Leaving this here for my boo @CybrSlydr and any others who care to read.... What exactly do calcio fans mean when they talk about the mezz'ala? https://www.football-italia.net/127534/just-what-mezzala
The best part is his complete lack of celebration after scoring the best goal we'll see this year. Was he playing against a former team?
Yes. He grew up in Napoli and supported them growing up. It was his dream to play for them and it came true. Fans loved him but he left rather mysteriously and has played well against them ever since. Napoli fans were puzzled. Then he finally openly discussed the heartbreaking circumstances of his departure and fans understood. Read the article hang posted about him. As a fan of Napoli I can't help but be ok with Quags success against us.
Sampdoria was one of those teams that always annoyed me. They have a history of giving Roma problems. When I saw Roma at Olympico they played Sampdoria. I just always had something against them.... Until I read that Quagliarella article. Since then, I just root for Quagliarella's success (and by extension, Sampdoria's) as long as it doesn't hurt Roma. As long as Quagliarella doesn't do something stupid like join Lazio or Juve (again), I'll always root for the guy.
Turn that frown upside down, buddy. Perfect that special cocktail only made when Roma wins. Cook your wonderful wife a nice meal. Take a walk along the river. It's a long season and this little break can help.
To return from the interminable international break and see a Spalletti masterclass lead Inter to a 1-0 defeat in San Siro VS Parma reminds us all that calcio fans are truly blessed.
I've received multiple requests for reading material during the boring early Champions League games, and a break from the legal malaise that is the current Crew/Austin boondoggle. So, without further adieu here is "hangthadj's Serie A Round 4 Review, subtititled There is no Anti-Juve and everything is awful" Roma vs Chievo - For ********s sake. For 45 minutes Roma looked like an actual team, fluid in midfield and competent in front of goal. Then it all came undone. A blown 2 goal lead. Comical defending on the second. A sprawling Olsen save to preserve the draw on the final kick of the game. Pressure is mounting on EDF. Madrid tomorrow in UCL, then two very winnable games (Bologna and Frosinone) before the Derby vs Lazio. If Roma is blown out by Madrid and drops points vs Bologna or Frosinone coupled with a derby loss, EDF doesn't make October. The draw brings Chievo to NEGATIVE 1 points in the table since they were docked three points for fraudelent accounting. ********in Italy, man. ********in calcio. Fiorentina vs Napoli - If there is an anti-Juve maybe it's Napoli. Sure they lost at Sampdoria, but Luigi Ferrari's is a hard place to play. They handled a very good Fiorentina team 1-0 and look like they can find a way to win when not playing their best. Napoli winning 2 or 3-0 is almost less impressive to me than seeing them grind out a 1-0 win. Juventus vs Sassuolo - This was a top of the table clash. Sassuolo is much better than last year. De Zerbi has them playing a 4-3-3 that is so fluid in transition that it makes me cry that Roma is so poor under EDF. But they were never gonna win in Turin. That they didn't roll over and die and actually kept it competitive is a credit to this Sassuolo as opposed to past years. Douglas Costa suspended 4 games for spitting at Federico Di Francesco. Bad weekend for the Di Francesco's. Inter vs Parma - This would have been the highlight of my weekend had Roma's capitulation not ruined my mood. Parma stuns Inter loanee Federico De Marco scores a stunner 10 minutes from time. Another great thing about calcio is that the loanees play against their parent teams and you have moments like this. Inter is off to an even worse start than Roma and already sits 8 points behind Juve. So much for their title challenge. As you can see the games were competitive up and down the table. I could recap each, but this week I'll just focus on two players who will soon be playing for bigger Serie A clubs or a team in your much richer and well supported leagues... 1. Nicolo Barella of Cagliari. - This kid is amazing. 21 years old and already one of the most complete midfielders in Serie A. Born in Cagliari he's been in their system for years. Last year he really came into his own. Maybe the best comparaison is Lucas Torriera who recently starred for Uruguay at the World Cup and and Sampdoria last year. Barrella is only 5'7" but has an engine not unlike Radja Nainggolan. He can also get forward and put in a goal or two when needed. I would love to see him stay in Serie A. Then again I wanted Roma to get Torreira as DDR's heir and that never happened. Unless a Juventus or Inter splash the cash for him I'd expect to see him on EPL broadcasts in the next 18-24 months. The kid is gonna be star. Krzystof Piatek of Genoa - 23 years old and this kid looks ready to lead Poland's front line for years to come. He's adapted to Serie A marvelously already scoring 4 goals in 3 games for a Genoa team that had big doubts coming into the season. Some know of Milik at Napoli (formerly of Ajax). Piatek reminds me a bit of him before Milik. Slightly less physically imposing than Milik, but also not coming off two knee injuries. He is co-sharing the capocannoniere with Defrel at Sampdoria right now. The two top goal scorers in the league plying their trade in Genoa. What a time to be alive. At any rate. Keep an eye on this kid. I don't think he has the potential to be as big a star as Barella, but he will score goals by the bucketload. Oh Join us next week when Juve extends their lead further, Roma attempts not to shit their pants, and hangthadj attempts not to throw up. Oh, and one other thing. All of Serie B has been suspended because 3 teams went bankrupt or disolved and the FIGC has no idea what to do with a 19 team league and how to align it with the whole pyramid. Welcome to Italy! CALCIO CALCIO CALCIO!
There are people that watch only the EPL that seriously think Harry Kane is a better striker than Mauro Icardi. Madness.
Easy. The 19 clubs pay a €150 mil expansion fee each, they divide into a Conferenza Orientale and a Conferenza Occidentale, come up with some indeterminate rules about player transactions and salaries, and play before half-empty stadiums and scarce television audiences. Fixed.
I've often dreamed of a front pairing of Icardi and Dybala... Icardi in the Advanced Forward/Poacher position with Dybala playing CAM as an Attacking Mid staggered behind him.
That Icardi has been iced out of Argentina's national team all for stealing Messi's friends girl is the biggest indictment on Messi's career. If he wanted to win, he demands Icardi in the Argentina squad. He's one of the best 4-5 strikers in the world. I hate Inter Milan with a passion, I marvel nearly weekly at what Icardi does on the field.
Reminder for everyone looking for time to kill before 19 year old Nicola Zaniolo and Roma light up Benabeu and Madrid, there is actually a Serie A game today!!!! Fiorentina vs Sampdoria. ESPN+ at 1pm.