said for the rossoneri as they just couldn't beat the numerical advantage of Inter. And just as they thought that things couldn't get much worse Stankovic shot home an absolute beauty to send the nerazzurri top for the evening.

A horrid display by the rossoneri, showing that a lot more work is still to be done by Leonardo and the boys. Hopefully things can't get much worse than this defeat for Milanisti.

Tough Draw for Italian Sides

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 07:06:00 +0000

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW:

Group A: Bayern Munich, Juventus, Bordeaux, Maccabi Haaifa

Group B: Manchester United, CSKA Moscow, Besiktas, Wolfsburg

Group C: Milan, Real Madrid, Marseille, Zurich

Group D: Chelsea, Porto, Atletico Madrid, Apoel

Group E: Liverpool, Lyon, Fiorentina, Debrenceni

Group F: Barcelona, Inter, Dynamo Kiev, Ruban Kazan

Group G: Sevilla, Rangers, Stuttgart, Unirea Uriziceni

Group H: Arsenal, AZ Alkmaar, Olyimpiacos, Standard Leige

More to follow...

Derby Time!!

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:48:00 +0000

It's difficult to believe that it's that time of the year already in the streets of Milan, where the roads are ready to be painted red, black and blue. Where the bars fill up to their capacity as fans gather to public places to view the Derby Della Madonnina.

Usually fans would have to wait an good majority of the season to bare witness to this spectacular festival of football. The players and coaches would spend a majority of the season working and planning to this climatic event, however; times have changed and there derby is gracing us with it's presence just two games in.

It will no doubt be a fiery affair as both teams need a result; a win for the rossoneri will extend their lead over Inter while a win for the nerazzurri will certainly help them up the ladder due to their dismal start.

Leonardo is set to start Milan's only decent signing of the summer, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, alongside Pato. The Dutchman will be making his much anticipated debut following a suspension against Siena for his sending off on the last day of the Eredivisie.

Despite their fine win in Siena, both sides still have some work to do and this game will no doubt provide the best stage to iron out all the problems. Its bound to be another classic as both teams can easily take the home the three points.

Serie A KicksOff!

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:46:00 +0000

August is nearing its end and that only means it's time for some good football, and what a better way to watch Serie A kickoff this evening. The summer has been long and hard for some, as fans had to say goodbye to legends such as Nedved, Maldini, Figo and Montella. To top it off they also had to see big names like Kaka, Diego Milito and Ibrahimovic depart from their teams.

The preseason brought about various struggles for certain teams as their team had to adopt to a team without their influential players, learn how to play with new teammates and adjust to their new coach and his tactics.

Nevertheless; despite these changes this year's Serie A season looks set to be a cracker, as it welcomes back Livorno, Parma and Bari. The latter making it's way back to the first division in eight years. However they will be met with their toughest task in the opening game as they face last year's champions Inter.

While the first teams to set Serie A into motion will see Bologna taking on Fiorentina. The rossoblu will be hoping to put aside their management struggles and do what they do best and play. This will be no push-over for Fiorentina as Bologna have stopped big teams in the past; their most notable win will be their 2-1 defeat over Milan on the first day of last season.

While the rossoneri are set to travel to the Medieval city of Siena to take on the stern Robur side who also have a history in pulling out shocking results. The Via Turati outfit has had a particularly long preseason as they have gone through a whole change in the side. Maldini and Kaka have parted ways and Leonardo has been brought in to replace Ancelotti who left for Chelsea. While little transfer activity has left little to be desired. One win in the whole preseason for the rossoneri will leave Siena confident to take on this once fearful side.

Genoa and Roma is undoubtedly the most exciting game to watch on Sunday. The two sides battled the whole way through last season to try and claim a spot in Europe allowing for interesting battles on the field when the two sides met. This battle will undoubtedly continue on the field tomorrow as both sets of players will be looking to set their season into high gear.

The wait has been long enough and it's about time that Italian football is back to keep everyone entertained. Best of luck to all teams, may the best team win, may the goals be beautiful, the tackles perfectly timed, the saves world class and the refereeing on par.

Win Number One: Trofeo Berlusconi!

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:15:00 +0000

A win has finally arrived for Leonardo's Milan and it comes in the shape of the annual Trofeo Berlusconi as the rossoneri triumphed 6-5 on penalties to beat Juventus.

This was a must win game for the new Milan coach as up until tonight's game he and his team have come out of the preseason winless and with the new season set to start on the weekend, the rossoneri had no other option but to win.

They started off brightly as they controlled the game and decided to attack right from start with most of the chances falling to Pato but he had no such luck. Huntelaar also had a couple of shots saved by Buffon. While Pirlo hit the woodwork with a cracker of a shot.

At the opposite end and against the run of play Diego's firing shot from near 30 yards out saw Silva deflect the ball into the top corner resulting in Juventus going into the break with a 1-0 lead.

The second half saw an immediate reaction from the rossoneri as they played with more urgency to try and get their first win. Silva's header was went wide but eight minutes later saw substitute Abate cross the ball to Pato who headed home the equaliser. The young Brazilian had fought hard all game, creating chances, making runs, fighting off endless tackles which left a much deserved goal to his name.

Final whistle arrived and it brought about penalties. The young Yago was the only play to falter for Juventus as his missed penalty set Milan up for their first triumph while Silva made amends for his error by slotting home the winning penalty.

This win brought about clear signs of improvement for Milan. The team is starting to look like team run by Leonardo and not languishing on the past tactics of Ancelotti.

Roma In, Kalac Out

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:33:00 +0000

Flavio Roma has officially completed his move back to Italy seeing him sign for Milan after Zejlko Kalac's contract was terminated.

Kalac found himself fallen out of favour by new coach Leonardo and with Marco Storari's impressive preseason for it was highly unlikely that Kalac would have made the cut.

The shot stopper joins the rossoneri from Monaco where he spent the last 8 years of his career seeing him play 205 official games for the French side. He also had spells at several other Italian sides such as Lazio, Venezia, Foggia, Fiorenzuola, Chievo and Piacenza.

Roma is said to have signed a contract that is set to expire at the end of next season. He is expected to make his rossoneri debut at Friday's TIM Trophy tournament despite only having been with the squad for a few days.

Huntelaar Becomes A Rossonero

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:33:00 +0000

The first major signing of the season is here and it has finally brought some smiles to the Milanisti's faces as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has joined the Via Turati outfit.

The Dutchman joins the struggling rossoneri side from Real Madrid on a reported £12.5m which has seen him contracted to the side for four years.

A transfer of this magnitude was desperately needed by the rossoneri as their lack of transfer activity has seen criticism and boycotts from the fans in recent weeks.

Huntelaar joins a list of legendary Dutchman to play for the rossoneri, leaving a lot of expectation on his shoulders. Despite these heavy expectations Huntelaar is raring to go and will no doubt make an impact to the aging side.

Welcome Klaas!

Please stay Pirlo.

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:01:00 +0000

There has been tons of speculation about Andrea Pirlo leaving Milan for Chelsea in the media at late and in my opinion there has been too much for my liking.

Yes, Pirlo's transfer could potentially give Milan one of the best deal of this summer's transfer market. By selling him Milan could still get a reasonable amount for him, plus even an extra player should Chelsea be willing to part with one of their players.

Ancelotti would probably stop at nothing to make sure he gets his focal player at Chelsea, even if it means dishing out a few extra million or a player that hasn't quite past his day and would fit Milan's age requirements (30 years or more). If it's just money Milan get this will open up for some potential transfers but how many players can 16 mill by you nowadays when the team needs a huge overhaul?

And yes, he isn't as fast as he used to be and his style of play is being read more and more easily nowadays leaving an element of vulnerability. But this is Pirlo, the shining star that can create nothing out of something, and quite frankly Milan's only creative player at this point in time.

Seedorf has mastered the word inconsistency, while Di Gennaro isn't guaranteed a starting place and will have to work his way up. Pato has said that he wants to return to his deeper role and not continue playing the traditional 'centre forward' position but Milan have not made any signings to allow him the space he needs.

Not to mention the roughness of the Premier League would never gel for Pirlo's delicate and intricate style of play. The fast pace of the Brits will not allow Pirlo to have as much freedom on the ball as he has put to use so well in Italy. It will be the toughest battle of the "Tinkerbell's" (as he is known by Milan fans) career.

This World Cup Winner is still one of my favourite Milan players and I feel with Leonardo at the reigns he still has a lot to offer us. The Brazilian can try and rework Pirlo into a position that will leave him free on the field.

Dai Milan!

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Eleven days into the preseason, six games played, zero wins. These are the statistics of the 'New Milan'; far from impressive for a team of such a high calibre.

Now Milan's new coach Leonardo cannot be blamed for the rossoneri's inability to win. This is his first season as a professional coach, he has had to carry the wait of expectation by all Milanisti on his shoulders. He of course also has had to get used to the team, implement his own coaching techniques- while trying to get the players to accept it- as well as trying to get a team suffering from Post-Maldini and Kaka departure stress.

Leonardo himself admitted that there is a missing element to this confused side, while Gennaro Gattuso reiterated the fact. However; Sporting Director (or lack there of) is constantly contradicting the Brazilian saying the team is in good shape and the transfer policy is going well.

If so where are the new signings? Kaka and Shevchenko have gone, Inzaghi is continuously prone to injury, Borriello is yet to get into full swing while Pato and Ronaldinho still have some sharpening up to do before the season starts. Ignazio Abate has been brought in, but a player who barely scored for Torino last season has very little odds in making an impact on side playing at the highest level.

The defence is not any better... Bonera, Onyewu and Silva are the only defenders under the age of 30. Nesta has only started playing, after a year on the sidelines due to a back injury. Oddo, Janulovski and Zambrotta have got a lot of work to do while Favalli has past his sell by date.

These are two areas that need a lot of shape shifting in the rossoneri side. While increasing rumours about Andrea Pirlo's departure has left fans even more worried as they will also need to find an adequate replacement. Highly unlikely with the way things are going.

If management don't wake up and smell the roses, it will be another trophy less season, where competing for the title of the Champions League and Scudetto will be on tough task at hand. What is happening to the once heroic Milan?

Apologies....

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:37:00 +0000

It has been a while since the last post and apologies are all around. It has been a hectic month as University has commenced and naturally the work has flooded in.

Plans were made to write about the Serie B quintet who fell from grace into the hallows of Lega Pro. In a matter of a week Pisa, Avellino, Treviso, Venezia and Sambenedettese all declared themselves bankrupt and were dropped into Serie C2, showing an increasing sign of the economic times.

There is however a continuous concern that has played on the back of the mind throughout the past few weeks and that is Milan's inability or unwillingness to put their money where their mouth is. This ongoing battle between Sevilla and Milan has seen Luis Fabiano drift further away from the rossoneri; practically ruling out any possibility of signing the Brazilian star.

It is as if Adriano Galliani and co. don't seem to care about how Milan do this season and in case they haven't realised they need to do really well to put their name back on the map and clear those debts.

If all fails this year Leonardo will be the one to be blamed never mind the fact that he has practically no fresh resources available . It's definitely time to get things sorted at the Milanello as this transfer season has been even more shocking than the previous years.

Milan Sign Onyewu

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:12:00 +0000

Milan have made their first real signing of the summer coming in the shape of the American international Oguchi Onyewu from Standard Leige.

Onyewu was born in 1982 in Washington where he played for Clemson University before moving to Belgium. He has played in England, France but it is in Belgium where has has made his name. He has won two league titles with Standard Leige where he made 117 appearances for the club scoring six.

The centre-back was also a main protagonist in America's fine display in the Confederations Cup in South Africa. He won the man-of-the-match award in his teams heroic display against Spain in the semi-finals which saw them loose to Brazil in the final after having a 2-0 lead at half time.

Onyewu had also been rumoured to other clubs in Italy but Milan managed to snap up the in demand defender for free. This transfer comes soon after the Ultras protested against Galliani's lack of transfer activity in their first training session.

Ambrosini to be Maldini's heir

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:37:00 +0000

Massimo Ambrosini has been announced as the new Milan captain read an official announcement on Milan's Official Website. This "handing over of the armband" comes after the retirement of Paolo Maldini who lead the team for many years in his 24 year spell at the club.

The midfielder has been at the club for 15 years and was always used by Ancelotti as Maldini's vice but now it is his turn to lead the rossoneri and he is no doubt a happy man.

"I'm really excited and proud. Paolo Maldini's inheritance is very important. I thank him for what he was to me and us all. I feel very lucky to hold the captain's armband of Milan." said Ambrosini in his first press conference as Milan Captain.

Ambrosini also had a few words to mention on his new Coach Leornardo: "In us there's just great enthusiasm and we cannot wait to start working with the new coach." And his predessor: "Paolo Maldini? The charisma that he managed to transmit with just his presence was worth more than a thousand words."

These undoubtedly huge boots to fill but if anyone knows this team as well as Maldini it is Ambrosini and he will stop at nothing get this team back on track. Only time will tell...

In Bocca Al Lupo Ambro!

Montella Bids Farewell To Calcio

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:06:00 +0000

First Paolo Maldini, Pavel Nedved and Luis Figo now Vicenzo Montella. This year has seen some universal football stars bid a final farewell to calcio and it looks like Montella is set to follow from his fellow veterans.

The "Aeroplanino" started his career in Serie C with Empoli before moving up to Serie B with Genoa where he scored 21 goals in his first and only season with the club. His impressive goal scoring ability saw him move to cross-city rivals Sampdoria where he lit the Marassi alight with his passion and trade-mark goal celebrations.

It was his eight years with Roma that saw him win over the fans especially with his four goals he scored against rivals Lazio in their 5-1 drubbing of the biancocelesti. Despite his public disagreements with Gabriel Batistuta and Fabio Capello, Montella remained a vital protagonist in their third Scudetto triumph.

In 2007 he was sent on-loan to England where he played for Fulham. His English career only lasted a short six months, as he returned back to Sampdoria where he partnered up with Cassano for a short while.

Last season he managed to only make appearances off the bench leaving him already having played his last game in May, with the fans not having the opportunity to say a formal good-bye.

It is believed that he will be brought in to be part of the coaching staff for Roma's youth teams.

It is another sad farewell to calcio and this giallorossi hero will not be forgotten. Grazie Vicenzo!

Vuvuzela In or Out?

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:10:00 +0000

Throughout the Confederations Cup tournament there has been much debate about whether the Vuvuzela should stay for the World Cup or be banned. It has caused a lot of controversy between fans and players as the buzzing noise is not only annoying at times but a huge distraction to the players; leaving it difficult for the players to hear the whistle of the referee and making it difficult for them to communicate for between one another.

The Vuvuzela has only come to the attention of the public now, despite it being around for over a two decades, in this year's Confederation Cup: a run-up to the 2010 World Cup. FIFA are considering banning the instrument for various reasons mentioned as well as it being used as a possible weapon for hooligans. It also causes huge problems for TV producers as they have to filter the sounds differently now so the audience can here the whistle on the TV too as well as the commentators.

The big questions remains; Should the Vuvuzela stay or go?

South Africans have argued that this instrument adds or if not creates the lively atmosphere seen in their stadiums. It is part of their culture and helps to real their teams on, just like the songs do for the teams in Europe, the drums in Brazil etc etc Why should South Africa have their soccer symbol taken away from them?

The African culture is one that is loud, crazy, chaotic and buzzing, it is one that is passionate about life. This is exactly what the Vuvuzela portrays when blown by the fans. It captures the whole meaning of African culture.

It would be wrong to take away the Vuvuzela from the people. After all no one wants to come in to a country and not witness a football festival without life and culture. Keep the Vuvuzela!!

Why Italy, Why?

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 20:23:00 +0000

Many Azzurri fans were left asking that question after their elimination in the Confederations Cup last night against Brazil. How did they manage to play so badly in a tournament which- on paper- they should have passed through easily enough even without beating Brazil?

It simply doesn't make sense whatsoever as the Azzurri struggled to get a win against the USA, they were outplayed by Egypt for most of the game and were not only beaten by Brazil but were outplayed, outclassed and had circles run around them by the Samba boys. They failed to score goals in two of the three games and conceded goals like it was going out of fashion.

A team that can so proudly host names such as Pirlo, Cannavaro, Buffon and Toni should not have struggled so. After all they are the World Cup winners!

It was Luis Fabiano that stole the show with his two goals but it was the whole team that deserved the credit as their pin-point passing, their perfectly timed interceptions, their passion to succeed saw them, and rightfully so, top group B. The USA progressed after their shock win over Egypt.

Now when one looks back at the history of La Nazionale it is clear that the Azzurri would never go far in this meaningless tournament. The Italians have a tendency to put in dull and sloppy performances after achieving a high honour and this is exactly what they did.

In the Euro they had no motivation to play for the Azzurri and helped sent Donadoni packing after just two years at the helm. They are also a superstitious bunch as they believe; should they win this tournament they would have no chance in success next year.

Nevertheless, that doesn't provide an adequate excuse for their dismal and embarrassing display last night. The excuse of being World Champions, so their is no need to perform in silly competitions, doesn't stand any more as they have to prove that they deserved that title and can just as easily regain it again next year.

A lot of lessons have hopefully hit home after those scary 90 minutes and maybe Lippi will now take a close look at the team. Some players are just too inexperienced to fill the shoes of Gattuso, Cannavaro and Toni. While some players who won the World Cup with Lippi might need to be dropped from the side as they are failing to deliver the goods.

Nevertheless when times are tough and the Azzurri really need to deliver the goods they know how to put in a meaningful performance and get the job done. After all no one will remember this tournament in years to come...

Review: Egypt 1-0 Italy

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:53:00 +0000

As promised here it is; rather late than never!

The excitement could not be contained as we arrived at the stadium a -somewhat three hours prior to kickoff - there were a handful of Italians and a group of Egyptians. The gates had not been opened yet so we were subjected to stand and wait as we eyed our opponents out. Each set of fans looked at each other giving a subtle smile but weary that they would be our rivals that tonight. It was like Apartheid all over again... segregation occurred as if it were the norm; the Italians stood on the one side and the Egyptians the other.

The Egyptians were in good spirits as one of them had a huge flag, he continued to wave it while his fellow Pharaoh supporter blew on the much criticised Vuvuzela as they huddled and discussed the game.

Us Italians kept to our own as we occasionally stood up to take some photo’s, flags, scarves, shirts the works, the Azzurri support dressed up to the max. The Pharaoh’s saw the photo opportunity and pounced. They came to us, shook our hands, and we exchanged flags as the group of us gathered: Egypt and Italy united for those brief minutes.

Entering into the stadium was easy enough provided one got their early. There had been complaints that should you arrive an hour or an hour and a half before the game you could quite possibly miss kickoff so it's best to rather get there a good few hours before and enjoy the fan parks. The fan park consisted of eateries, dancing competitions, Sony promotions, Football Trivia competitions, and several Official Fan Shops which added to the buzzing atmosphere.

The vibe in the stadium was buzzing and quite literally so, the Vuvuzela's were in full force as the locals found every opportunity to blow the buzzing trumpet whenever Egypt had possession. South Africans generally favour the winning team but when the underdog wins, they tend to adopt that team as their second nation. A prime example was a man that kept on shouting "Gattuso! Gattuso! Gattuso you are the best!" and once Egypt scored he did a typical South African style and did a three-sixty and started cheering on Egypt.

In the second half "Egypt! Egypt!" echoed around the stadium as the Italian supporters remained shut. Boos towards De Rossi were not held back as he was surprisingly found to be the most unliked Italian player despite the raving reviews coming into the competition.

Upon exiting the stadium it was chaotic as it was practically a stampede to get out, but once on the streets one could not get anywhere fast as the thousands of fans had to wait for their relative buses to take us back to the park-and-ride. Fans were pushing and shoving as the lack of transport saw thousands of people still waiting for two to three hours after the game to be transported.

All in all it was an amazing experience despite the loss. South Africa still has a lot of work to do in terms of jacking up the transport system, getting the fans through the gates at a steady pace before kickoff, and improving the city as a whole. Moreover, the stadium is in good condition and is definitely prepared to host the World Cup games. The stewards in the actual stadium are extremely helpful in finding one's seats despite it all being well signposted and in general everything went well with just a few minor glitches.

Pictures will be posted up next week or so...

Tomorrow is the day!

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:43:00 +0000

I can't believe the day is almost upon me. Tomorrow morning I will be waking up at the crack of dawn to catch an early flight to Johannesburg where I will be staying there for a week to watch Italy play Egypt and Brazil, and both semi-final games.

I am going to try my hardest to get great pictures of the teams and will post them up along with a report about the game, giving you the full detail about the atmosphere, the stadia, the news: the full throttle.

The first game I will see will be Italy v Egypt at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, a ground full of negative history regarding fans violence, and it will host the final of the World Cup next year. The Brazil game will be in Pretoria at Loftus Stadium where the Azzurri played their first game against the USA. Loftus have had a great turn out of fans so far in the tournament and it already has a sold out all the tickets for the game on Sunday.

Excitement is slowly starting to creep in and the Azzurri shirt with Pirlo's name on it is already waiting to be packed in the bag, along with the flags, and perhaps a vuvuzela...

Lets see how things go. FORZA ITALIA!!!

Confederations Round Up: Day 1

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:08:00 +0000

Kickoff:

South Africa 0- 0 Iraq

Pure frustration to watch as both teams battled it out in a not-so- spectacular opening game. Iraq managed to obtain their first ever Confederations Cup point but failed to deliver the goods. The game will undoubtedly be remembered for Parker preventing the ball from going in his own goal as he unintentionally shattered the dreams of his whole nation.

New Zealand 0-5 Spain

Two words... WORLD CLASS. That is how you can describe Spain's display against New Zealand on Sunday. Yes, one can say the All Whites are not exactly a cut-above-the-rest but they deserve some respect after all they did win the Oceanic Cup.
Spain out played them in every respect and when you find your leading man scoring a hatric in the first 17 minutes of a game you know this team is worth that number one ranking they so proudly occupy.

Egypt 3-4 Brazil

Did the Egyptians cause a scare or what for the Brazilians? By far the better Africa team out of the two, these boys caused a stir as they shook Brazil to come from 3-1 behind to get a 3-3 draw. It was only cancelled out by a Kaka penalty after the Pharaoh's man was sent off for handling the ball on the line.
They played Brazil's game against them and the Selecao looked confused and fatigued at times as the game drew to a close. Some say the USA are the underdogs, I say look out for Egypt!

USA 1-3 Italy

For the World Cup winners this should have been a walk through, the score line suggests it the game says another thing. The first half the USA dominated play and caused many problems for the Azzurri as they failed to grab hold of their few chances. It was the controversial sending off that could have provided Italy with that extra adrenalin in the second half or the colossal presence of the tiny Guiseppe Rossi that did the trick, but the second half had another story.
The Azzurri came from 1-0 behind to win 3-1 with two goals from Rossi. Rumours are suggesting he is the next Paolo Rossi, could it be so? Sure looks like it!

Milan to sign Cissokho tonight!

rossellam@telkomsa.net (Milanista) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:43:00 +0000

Milan have reported that they are set to sign Aly Cissokho from Porto this evening in what is the start of the rossoneri revolution. The French-Senegalese defender is set to be the first signing of the "Leo Era" and he surely will not be the last.

The 22-year old started his career in the second division for Gueugon on the last match of the 2006/2007 season. He moved on to the first division in the Portuguese league where he signed for Vitoria di Setubal where his performances earned him a transfer to Porto.

He made an immediate impact with the Portuguese outfit and helped them win their third conscutive title.

Cissokho is a promising young talent and he is set to try and replace the major void left by Maldini, after his retirement.

It is believed that the transfer will be around 15 millions Euro's. This money will no doubt come from the transfer fees Real Madrid payed for Kaka but one wonders shouldn't the rossoneri be using that money to replace Kaka?