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Roman Rule: Weekend Goal Glut Mocks Serie A's 'Boring' Tag
Is the Serie A boring? Nah.
Mar 16, 2010 10:19:00 AM
By Zac Lee Rigg
During the first leg of the Champions League clash between Manchester United and AC Milan, Martin Tyler pointed out that Leonardo was following through on pre-match claims that his team would attack, a rarity. Andy Gray, his commentary partner, harrumphed, "Especially for the coach of an Italian side."
Gray represents English punditry at its most pompous, but he does represent English punditry. The stigma of Calcio being synonymous with boring, slow soccer lingers, no matter how antiquated the notion.
Start with Milan, for example. This team played out a 0-0 draw with Juventus in the Champions League final in 2003, helping cement the view of Serie A as lackluster in attack. Now Leonardo lines up his side in an adventurous "4-2-crazy," as the Brazilian describes it. The three forwards have essentially no defensive responsibilities and the fullbacks maraud into the opposition half frequently. If anything, as seen against Manchester, Milan is naively forward-thinking.
But the Rossoneri only scored one goal this weekend, far below the average of 3.9 goals per game this matchday in Serie A. (Compare to 2.2 goals per game in La Liga, 3.2 in the German Bundesliga, and 3.3 in the English Premier League.) A full nine clubs out of 20 scored three or more this weekend.
From Milan on down, Serie A is chock full of sides willing to play expansive, attacking ball. Many teams have switched to three-man backlines to accommodate more attacking players and to compensate for a worldwide lack of quality fullbacks.
One of those teams, Genoa, won 5-3 over Cagliari on Sunday. As of writing, the only teams whose matches have seen more goals (both for an against) in the top four European leagues are Chelsea and Arsenal, both of which have played two more games than Genoa.
Of course, the stigma of Catenaccio hangs on, in large part thanks to some cautious displays in Europe by Internazionale. Jose Mourinho, never known to overplay his hand, runs a tight ship. For commentators like Gray, who only see Italian sides once or twice in the Champions League, that the best team in Italy suffocates first, spars second, means the whole league bears his disdain.
That said, even stingy Inter generously dropped three points this weekend, allowing Milan to creep within a point, blowing the title race wide open. Maybe Mourinho likes a little drama after all...
Julius Cesar
Consul Of The Week
Once again, RR's rules are clear. A hat-trick = the Jules award. Cristiano Lucarelli hit up the Roma backline for three goals in a 3-3 draw for Livorno.
The 35-year-old Livorno-native captains and symbolizes his club. Pace left him long ago, but shrewd movement and some clinical finishing earned his side a point. For the first two goals, Lucarelli exploited a horribly executed offside trap to latch onto balls over the top and whip shots past Julio Sergio. A penalty in the second half rounded out his performance.
Cleopatra
Moment Of Beauty Of The Week
Perhaps it's time for a new rule: if you score a bicycle, you get the week's Cleopatra title. For anyone who caught it, it will come as no surprise that Edison Cavani's sumptuous overhead volley wins.
By the time he scored it, the goal proved a mere consolation in a 3-2 loss to Udinese, but Palermo's Uruguayan didn't hold back. Fabio Liverani played a delicate chip over the defense and Cavani backed away from his marker. Then, in a flash, he spun acrobatically, swiping the ball into the far corner, across the goalkeeper, who didn't have a chance.
Check it out. It's guaranteed to improve the quality of your life tenfold.
Cicero
Quote Of The Week
"My love for Beckham exploded against Fiorentina last year," Milan VP Adriano Galliani told La Stampa.
"I saw him chase an opposition player for 50 meters when we were winning 2-0 and the referee was about to blow [for full-time]. He is an extraordinary person."
David Beckham won't be running 50 meters, let alone one, any time soon. Against Chievo, Goldenballs took what seemed an innocuous step and tore his Achilles tendon. After surgery in Finland, his doctor confirmed that the World Cup is out of question, and Sir BecksALot will have to race just to feature for the LA Galaxy in 2010.
For a player who has given every ounce of himself to play in a fourth consecutive World Cup, this comes as one of the cruelest blows Fate could muster.
Brutus
Backstabber / Club Hindrance Of The Week
Sulley Muntari lasted a full 70 seconds against Catania. With the score tied at 1-1, his handball in the box earned him a second yellow and granted Giuseppe Mascara a penalty kick. For the sake of his significant other, let's hope he lasts longer at activities off the pitch.
Cagliari went on to win 3-1, blowing open the title race and cementing the Sicilians as a dangerous outfit under the tutelage of former Inter player Sinai Mihajlovic.
The Ghanian is mired in an atrocious run of form. Usually an energetic option with a good left foot, Muntari has deteriorated of late, with both his indiscipline and poor touch costing Inter dearly. At this rate, he won't keep a place on the roster come next season.
Results
Bologna 1-1 Sampdoria, Catania 3-1 Inter, Genoa 5-3 Cagliari, Juventus 3-3 Siena, Lazio 0-2 Bari, Livorno 3-3 Roma, Milan 1-0 Chievo, Napoli 1-3 Fiorentina, Parma 1-0 Atalanta, Udinese 3-2 Palermo
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor of Goal.com. Roman Rule appears, as if by magic, every Tuesday. You should probably read it.
Keep up to date with Serie A and Italy news with Goal.com's Italy page
Gray represents English punditry at its most pompous, but he does represent English punditry. The stigma of Calcio being synonymous with boring, slow soccer lingers, no matter how antiquated the notion.
Start with Milan, for example. This team played out a 0-0 draw with Juventus in the Champions League final in 2003, helping cement the view of Serie A as lackluster in attack. Now Leonardo lines up his side in an adventurous "4-2-crazy," as the Brazilian describes it. The three forwards have essentially no defensive responsibilities and the fullbacks maraud into the opposition half frequently. If anything, as seen against Manchester, Milan is naively forward-thinking.
But the Rossoneri only scored one goal this weekend, far below the average of 3.9 goals per game this matchday in Serie A. (Compare to 2.2 goals per game in La Liga, 3.2 in the German Bundesliga, and 3.3 in the English Premier League.) A full nine clubs out of 20 scored three or more this weekend.
From Milan on down, Serie A is chock full of sides willing to play expansive, attacking ball. Many teams have switched to three-man backlines to accommodate more attacking players and to compensate for a worldwide lack of quality fullbacks.
One of those teams, Genoa, won 5-3 over Cagliari on Sunday. As of writing, the only teams whose matches have seen more goals (both for an against) in the top four European leagues are Chelsea and Arsenal, both of which have played two more games than Genoa.
Of course, the stigma of Catenaccio hangs on, in large part thanks to some cautious displays in Europe by Internazionale. Jose Mourinho, never known to overplay his hand, runs a tight ship. For commentators like Gray, who only see Italian sides once or twice in the Champions League, that the best team in Italy suffocates first, spars second, means the whole league bears his disdain.
That said, even stingy Inter generously dropped three points this weekend, allowing Milan to creep within a point, blowing the title race wide open. Maybe Mourinho likes a little drama after all...
Julius Cesar
Consul Of The Week
Once again, RR's rules are clear. A hat-trick = the Jules award. Cristiano Lucarelli hit up the Roma backline for three goals in a 3-3 draw for Livorno.
The 35-year-old Livorno-native captains and symbolizes his club. Pace left him long ago, but shrewd movement and some clinical finishing earned his side a point. For the first two goals, Lucarelli exploited a horribly executed offside trap to latch onto balls over the top and whip shots past Julio Sergio. A penalty in the second half rounded out his performance.
Cleopatra
Moment Of Beauty Of The Week
Perhaps it's time for a new rule: if you score a bicycle, you get the week's Cleopatra title. For anyone who caught it, it will come as no surprise that Edison Cavani's sumptuous overhead volley wins.
By the time he scored it, the goal proved a mere consolation in a 3-2 loss to Udinese, but Palermo's Uruguayan didn't hold back. Fabio Liverani played a delicate chip over the defense and Cavani backed away from his marker. Then, in a flash, he spun acrobatically, swiping the ball into the far corner, across the goalkeeper, who didn't have a chance.
Check it out. It's guaranteed to improve the quality of your life tenfold.
Cicero
Quote Of The Week
"My love for Beckham exploded against Fiorentina last year," Milan VP Adriano Galliani told La Stampa.
"I saw him chase an opposition player for 50 meters when we were winning 2-0 and the referee was about to blow [for full-time]. He is an extraordinary person."
David Beckham won't be running 50 meters, let alone one, any time soon. Against Chievo, Goldenballs took what seemed an innocuous step and tore his Achilles tendon. After surgery in Finland, his doctor confirmed that the World Cup is out of question, and Sir BecksALot will have to race just to feature for the LA Galaxy in 2010.
For a player who has given every ounce of himself to play in a fourth consecutive World Cup, this comes as one of the cruelest blows Fate could muster.
BrutusBackstabber / Club Hindrance Of The Week
Sulley Muntari lasted a full 70 seconds against Catania. With the score tied at 1-1, his handball in the box earned him a second yellow and granted Giuseppe Mascara a penalty kick. For the sake of his significant other, let's hope he lasts longer at activities off the pitch.
Cagliari went on to win 3-1, blowing open the title race and cementing the Sicilians as a dangerous outfit under the tutelage of former Inter player Sinai Mihajlovic.
The Ghanian is mired in an atrocious run of form. Usually an energetic option with a good left foot, Muntari has deteriorated of late, with both his indiscipline and poor touch costing Inter dearly. At this rate, he won't keep a place on the roster come next season.
Results
Bologna 1-1 Sampdoria, Catania 3-1 Inter, Genoa 5-3 Cagliari, Juventus 3-3 Siena, Lazio 0-2 Bari, Livorno 3-3 Roma, Milan 1-0 Chievo, Napoli 1-3 Fiorentina, Parma 1-0 Atalanta, Udinese 3-2 Palermo
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor of Goal.com. Roman Rule appears, as if by magic, every Tuesday. You should probably read it.
Keep up to date with Serie A and Italy news with Goal.com's Italy page
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