Anyone still bent on moaning about the boredom that is Serie A needs to stop relying on trite clichés and start watching actual matches. While FSC (that’s Fox Soccer Channel, the primary place where those in the states get their football fix) may have broadcast one of the weekend’s most boring matches - Fiorentina v Bari sent me scuttling off for an afternoon nap - Sunday’s action was exciting and the Monday match even more thrilling.
On Sunday, after I yelled at Arsenal to get it in gear (Manchester City had ten men, for goodness sake) and held my breath for Fenerbahçe (just how many times could Galatasaray advance without getting the ball in the net? Answer: every time) I decided to tune into the Inter Milan-Sampdoria match for a bit of relaxation. I mean, my ulcer’s really acting up, and it was obviously time to wind down. Considering I don’t support either side, it seemed that I could probably sit back, do a little studying and just glance at the game every once in a while.
Inter at the San Siro with the free-scoring Samuel Eto’o peppering the goal? Should’ve been an easy bet. Turns out I was utterly wrong. Even with Inter’s fast-breaking attack leaving Sampdoria looking utterly befuddled in the back, somehow the ball never managed to find the net. Instead, Samp were the ones that opened the scoring, when Stefano Guberti looped the ball over Julio Cesar’s hands and across the line.
But with just ten minutes to go Gianluca Curci had to limp off, forcing Sampdoria to give Da Costa his first Serie A appearance. And, bless him, his first sight was that of Eto’o at the near post, sticking the ball in for the equalizer. Amazingly, Sampdoria held on for the draw against the Nerazzurri, keeping Inter four points behind Serie A leaders Lazio.
But the best match was yet to come, with AC Milan travelling to the Stadio San Paolo to take on Napoli. The Partenopei have a complete inability to perform unless they’ve first come under pressure and Monday’s match was no exception. The first twenty minutes was all Milan, who continuously threatened goal while Napoli failed to string more than two passes together. The pressure paid off in the 22nd minute, when Robinho - who was wide open, I might add - scored from the center of the area. Well done, Napoli defence.
That goal seemed to galvanize Napoli, and Edinson Cavani and Marek Hamšík both threatened the Milan goal almost instantaneously. The best chance of the half came when Ezequiel Lavezzi, bound and determined to break his goalless streak against Milan, attempted a fierce header only to have it tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Christian Abbiati. It looked as though the home side would be able to get back into the game after the break, but instead the referee saw fit to send off Michele Pazienza for a second yellow-card offence.
Casual observers may have anticipated a tedious second half, with Napoli just trying to avoid total destruction. Instead, the Partenopei looked determined to find not just an equalizer but a winner, exerting plenty of pressure on the Milan defense. Unfortunately for Napoli, the team once again forgot to keep an eye on defence, and allowed Zlatan Ibrahimović to go unnoticed in the box. The Swede easily headed in a cross and now the visitors were up 2-0.
Boring, boring Italian football, right? Oh no no no. It was Lavezzi again, with a wonder goal: despite being flat on his back, he hauled himself to his feet, flicking the ball as he went. The ball obligingly flipped over the Milan defence, hit the underside of the crossbar, and bounced just inside the line. It’s simply impossible to watch just once.
Shortly after, Robinho dropped to the ground like he’d been shot, clutching his face, although the slight touch from Salvatore Aronica made contact with his shoulder. Napoli’s tempers had been pushed to the breaking point and the benches cleared, with much pushing and shoving before the referee handed out a card apiece.
A small sample size, perhaps, but these matches were indicative of what I see in nearly every Serie A match I watch: Passion. Utter stupidity. Hilarious misses. Great footwork. Starched and pressed white shirts. And almost always, a genuine reason to be either immensely excited or ridiculously upset. But boring? The Italians are so over that.
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Tags: Serie A
Agreed. It pisses me off when I hear people say it still to this day.
There’s no good young Italian player and that’s boring…