Due to a problem with my ISP I could not log in to my blog and post. But that problem has now been fixed and My blog is back, back with a bang,.. hopefully.. :D
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Francesco Totti: In The 31st Minute
Totti has a flair for scoring goals. Last season, he scored 26 times for AS Roma and was crowned not only as the Capocannoniere, the award for the topscorer in Serie A, but also as the European Golden Boot Winner.
This season has been no different for the Roman God as he has already scored four goals in as many matches in Serie A. The two spectacular strikes within six minutes against Juventus were a display of what the Roma skipper could inflict on the opposition.
The striker has already outlined his targets for this season and aims to win both the Scudetto and the Champions League. Francesco is just four goals away from scoring 200 for his club.
Totti’s affair with the Italian national team started very well when he helped the team qualify and reach the final of the Euro 2000 where he won the Man of the Match Award against France, despite being on the losing side. The 2002 World Cup ended in a disappointment for Totti as he was sent off for diving against South Korea.
Totti’s Euro 2004 also ended prematurely as he was banned for spitting at Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen. However, he was one of the key players as the Azzurri qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Totti took part in the tournament with a metal plate inserted in his ankle and played his part as the Azzurri lifted the World Cup last year. Totti was also then selected for the 23 member Master Card All Star Team.
However, Totti has recently retired from international football as he wants to focus more on his club career. Communities and chat rooms dedicated to Totti went berserk as they couldn’t accept the fact they may not see the Roma captain in an Azzurri jersey ever again.
One of the most interesting aspects of Totti is his celebration after a goal. Once, he took off his shirt and had another which read “6 (sei) Unica!” which means “You’re unique”, which was meant for his wife Ilary Blasi. Another is when he kisses his ring finger and looks upwards thanking God. Totti’s first child Cristian was born in November’05 and since then he sucks his thumb as a mark of dedicating his goals to him.
Totti has come out with two self-effacing joke books which were best-sellers for a prolonged time. The money raised is donated to a children’s charity. He is also the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. It’s impossible to think of Roma without Totti as he has stayed loyal to the club since the day he began playing professional football.
The influential star is also a fashion icon for millions across the globe. It’s a common sight even in places where Serie A is not broadcast, like in Mumbai, for boys to sport similar hairstyles to Totti.
Totti is currently being lined up for the Golden Ball and players like De Rossi and Adrian Mutu have already voiced their support for the Italian. If Totti wins the Ballon’d Or then he would be the first Roma player to win the most coveted prize since its inception in 1956. With the tenacity of a lion and an eagle’s eye for goals, long may Totti continue his brilliant displays. Happy Birthday Francesco!
What Chelsea Crisis?
HULL CITY 0-4 CHELSEA
Chelsea opened their defence of the Carling Cup with a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Championship side Hull City on Humberside, suggesting that talk of a Stamford Bridge crisis is somewhat over-stated.
Chelsea cruised past Hull City into the fourth round of the Carling Cup to give Avram Grant his first win as manager, and a welcome respite from negative headlines.
Although the Tigers held Chelsea at bay until the 37th minute, Scott Sinclair's opener - a low drive - put the Blues firmly in the driving seat.
Salomon Kalou headed home the second just after half-time before Steve Sidwell's well-struck drive soon made it 3-0.
And Kalou completed a thoroughly convincing victory by finishing some good work by substitute Joe Cole.
Hull acquitted themselves well but did not look likely to cause a giant-killing upset, even though Grant made seven changes from the team that lost to Manchester United on Sunday.
Chelsea were straight into their stride, forcing five corners inside the opening four minutes, and the Hull keeper, Bo Myhill, was busy keeping out a Sidwell drive and a Kalou shot.
As expected, the home team had a spell of pressure, but Chelsea looked as though they could step it up a gear, and when Shaun Wright-Phillips, threatening throughout the first-half, fired in a cross, there was 18-year-old Sinclair netting the first goal of the Grant era with a curling shot.
If Hull entertained hopes of a comeback, they vanished soon after the break when Chelsea doubled their lead, Pizarro outsmarting the Tigers' defence and whipping over a left-wing cross that Kalou, challenged by Damien Delasney, headed into the net from close range.
Sidwell cracked a swerving 25-yarder to make it 3-0 after only 52 minutes, but Hull did well to stem the tide, and nearly got a consolation when Jay-Jay Okocha's sent a free-kick narrowly over the bar.
Wright-Phillips limped off with what looked like a hamstring injury, but his replacement, Joe Cole, set up the fourth goal wuth an astute pass for Kalou to finish.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Chelsea go down 2-0 against United
1st half
The match got off to a good start for United as Rooney warmed up Petr Cech's gloves with a curling shot in the 2nd minute.
Chelsea responded 6 minutes later with a great cross from Essien but Shevchenko was slow to react, the ball eventually fell to the feet of Malouda whose pass found Shevchenko but the Ukranian flashed his shot wide.
In the 30th minute Essien carelessly gave the ball away to Rooney with a weak clearance, Rooney whipped over a teasing cross to the far post for Giggs, who elects to shoot rather than head from a very tight angle and lifts it over the bar.
Despite being a man short, Chelsea continuedto play with more than one man up front, which wass adventurous but created a gap between midfield and attack. United meanwhile remain ed threatening down the right flank in particular.
But then, in first half injury time United took the lead .From a corner which, if successfully defended, would have seen Chelsea safely through to half-time, the ball was cleared to Schloles in a deep inside-right position. Scholes headed an intelligent first-time pass back out to Giggs on the right wing, and Giggs bend in a briliant cross with the outside of his right boot where Tevez beat Cech at the near post with a flying header. Chelsae must have thought everything is against them. That was the first United goal Tevez has scored, and he could not have timed it any better. Very well conceived and executed, but tough on Chelsea, especially coming so late in the half.
2nd half
The second half had a slow start and the bad weather could be blamed for it but on the 58th minute mark A beautiful ball over the top found Giggs roaring in from the left, but the Welshman volleyed it way over. Great idea, poor execution.
Shevchenko was taken off for Kalou and few minutes later Saha came in for Rooney.Sheva got off with a hand-shake from the coach. That's something he hasn't been used to since leaving Milan
Nearly 90 minutes and Tal Ben Haim stocked a leg out and caught substitute Louis Saha, and although the French striker madee a meal of it, it was a definite penalty. Saha dispatchers it himself, straight down the middle, and for the first time this season, United have a two-goal lead
There was two minutes of time added on as the referee finally blowed the whistle and fianlly put and end to Chelsea's misery.
Ibrahimovic Rescues Inter From Livorno
Livorno 2-2 Inter Milan
Inter hit the self-destruct button several times again in Livorno, going down after a minute against their bottom-of-the-table hosts, and eventually scrapping a 2-2 draw after Maicon was sent off late in the second half for a silly kick at Erjon Bogdani.
Livorno played with a 3-5-2 formation with Alessandro Diamanti and Erjon Bogdani up front, while Inter lined up with a 4-4-2 formation with Adriano and Zlatan Ibrahimovic as strikers.
After just one minute, Livorno were in front as Ivan Cordoba made a glaring mistake on a long pass from midfield. He completely missed the ball, allowing Daniele De Vezzi to take the ball and he easily beat Julio Cesar.
The hosts were dangerous again in the fifth minute, when a dangerous shot by Diamanti fired a shot from outside the area that went just wide.
Inter reacted in the 7th minute, when Adriano and Ibrahimovic played a nice one-two before freeing up Maicon for a shot, which was well saved by Marco Amelia.
In the 9th minute, there was the first of several controversial episodes in this match as defender Nicolas Burdisso seemed to handle the ball inside the area as he had a tussle with Diamanti. The referee ignored the incident, however.
A minute later, Adriano missed the first in a series of great chances, as his back-heel was cleared off the line by Simone Pavan with Amelia well beaten.
Then came a slower period of the match, before an incredible goalmouth scramble in the 26th minute saw Inter come agonizingly close to scoring. First Adriano fired a shot on the post, then two shots from Esteban Cambiasso and Aparecido Cesar had to be cleared off the line by the Livorno defence.
Replays showed that De Vezze may have touched the ball with his hand during that confused move. A few minutes later, Adriano again came close to scoring as he dribbled past Amelia and fired a precise diagonal shot, which only a great clearence by Fabio Galante prevented from going in.
In the 35th minute, Inter finally found a deserved equaliser when Ibrahimovic finalised a counterattack with a shot under the crossbar from a perfect pass by Maicon.
Inter continued to attack in the final part of the first half, but there were no more chances for either side, as an entertaining first half came to an end on a 1-1 tie.
The Nerazzurri started the second half well, with Ibrahimovic dangerous on a couple of occasions around the 7th minute, but first Amelia managed to grab his shot on a cross by Cesar, and on the second occasion he was stopped by the Livorno defence as he tried to dribble his way through.
Surprisingly, Livorno took the lead again around the hour mark, when substitute Luis Jimenez made a dubious foul on Nico Pulzetti, and the referee awarded a penalty. Massimo Loviso took the spot-kick and made it 2-1 to Livorno (61').
Inter were initially shocked by this new setback, but found a way back into the game ten minutes later, when another penalty was given, this a much clearer one as Ibrahimovic was held back by substitute Rahman Rezaei. The Swede converted the penalty to make it all square again (72').
However, Inter's rotten luck this afternoon continued when Maicon decided to have himself sent off as he kicked out at Bogdani in the 81st minute. But that was not all: a minute later, Ibrahimovic had the ball in the net, but due to a very narrow offside position the goal was called off.
In the final minutes, with Inter reduced to ten men, there was still time for Livorno to make themselves dangerous, but twice the excellent Julio Cesar was alert on shots by Bogdani.
Ultimately though, neither side seemed likely to win it in the final minutes, and the 2-2 draw reflects the way this game went. It's a disappointing result for Inter, who were hoping to bounce back from their defeat to Fenerbahce in the Champions League, but had a wrong approach to the match once again. Meanwhile Livorno, who had started the season with two big defeats, will be overjoyed at this draw against the champions.
Inter remain second with 8 points, but they are joined by Fiorentina and Atalanta, while leaders Roma are two points ahead with 10 points. Livorno obtain their second consecutive draw.
Danilo Pochini
MATCH STATS
LIVORNO-INTER 2-2
GOALSCORERS: 1' De Vezze (L), 35', 71' Ibrahimovic (I), 61' Loviso (L)
LIVORNO (3-5-2): Amelia; Knezevic, Pavan (71' Rezaei), Galante; Balleri (68' Grandoni), Pulzetti, Loviso, De Vezze (54' E. Filippini), Pasquale; Bogdani, Diamanti. In panchina: De Lucia, Alvarez, Tavano, Tristan. All.: Orsi
INTER (4-4-2): Julio Cesar; Maicon, Cordoba, Burdisso, Maxwell (55' Jimenez); J. Zanetti, Stankovic, Cambiasso, Cesar; Ibrahimovic, Adriano (68' Cruz). In panchina: Toldo, Samuel, Dacourt, Figo, Crespo. All.: Mancini
BOOKINGS: Knezevic, Pavan, Galante, and Bogdani (L); Maxwell and Cambiasso (I)
SENDINGS OFF: 81' Maicon (I)
All Square In Rome After Epic Roma 2-2 Juventus
Vincenzo Iaquinta scored a late equaliser to earn Juventus a 2-2 draw in Rome in a phenomenal game that more than lived up to it's billing as the game of the season.
Iaqunita headed home in the 87th minute from a Giorgio Chiellini long-throw just as it looked like Roma were going to earn their fourth consecutive Serie A win of the new season.
Earlier Francesco Totti had scored twice for Roma to turn the game on it's head after David Trezeguet had given the Bianconeri an early lead. Alessandro Del Piero also missed a penalty in an action-packed encounter at the Stadio Olimpico.
First Half
Roma were hoping to continue a stunning start to the season which had seen them win all five of their competitive games without conceding a goal. Coach Luciano Spalletti named the same team that were so impressive in the Champions League against Dynamo Kiev in midweek.
Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri lived up to his 'tinkerman' tag by unleashing an attacking 4-3-3 formation with Alessandro Del Piero, David Trezeguet and Vincenzo Iaquinta upfront.
Zdenek Grygera returned from injury to play at right-back but the Bianconeri were without the injured Mauro Camoranesi, Marco Marchionni, Jean-Alain Boumsong, Sergio Almiron and the suspended Jonathan Zebina.
Roma started strongly and created the first big chance of the game on 10 minutes, when Francesco Totti put Marco Cassetti through with a fantastic reverse through-ball and Juve keeper Gianluigi Buffon had to pull off a superb save to turn his shot around the post.
Juventus hit back immediately and were unlucky when Doni's flap at an Iaquinta cross fell kindly to a Roma defender. Their misfortune did not last long as Juventus surprisingly took the lead on 16 minutes. Good work by Del Piero released Iaquinta whose cross found Trezeguet's bullet header from eight yards. It was the Frenchman's 100th goal in Serie A.
Roma tried to respond and De Rossi's shot from the edge of the box was deflected into the arms of Buffon. Amantino Mancini was also booked for simulation after trying to con the referee into giving a penalty.
However Juventus were close to extending their lead when a superb free-kick from Del Piero finished just inches over the bar. Doni was rooted to the spot. Spalletti was then forced into a change after Cassetti pulled up with an injury and the right-back made way for ex-Real Madrid man Cicinho.
Within 60 seconds of the Brazilian's introduction, Roma had drawn level through their talismanic captain Totti. Domenico Criscito demonstrated all his inexperience by getting too tight to the forward and Totti spun him easily before curling the ball delightfully past Buffon.
Five minutes later Roma were in front. Again Totti was the scorer. Mancini found space down the left and his cross ricocheted into the path of Aquilani whose shot was superbly saved by Buffon. The world's number one goalkeeper could do nothing on Totti's follow up however. Again Criscito was to blame for the goal as he allowed Aquilani to get goal-side of him. The youngster was having a dreadful afternoon.
Juventus showed their fighting spirit and nearly got back on level terms immediately. Iaquinta's knock-down found Del Piero whose volley was brilliantly parried around the post by Doni. In first-half injury time The Golden Boy's free-kick caused all kinds of problems in the Roma area and Nedved's flick-on was deflected just wide. Nicola Legrottaglie replaced the disastrous Criscito at half-time as Ranieri aimed to shore things up in defence.
Second Half
Within four minutes of the second-half the Bianconeri wasted a golden opportunity to level the scores. Nedved was felled in the area by a combination of Cicinho and De Rossi and referee Emidio Morganti pointed to the spot. Del Piero stepped up but quite incredibly blazed well over the bar. It was most uncharacteristic of the forward, who is renowned as a penalty-kick specialist.
Roma should have made Del Piero pay for his miss on 51 minutes but after good work by Rodrigo Taddei, Perrotta contrived to fire over an open goal.
Juventus were then dealt a massive blow when star defender Jorge Andrade was stretchered off with an injury and replaced by veteran Alessandro Birindelli. This left the Bianconeri with the rather shaky-looking central defence partnership of Birindelli and Legrottaglie.
Within a minute of the change Juventus again nearly fell further behind. Totti's thunderbolt of a free-kick was parried by Buffon and the keeper then got up to make a stunning follow-up save on Mancini.
Roma were by now completely dominant but instead of trying to push on and look for a third goal they made the mistake of keeping possession and merely controlling the game in midfield. Nevertheless on 79 minutes, Perrotta again missed an excellent chance. Cicinho's cross found the ex-Chievo man completely unmarked in the middle but he headed wide.
Juventus were looking like a tired and beaten team with only Iaquinta, who had been impressive all game, showing any kind of spark. With three minutes left Roma were made to pay for taking their foot off the gas as Iaquinta silenced the Olimpico with a goal completely out of the blue. A long throw from Chiellini looked harmless enough but the ex-Udinese striker got in front of Cicinho and looped a header over the stranded Doni. What a game!
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