So we host Udinese tomorrow. For those of us in the States, it will air live on FSC (9 AM). Forza Inter! Metro
Squad for the first match of the season: Goalkeepers: 1 Francesco Toldo, 12 Julio Cesar. Defenders: 2 Ivan Ramiro Cordoba, 6 Maxwell, 13 Maicon, 24 Nelson Rivas, 25 Walter Samuel, 26 Cristian Chivu, 31 Cesar. Midfielders: 4 Javier Zanetti, 5 Dejan Stankovic, 7 Luis Figo, 11 Luis Jimenez, 15 Olivier Dacourt, 21 Santiago Solari. Strikers: 8 Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 9 Julio Ricardo Cruz, 18 Hernan Crespo, 29 David Suazo. No Matrix because of injury and Adriano has been left out as well. This will test our depth, esepcially in defence Matrix has been like a rock the last few seasons, now it's up to Chivu and Samuel/Cordoba to hold it together.
Goooooal Stankovic!! great piece of skill by Ibra who sets up Dejan who beats the keeper from close range at the near post. Adriano in the stands gives a smile he doesn't look too unhappy.
It should of been 2-0, Stankovic with a lovely chip over the top for Cruz... who controls it and fires over the crossbar from point blank range.
Julio Cesar touches the ball with his hand outsid the 18 yard box which results in a red card! Click Here for Video
Bad game for inter in the end.. Suazo needs to step it up and wtf is up with cruz playing he suks!! good game from ibra. cordoba can leave he sukssssssss
True, good point. Though, in all fairness, the last year or so he has sucked (regardless of today's goal). Metro
I am annoyed with the result but more so with Mancini's thinking going into this game, wtf was he doing starting the likes of Cruz, Dacourt, Maxwell, Cordoba etc. especially over Suazo, Crespo, Chivu and Cambiasso? The entire preseason our attack had been built around Suazo, Ibra yet Mancinin discarded that and started Cruz who blew what little chances he actually had. Likewise with matrix out for a few months you would think he would start the man we went to so much trouble to get Chivu, finally Dacourt over Cambiasso is a joke, our midfield sucked in this game and our best midfielder didn't even get game time. Oh and again Cordoba with a monumental stuff up, how many times does he have to do it before getting dropped? Honestly I think we were arrogant and chose to play half our 2nd stringers against Udinese but they are a better team than that and punished us.
That's only the 2nd wtf moment I've seen in JC's career. Hopefully I don't see anymore because he is an extremely talented keeper. If anyone is curious, his other moment was when he punted a ball at the top of the box but another player was too close to him and the ball deflected off the back of the player's head and into the goal.
This is ridicilous, did Mancini think this was a friendly or something? It's a slap in the face to Crespo and Suazo to have Cruz start over them. Cambiasso and Chivu should of also started as Solarz pointed out. Where was Viera btw?
I know Cruz has a lot of detractors: he obviously isn't the best striker in the world, by a longshot. But let's not forget the many goals he's come up with off the bench for us. Cruz, however, is not starting material over guys like Zlatan or Suazo. Metro
viera was hurt, cambiasso is off form due to injury, maicon as well, and chivu was a huge surprise not starting.
I would still take a off form Cambiasso rather than Dacourt... seriously the midfield was a joke in that game, anyway let's not dwell on this too much it's only the first game.